The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (41 page)

• Arrange the cooked fish in a single layer on a serving platter. Sprinkle the fillets with vinegar, cover, and chill them for at least 20 minutes.

•
To prepare the salsa:
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, oil, sugar, pepper, and salt, if using. Let the salsa stand at room temperature.

• Remove the fish from the refrigerator, pour the salsa over the fish, and let the dish come to room temperature. Serve.

•
NOTE
If preparing the dish in advance, refrigerate the salsa, and remove both the salsa and the fish from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
245 calories, 6 g carbohydrate, 42.1 g protein, 5.2 g fat, 1.4 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Haddock is a terrific low-calorie, low-fat, high-protein fish. It provides several B vitamins, including niacin, B
₁₂
, and folic acid; vitamin A; and the minerals potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Haddock is a low-mercury fish, although it is in danger of overfishing.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Three ounces of haddock cooked by dry heat provides 95 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 20.6 g protein, 0.8 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 63 mg cholesterol, 54 IU vitamin A, 3.9 mg niacin, 1.2 mcg vitamin B
₁₂
, 11 mcg folic acid, 339 mg potassium, 74 mg sodium, 205 mg phosphorus, 36 mg calcium, 1.15 mg iron, and 43 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Haddock is a very popular food fish, and in addition to being sold fresh, it is sold smoked, frozen, and dried. Haddock is often the type of fish used in British fish and chips.

Fresh haddock has a fine white flesh. When fresh, it will be firm and translucent. Any liquid or slime on the fish should be clear. Once it has turned white, the fish itself is starting to turn.

Livit Recipe

2 tablespoons margarine

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup low-fat milk

1 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 pound haddock fillets

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons minced blanched almonds

1 medium onion, minced

• Preheat oven to 425°F.

• Grease a 9” × 13” baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the margarine, using a paper towel to distribute it well and absorb any excess.

• In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the egg and milk.

• In a separate shallow bowl or pie plate, mix the bread crumbs, oregano, salt, and pepper.

• Dip each haddock fillet first into the egg mixture, then into the seasoned bread crumbs. Lay the coated haddock fillets side by side in the baking pan.

• Melt the remaining tablespoon of margarine and put it in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and water to the margarine. Pour the lemon juice mixture over the haddock fillets.

• Sprinkle the tops of the fillets with almonds and onion.

• Bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is no longer translucent and flakes when tested with a fork. Serve.

YIELD
3 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
397 calories, 31.4 g carbohydrate, 45.6 g protein, 8.8 g fat, 2.8 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Halibut is a large flatfish found in the northern waters of both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. As one of the largest of the flatfish, it has a slightly higher mercury level than flounder and haddock. As a “moderate” mercury fish, halibut is still safe to eat, but don't have it more than six times a month. It has a very strong complement of vitamins and minerals.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Three ounces of halibut cooked by dry heat provides 19 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 22.7 g protein, 2.5 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 35 mg cholesterol, 152 IU vitamin A, 6 mg niacin, 1.2 mcg vitamin B
₁₂
, 12 mcg folic acid, 490 mg potassium, 59 mg sodium, 242 mg phosphorus, 51 mg calcium, 0.91 mg iron, and 91 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Halibut is a large fish, so you will usually find it as fillets, not as whole fish, which means that you won't be able to judge its freshness by its eyes or gills. As with other fresh fish sold as fillets, halibut should smell fresh, not fishy. The meat should be firm and translucent, not dark or cloudy, and should appear moist, not dried out. Frozen raw halibut should be frozen solid, with no soft spots.

Livit Recipe

Canola oil

cup coarse, fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

½ tablespoon grated skim-milk Parmesan cheese

teaspoon dried dill weed

teaspoon lemon pepper

3 tablespoons egg whites
OR
egg substitute

½ pound halibut

2 teaspoons non-hydrogenated margarine, melted

2 thin slices fresh lemon, as garnish

2 small sprigs fresh parsley, as garnish

• Preheat oven to 400°F.

• Lightly grease a small, shallow baking pan with canola oil, spreading the oil with a paper towel to cover the entire inside surface and absorb any excess.

• In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, dill, and lemon pepper.

• Beat the egg lightly in a separate shallow dish or pie plate.

• Dip the fish first in the egg, then in the seasoned bread crumbs. Repeat until all crumbs are used. Place the fish in the baking pan. Pour the melted margarine over the fish.

• Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley. Serve.

YIELD
2 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
268 calories, 29 g carbohydrate, 29 g protein, 9 g fat, 1.6 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Hemp seeds are a great source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, both known as “essential” fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are necessary for specific biological processes, but the body cannot make them. These fatty acids are believed to reduce various cardiovascular risks and may also help prevent some forms of cancer. Hemp seeds are a phenomenal source of protein—11 grams of protein in just 3 tablespoons of seeds. Hemp seeds provide calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and vitamin E.

Although hemp comes from the same family as the plant commonly known as marijuana that is grown for its psychoactive and medicinal effects, the varieties of hemp that are used for food and fiber have a negligible amount of the psychoactive chemical THC.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Three tablespoons of shelled hemp seed provides 160 calories, 7 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 9.8 g fat, 1 g dietary fiber, 57 mg calcium, 5 mg iron, 320 mg potassium, 3.6 IU vitamin E, 210 mcg folic acid, 360 mg phosphorus, 171 mg magnesium, 3 mg zinc, and 3 mg manganese.

Bringing It Home

Hemp seed can be purchased at natural food stores and from online vendors. Because it is so high in oils, it can turn rancid very quickly. Freeze hemp seeds immediately to best preserve them.

Eat two tablespoons of hemp seeds a day as an optimal energy sustainer. You can stir them into your morning cereal to add an easy protein source to balance your breakfast. They are also good mixed into sauces, such as marinara sauce, to give a protein boost to a pasta meal.

Livit Recipe

This is a scrumptious vegetarian recipe.

1½ cups brown rice

3 cups water

Vegetable oil spray

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 egg
OR
2 egg whites
OR
3 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites

¼ cup hemp seed oil

1½ cups shelled hemp seed

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons dried basil

½ cup organic ketchup
OR
fruit-sweetened ketchup

• In a rice steamer, prepare the rice by steaming it in the water, a process that will take about 50 minutes. Set aside.

• Preheat oven to 325°F.

• Lightly spray a 4” × 8” loaf pan with oil.

• In a blender jar, combine the red pepper, onion, garlic, black pepper, egg, and hemp seed oil. Blend on high until mostly smooth.

• In a large bowl, combine the shelled hemp seed, cooked rice, the blended pepper mixture, salt, and basil.

• Put the rice mixture into the loaf pan, mounding it slightly. Spread ketchup over the top.

• Bake for 1 hour.

•
NOTES
This loaf can be made with leftover cooked rice; you will need 4 to 5 cups of cooked rice. For a more balanced meal, serve the veggie loaf with a mixed green salad.

YIELD
8 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
454 calories, 41.3 g carbohydrate, 20.6 g protein, 22.7 g fat, 3.9 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Peanuts are groundnuts—not true nuts, but legumes. A New World plant, they are native to Central and South America, but they are now grown and eaten around the world. The People's Republic of China is the greatest producer of peanuts. The United States is the fourth-largest producer, with production of about 1.7 million tons annually.

Peanuts, like other legumes, are a rich source of both protein and fiber. Although peanuts are relatively low in the amino acids cysteine and methionine, they are high in lysine, and they balance well with grains, which are high in methionine but low in lysine. A cup of peanuts provides 30 grams of protein. Nearly half of the carbohydrate in peanuts is dietary fiber—12.4 grams of fiber in one cup.

Peanuts are also a very good source of niacin and folate, and a significant source of pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Although peanuts are nearly half fat by weight, about half of that is monounsaturated, and only 13 percent is saturated fat.

Roasted peanuts may rival some berries for antioxidant content, including resveratrol and Coenzyme Q10.

The nutritional benefits of peanut butter depend on how it is made. All-natural, fresh-ground peanut butters are the most like peanuts, though you have to remember that any peanut butter is much more calorie-dense than whole peanuts. Peanut
butters tend to have more sugars and fats but less fiber than whole peanuts, though they are still a high-quality source of protein, fiber, energy, vitamins, and minerals.

Despite their many health benefits and the longtime popularity of peanuts and peanut butter as staple foods for children, these days you are more likely to hear about peanuts causing allergies and being banned from schools. This is a serious issue, because for those who are allergic to peanuts, the reaction can be life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Research is ongoing, but it appears that roasting may increase the allergenic properties of peanuts. Most peanut butter is made from roasted peanuts. It's still controversial whether introducing peanuts to children at a young age is more likely to prevent the allergy or cause it. Raw peanuts also sometimes carry a mold called
Aspergillus
that can be dangerous to health.