The 52 New Foods Challenge Food of the Week: Romanesco
I LOVE roasted crucifers, and this oneis no exception. Jennifer Tyler Lee also recommends sautéing it with EVOO (I would use butter) and lemon and parmesan. Sounds yummy too!! I recently made “cauli rice” using romanesco and it was delicious! 🙂
Food Facts:
Member of the cruciferous family- related to cauliflower
Contains four times more glucosinolates than white cauliflower
Cauliflowers have a lower respiration rate than broccoli and therefore can be stored for up to a week in the fridge without compromising the nutritional value.
Was developed from wild cabbage
Cancer fighting vegetable
Good source of B Vitamins, vitamin K, & C, potassium, phosphorous, boron, and fiber
On the ANDI scale it scores 295/1000 (a rating of nutrients per calorie)
Last year I started The 52 New Foods Challenge: A Family Cooking Adventure for Each Week of the Year, with 150 Recipes. My goal was to try the new food designated for each week and to blog about why others might want to try it too. Well, I didn’t quite finish it. 🙁 So I’ve decided to start it again. Many of the foods might not be “new” for me or for you, but I like the idea of trying new things and shaking up my day-to-day food routine.
Food Facts:
Good source of vitamins K, C, and A
Contains more than twice the the level of antioxidants of other leafy greens
Antioxidants include: beta-carotene, lute in, zeaxanthin
Good source of folate, fiber, manganese, potassium, copper, and calcium
It scores 1000/1000 on the ANDI score (a rating of nutrients per calorie)
Is good for preventing: cancer, cardiovascular disease, degenerative eye diseases, and stomach ulcers
Red leaf kale varieties have more nutrients than green leaf varieties
Has more calcium than milk!!!!!
Raw often has more nutrients
However, raw kale, like other raw cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels, etc.) can be goitrogenic, if you have thyroid problems – it is important that you eat cooked kale
For kale chips, 350 degrees produces the most nutrient chips
Butternut squash soup is something that I could eat nearly everyday during the winter months. Hearty, filling, healthy, and delicious. I found a recipe for it about 5 years ago, and since then, I’ve tweaked it to make it my own. I found the act of peeling the butternut squash simply ridiculous. It is insanely hard to peel a raw butternut squash. Then, while in Miami, a friend ordered some butternut squash at a restaurant and it arrived roasted with the skin on. MIND BLOWN. I decided then to stop peeling the squash for these three reasons. 1) It’s way too hard, 2) I’m going to puree the soup with an immersion blender anyways, and 3) the skin is where the nutrients are! So here is my favorite recipe for butternut squash soup. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Soup
cleaneatingwithkatie
Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite fall and winter meals. I usually pair it with a sausage and then I have a balanced meal. Because you don't have to spend time peeling the butternut squash, this recipe is that much sweeter!
Place a vegetable steamer in a large stock pot. Add water, butter, and butternut squash. Steam the butternut squash until pierced easily with a knife.
Once steamed, place squash in stock pot (leave water in pot). Add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
Add all of the spices. Keep at simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to purée soup (a regular blender or food processor will also work). Add lemon juice (don't skip the acid step!). Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and garnish with cilantro.
Keyword butternut squash soup, paleo, soup
Onions are a good source of vitamins C and B6, potassium, and manganese. They are also rich in antioxidants, particularly quercetin, kaempferol, and myricetin, which all play a role in cancer prevention. Onions also help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Carrots are good sources of vitamins A, C, B6 & K, biotin, potassium, thiamine, and fiber. They are also rich in antioxidants and good source of starchy carbohydrates.
Butternut Squash is a good source of antioxidant carotenoids, vitamins C, B1, B6, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. It is also a good source of potassium, manganese, and fiber. Dark-fleshed winter squash is shown to be protective against cancer, especially lung cancer, heart disease, and and type II diabetes.
I wrote this article for an assignment on autoimmune conditions, specifically Lupus. However, this applies to anyone that is looking to determine what is “off” with their digestion, what food triggers they may have, or trying to solve other “unsolved mysteries” about what may be causing skin problems, headaches, etc. Enjoy!
To address autoimmune conditions like Lupus, the 5-R Protocol would be highly recommended. It is like a “jump-start” into the diet plan that should be continued for optimal immune health. By removing offending foods, the body stops reacting negatively to those foods and can begin to use its nutrient resources to heal itself. Additionally, 80% of the immune system is in the digestive system and a healthy digestive system is key for a healthy immune system.
Remove: Eliminate foods that are processed and devoid of nutrients, poor-quality fats, parasites, heavy metals, and foods that are potential triggers. Potential triggers include gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut), nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers) dairy, soy, and possibly fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. Each person will have to decide what he or she needs to eliminate.
Replace: Once the offending foods have been removed, it is time to replace them with nutrient-rich, whole-foods. This step also includes replacing missing nutrients using supplements, as well as adding in digestive supports like digestive enzymes, bile salts, and hydrochloric acid.
Reinoculate: The digestive system is home to billions of bacteria that we rely on to help digest food, protect us from foreign invaders, and to help make short chain fatty acids that we need. Over the years, our diets have been lacking in healthy bacteria and we take many medications that kill off the necessary bacteria. These healthy bacteria are found in cultured dairy products like yogurt and kefir, and in fermented foods like kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Supplementation with probiotics can begin with 10-20 billion per day and can increase gradually to 50-100 billion (Bauman, 2015).
Repair: Over time, our standard diets have also damaged our digestive system’s ability to properly breakdown foods and absorb nutrients. Using foods like bone broth, grass-fed gelatin, and foods rich in fiber will help to repair and clean out the intestines. Additional supplements that can help to heal include: glutamine, gamma-oryzanol, boswellia, licorice, quercetin, goldenseal, aloe, marshmallow root, essential fatty acids, and cabbage.
Rebalance: Digestion starts in the brain. If your mindset isn’t in the “right” place, proper digestion will not occur. If you are stressed, your body will be in sympathetic mode rather than in parasympathetic mode and your digestion will be compromised. The focus of step 5 is on stress management, quality sleep, adequate exercise, and a positive outlook. This last step is often a continual practice in mindfulness.
References:
Bauman, E. (6/20/15-11/30/15). Personal Communication
Lipski, E. (2013). Digestion Connection. New York, NY: Rodale.
It’s December first (not quite sure how that happened!!)! Here is the list of what’s in season in December (especially in Northern California). Mandarins are exciting to see on this list. And I’m excited to have lemons back on my tree!!
As I read more, listen to my lectures, and talk to friends and clients, I have come to the belief that there are about 10 recommendations that I often suggest to people. These same 10 suggestions apply for most people and for most health concerns. If you were trying to make healthier choices in your diet, this is a basic list that can be your jumping off point. Here are my recommendations for 10 things to add to or replace in your diet. But not until Friday. 😉 After all, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and life is for living and enjoying. You have to live your life and holiday foods most definitely qualify.
Eat This 🙂
Instead of That 🙁
Grass-fed Butter
Butter is great to cook with because unlike most vegetable oils, it does not oxidize at low temperatures. It reduces inflammation and is rich in conjugated-linoleic acid and vitamins A, D & K2.
Margarine
Margarine is made of crop oils that are partially hydrogenated, turning them from liquid into a solid. This turns the fats into trans fats, substances that our bodies have trouble recognizing and processing.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a great source of medium chain triglycerides, which are antiviral and antibacterial. These medium chain fatty acids are easily absorbed by the body and protect against heart disease and promote weight loss. It is a great high heat cooking oil, as it doesn’t oxidize at low temperatures.
All other Vegetable Oils
Vegetable oils oxidize at lower temperatures, meaning they become damaged and inflammatory when used in cooking. They are also highly processed using high heat, so they are likely damaged even before used in cooking. When exposed to light (through the clear bottles the are packaged in) further oxidation occurs.
Honey, Maple Syrup, Date Sugar, or Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is a low-glycemic sweetener. Both coconut sugar and date sugar are not as heavily processed as other sugars. Raw honey and maple syrup are not processed either. These all make great sugar alternatives when used in moderation.
Sugar, Agave, Artificial Sweeteners
High blood sugar is a problem with many health concerns. Artificial sweeteners are linked to declines in kidney function, brain tumors, autoimmune conditions, and are potential neurotoxins. Agave, while a low-glycemic sweetener, is heavily processed, making it similar to high-fructose corn syrup.
Raw Nuts and Seeds
Seeds contain all the nutrients for that the plant needs to start life, making them nutrient dense. They are often rich in omega-3s, great sources of protein, fats, and vitamins and minerals. Nuts and seeds have a “season” like all other produce, and can go bad like all other produce, so they should be eaten raw.
Roasted Nuts and Seeds
Similarly to crop oils, nuts and seeds oxidize when exposed to high heats, therefore roasted nuts and seeds are likely to cause oxidative damage and inflammation in the body. Nuts and seeds are also often roasted to preserve them, but also to hide the rancidity of the nuts or seeds.
Sparkling Water
For a treat, sparkling water is a nice alternative to regular filtered water. Adding fruit, a squeeze of lime juice, or some grapefruit essential oil to the sparkling water can also help to break up the repetition.
Soda
Sugary drinks actually cause the taste buds to crave more sugar. To process sugars, vitamins and minerals must be taken from the tissues, therefore repeated exposure can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
Sea Salt
The best salt choices are not white – either grey, pink, or other colors. These salts contain trace minerals that we need and can be hard to find.
Iodized Salt
Iodized salt often has added sugar and aluminum. It is also processed to remove all other trace minerals.
Spaghetti Squash, Zoodles, or Kelp Noodles
These are nutrient dense substitutions for pasta and are low in calories. Zoodles are zucchini that have been spiralized into spaghetti-like noodles.
Pasta
Pasta is a refined food that is rich in calories, but low in nutrients. While it may be tasty, it’s a modern convenience food that isn’t needed.
Tea
Herbals teas are a great alternative to coffee. Teas do not create the stress response that coffee does and are often filled with nutritional benefits.
Coffee
Coffee stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol and adrenaline, keeping the adrenals on overload. It also raises blood sugar and depletes vitamins and minerals.
Full-fat Dairy
Dairy is a good source of protein, healthy fats, calcium and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2.
Nonfat Dairy
When you remove the fat from dairy, you are left with a lot of dairy sugar, lactose. Nature would not package something “bad” with something good just for us to wait thousands of years for scientists to learn how to separate the fat out of dairy.
Pasture-raised Eggs
Eggs do contain cholesterol and fat, and the reality is that we need both. Both are in every cell of the human body. Cholesterol supports brain function, serotonin production, and it acts as an antioxidant. Your heart gets 60% of its energy from fat and you brain is mostly fat.
Nature did not package something good for us with something bad for us just to wait thousands of years for humans to invent egg-beaters. You are what you eat, so if you’re eating poorly raised eggs, you are not getting the nutrients that you need.
During our travels this summer, we had an amazing dinner in Florence, Italy. The food was so good that we ate lunch AND dinner at Trattoria Il Francescano during the course of one weekend. The salad that I ordered came with pesto sauce on it. This may seem simple, but for me it was revolutionary. I’ve used pesto in soups, on pizza, and on salmon, but never on salad. Since then I’ve been pretty obsessed with making my own basil pesto. Last week at the farmers market, Tomatero had huge bunches of fresh dill. I only needed a little for my salmon dinner that night, so rather than let the herb go to waste, I decided to make Dill Pesto. Result = AMAZING. I have these cool little herb freezer storage containers that allow me to save the extra. Highly recommended!
Dill Pesto
cleaneatingwithkatie
In late spring/ early summer the bunches of dill at the farmers market are enormous and I always end up with more than I can use. Pesto is great for using up herbs (and greens) that are on their way out. Pesto freezes well too!
Rinse the dill and pat dry. Trim the woodier part of the ends off.
Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until combined. If the mixture is too thin, add more nuts. If it is too thick, add more lemon or olive oil based on a taste test. (A blender could be used instead.)
Serve on salads, veggies, or on salmon. Enjoy!
Keyword dairy free, pesto, salad dressing, sauce
Olive Oil is a great source of omega-9 fatty acids, copper, iron, and vitamin E. Olive oil has been shown to help manage and prevent cardiovascular disease, asthma, arthritis, cancer, and blood sugar disregulation. It also helps to lower inflammation.
Dill is a member of the Umbelliferae family which includes, carrots, celery, parsley, and fennel. Dill has been shown to reduce flatulence and digestive ailments. It also has antimicrobial and anticancer effects. It helps the liver in detoxification. Dill is also a known sleep aid. In addition to its phytonutrients, it is rich in vitamins A and C and manganese and potassium.
Pine Nuts are a good source of protein – more than any other nut or seed! They are a good source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and E and manganese, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, zinc, and potassium.