In the Northern Hemisphere you might know this delicious vegetable as Swiss Chard. Here in New Zealand, it’s called Silverbeet or Korare.
Whichever name you prefer, then please get it on your menu. This mighty vegetable is a ‘menopause-must’! It is high in all the minerals that your body needs during your menopause transition to help you sleep – calcium, magnesium and iron.
And if any of you have been to Lima, the capital of Peru, then you may also have tried Lima Beans. These are also known as Butter Beans and in this salad, they take pride of place with silverbeet in a delicious menopause-mineral-specific salad. The butter beans in this recipe will help you too.
For centuries, people in Central and South America have prized lima beans for the energy and nutrients they offer. Peru’s ancient Moche civilization used the large, flat beans in their cooking as early as 800 BCE and whilst, it’s easy for us to open a can of beans these days, adding Lima Beans to our diet is just as important today as it was back then.
Silverbeet is a source of vitamin A (from beta-carotene), folate and vitamin K, and contains a dietary significant amount of potassium, all nutrients that are beneficial to our heart health and our sleep as we age. Lima beans are rich in soluble fibre, which helps your body absorb carbohydrates more slowly, thus regulating your blood sugar levels and helping you to control your weight.
I hope that over the weekend, you can get these ingredients and make this delicious salad.
The MyMT™ KITCHEN: Silver Beet Butter Bean Salad
When we moved into our new home, the last owners had left truckloads of silver beet. I don’t usually cook much with silver beet but now I had to work out how to use it all up. I found myself experimenting with silver beet in salads and it was delicious when warmed and paired with beans.
Ingredients (makes enough for 2 people)
Ingredients
- 1 can of butter beans
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- A large bunch of silver beet or kale
- Flat leaf parsley
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Add extra veggies if you desire – cucumber and tomatoes also go great with this dish.
Method
Fry the butter beans and garlic on low – medium heat in olive oil for 10 minutes.
Add the kale or silver beet and fry for an extra 5 minutes (until it is sautéed).
Serve with flat leaf parsley, lemon and olive oil dressing, and salt / pepper.
