The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (18 page)

• Prepare a bed of baby greens and carrot ribbons on either a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon quinoa mixture on top of the greens. Serve.

•
NOTE
The quinoa mixture can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

•
VARIATION
Although making this dish with raw grated beets retains their maximum nutrition, if you prefer your beets cooked, steam whole beets in their skins for 45 minutes to an hour, until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Remove the skins before grating the beets.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
242 calories, 58.1 g carbohydrate, 11.1 g protein, 10.6 g fat, 6.5 g dietary fiber

Small red beans have never been as well-known as their larger and meatier cousin, the red kidney bean. But they stepped into the spotlight in 2007 when the USDA discovered that small red beans had the highest antioxidant activity of all the foods tested.

Because many antioxidants are contained in plant pigments, it stands to reason that these small, dark-red beans would be a rich source of them. But scientists were surprised when these beans stole the show—small red beans showed higher antioxidant activity than wild blueberries.

Research at Colorado State University confirms that the phenol and anthocyanins that give bean coats their color have antioxidant properties and posits that there is a link between a darker seed coat and higher phenol levels.

Beans have long been known for their fiber, protein, and minerals, as well as their antioxidant properties. Small red beans are also a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of canned small red beans provides 100 calories, 17 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 5 g dietary fiber, 39 mg calcium, and 65 mg sodium.

Small red beans are also known as Mexican red beans and, as half of the classic combo of Louisiana red beans and rice, they are sometimes called Louisiana red beans. Although they resemble kidney beans, they are smaller and darker in color. Either kidney beans or pinto beans can be substituted for them, and both were found to have nearly as powerful antioxidant effects. New Orleans cooks, however, say that the larger, meatier kidney bean does not provide the right taste.

Since the discovery of their antioxidant prowess, small red beans have become somewhat easier to find, and canned versions are no longer hard to come by.

Don't confuse these small red beans with red azuki beans popular in Asia, which have a different taste and nutrition profile.

Livit Recipe

1 cup brown rice

3 cups water

Vegetable oil spray

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup sliced celery

1 can (15 ounces) small red beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup low-sodium spaghetti sauce

¾ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

• In a rice cooker or 1-quart saucepan, bring the rice and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

• Lightly spray a 10-inch skillet with vegetable oil. Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook them over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until tender. Add green pepper, celery, beans, spaghetti sauce, hot pepper sauce, and thyme. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

• Serve over hot rice.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
320 calories, 64.6 g carbohydrate, 12.3 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 12.3 g dietary fiber

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SWEET POTATOES AND YAMS

Both sweet potatoes and yams are starchy tubers used for food. Both come in a variety of colors and are grown around the world. Yet they are not closely related, and they are most certainly not the same food.

According to the Science Reference Service of the United States Library of Congress, the confusion began because there are two types of sweet potatoes—soft and firm. Although both kinds were grown in the United States, when the softer ones were put into widespread commercial production, marketers borrowed the word “yam” to differentiate them from the firm varieties. African slaves had already been calling the soft sweet potatoes “yams” because they resembled the yams in Africa, so the name stuck.

Most often, it's the reddish-orange varieties of sweet potatoes that are mistakenly called “yams” today. These are the ones with vivid orange, sweet flesh, and a moist texture when cooked. The other common variety of sweet potato in the United States has a light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh; it has a dry, crumbly texture when cooked, more like a white baking potato, and is rarely referred to as a yam.

The true yam is less widely available in the United States. Older cookbooks still say that unless you have traveled out of the country, you have probably never seen a true yam, and while this is no longer true, yams usually must be sought in specialty and ethnic groceries. In general, while both sweet potatoes and yams are good sources of fiber, minerals, and antioxidants, yams are drier and starchier and they are not as rich in vitamins A and C.

Sweet potatoes have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. Originally from South America, sweet potatoes are now grown all over the world. Rich in fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, and the minerals iron and calcium, sweet potatoes are also packed with carotene and anthocyanins—the powerful antioxidants.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked the baked sweet potato the most nutritious of all vegetables with a score of 184. That's 100 points higher than the runner-up, the baked white potato.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One medium sweet potato baked with skin provides 117 calories, 27.7 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 3.4 g dietary fiber, 24877 IU vitamin A, 28 mg vitamin C, 26 mcg folic acid, 397 mg potassium, 11 mg sodium, 63 mg phosphorus, 32 mg calcium, and 23 mg magnesium.

Sweet potatoes should be dry and firm, with no mushy spots or sprouts. Although sweet potatoes can be cooked just about any way that white potatoes can, they do not store as well as white potatoes. They need the same cool, dry, dark conditions, but even so they may last only three to four weeks. If left at room temperature, they will last about a week. Don't refrigerate raw sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are also available canned and frozen, but you must read labels carefully to avoid sugar- and fat-filled versions. The United States Department of Agriculture now requires that sweet potatoes be labeled as such rather than as yams, although the term “yam” can still be used along with it.

You can keep cooked sweet potatoes in a covered container in the refrigerator for four to five days. To freeze sweet potatoes, pack them in an airtight container, but leave some room for expansion. Frozen, they will keep up to ten months.

Livit Recipe

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and with the ends cut off

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon non-hydrogenated vegetable margarine

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

1 teaspoon agave nectar

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Put the potatoes and water into a 9” × 13” glass baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork at the thickest part of the potato.

• In a pot or a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher. When they are smooth, add the margarine and soy milk. Continue to mash the mixture until the potatoes are moist. Sprinkle agave nectar over the potatoes and stir to distribute it well. Serve.

YIELD
4 servings

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

Tomatoes are the number one source of lycopene in the American diet, and cooking them makes this vital antioxidant up to four times more bioavailable, so tomato paste is actually higher in usable lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Just a tablespoon of tomato paste contains 4,602 mcg of lycopene.

Tomato paste is also a surprisingly good source of fiber and protein, vitamins A and C, and potassium.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of canned tomato paste provides 107 calories, 25.3 g carbohydrate, 4.8 g protein, 0.7 g fat, 5.4 g dietary fiber, 3203 IU vitamin A, 56 mg vitamin C, 4.2 mg niacin, 29 mcg folic acid, 1227 mg potassium, 115 mg sodium, 103 mg phosphorus, 46 mg calcium, 2.54 mg iron, 67 mg magnesium, 1.05 mg zinc, and 0.68 mg manganese.

Buy organic canned tomato paste if you can find it—not only for the organic tomatoes but because organic canners are more likely to use cans made without bisphenol A.

Many of the carotenoids found in tomatoes, including the lycopene, are fat-soluble. These are better absorbed if you eat foods containing them with a little olive oil or other high-quality fat source.

Despite its small size, a can of tomato paste is often more than a recipe requires. Freeze the leftover paste in an ice cube tray—measure one tablespoon into each compartment and freeze. When the tomato paste cubes have frozen solid, you can take them out of the tray and store them in a plastic zipper bag. The next time you need only one or two tablespoons, you won't have to open a new can!

Livit Recipe

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

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

1 can (4 ounces) organic tomato paste

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon chili powder Dash of cayenne pepper

1 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese

4 whole wheat tortillas

1 tablespoon guacamole
OR
avocado

1 tablespoon fresh salsa

• In a nonstick 1-quart saucepan, combine the black beans, pinto beans, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Mash the beans with a potato masher.

• Sprinkle half of the cheese on each tortilla, and heat them in the oven or toaster oven at medium temperature until the cheese melts.

• Layer half of the bean mixture, guacamole, and salsa on each of 2 tortillas. Cover with the remaining 2 tortillas. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Serve

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
245 calories, 47 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein, 5 g fat, 13.7 g dietary fiber

Winter squash have that name because they kept well and were able to provide a source of vegetable nutrition through the winter before the era of refrigeration. Most winter squash are harvested in the autumn, by which time they have matured to have a hard rind. (Indeed, it used to be traditional to cut winter squash with the axe used to trim firewood!)

Some winter squash have already been listed individually earlier in this chapter—acorn squash, butternut squash, and pumpkin. Other winter squash include the buttercup, delicata, Hubbard, candy roaster, Lakota, Arikara, and spaghetti squash. Most varieties are good sources of beta-carotene, the B vitamins (including folate), vitamins A and C, potassium, copper, and fiber.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of baked winter squash provides 40 calories, 8.9 g carbohydrate, 0.9 g protein, 0.6 g fat, 2.9 g dietary fiber, 3628 IU vitamin A, 10 mg vitamin C, 0.7 mg niacin, 29 mcg folic acid, 446 mg potassium, 20 mg phosphorus, 14 mg calcium, and 8 mg magnesium.

There are many different kinds of winter squash. Probably the most common is the Hubbard, which comes in both blue and golden varieties. Squash should feel heavy and hard, with no soft spots. Some types have naturally warty skins, and others are smooth. The skin should be intact and unbroken in either case. Squash, even within the same variety, can vary widely in size. Pick the size that meets your needs.

Winter squash will keep three or more months if stored properly—and, not surprisingly, “properly” is a lot like the conditions in an old-time root cellar. Winter squash like a cool temperature (around 50°F) and relatively high humidity (70 to 75 percent) to prevent shriveling. If they are stored above 85 percent humidity, you may start to see problems with mold and rot. They also need good ventilation—don't stack them, and don't set them directly on the floor.