Do the Olive and Jalapeno Diet
Kalamata, Greek and Spanish green olives are great superfoods, containing hydroxytyrosol -which is linked to cancer prevention- and many antioxidants. Jalapeno (Hal-ah-pain-yoh) peppers contain vitamin C and E, a whole lot of potassium (A 45 gram pepper contains 153 mg of potassium), and capsaicin, which boosts your metabolism. The heat from the jalapenos and the cancer-resisting antioxidant in olives helps this diet battle fat and flab.
Steps
- Decide on jalapeno peppers. Some types of jalapenos are extremely hot, and some are on the milder side. Mild green jalapeno sauce (Tabasco is a good brand) can also help when you're out of peppers.
- Pickled jalapenos stuffed with cheese. These are definitely the most mild jalapenos. Pickled jalapenos don't cut down on antioxidants or vitamins, so you don't have to worry about that. You can eat these whole, as a snack, or cut them up. They are best for eating whole, as the cheese can get messy when cut up.
- Green jalapeno or chile peppers. These peppers are hot, but are milder in terms of hot peppers. Green jalapenos are generally not eaten whole, because of the seeds. You can cut them up and put them in salads, puree to make salsa, and use them for sauces and fillings. They have a lot of use in Mexican dishes.
- Poblano chiles. These are a bit hotter than jalapeno peppers, but are still mild enough for the ones that don't have such hot teeth. They have thick walls, which make them great for stuffing. They can also be baked, peeled or dried. They are heart-shaped and very large. When dried, they're called mulato chiles.
- Arbol chiles. These chiles are very hot, wear gloves when preparing. They are narrow and curved, they start out as green and mature to red. Arbol chiles are best used in small doses, and can be used in salsas, chili or sauces.
- Habanero peppers. These peppers are very hot, and may burn your skin, eyes or nose if it comes in contact. They are best used in hot salsas.
- Red Fresno chiles. Red Fresnos are very similar to jalapeno peppers, forgoing the meatiness and thick skin of jalapenos. They are popular for fresh uses, they don't dry well.
- Serrano chiles. These chiles don't need to be steamed or peeled before use, making them very easy peppers to use. Since they are very meaty, they don't dry well. They are about six times hotter than the jalapeno.
- Manzano peppers. These roundish little chiles have a very thick pod, making them hard to dry and black seeds. They are great for hot salsas, enchiladas, quesadillas and stuffing.
- Decide on olives. Olives are the staple of Mediterranean cuisine, and very versatile. They are not like jalapeno peppers in any way, shape or form. Some olives can be very salty, though, and some can be very mild. Picky eaters, keep this in mind. You can substitute capers, chopped sundried tomatoes or caper berries for olives. You cannot substitute olive oil for real olives, unless otherwise stated.
- Manzilla, or mammoth, olives. Manzanilla olives are Spanish green olives, being the mildest of the bunch. You can eat them right out of the jar, use them in dishes, or pack them into platters. They are hollow, and can be filled with pimento, garlic, or nothing.
- Kalamata olives. Kalamatas are black, Greek, brine-cured olives. These have pits in them, and are mildly salty.
Tips
- If you need to cut up jalapenos, try pureeing them whole and freezing the puree. Mind you, the puree will be skin, seeds and pulp, so use less than the suggested amount.
