The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (19 page)

Livit Recipe

4 pounds winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

½ small onion, chopped

2 large leeks, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt
OR
sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 pound whole grain pasta (ziti, penne, rotini)

1 cup apple juice
OR
hard cider
OR
white wine

cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced, as garnish

• Preheat oven to 400°F.

• On a 9” × 12” baking sheet with a slight rim (such as a jelly roll pan), mix the squash cubes with the onion, leeks, garlic, salt, and pepper; drizzle with olive oil and toss gently until all the cubes are coated. Distribute the squash cubes so that they make an even layer in the pan. Roast them for 45 to 60 minutes, until the squash is soft and lightly browned.

• While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

• When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

• Working in batches, put the roasted vegetables into a blender jar and puree until smooth. Transfer each pureed batch to a 2-quart pot. Add the juice to the pureed vegetables and cook over medium heat until the mixture has reduced slightly.

• In a 3- to 4-quart baking dish, combine the cooked pasta with the vegetable puree. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the casserole mixture and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown. Garnish with parsley. Serve.

YIELD
8 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
427 calories, 82.8 g carbohydrate, 10.7 g protein, 8.4 g fat, 15.5 g dietary fiber

Yams are a good source of vitamins B
₆
and C and the minerals potassium and manganese, as well as dietary fiber. Vitamin B
₆
is instrumental in breaking down homo-cysteine, lowering the risk of heart attack. The potassium and fiber in yams help control blood pressure. Yams have a lower glycemic index than true potatoes.

Some types of yams contain a steroid, diosgenin, that has been used by the pharmaceutical industry to synthesize human hormones, including cortisone, estrogen, and progesterone, but the body has not been shown to convert this steroid on its own. Still, there are some intriguing hormone connections. In studies on rats, the starch from Chinese yams has shown promise in reducing the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of baked yams provides 79 calories, 18.8 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 2.7 g dietary fiber, 8 mg vitamin C, 11 mcg folic acid, 456 mg potassium, 5 mg sodium, 33 mg phosphorus, 10 mg calcium, and 12 mg magnesium.

Choose firm yams with intact skins. Yams should not be refrigerated, as this changes the taste. Store them away from heat and light, and they will keep for up to ten days. Sunlight and warmth can cause them to sprout.

Yams are still somewhat scarce. You may need to seek them out in international groceries. (See The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams on page 92.)

Livit Recipe

4 yams, scrubbed and sliced into ½-inch disks (discard the ends)

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon non-hydrogenated margarine

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Put the yams and water in a 9” × 13” baking dish. Drizzle the yams with agave nectar and dot with margarine. Cover the dish with foil. Slit the foil in two or three places to allow some of the steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the yams are soft and easily pierced with a fork. Serve.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
165 calories, 37.6 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 5.4 g dietary fiber

Yellow wax beans, like green (snap) beans, are immature bean pods eaten as a vegetable. While it is possible to eat the young pods of nearly any common bean, special varieties have been developed that produce a succulent, fleshy young pod.

Yellow beans are a good source of lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin A, so they are good for vision health. Lutein and beta-carotene have antioxidant effects that may help slow the effects of aging and prevent some cancers. Vitamin A may also be involved in maintaining epithelial cells—the cells that line the digestive tract and lungs. There is also a purple wax bean that may one day prove to be a good source of anthocyanins.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of cooked yellow wax beans provides 92 calories, 4.9 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g protein, 0.17 g fat, 2.1 g dietary fiber, 51 IU vitamin A, 6.1 mg vitamin C, 21 mcg folic acid, 187 mg potassium, 2 mg sodium, 24 mg phosphorus, 29 mg calcium, 0.8 mg iron, 16 mg magnesium, and 0.23 mg zinc.

With yellow wax beans, select crisp, young bean pods that are not dry, shriveled, or rubbery. Sort through and discard any moldy or woody beans. Snap off the ends and remove strings if they have them. (Most modern varieties don't.)

Even more than green beans, yellow beans can almost be eaten raw. You can steam them for a very short time—about five minutes—over an inch or less of boiling water. They should still have a bright color and be crisp for optimal nutrient retention. Add a drizzle of olive oil, oregano, rosemary, and black pepper.

Yellow beans are also available frozen, though you may have to hunt for them in this form. Canned beans tend to be overcooked and bland.

Livit Recipe

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon

1 pound medium asparagus

1 pound yellow wax beans, trimmed

½ pint red pear tomatoes
OR
cherry tomatoes

½ pint yellow pear tomatoes
OR
cherry tomatoes

• To prepare the dressing, whisk the vinegar with the olive oil in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tarragon. Set aside.

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the asparagus until just tender, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to remove the asparagus to a colander, reserving the water. (If you use a spaghetti cooker with a colander insert, you can lift the asparagus out using the insert.) Rinse the asparagus under cold water to stop the cooking, and allow the asparagus to drain. Pat the asparagus dry with a paper towel and cut it into 3-inch lengths.

• Immerse the beans in the boiling water and cook them until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the beans to a colander, rinse them under cold water, and drain. Pat them dry with paper towel.

• In a large serving bowl, toss the asparagus, beans, and tomatoes with the dressing. Serve.

YIELD
8 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
85 calories, 8.8 g carbohydrate, 2.7 g protein, 5.4 g fat, 3.4 g dietary fiber

3
Carbohydrates: “True” Vegetables

These “true” vegetables are very low in carbohydrate—most provide five grams or less for a serving—but they are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This is not the same as the botanical definition of true vegetables, but it makes perfect sense if your goal is to balance your meals for optimal health!

A standard serving of one of these vegetables is one-half cup cooked, or a full cup raw, but you shouldn't limit yourself to such small quantities. Although these vegetables are not an efficient source of fuel, they are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Try to eat vegetables at least twice a day. Include them, for example, at both lunch and dinner.

ABOUT CARBOHYDRATE EXCHANGES

To help control blood sugar, many persons who have—or are at risk for—type 2 diabetes adopt a carbohydrate-counting meal plan, because carbohydrates raise blood glucose. The American Diabetic Association suggests limiting carbohydrates to 45 to 60 grams per meal; other diet plans recommend less. As a general rule, a serving of fruit, starch, or milk products in such a plan is the amount that provides 15 grams of carbohydrate—for instance, one slice of white bread, one small piece of fruit, or two-thirds cup of plain fat-free yogurt.

The vegetables listed here as “true” vegetables are low enough in carbohydrate per serving that they typically do not count against the carbohydrate limit in this type of food plan—providing, as a rule, no more than 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving.

Benefits

Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K; B vitamins, including folate, thia-mine, riboflavin, niacin, and B
₆
; and vitamins A and C. It is a good source of the minerals iron, potassium, manganese, copper, and phosphorus. Asparagus provides plenty of fiber and, for a vegetable, a substantial amount of protein.

Asparagus contains asparagine, a non-essential amino acid that contributes to its protein content. It also contains asparagusic acid, which is unique to asparagus. One effect of asparagusic acid is that it causes an unusual smell in the urine of people who have eaten the vegetable. It is known in some folk medicine traditions for its diuretic properties, when this effect may be even more apparent! It has also been used for rheumatism and arthritis, and its effectiveness there suggests anti-inflammatory properties.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Six spears of cooked asparagus provide 22 calories, 3.8 g carbohydrate, 2.3 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 1.4 g dietary fiber, 485 IU vitamin A, 10 mg vitamin C, 1 mg niacin, 131 mcg folic acid, 144 mg potassium, 10 mg sodium, 49 mg phosphorus, 18 mg calcium, and 9 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Asparagus is best in the springtime, when shoots are young and straight and the buds are tight. If you can, buy your asparagus at a store that keeps the stalks with their “feet” in a pan of water; the moisture helps keep asparagus fresh. To store asparagus at home, wrap the base of the bunch in a damp paper towel for the same effect, or put them in an inch of water in a tall container (a clean, empty quart yogurt container works nicely), covering with a plastic bag to keep the moisture in. Asparagus spears are often sandy or gritty, so be sure to wash them well before cooking.

Since asparagus is relatively expensive, rather than snapping off the relatively thick, woody bases of the stems, slice the very end off and then peel the stalks, starting at the wide base, for the bottom three inches or so. The top half of the stalk does not need to be peeled.

When steaming asparagus, you can either steam whole asparagus stalks upright in a specialized asparagus steamer (tall and narrow, with a basket for the stalks) or steam asparagus cut into inch-long pieces, using a slight diagonal cut to reduce cooking time. Steam asparagus only until it's tender enough to be easily pierced with a sharp knife—do not overcook!

Some cooks believe that the stalks stay greener and retain more flavor if they are quickly boiled rather than steamed. Fill a pot large enough to hold the asparagus stalks lying on their sides with enough water to cover the stalks in three inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, then plunge in the asparagus. Cover until the water comes back to a boil, then remove the cover and cook the asparagus until it is done, but still crisp and beautifully green. Remove it from the water immediately. You may want to plunge it into a bath of cold water to stop the cooking process.