The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (35 page)

Livit Recipe

Vegetable oil spray

1 egg

2 egg whites

½ cup apple butter

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1¼ cups white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups grated carrots

1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 cup raisins

2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• Lightly grease 18 muffin cups with vegetable oil spray.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg whites, apple butter, oil, and vanilla.

• In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, and raisins.

• Stir the apple butter mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about three-quarters full.

• In a small bowl, combine walnuts and wheat germ. Sprinkle the mixture over the muffin tops.

• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when pressed lightly.

YIELD
18 muffins

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
197 calories, 37.9 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g protein, 4.3 g fat, 1.9 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Whole wheat couscous is a quick-to-make, satisfying, high-fiber starch. It is a great low-fat source of complex carbohydrates—the body's optimal fuel—and a nice alternative to rice and pasta. Made of bits of wheat moistened and rolled in wheat flour, this Middle Eastern food is not quite a grain and not quite a pasta.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-third cup of whole wheat couscous provides 190 calories, 43 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 1 g fat, 7 g dietary fiber, and 1.08 mg iron.

Bringing It Home

Choose whole wheat couscous over regular couscous for more fiber and a more filling and satisfying meal. Leave the seasoned couscous packets alone, because their sodium content is very high.

Livit Recipe

4 cups unsweetened soy milk

2 cups whole wheat couscous

½ cup dried cranberries

• In a large soup pot, bring the soy milk to a boil. Stir in the couscous, and immediately remove the pot from the stove. Stir until all the soy milk is absorbed. Let sit 5 minutes.

• Gently fold in the cranberries, and fluff with a fork. Serve.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
286.5 calories, 59.8 g carbohydrate, 14.4 g protein, 4.3 g fat, 4.7 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Whole grain crackers, flatbreads, and crispbreads provide a portable, crunchy whole grain with the convenience of a prepared food. High in fiber and low in fat, they come in a variety of flavors that feature different grains and seeds.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Five whole wheat crackers provide 115 calories, 19 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 2 g fat, 4 g dietary fiber, and 1.4 g iron.

Bringing It Home

Choose whole wheat crackers with a minimum of 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving for a snack that will keep you satisfied and keep you from extra late-night nibbling.

Livit Recipe

¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 whole wheat crispbread cracker

Dash of cinnamon

1 tablespoon all-fruit spread, any flavor

• Mound the ricotta on the crispbread, and sprinkle it with cinnamon. Drizzle the all-fruit spread over the ricotta.

YIELD
1 serving

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
163 calories, 21.9 g carbohydrate, 8.2 g protein, 4.9 g fat, 2.3 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Whole wheat pasta brings the benefits of whole grain to a familiar staple. Providing complex carbohydrates, fiber, manganese, and magnesium, whole wheat pasta lets you enjoy your favorite pasta dishes while helping to regulate blood sugar and protect intestinal health.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One cup of cooked whole wheat pasta provides 174 calories, 37.2 g carbohydrate, 7.5 g protein, 0.8 g fat, and 3.9 g dietary fiber.

Bringing It Home

If you are experimenting with whole wheat pasta for the first time, try the whole wheat angel hair. It's very thin, which helps to minimize the difference between whole wheat and white pastas, especially once tomato sauce is on top. Dry pasta has a very long shelf life, as long as it is kept dry. Cooked pasta without sauce keeps for three to four days in the refrigerator.

Livit Recipe

8 ounces whole wheat pasta shells

2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 cups nonfat milk
OR
unsweetened soy milk

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon salt-free seasoning
OR
herbal blend

¾ cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese

½ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

• Cook the shells according to package directions. Drain and put into a large bowl. Set aside.

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the margarine. Stir in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, about 2 minutes, until the roux bubbles a bit—don't let it brown. Slowly add the milk, ½ cup at a time, while continuing to stir the roux. After all the milk has been added, increase heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil. Keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken. Once the milk sauce has thickened, add the salt, pepper, and salt-free seasoning. Stir in the cheeses, and reduce heat. Cook, continuing to stir, for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

• Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta shells. Mix gently with a wooden spoon. (If you're going to cool the sauce and save it to use later, cover the surface with wax paper so it doesn't develop a skin.)

•
NOTE
If you need to add thickness to the sauce, mix ½ tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoons cold water in a cup. Stir until all the lumps are gone. Slowly add just enough of this to your sauce, stirring constantly, to get the thickness you want.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
248 calories, 33.5 g carbohydrate, 13.8 g protein, 6.3 g fat, 3.4 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Whole wheat pastry flour allows you to bake with whole grain in familiar recipes that call for white flour. The complex carbohydrates, bran, B vitamins, and minerals of whole grains remain intact. The lighter texture of pastry flour behaves more like all-purpose flour in most recipes.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One-third cup of whole wheat pastry flour provides 110 calories, 23 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 3 g dietary fiber, 90 mg potassium, 20 mg calcium, and 1.08 mg iron.

Bringing It Home

Whole wheat pastry flour may require a trip to the natural food or health food store. This flour provides a finer texture and lighter consistency, as well as less gluten, than hard winter wheat flour, making it perfect for flaky pastries and light cakes. It also works well when making the roux for cream sauce.

Livit Recipe

¼ teaspoon non-hydrogenated margarine

3 large, ripe bananas

¼ cup organic unsweetened applesauce

½ cup honey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole grain pastry flour

1 cup unbleached flour

¼ cup wheat germ

¾ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Lightly grease a 9” × 5” loaf pan with margarine, using a paper towel to spread the margarine and absorb any excess.

• In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the applesauce, honey, eggs, and vanilla to the mashed bananas. Stir the mixture with a fork or metal whisk.

• In a large bowl, mix the flours, wheat germ, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the banana mixture. Stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

• The banana bread is done when it is golden brown. Loosen the loaf from the pan with a spatula and turn it out to cool on a wire rack. Serve.

YIELD
12 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
169 calories, 36 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 2 g fat, 2.7 g dietary fiber

Benefits

Wild rice is not really rice, although it is a close relative. It is a grass that grows in shallow water and is native to North America. A related species is native to Manchuria, in China. Cooked wild rice has a unique flavor and texture. It is high in protein and fiber, and it is gluten-free. Wild rice provides the B vitamins thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin, and the minerals potassium and phosphorus.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One cup of cooked wild rice provides 166 calories, 35 g carbohydrate, 6.5 g protein, 0.6 g fat, 3 g dietary fiber, and 42.6 mcg folic acid.

Bringing It Home

Wild rice is usually sold as a dried grain, and it is almost black in color. Much “wild” rice is now cultivated in paddies, but many people prefer the truly wild version, harvested in canoes by Native Americans. The latter type is more expensive and increasingly hard to find. The cultivated type, however, is just as full of nutrients and flavor.

If wild rice is kept in a sealed container and away from heat, light, and moisture, it can be kept for a long time, but it is vulnerable to mold if it gets damp. Leftover cooked wild rice can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Livit Recipe

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
OR
vegetable broth

1½ cups water

1
cups wild rice (½ pound)

½ cup dried currants

Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup pine nuts

1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated margarine

1 medium onion, finely chopped

• In a large saucepan, bring the broth and water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the wild rice and currants. Add black pepper to taste. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 1 hour, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Add more water, if needed, to cook the rice fully.

• Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, toast the pine nuts over low heat, tossing them constantly with a spatula, until they turn golden. Transfer the nuts to a small bowl. Set aside.

• In the same skillet, melt the margarine. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes or until it is soft.

• In a serving bowl, toss the rice gently with the onion and nuts. Serve immediately.

YIELD
6 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
298 calories, 46.7 g carbohydrate, 7.6 g protein, 9.5 g fat, 3.2 g dietary fiber

5
Carbohydrates: Dairy and Dairy Substitutes