Power Foods for the Brain (30 page)
Read Power Foods for the Brain Online
Authors: Neal Barnard
Makes about ¼ cup
This is a potent addition to any hearty dish and intensifies the flavor of any recipe it’s added to. Use it sparingly, the way you might use mustard on a sandwich.
¾ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 2 tablespoons roasted diced green chiles or 1 diced fresh jalapeño; 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves; squeeze of fresh lime juice
Combine all the ingredients in a blender (including any optional ingredients) and blend until completely smooth.
Per ¼-cup serving:
29 calories, 1 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 0.3 g sugar, 0.2 g total fat, 25% calories from fat, 0.8 g fiber, 327 mg sodium
—JW
Makes about 2 cups salsa (4 servings)
This flavorful salsa will be a hit at your next party!
1½ cups diced peaches
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon seeded minced jalapeño chile
Juice of 2 limes
teaspoon sea salt
4 whole-wheat pita breads, cut into 4 pieces and pulled apart
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the peaches, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
To make the pita chips, place the pita bread wedges on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from the oven and cool, then serve with the salsa.
Per serving (¼ of recipe):
155 calories, 5 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 10 g sugar, 1 g total fat, 8% calories from fat, 5 g fiber, 314 mg sodium
—CW
Makes about 2 cups (4 servings)
Serve this delicious dip with your favorite raw veggies for a healthy snack.
1 unpeeled onion, cut in half
1 15-ounce can low-sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the onion cut side down in a small baking dish. Bake for 1 hour, or until the onion is very soft and the skin slips off easily.
Place the cooked onion, beans, garlic, and vinegar in a blender or food processor. Blend, adding a little water as needed, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with celery sticks, carrot sticks, or whatever vegetables you enjoy.
Per serving (½ cup):
119 calories, 7 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g sugar, 0.3 g total fat, 2% calories from fat, 5 g fiber, 371 mg sodium
—CW
Serves 1
Jicama (pronounced
HICK-uh-muh
) is a root veggie with a crisp, refreshing taste. Serve with the citrus roasted red pepper dip here or a simple sweet mustard.
½ small jicama, peeled
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
2 roasted red peppers
Pinch of sea salt
Cut the jicama in half (use half for this recipe and save the other half for more snacks or a salad later in the week). Slice the jicama ½ inch thick, then lay the slices flat and cut them into sticks.
Combine the orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, roasted red peppers, and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve the dip with the jicama sticks.
Tip:
When peeling the jicama, it’s easier to use a paring knife than a vegetable peeler, as you’ll want to slice about ¼ inch into the jicama in order to remove all the hard, rough skin.
Per serving:
170 calories, 4 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 21 g sugar, 0.9 g total fat, 5% calories from fat, 14 g fiber, 163 mg sodium
—JW
Serves 1
Fresh fruit dressed with lime juice and a touch of chili powder is a common snack throughout Mexico. The sourness of the lime juice coupled with the sweetness of the fruit gives the snack a nice pucker, and the chili powder adds zing!
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
2 wedges of watermelon
Juice of 1 lime
Sprinkling of chili powder
Slice the mango in half around the pit. Slice the mango into strips in the skin without piercing the skin. Scoop out the mango slices with a spoon. Sprinkle lime juice and chili powder on each slice of mango and wedge of watermelon.
Tip:
Mangoes have a long, thin pit that runs down the length of the fruit. Slice just off the center of the mango, and if you hit the pit, gently run your knife along the side to get the most out of your mango. You may find it easier and safer to put the mango on a cutting board before you start slicing.
Per serving:
307 calories, 5 g protein, 79 g carbohydrate, 66 g sugar, 2 g total fat, 5% calories from fat, 6 g fiber, 110 mg sodium
—JW
Makes 4 servings
If you’re wondering where the other ingredients are in this recipe, there actually is only one—bananas! You have to try it to believe it!
8 ripe bananas
Peel and slice the bananas, place them in a container, cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour, until frozen. Remove the frozen bananas from the freezer and let them thaw a little at room temperature for 5 minutes. Place the bananas in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, like soft-serve ice cream. You can vary the recipe by adding a little cinnamon, vanilla, or cocoa powder.
Per serving (¼ of recipe):
210 calories, 3 g protein, 54 g carbohydrate, 29 g sugar, 0.8 g total fat, 3% calories from fat, 6 g fiber, 2 mg sodium
—CW
Serves 8
This moist spice cake has just the right level of sweetness and is perfect on an autumn afternoon. Thanks, Mom!
¼ teaspoon safflower oil
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, sifted
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1
cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup rice milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup maple syrup
¾ cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 10-inch glass pie plate with the safflower oil.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and lightly stir with a whisk to aerate.
In a separate large bowl, combine the applesauce, rice milk, vanilla, and maple syrup and whisk to blend. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the raisins and stir to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared pie plate and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving.
Per serving (
of recipe):
243 calories, 5 g protein, 57 g carbohydrate, 27 g sugar, 1 g total fat, 4% calories from fat, 5 g fiber, 528 mg sodium
—CW
Serves 6
Great news—a cake you don’t have to bake!
4 cups apple juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
2 cups uncooked couscous (the light-colored variety)
2 cups blueberries
½ cup all-fruit jam
1½ cups fresh fruit of your choice, for garnish (such as sliced peaches, kiwis, or strawberries)
In a medium saucepan, combine the apple juice, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil and add the couscous. Stir, cover, and reduce the heat to low; simmer for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the juice has been absorbed. Gently fold the blueberries into the cooked couscous.
Rinse but don’t dry a 9½-inch tart pan. Pour the couscous mixture into it and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours or until firm. Spread the jam
over the cake and arrange the fresh fruit in a pretty pattern over the top.
Note:
This cake can be made gluten free by replacing the couscous with uncooked polenta (corn grits). If using the polenta, increase the cooking time to 10 minutes.
Per serving (
of recipe):
412 calories, 9 g protein, 93 g carbohydrate, 38 g sugar, 1 g total fat, 2% calories from fat, 7 g fiber, 72 mg sodium
—CW
Makes 9 bars
These little jam squares are supereasy to make and filled with vitamin C–rich berries.
¼ teaspoon safflower oil
¾ cup barley flour, or flour of your choice
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-fruit blackberry jam
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly oil an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and oats.
In a small bowl, mix together the applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with half of the dough and press it until smooth. Spread the jam on top and crumble the remaining dough over the jam. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Cool in the pan and cut into bars.
Per serving (1 bar):
289 calories, 5 g protein, 64 g carbohydrate, 30 g sugar, 2 g total fat, 7% calories from fat, 7 g fiber, 139 mg sodium
—CW