Trying to start the New Year off with better eating, we seem to focus on fruits and vegetables; however we all too often burn out of ideas and use the same vegetables in the same dishes. Eating better can be exciting, and there are hidden nutritious things in foods we may not expect. I’m no dietician (that’s where Katie Mora excels) but I know what tastes good and what combinations work well to boost your immune system and keep those bugs and colds at bay. I have a couple of super food recipes that will chase the winter blues away and are hearty, delicious, and surprisingly nutritious.
The cauliflower is often mistaken as a vegetable with little to no nutritional value because of its lack of green color, yet its actually quite amazing. With high levels of vitamin C, just shy of an orange, it also has high levels of vitamin K, a natural anti inflammatory, vitamins B6 and B12, protein and soluble fiber. The little white head of cauliflower is packed with more nutritional punch than I ever expected. It is part of the cruciferous vegetable clan which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Cauliflower seems to get left behind the pack, but it has quite the arsenal of nutritional ingredients to help you be healthier on a daily basis.
Because it is in the cruciferous family the key to successful cooking is not over cooking. All of these vegetables release a sulfurous gas when over cooked (soggy Brussels spouts – need I say more?) Therefore cauliflower takes well to being steamed, sauteed or roasted. I prefer sauteing or roasting cauliflower as it keeps it crispy and dry and less chance to get that soggy, biting a wet sponge, texture that occurs with boiling. This recipe includes two other key ingredients, sweet potatoes and turmeric. Sweet potatoes levels of potassium exceed all expectations. Potassium is an essential electrolyte needed to break down carbohydrates into energy. One medium sized sweet potato has 700mg of potassium. That’s a lot. It also has very high levels of vitamin A (over 500% of your RDA), which helps with immunity and your eye health, not bad huh? The other ingredient, turmeric, is an Asian spice that has been used for thousands of years. Known for its amazing yellow hue, it has been sometimes referred to as poor man’s saffron. It is actually an herbaceous plant that produces rhizomes (its in the ginger family) which are boiled, dried, and crushed to make the yellow powder. It has anti-inflammatory properties and has been used in Asian medicine since 1900. Put these three together and you get a great flavor combination.
Spicy Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Saute
1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced a
1/4 tsp. of turmeric
1/2 tsp. of salt
1 medium (about 12 oz.) cauliflower, thinly sliced
4 dried red chilies, stemmed and minced
Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Steam in the microwave or briefly blanch (boil) for 3-5 minutes. They should be soft but not mushy. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the cumin seeds and cook until they begin to crackle, just 30 seconds or so. Stir in the onions, along with the turmeric and a few pinches of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions caramelize a bit and turn lightly golden, roughly 7 – 10 minutes. Add the red chilies, and garlic. Continue to cook for another minute. Add the cauliflower and the sweet potato and stir well. Cover the pan and cook the cauliflower over low-medium heat for 3 – 5 minutes, until just tender.
When the cauliflower is nearly cooked, remove the lid, salt to taste.
You can increase the amount of heat varying the chilies, but I wouldn’t omit them all together. The chilies liven the dish and a little spice makes you warm from the inside out. It can serve as a delicious side to chicken or pork or have it by itself or with some steamed rice. Makes a great reheatable lunch for the next day.
The other recipe I have included today is my ‘superfood super soup’ (say this three times fast out loud and you will automatically feel better, I promise). It has all the ingredients needed to fight colds and general winter malaise and will make you thirty pounds lighter and prettier than before (ok so the last two may not happen); however the ingredients are not only delicious but a nutritious way to fight many ailments. They include: lean beef, a high source of iron and other nutrients; chicken broth, known for its amazing ability to make your soul feel better and treat the common cold; red bell peppers, as they contain more vitamin C than oranges; kale, the world’s healthiest green with its high doses of Vitamin K and A; tomatoes, high in lycopene, a natural anti-oxidant; and lentils, an edible pulse in the legume family that is easy to digest and has 26g of protein. That list includes most of this delicious and easy soup.
Superfood Super Soup
2 tb. olive oil
1/2 cup of finely chopped beef
Finely diced 1 leek, white and pale green only, halved and cut in 1/3-inch dice and thoroughly rinsed in several changes of water
1 small onion (4 to 6 oz.) cut in 1/4-inch dice
2 medium stalks celery, trimmed and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 large carrot, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 to 3 tsp. double concentrate tomato paste
2 tomatoes deseeded and diced
1/2 tsp. of dried thyme
6 to 8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup of lentils, preferably green, but whatever you can find
2 bunches kale, stems stripped away, leaves cut in 1/2-inch wide ribbons and thoroughly rinsed
Parmesan and olive oil for serving
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Add the beef and cook until fat is mostly rendered-3 min or so.
Add the leek, onion, celery and carrot and thyme along with some salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until the vegetables are wilted and beginning to soften-about 5 to 7 min. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the bell pepper and tomato and cook for another minute.
Whisk the tomato paste into 1 cup of water and add. Bring to a simmer and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated-about 20 minutes. Add another 5 cups of water (or stock), the lentils and the kale. Bring to a simmer (the kale will collapse to the level of the liquid within a few minutes) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and kale are both tender and flavors of the soup are blended-25 to 40 minutes.
If, at any time after the kale collapses, the soup seems too crowded, add more water and continue to cook. When the lentils and kale are tender, taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly shaved or grated Parmesan cheese.
Sometimes getting a common cold or even just a touch of the sniffles can knock our spirits and us for six. We all want to stay healthier, eat better, and do our best to avoid getting sick, but sometimes it just happens. Eating and cooking are comforts, and both these recipes today are not only packed with nutritious ‘well being’ stuff they also just taste good; what’s not to feel better about that? A steaming bowl of hot soup or some spicy vegetables may just be what the doctor ordered, whether for you or someone else. That’s my prescription for this week anyway. As always, happy eating, cheers, Emma
