The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (20 page)

An assortment of roasted vegetables with asparagus as the centerpiece can be a great appetizer. You can roast asparagus in the oven or on the grill in summer, but keep an eye on it, as it cooks quickly. Toss freshly cooked whole wheat pasta with asparagus, a little olive oil, and your favorite herbs—thyme, tarragon, and rosemary work well. Leftover steamed asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces makes a flavorful and colorful addition to omelets. Stir-fry asparagus with garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and tofu or chicken.

Livit Recipe

See Add Zest! on page 34.

1 bunch medium asparagus (about 1 pound), cut diagonally into 1- to 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

• Fill a medium saucepan half full with water and bring it to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat. Simmer for exactly 2 minutes. Drain.

• While the asparagus is still hot, transfer it to a medium serving bowl and toss it gently with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

•
VARIATION
For added zing, try squeezing some lemon juice over the asparagus before adding the cheese.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
67 calories, 5.2 g carbohydrate, 3.6 g protein, 4.4 g fat, 2.4 g dietary fiber

DON'T BOIL!

When you cook vegetables, steam or stir-fry! Boiling and other longer-cooking methods leach the nutrients and flavor out of these wholesome foods. Many of the most powerful phytonutrients in vegetables are water-soluble, and boiling reduces their effectiveness. Cooked vegetables should be bright and crisp for best flavor and nutrition.

To steam vegetables, use a steamer insert in a pot large enough that the steamer and vegetables will fit with the pot tightly covered. Set your steamer in the pot and add water to a depth just below the bottom of the insert. Your goal is to keep the vegetables out of the water. Add the vegetables to the steamer, cover, and bring the water to a boil.

To “steam-fry” vegetables: You can stir-fry vegetables with just a little water in a pan or wok that has been seasoned properly, but you may need a little oil for most pans. Use an oil that can take high heat: Canola oil is good; olive oil works—but not the more delicate extra-virgin kind. Use just enough oil to shine the inside of the pan, spreading the oil with a paper towel. Bring the pan to a high heat, add the vegetables, and stir briefly. Add a small amount of water, reduce heat to low, and cover to give the vegetables a steaming, which will give you tender vegetables in a shorter time.

Benefits

Both the roots and the leaves of the beet are used for food. The roots, with their beautiful, rich red color, are a source of anthocyanins, which can be strong antioxidants. A 2008 study found that drinking beet juice lowered blood pressure, and researchers theorized that this was because of the nitrates in beets. This finding seems somewhat ironic, because nitrites and nitrates have long been suspected of creating carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach's acid environment. But nitrates and nitrites are also involved in a cycle that produces nitrous oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. More research must be done to tease out the particulars.

Beet juice appears to help protect the integrity of cells lining the stomach and digestive tract. Thus it may benefit people taking aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are known to damage these cells. For the same reason, it may also help reduce adverse reactions to chemotherapy.

Beets provide the minerals phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium, along with vitamins A and C, and the B vitamins folic acid, niacin, and biotin. They are rich in fiber, and although a half-cup serving of cooked beets contains more carbohydrate than most of the vegetables in this chapter, their unique benefits make them a powerful SuperFood.

Beet greens are in some ways even more nutritious than the root. A half cup of cooked beet greens has fewer carbohydrates, more protein, more fiber, more of vitamins A and C, and more potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and manganese than the beet root, and only about half its calories. What beet greens lack is the red pigment that may be the beet root's magic ingredient.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (COOKED BEETS)
One-half cup of cooked fresh beets provides 37 calories, 8.5 g carbohydrate, 1.4 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 1.7 g dietary fiber, 30 IU vitamin A, 3 mg vitamin C, 68 mcg folic acid, 259 mg potassium, 65 mg sodium, 32 mg phosphorus, 14 mg calcium, 0.67 mg iron, 20 mg magnesium, and 0.28 mg manganese.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION (COOKED BEET GREENS)
One-half cup of cooked beet greens provides 19 calories, 3.9 g carbohydrate, 1.9 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 2.1 g dietary fiber, 5511 IU vitamin A, 17.9 mg vitamin C, 10 mcg folic acid, 654 mg potassium, 174 mg sodium, 30 mg phosphorus, 82 mg calcium, 1.37 mg iron, 49 mg magnesium, and 0.37 mg manganese.

Bringing It Home

Smaller beets are usually less tough than large ones. Choose beets that are smooth, without obvious dents or bruises, and with a rich, dark color. They should have at least a couple of inches of greens left on them; if you are going to eat the greens, choose small leaves, less than six inches or so in length.

Beets will last for two to three weeks in the refrigerator. Cut the leaves and stems away so they don't continue to feed on the root. If you plan to eat the greens, store them separately in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Don't wash beets until you are ready to cook them.

Beets don't freeze well (the texture gets strange), and canned beets lose some of their protective nutrients in the heat of cooking, so this is a vegetable that is far better fresh.

To prepare beets, wash them carefully without breaking the skin. They can be steamed, baked, or roasted. Regardless of the cooking method used, let cooked beets cool enough to handle and remove the skins before serving (skins can be left on if beets are very young and fresh).

Livit Recipe

Salt

1 tablespoon canola oil

5 ounces beets, peeled and quartered

5 ounces turnips, peeled and quartered

• Use a separate saucepan for each vegetable. Fill each saucepan half full with water, add a pinch of salt and ½ tablespoon of the oil to each pan, then add the beets or turnips. Cover both pans and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are almost tender and most of the water has evaporated.

• Remove the covers and continue to cook the vegetables until they are shiny and glazed in juice. Remove from heat. Drain the beets and the turnips. Combine the beets and turnips in a serving bowl. Serve hot.

YIELD
2 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
113 calories, 11.6 g carbohydrate, 1.8 g protein, 7.2 g fat, 2.7 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Bell peppers originated in Mexico, but they have traveled to all corners of the world and are essential to countless national cuisines. Bell peppers are the mild-mannered members of the capsicum family—not fiery, but sweet, which is what they are often called.

In addition to the relatively common colors of red, yellow, green, and orange, bell peppers can be found in many other colors from white to black, with purple, blue, maroon, and brown in between. As with other brightly colored fruits (peppers are technically a fruit, though they are used primarily as a vegetable in cooking), the pigments are a rich source of phytochemicals with antioxidant potential, including chlorogenic acid (which slows the release of glucose in the bloodstream), zeaxanthin (one of the two pigments, along with lutein, that are found in the retina), and coumaric acid (which may help prevent stomach cancer by inhibiting the formation of nitrosamines).

Green bell peppers are somewhat less sweet in taste and may have fewer phyto-chemical pigments than the other colors.

A good source of vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, and the B vitamins thiamine, B
₆
, and folic acid, peppers lower homocysteine levels in the blood (which reduces a known risk factor for heart attack) and provide support for eyes against retinal degeneration.

Peppers are low in calories, high in fiber, and 93 percent water by weight. They are one of the best vegetables for sustained release of hydration into the system—a kind of time-release water.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-half cup of chopped raw bell peppers provides 14 calories, 3.2 g carbohydrate, 0.4 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 0.9 g dietary fiber, 316 IU vitamin A, 45 mg vitamin C, 11 mcg folic acid, 89 mg potassium, 10 mg phosphorus, 5 mg calcium, and 5 mg magnesium.

Bringing It Home

Peppers should be firm and richly colored, with no mushy or black spots. Peppers decay quickly if their skins are broken or if they sit in water, so don't wash them until you're ready to prepare them. Local peppers are usually available in the summer months, but they are grown around the world and are generally available year-round.

Handle peppers gently and keep them refrigerated. You can also buy frozen sweet peppers, usually conveniently diced or sliced into rings. Freeze whole peppers to preserve more of the nutrients and flavor.

Since insect pests can ruin peppers by breaking the skin and beginning the process of decay, peppers are among the foods on which pesticide residues are most frequently found. If you are intent on avoiding pesticides, purchase organic peppers if you can. Although washing helps reduce some pesticide residues, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tests residue on foods that are already washed, and bell peppers still rank high in residues. To get the full benefit of these nutrition powerhouses, go organic.

Livit Recipe

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 large bell peppers (green, red, orange, yellow), diced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup plain yogurt

Fresh herbs (dill, chives, scallion), minced, as garnish

• In a large saucepan, bring the broth and potatoes to a low boil, then reduce heat. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

• In a sauté pan or wok, heat the olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add peppers and sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft.

• When the potato cubes are soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork, transfer the sautéed peppers and onion to the broth. Add red pepper flakes and salt.

• Working with a batch of the soup mixture at a time, put the soup into a blender jar and puree each batch until smooth. Transfer the soup back to the saucepan and heat through. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add a bit more vegetable broth or water. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.

• Top with a tablespoon of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of fresh herbs on each portion. Serve hot.

•
VARIATION
This soup can also be served cold. To serve cold, remove it from the heat and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
162 calories, 22.4 g carbohydrate, 3.3 g protein, 7.3 g fat, 5 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Bok choy, also called Chinese cabbage, is one of the cruciferous vegetables. This family of vegetables, which includes broccoli, cabbage, turnips, and kohlrabi, provides some important cancer-fighting nutrients that are being studied for their potential to not only help prevent some forms of cancer, but also possibly reverse and treat them.

Bok choy is a good source of vitamins A, B
₆
, and C, beta-carotene, the minerals calcium and potassium, and dietary fiber. The rich amount of beta-carotene (2,167 mcg in a half-cup of cooked bok choy) may even help reduce the risk of cataracts.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One cup of shredded raw bok choy provides 9 calories, 1.5 g carbohydrate, 1.1 g protein, 0.14 g fat, 0.7 g dietary fiber, 3128 IU vitamin A, 31.5 mg vitamin C, 0.35 mg niacin, 0.06 mg pantothenic acid, 0.14 mg vitamin B
₆
, 46 mcg folic acid, 25.1 mcg vitamin K, 74 mg calcium, 0.56 mg iron, 13 mg magnesium, 26 mg phosphorus, 176 mg potassium, 46 mg sodium, and 0.13 mg zinc.

Bringing It Home

Bok choy ribs should be white and firm at the base, transitioning to pale celadon green leaves at the top. Bok choy should look fresh, without brown spots or wilted
leaves. Baby bok choy, which has a cabbage head four to six inches long, can be delightful when cooked whole. Refrigerate bok choy in a plastic bag as soon as you get it home, and use it within three or four days. When you are ready to cook it, wash it well and make sure to remove any sand or grit between the stalks at the base.

Like its relatives, cabbage and broccoli, bok choy can develop an overpowering taste and limp texture if cooked too long. To avoid overcooking mature bok choy, cut both leaves and stalks into pieces. You can cut across the heads, because this cabbage has no hard core. Steam it as briefly as possible, and consider blanching it in cool water to stop the cooking while it is still crisp and delicate in flavor.