Six plants to spice up your health
Cooking has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I grew up with a father whose love for cooking came out in every meal. He emphasized the importance of colors, textures, fresh organic ingredience and most of all flavor. And with every flavor there was a reason behind it; garlic for our hearts, parsley for our vitamins, or ginger for our stomachs. Going back nearly 2,500 years ago Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” He was right, and now with science to prove it. The heaing properties of food has only begun to be explained but has always been understood.
Here are six plants to help all aspects of the body achieve health and wellness along with recipes that will bring the flavor to life.
Turmeric-Curcuma longa
Anti-inflammatory
The famous yellow color of curry is due to this brightly colored spice. Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory that can help with pain and swelling associated with diseases such as arthritis. It also is a potent antioxidant, helps prevent cancer, anti-fungal, improves the immune response, and aids in the digestive process.So color your foods (and your fingers) with this whole health spice whenever you can.
Curried Couscous
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced carrots
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup small-diced red onion
Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Ginger-Zingiber officinale
Anti-nausea
When I was little and sick with upset stomach, my mother would run to the grocery store and buy me ginger ale to sip on. Not only does ginger settle a nauseous stomach it also can help decrease blood pressure, arthritis pain, cancer risk and regulate blood flow.
Carrot and Ginger Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 to 6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
Chopped chives, for garnish
Set a 4-quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the pot. Once the butter is melted, place the onions and celery in the pot. Sweat the vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds. Place all of the carrots in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are lightly caramelized and start to soften, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the stock, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook the soup until the carrots are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf from the pot and using an immersion blender puree the soup directly in the pot or in batches in a bar blender. Adjust the seasoning, add the heavy cream to the pot.
To serve, garnish with 1 tablespoon of sour cream per serving and a sprinkling of fresh chives.
Cinnamon-Cinnamomum verum
Lower blood sugar
This delicious aromatic spice is not only great on a cold winter morning, it also will reduce blood sugar, lower cholesterol and is great for people with type 2 diabetes by aiding in reducing related heart risk.
Cinnamon Oranges
2 oranges
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Fresh mint leaves, torn, for garnish
Peel oranges and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on a serving platter.
Combine honey and cinnamon in a small bowl. Drizzle honey mixture over oranges and garnish with mint leaves.
Rosemary-Rosmarinus officinalis
Avoid carcinogens
Summer is here and grilling season has begun. While there is nothing like the taste of barbequed chicken there is something to be said about the dangers of grilling, frying, and broiling food. When meat is cooked at high temperatures it creates HCAs (heterocyclic amines), a potent carcinogen implicated in several cancers. But the good news is when rosemary is added the HCA levels are reduced.
So, marinate your meats in a rosemary mix to protect your cells.
leg of lamb, bone in (about 6 to 7 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
Sauce:
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (combination of rosemary, chives, and parsley)
2 cups diced onions
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Using your hands, rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice. Pat the garlic and rosemary evenly all over the surface of the meat. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and place the lamb in a roasting pan. Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook for about 1 hour longer for medium-rare, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers about 145 degrees F to 150 degrees F (be careful that the thermometer does not touch the bone.) Remove lamb from pan and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Position the roasting pan over your stove burners. Add mixed herbs and onions to pan, and stir to combine with pan drippings. Add chicken stock and wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Reduce over high heat until sauce consistency. Strain before serving, if desired. Slice lamb and serve with sauce drizzled over the top.
Basil-Ocimum basilicum
Reduce stress
The smell of fresh basil can fill a room and take you back to the summer months of heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn and sun. This herb can not only taste delicious in salads, on pasta, or by itself, it can also help combat stress, help with indigestion, headaches, and maybe even prevent cancer.
Use the essential oil to help cheer the heart and the mind.
Basil Pesto
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and salt and puree. While the motor is running, drizzle in the oil until incorporated. Season with pepper to taste. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap placed right on the surface of the pesto to prev
ent discoloration, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.Garlic-Allium sativum
Heart health and lower cancer risk
There has been so much research on garlic and the more you can eat it the better. Its been shown that high consumption of garlic lowers rates of certain cancers as well as providing cardiovascular risk.
If you can make it a daily routine to include fresh garlic in your diet, whether roasted, sautéed, baked or raw, your body will thank you.
Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce
1 head garlic, peeled (about 16 cloves)
1 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 stalks broccoli, cut into florets (8 cups of florets)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Put the garlic cloves and oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the garlic is browned and tender. Turn off the heat and add the red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Immediately pour into a heat-proof container to stop the cooking. Allow to cool to room temperature.
For the salad, blanch the broccoli florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain well and immerse immediately into a large bowl of ice water until the broccoli is cooled. This process stops the cooking and sets the bright green color. Drain well.
In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup of the oil used to cook the garlic, the soy sauce, and 8 or more cloves of cooked garlic. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.
Combine lime juice, vinegar, honey, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil. Whisk until well-combined. Reseason with salt and pepper, if necessary.
*All recipes courtesy of foodnetwork.com
