The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (17 page)

• In a 6-quart stockpot, bring the broth to boil. Add the greens and whole onion to the pot. Simmer the greens and onion in the broth, uncovered, until the greens are tender. (This takes about 10 to 15 minutes for dandelion greens; if you substitute other greens, the time may vary.) Drain the greens and set them aside. Discard the onion. Once the greens are cool enough to handle, chop them coarsely.

• In a large serving bowl, toss the greens with the garlic, tomatoes, and beans. Serve.

•
NOTE
If you use a spaghetti cooker with a colander insert, you can lift out the colander when the greens are cooked and then save the broth to use as the base of your next soup—full of yummy green flavor!

•
VARIATION
You can substitute kale, Swiss chard, turnip greens, mustard greens, or any other strong-flavored fresh, dark, leafy green.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
139 calories, 25.5 g carbohydrate, 8.8 g protein, 0.8 g fat, 11.2 g dietary fiber

Pinto beans are another healthy standby whose antioxidant power has only recently come to be appreciated. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, pinto beans have more antioxidant power than domestic blueberries.

Of course, they're also a great source of fiber, carbohydrate, protein, and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and molybdenum, as well as folate. All this makes them particularly good at lowering the risk of some common chronic diseases, particularly heart disease and diabetes. Their soluble fiber lowers cholesterol; the folate helps reduce the risk of heart attack; and magnesium and potassium help regulate blood pressure. Molybdenum helps break down sulfites and may assist in antioxidant activities.

Like other beans, pinto beans combine with whole grains to provide complete protein, and their high fiber and protein content mean that their carbohydrate content is released relatively slowly into the bloodstream, which gives them a low glycemic index.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of cooked pinto beans provides 126 calories, 22 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 0.9 g fat, 7.4 g dietary fiber, 1.5 IU vitamin A, 2 mg vitamin C, 147 mcg folic acid, 137 mg phosphorus, 41 mg calcium, 2.2 mg iron, 47 mg magnesium, and 0.93 mg zinc.

Pinto beans are the beans of American Southwestern cooking—the classic cowboy bean as well as the most common refrito. In many regions, pintos are the primary bean used for chili; elsewhere, they get competition from kidney beans. In the recipe below, the two work well together. Although they are speckled (the name “pinto” means “painted”) when raw, when cooked they become a delicate pink color.

Livit Recipe

There's no need to stress over the long ingredient list. Most ingredients are seasonings—it isn't chili without the spice! See Handling Jalapeños! on page 86
.

1¼ cups brown rice

3¾ cups water

1 tablespoon organic canola oil

2 medium onions, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes, drained

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

½ teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of ground allspice

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

• To prepare the rice, bring the water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add the rice. Bring the water back to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook for 45 minutes. While the rice is cooking, prepare the other ingredients.

• Heat the canola oil in a large stock pot. Add the onions, garlic, green pepper, and jalapeño pepper, and sauté them over medium heat until they are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, coriander, cloves, allspice, oregano, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and allow the chili to simmer for 30 minutes.

• Serve the chili over prepared brown rice.

YIELD
8 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
251 calories, 48 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 4 g fat, 11.7 g dietary fiber

HANDLING JALAPEÑOS!

The kick in jalapeño peppers comes from capsaicin, an acidic compound that's strong enough to burn your skin. Always wear protective gloves when handling any cut jalapeño peppers. The best choice is disposable gloves, and if you are sensitive to latex, use latex-free ones. Keep your hands away from your eyes! And if you do get jalapeño juice on your skin, try neutralizing it with a gentle base. Many people swear by milk to soothe the burn.

The inner ribs and the seeds close to them have the most concentrated heat—if you want a less fiery taste, use less of the inner, more of the outer, pepper.

The potato is an incredibly healthy food that has gotten a bad reputation, largely because it can be prepared in ways that counteract its benefits. Baked and served in its skin, a potato is a surprisingly good source of vitamin C, as well as potassium, fiber, vitamin B
₆
and other B vitamins, copper, manganese, and even some lutein.

The key to getting the benefits of potatoes is to eat them baked rather than fried. But if you are absolutely having a French fry craving, go ahead and LIVIT—enjoy a few to satisfy the craving and to help prevent overloading on them when the craving gets out of control.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One medium-large potato with skin provides 220 calories, 51 g carbohydrate, 4.6 g protein, 4.8 g dietary fiber, 26 mg vitamin C, 3.3 mg niacin, 22 mcg folic acid, 1.12 mg pantothenic acid, 844 mg potassium, 16 mg sodium, 115 mg phosphorus, 20 mg calcium, 2.75 mg iron, and 55 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Potatoes should be smooth and firm, without cut surfaces, soft spots, signs of mold, green areas, or sprouted eyes. If you will be baking more than one potato at a time, select potatoes that are about the same size and shape so that they will cook in the same amount of time.

Keep potatoes away from light, heat, and dampness. A closet or even a drawer works well. Kept cool (around 45°F to 50°F) and dark, potatoes will keep for several weeks, but at room temperature, they may last only a week. Light can cause them to sprout. Store potatoes separate from onions, because the two vegetables give off gases that can negatively affect each other's storage life. Don't refrigerate potatoes, as this changes the taste and may make them turn black when cooked.

Livit Recipe

2 medium baking potatoes, such as a russet, scrubbed and with the ends cut off

3 tablespoons water

Fresh salsa

Chives

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Put the potatoes into a glass baking dish, and add the water to maintain moisture. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the potato is easily pierced with a fork.

• Serve potatoes in the skin, topping with salsa and chives for flavor. The salsa moistens the potato well and gives each bite some kick.

•
NOTE
Potatoes don't need the fats they're usually served with to be delicious!

YIELD
2 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
168 calories, 37.1 g carbohydrate, 4.6 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 4 g dietary fiber

Pumpkins are closely related to squash and, like squash, have lots of alpha- and beta-carotenes and vitamin A, as evidenced by their rich orange color. Pumpkin also provides many of the B vitamins, including folate; some vitamin C; and the electrolyte minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium. One cup of cooked mashed pumpkin also contains 2,484 mg of lutein. High in fiber, pumpkin is also somewhat sweeter than many other squashes, which allows it to be used in both sweet and savory dishes.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One cup of boiled, drained, and mashed pumpkin provides 49 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 1.8 g protein, 0 g fat, 2.7 g dietary fiber, 12230 IU vitamin A, 11.5 mg vitamin C, 1 mg niacin, 22 mcg folic acid, 0.5 mg pantothenic acid, 564 mg potassium, 2 mg sodium, 74 mg phosphorus, 37 mg calcium, 1.4 mg iron, and 22 mg magnesium.

The pumpkins that are best to eat are usually not the same as the ones that make the best Halloween jack o' lanterns. The flesh of the smaller, sweeter pumpkins tends to be less stringy and more flavorful. Cooking pumpkins are often flatter in shape, and many have the word “sugar” in their names. They should still have a bright, rich orange color, and they should look plump and smooth, with no soft spots or signs of dryness. A four-pound pumpkin will yield about two pounds of edible flesh. If you are cooking the flesh as a vegetable or for pie filling, peel the pumpkin while it is whole, and then cut it into chunks. To preserve both nutrients and flavor, steam pumpkin rather than boiling it. It is also fun to use the whole pumpkin shell: You can bake it with a stuffing or use it to serve a soup.

For a quicker alternative, and when pumpkins are out of season, buy canned or frozen pumpkin chunks or puree. If buying canned, make sure to get plain pumpkin, not prepared pie filling.

Livit Recipe

1 package (10.5 ounces) organic silken tofu, packed in water, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 ounces) pureed pumpkin

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked

• Preheat oven to 425°F.

• In a blender jar, puree the tofu until smooth. Pour it into a small bowl and set it aside.

• Put the pumpkin and sugar into the blender jar and blend them together. Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and the blended tofu to the pumpkin mixture. Process until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and smooth. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.

• Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake the pie for an additional 40 minutes.

• Chill before serving.

YIELD
8 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
219 calories, 32.9 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g protein, 6.4 g fat, 2.1 g dietary fiber

Although quinoa may be unfamiliar to North Americans, it was a staple food for the Incas and has been grown in the Andes for more than 5,000 years. Technically a “pseudocereal,” quinoa is often considered a grain, even though it is not a grass. It is more closely related to beets and spinach. Unlike wheat and other grains, it is gluten-free, but it can be substituted for grain in most recipes. Although primarily a carbohydrate, quinoa is relatively high in protein—one cup of cooked quinoa contains about 8 grams of protein—and it contains all of the essential amino acids. A good source of magnesium, manganese, and calcium, quinoa also provides vitamin B
₂
, vitamin E, iron, phosphorus, copper, and zinc. It is higher in fat than many true grains.

Quinoa is a source of oxalates, which may cause problems for those with a history of kidney stones or other conditions that require a low-oxalate diet.

The outside of raw quinoa is covered with saponins, which were traditionally used as a diuretic and laxative. If you don't want these effects, be sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking it.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One cup of cooked quinoa provides 222 calories, 39.4 g carbohydrate, 8.1 g protein, 3.6 g fat, 5.2 g dietary fiber, 1 mg sodium, 281 mg phosphorus, 2.76 mg iron, and 0.2 mg riboflavin.

Quinoa is increasingly available packaged or as a bulk food. Be sure to buy seeds that are dry and free from moisture or discoloration. Because of its relatively high fat content, it keeps best in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Since quinoa does act like a grain in many recipes, you may also be able to find quinoa pasta, quinoa breakfast cereal, and quinoa flour. Use these like their more familiar counterparts, but note that since quinoa lacks gluten, baked goods made with 100% quinoa flour will not rise properly. Use a mixture of half quinoa flour and half wheat flour for best results.

To remove the saponins on the outside of quinoa seeds, wash them in a strainer, making sure to rub the seeds against each other and circulate the water through them. When a test seed no longer tastes bitter, the saponins have been washed away.

Quinoa is a quick-cooking grain—it takes only about 15 minutes to prepare by boiling. Use one cup of seeds to two cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the quinoa is fluffy, like rice. Quinoa more than doubles in volume during cooking.

Livit Recipe

1½ cups quinoa seeds, washed and drained

2¼ cups water

Pinch of salt

1 cup grated raw beets

½ cup finely minced fresh parsley

½ cup thinly sliced scallions

2½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 or 3 lemons, juice only (about ½ cup)

3 cups baby salad greens

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into fine ribbons

• In a large saucepan, combine the quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer until fluffy, about 15 minutes. Remove quinoa from heat, fluff the grains with a fork, and stir in the grated beets. When all the grains have turned scarlet, add the parsley, scallions, olive oil, and lemon juice. Gently toss ingredients until thoroughly combined.