4 Nutritional Powerhouses You're Already Eating

www.huffingtonpost.com - April 15th, 2014

Lately there's been so much focus on newcomers like acai and kale that less glamorous fruits and vegetables are sometimes treated like second-class citizens. But researchers are discovering new reasons to get excited about the old standbys.

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Cooked Food Allowed Evolution Of Primates' Big Brains

www.huffingtonpost.com - December 19th, 2012

That's because humans would have to spend more than 9 hours a day eating to get enough energy from unprocessed raw food alone to support our large brains, according to a new study that calculates the energetic costs of growing a bigger brain or body in primates. But our ancestors managed to get enough energy to grow brains that have three times as many neurons as those in apes such as gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans. How did they do it? They got cooking, according to a study published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"If you eat only raw food, there are not enough hours in the day to get enough calories to build such a large brain," says Suzana Herculano-Houzel, a neuroscientist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil who is co-author of the report. "We can afford more neurons, thanks to cooking." 

Humans have more brain neurons than any other primate—about 86 billion, on average, compared with about 33 billion neurons in gorillas and 28 billion in chimpanzees. While these extra neurons endow us with many benefits, they come at a price—our brains consume 20% of our body's energy when resting, compared with 9% in other primates. So a long-standing riddle has been where did our ancestors get that extra energy to expand their minds as they evolved from animals with brains and bodies the size of chimpanzees?

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Avocado Egg Tomato Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

To me, the ingredients in a salad can be varied and changed depending on what you have on hand. The quantities are up to you, the cook, and this is just my version. The salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette and the basic recipe follows.

Salad: 

6 cups mixed salad greens 

2 large ripe avocados, skinned and cut into wedges 

3 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges 

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges 

1 cup alf alf a sprouts

 Extra virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and black pepper

Arrange salad ingredients on a large serving platter (refer to picture). Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Vinaigrette:

 1 cup Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 

1 garlic clove, crushed

Sea salt and black pepper 

Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper and drizzle generously over the salad.

Jicama Cranberry Blue Cheese Salad

Jicama is a crispy, sweet, edible root that resembles a turnip in physical appearance, although the plants are not related. Jicama has been cultivated in South America for centuries, and the vegetable is quite popular in Mexican cuisine. Jicama has a unique flavor that lends itself well to salads, salsas, and vegetable platters.

Salad:

3 cups baby kale

3 cups baby spinach

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 jicama, remove skin, thinly sliced

1/2 blue cheese crumbles

2 cups roasted turkey or ham (optional)

1/2 cup roasted walnuts (optional)

Arrange salad ingredients on individual serving plates (refer to picture).

Vinaigrette:

4 large garlic cloves, roasted and peeled

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon raw honey

Sea salt and black pepper

Combine the garlic, vinegar, mustard, honey, and lemon juice.  Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle generously over the salad.

Serves 4

Wheatgrass Pineapple Broccoli Smoothie

1/2 cup wheatgrass

1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets

1/2 cup fresh pineapple

1 cup unpasteurized apple juice

2 cups ice

3 tablespoons cottage cheese

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

Blend all the ingredients. Enjoy!

Individual Roasted Veggie Ramekins

4 small flan dishes

4 small red skin potatoes, sliced

8 cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 large carrot, sliced

1 white onion, sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Handful of fresh parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Pre heat oven to 400 F

Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters. Drizzle olive oil on the flan dishes and arrange veggies in a single layer (refer to picture). Scatter onion, garlic, and parsley over the top. Drizzle olive oil over the top. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, remove cover and bake a further 10 minutes or until veggies are cooked and starting to get crispy. Scatter fresh mozzarella over the top.

Serve hot.

Healthy Mashed Potatoes With Roasted Tomato and Onion

Mashed Potatoes:

6 large potatoes

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons warm milk (2%)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Sea salt and black pepper

Place the potatoes, garlic and broth in a large pot. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper. Cover on medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.

Blend the potatoes, milk, and oil continuing until potatoes are nice and fluffy. Drizzle in extra olive oil if it appears too dry. Mashed potatoes should be fluffy not runny or gooey. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Arrange roasted veggies over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve warm.

Roasted Veggies:

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 large white onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Sea salt and black pepper

Pre heat oven to 500 F.

On a large baking sheet, toss vegetables in a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for about 5 to 10 minutes (don't over cook!), turning occasionally. 

Warm Bok Choy Tomato Salad

8 Baby Bok Choy

2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, crushed
juice of half a lemon

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Clean and cut Bok Choy in half. Dry with a paper towel. In a large wok or deep side skillet, add enough oil to cover the bottom (about 2 tablespoons). When hot, add all the ingredients. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then saute on high heat until all vegetables are cooked (about 5 minutes).

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice on top. Serve immediately, while still warm and crisp.

Turkey, Stuffing, and Whole Wheat Rigate Soup

3 celery stalks with leaves, chop into bite size pieces

3 large Carrots, chop into bite size pieces

1/2 large onion, chop into bite size pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cups leftover stuffing

2 cups leftover turkey,

6 cups good quality vegetable or chicken broth

1 teaspoon low sodium natural vegetable bouillon

1 cup whole wheat rigate-pipe pasta or similar

Extra Virgin Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

In a large deep-sided skillet, add two tablespoons of olive oil and saute carrots, onions, and celery until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients. Season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Bison Vegetable Hash

1 lb ground Bison

4 large red potatoes, skin remove (optional), dice into bite size pieces

3 large carrots, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 large white onion, chop into bite size pieces

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

In a large deep sided skillet on medium heat, add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add onion when oil is hot and saute until soft. Add garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Continue sauteing the vegetables until crispy and brown (about 10 to 15 minutes). Add tomatoes and broccoli, saute a further 5 minutes. Season with sea salt and back pepper. Keep warm.

In a large frying pan on high heat, add three tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add bison and quick fry until brown and crispy (about 5 to 10 minutes). Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add to the vegetables. Stir to combine. Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the Hash. Enjoy hot with fresh bread.

Kale Rolls with Orzo Turkey and Garlic Stuffing

1/2 pound fresh ground turkey or chicken

1 cup Orzo, cooked

2 cups marinara sauce

12 large Kale leaves, washed and remove stem

1/2 white onion, finely diced

2 cups roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch Kale for 2 minutes and drop into an ice bath (icy cold water in a bowl). Run your knife along the back to remove the tough stem to make it easier on rolling. Set aside.

In a large deep-sided skillet on high heat, add olive oil. When hot, add onions and saute until soft. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add turkey, saute until cooked and brown(keep cooking temperature on high because you don't want the turkey to retain moisture and turn to a stew. Add garlic and tomatoes and continue sauteing on high heat a further 5 minutes. Add cooked orzo and fresh basil. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Remove off heat to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Lay kale flat on a clean surface. Add two tablespoons of the mixture to the middle and roll tightly to close (refer to picture). Cover the bottom of an oven proof-dish with marinara sauce of choice (about two cups). Arrange kale rolls in a single layer. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve hot.

Baked Root Vegetable Hash Browns

1 small sweet potato, remove skin and grate

2 medium red potatoes, grated

1 parsnip, grated

1 large carrot, grated

1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour (or wheat flour)

1/4 sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and black pepper (to liking)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix to fully combine.  Drop scoopfuls (ice cream scoop) on a prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and black pepper.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked and crispy. Serve by itself or with warm protein of choice.

Sweet and Savory Roll-Ups

Option 1:

3 slices whole grain bread or bread of choice (crust removed)

3 slices of ham or turkey

3 slices of mild cheese or spreadable cheese of choice

1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts or any vegetable of choice (thinly sliced)

Flatten bread with a rolling pin. Spread cheese over bread slices. Add meat. In a row across center, place vegetables. Roll up bread and use a toothpick to secure. Cut in half to serve (refer to picture)

Option 2:

3 slices whole grain bread or bread of choice (crust removed)

1 green apple (thinly sliced)

2 tablespoons smooth or crunchy peanut butter

2 tablespoons honey

Flatten bread with a rolling pin. Spread peanut butter and honey on bread slices. In a row across center, place apple slices. Roll up bread and use a toothpick to secure. Cut in half and serve.

These are two great snack ideas for the kids lunches.