Maybe it’s crossed your mind—while ponying up a day’s pay for sundried Goji berries (“miracle fruit of the Himalayas”) or choking down another organic purslane salad—that your crusade to find the next miracle food is wearing you down. Fact is, a lot of those headlines are pure hype. The stars of the most promising nutrition news are beans, prunes, apples, and other run-of-the-mill items you can find at the supermarket. Use the following recipes to add these foods to your diet.
1. Apples
Apples pack the polyphenols epicatechin, procyanicdin, and querticin, which flush your body of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and protect your brain against oxidative stress that can trigger neurological damage. Rats fed one to six apples a day over 24 weeks were 44 percent less likely to develop breast cancer when exposed to a carcinogen (which doesn’t mean you can take up social smoking again, no matter how many Galas you eat). Polyphenols are five times more prevalent in the skin than the flesh of an apple, so no peeling, please.
GOLDEN BAKED APPLES
6 Golden Delicious apples
1 1/4 cups golden raisins
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 375°F. Using melon baller, scoop out stem, core and seeds of apples, leaving bottom intact. Arrange apples, cavity side up, in glass baking dish.
Stir raisins and sugar in small bowl to blend. Pack about 2 tablespoons raisin mixture into each apple. Sprinkle remaining raisin mixture into dish around apples. Pour juice over and around apples. Dot apples with butter.
Bake until apples are tender, basting every 10 minutes, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Transfer apples to bowls. Spoon pan juices over and serve warm.
Makes 6 servings
2. Artichokes
Artichokes may look like edible hedgehogs, but underneath their scaly exterior is one of the most powerful antioxidant foods around, according to research by the USDA’s Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock. One artichoke supplies almost a third of your daily fiber needs and vitamin C, as well as hard-to-get minerals such as magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese.
Artichokes also contain the active compound cynarine, which acts as a powerful tonic for your hard-working liver, promoting cell regeneration and stimulating bile flow (yes, this is a good thing). For fun instructions on how to eat this superfood, check out www.wikihow.com/eat-an-artichoke.
MEDITERRANEAN PIZZA
5 oz low-fat soft goat cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves or ¼ tsp dried
Freshly ground black pepper
1 12" (10 oz) prebaked pizza crust
6 oz jarred, roasted sweet red peppers, drained and cut lengthwise into strips
6 oz jarred or canned artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. In small bowl, stir cheese, garlic, and oregano, and add black pepper to taste.
Dapple crust with crumbled cheese mixture, leaving 1" rim around edge. Scatter pepper strips and artichoke hearts on top of cheese.
Slide pizza directly onto oven rack and bake 12 minutes or until crust crisps and cheese melts. Remove pizza from oven, cut into eighths with pizza cutter, and serve hot.
Makes 4 servings
3. Beans
New evidence suggests they pack the nutritional star power of blueberries and red wine. Beans, especially the black and red variety, are loaded with antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins, according to research from the University of Guelph in Ontario. As a point of comparison, half a cup of black beans packed all the antioxidant power of two glasses of red wine. Beans are also a rich source of protein, fiber, and two nutrients young women don’t get nearly enough of, folic acid and calcium.
MIXED BEAN SOUP
1 1/2 cups dry beans, such as lima, garbanzo, pinto, or navy
4 cups cold water
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
3 cups water
1 can (14 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
Rinse beans, then transfer to large pot and add the 4 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
In a different covered pot sauté celery, onion, carrot, and garlic in oil until tender, stirring once or twice. Add beans. Stir in 3 cups water, broth, thyme, marjoram, and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer covered 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in the undrained tomatoes. Heat through.
Serves 6
4. Buffalo
Buffalo meat (also known as bison) is loaded with protein (a whopping 22 g per serving, the same as lean beef), and packed with zinc, iron, B vitamins, and trace minerals like selenium. It has one-third the fat of beef, less cholesterol, and fewer calories than beef or chicken. Bison meat also contains omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, heart-healthy good fats your body can’t make on its own. Thanks to ethical codes set by the National Bison Association, bison can’t be fed animal byproducts or antibiotics (so you’ll never have to worry about Mad Buffalo Disease). And it isn’t gamey like venison and mutton.
SPICY BISON BURGERS
1 1/2 lbs ground bison
1/2 cup onion, finally chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats
salt and pepper to taste
Mix ingredients together. Shape into 6 patties about half an inch thick. Grill patties about 4 inches from coals, turning once, about 4 minutes on each side for medium. To broil: Place patties on rack in the broiler pan. Broil with the tops about 3 inches from heat, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes for medium. Serve on crusty rolls with sliced onion and tomato.
Serves 6
5. Cranberries
You probably already drink cranberry juice as a home remedy for urinary tract infections (that’s smart, by the way). Now new evidence suggests it’s effective against gastrointestinal viruses as well, according to researchers from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. Cranberries may also help clear arteries, a key step to keeping your ticker ticking, and lesson the brain damage caused by stroke. As if all that weren’t enough, these puckery fruits contain a potent antiplaque compound that can prevent dental cavities. Now that’s something to smile about.
GINGERED CRANBERRY CRUNCH
2 cup apples, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup candied ginger, chopped
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup quick oats
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 tbsp butter or margarine, cut in sm. pieces
Combine: apples, cranberries, raisins and ginger. Place fruit in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. In a small bowl, combine sugar, oats, pecans, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Add butter; mix until crumbly. Spoon on top of fruit; press down. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and top is golden brown.
Serves 6
6. Oysters
Oysters pack more iron than steak and are the best natural source of zinc, two minerals than can boost your immune system and help keep colds and flu away. Oysters are also incredibly low in calories (about 10 each) and provide half your daily allowance of selenium, a trace mineral that may protect against cancer. Best of all, you don’t need to slurp them down raw to get the health bennies. Try oysters broiled, steamed, canned, smoked, or tossed in rice dishes or soups and stews.
OYSTERS STEWIE GRIFFIN
1 pint fresh oysters
4 Tbsp butter
1 quart low-fat milk
salt and pepper
paprika
In a 4-quart pan, melt butter, add drained oysters, and cook 3 minutes on medium heat or until edges curl. Add milk, salt and pepper, and bring almost to boiling. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
7. Pecans
A handful pecans pack vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and several B vitamins, as well as gamma tocopherol, a unique form of vitamin E that can benefit intestinal health and protect against some cancers. Studies at Loma Linda University of 23 people with elevated cholesterol found that a pecan-packed diet (where pecans accounted for 20 percent of calories) helped lower subject’s bad cholesterol even more than a similar heart-healthy diet. And the pecan-eating subjects didn’t gain more weight than the control group.
MAPLE PECAN MUFFINS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and egg. Add milk and maple syrup and combine well. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. Stir in pecans.
Fill prepared muffin tins three-fourths full. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins test done.
Makes 1 dozen muffins
8. Prunes
Okay, prunes have an icky reputation as nature’s laxative. But they also pack more antioxidants than even the much-ballyhooed blueberry; just one handful a day provides more than the target of antioxidants that the USDA says is needed for optimum health. Prunes also have plenty of potassium, which helps keep blood pressure at safe levels, and are a good source of iron and vitamins A and B6. They have plenty of fiber as well, and are a natural source of a gentle laxative called hydroxyphenyl-isatin.
PLUMMY PORK CHOPS
1/2 cup pitted prunes, cut in half
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon orange zest
4 loin pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
In small saucepan, mix prunes, water, brown sugar, vinegar, and zest. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until prunes are tender. Keep warm. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat skillet until hot, brush with oil. Cook pork chops about 5 minutes on one side. Turn and cook 3 to 5 minutes longer or until done. To serve, spoon prune sauce over pork chops.
Serves 4
9. Quinoa
Quinoa (KEEN-wa) is the world’s highest protein and most healthful grain—although it is actually a seed. Health experts hail quinoa’s perfect amino acid composition—nutritionally, it resembles milk more than cereal—and its sky-high protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron content. Home cooks appreciate that it cooks quickly and can be served in place of rice, as a hot breakfast cereal, or toasted in a dry pan.
QUINOA PILAF
1 2/3 cups chicken broth
1 cup quinoa
1 cup minced onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro leaves
Rinse quinoa under running cold water and drain well.
In a saucepan cook the onion in the oil over moderate heat until
softened. Add the garlic and cumin seeds and cook stirring 1 minute
more. Add the broth mixture, red pepper, bay leaf and salt, bring the
liquid to a boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove pan from
heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro.
Serves 4
10. Watercress
Move watercress from the side of the plate to the center, because it belongs to the powerful cruciferous class of cancer-fighting foods. Compounds in these veggies also help repair DNA damage caused by carcinogens, and may even prevent hereditary cancer risk.
WATERCRESS SALAD
4 bunches watercress, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 cups ruby red grapefruit segments
1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Arrange watercress, grapefruit, and cheese on a plate. Toss gently with dressing of your choice and season with salt and pepper.
Serves 6
