'shrooms and Tofu

by Francine

photo via rockahealthylifestyle.com

Mushrooms are endowed with an assortment of health benefits - from being a boost to your immune system, to helping to prevent breast and other cancers; they assist in weight loss, fighting tumors, and they are anti-inflammatory, a source of B12 (difficult to get when you're a vegetarian). .  .There's a reason these exotic, rather cosmic edibles are associated with 'magic.' Magic indeed. And we get to eat them! And they're so declicious. Did you know there's a lobster mushroom that actually tastes like that? And oyster mushrooms. . . well, you can guess the rest.

Check out the great nutrient reference from whfoods.com, which tells us - among other things - that mushrooms seem to have some kind of 'smart' aspect about them, where if white blood cell is required, mushrooms push that, and when it's not, crimini mushrooms seem to have a sensor to leave the white blood cells alone. "Magic" anyone?

Here's a ridiculously easy recipe for tofu and mushrooms. It can be adapted so easily to taste. It's inexpensive, easy to prepare, and is sure to make your tummy feel swell.

What you need:

a block of tofu (plain or not), sliced or cubed
enough mushrooms to please yourself and whoever else you're cooking for
black pepper
some red onion
a few cloves of garlic
a bit of the following:
  turmeric
  cumin
  cayenne
  basil
  oregano
  (any other herb or spice you love)
coconut or canola oil

Directions:

Slice the onion thinly. Same thing with the garlic. Saute both with a bit of oil until they become a bit transparent and soft. Add the mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms start to soften and add the tofu. Continue to saute until tofu starts to brown and everything is well mixed. Add the herbs, pepper, and continue to mix until everything is steaming and flavors are well blended.

Variation: add green or red pepper and/or cherry tomatoes, halved

Pour mixture over brown rice, quinoa, or pasta. You'll have yourself a tasty, inexpensive, and very yummy treat.


Resources

fitday.com
whfoods.com

Spinach-Tofu Nooooodlez!

by Francine

photo via flickrhivemind.net

Can you imagine? Noodles made from tofu? Well why not? Tofu Yu makes a version. Now you can too. Keep mind that spinach is not just tasty and richly GREEN, it is also loaded in nutritional goodness for you. From The World's Healthiest Foods:
"Among the World's Healthiest vegetables, spinach comes out at the top of our ranking list for nutrient richness. Rich in vitamins and minerals, it is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection."

Health Diaries tells us that spinach is beneficial to us in a number of important ways: maintaining healthy blood pressure; slowing down cell division in human stomach and skin cancer cells; anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants that combat the onset of osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure; protecting the eye from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. It's even good for the bones! Check the link for more information.

So now for the recipe. Pretty darn easy. . .

Blend (in a blender or Cuisinart) until smooth and creamy:
1/2 lb. tofu
2 TB oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Pour this into:
1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour

Mix and knead until smooth and soft (10 minutes maybe? depends on your kneading power). Put this through a noodle machine or roll out by hand and cut. Let dry for about 15 minutes. Then you're ready to go. Boil in salted water about 5 minutes. Don't overcook. Fresh pasta is a very different matter from the dry version.

Enjoy!

Resources:

Health Diaries
World's Healthiest Foods
Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler

Have-a Avo-cado!

by Francine
 

photo via vegkitchen.com

Did you know that avocados are part of the fruit family? And specifically—the berry? Well, they are. And here’s an even more surprising fact--there are nearly 500 varieties of this creamy, delightful food.

According to whatscookinginamerica.com, avocadoes got their name from Spanish explorers who couldn't pronounce the Aztec word for the fruit, know as ahuacatl, "testicle," (because of its shape). The Spanish called it the aguacate, leading to the guacamole we know today.

And now researchers in Mexico are saying that avocado oil could be used to counteract the effects of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Avocado is already well known for its cholesterol-fighting properties but these research scientists are saying it contains antioxidants that protect cells from damage caused by environmental factors like radiation or air pollution. Good stuff, considering how delicious and versatile these wondrous fruits are.

Avocado's anti-inflammatory nutrients fall into five basic categories:

•                phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol

•                carotenoid antioxidants, including lutein, neoxanthin, neochrome, chrysanthemaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, violaxanthin , beta-carotene and alpha-carotene

•                other (non-carotenoid) antioxidants, including the flavonoids epicatechin and epigallocatechin 3-0-gallate, vitamins C and E, and the minerals manganese, selenium, and zinc

•                omega-3 fatty acids, in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (approximately 160 milligrams per cup of sliced avocado)

•                polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PSA)s

We know that heart health is improved by intake of oleic acid (the primary fatty acid in avocado) and by intake of omega-3 fatty acids (provided by avocado in the form of alpha-linolenic acid and in the amount of 160 milligrams per cup). Since elevated levels of homocysteine form a key risk factor for heart disease, and since B vitamins are very important for healthy regulation of homocysteine levels, avocado's significant amounts of vitamin B-6 and folic acid provide another channel of heart support.

The anti-cancer properties of avocado are related to its unusual mix of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients. That relationship is to be expected since cancer risk factors almost always include excessive inflammation (related to lack of anti-inflammatory nutrients) and oxidative stress (related to lack of antioxidants). 

Avocadoes are delicious plain, or with a dash of pepper, or just about anything you like. I know someone who likes to put ketchup on them. Maybe some lemon juice or salsa! Just cut one in half and spoon out the deliciously textured fruit. You can also mash and make a variety of mouth-watering guacamoles, or as part of creamy salad dressing (the texture creates the creamy texture of the salad dressing--w/o mayonnaise). Or you can cube or slice and mix into your salads.

Sources:

care2.com http://www.care2.com

http://www.whfoods.com

http://whatscookingamerica.net

avocado.org