Cloves--an overlooked spice

by Francine

via better-health-wizard.com

Around the holidays, my yoga teacher read to us from a page she had copied from one of the health and nutrition journals she subscribes to. I was amazed to hear that according to a study (in which 1,100 foods were tested) cited in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, cloves contain more than 3 times the amount of antioxidants than the nearest competitor--dried oregano. Who would have thought? Apparently, this all-too-often overlooked spice combats oxidative stress in the brain and may help dispel 'brain fog.'  That's not all.

Cloves are an excellent source of manganese, a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin K and C and omega-3 fatty acids, and a good source of calcium and magnesium. Cloves also have a significant amount of protein, iron, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and hydrochloric acid.So with this in mind, why relegate cloves to pumpkin pie?

Here's a tasty tofu/clove combo posted on grouprecipes.com (they have wonderful other recipes, btw) that is sure to please. And notice turmeric and lemongrass, two other mighty powerful and tasty herbs that are so good for us. Enjoy!

• 
  
• Lemongrass Tofu
  
  Ingredients:
  12-14 oz tofu, drained
• 3-4 tsp minced fresh lemongrass (usually pretty easy to find in better groceries, Asian markets, or farmers markets).  Peel outer layers of 1 stalk, grate or mince bottom white part
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbsp tamari 
• 2 Tbsp water 
• 2 tsp roasted red chili paste 
• 1 tsp ground turmeric 
• 2 t sugar  
• 1 t salt 
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

• How to make:
  Cut tofu lengthwise into thirds. Place on an absorbent kitchen towel and cover with an additional towel. Place a heavy pan on top, and allow to sit thirty minutes to remove moisture. Transfer tofu to a cutting board and cut into 3/4" cubes.
• In a large bowl or glass container combine lemongrass, garlic, say sauce, water, red chili paste, turmeric, sugar and salt. Add tofu cubes, and carefully toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to marinate.
• In a large wok or sauté pan, heat oil over high heat. Add tofu and cook 10-15 minutes, shaking pan every minute so tofu doesn’t stick, until golden brown on all side.
• Add red pepper flakes the last few minutes and serve hot

Sources:
grouprecipes.com
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Antioxidants-for-Health-And-Longetivy