Nourish: one delicious dinner features 10 top healing foods

Natural Health, March, 2005 by Molly Siple

LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE and medicine be thy food," advised Hippocrates several millennia ago. That's sensible advice, but it hardly sounds appetizing; in fact, in certain epicurean circles, health food and gourmet food are mutually exclusive terms.

That's too bad, because the foods we choose don't just go toward fueling our bodies--in many cases, they are the very stuff of which our bodies are made. The phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, for example, become part of the macula of the eye, where they act as internal sunglassses, helping to prevent such problems as night blindness and age-related macular degeneration.

None of that matters if you can't work up an appetite. So we've created a white-tablecloth-worthy repast packed with foods that help prevent and treat illness. This all-star menu showcases 10 of the most healing foods--asparagus, tomatoes, wild salmon, spinach, red wine, onions, blueberries, oranges, whole grains, and nuts--incorporated into scrumptious recipes carefully crafted to make the most of both flavor and function. It's a meal that will nourish your palate as well as every cell in your body.

on the menu: Asparagus

key benefit: Protecting cells

What's in it for you? Just 21 calories' worth of asparagus (about six medium spears) supplies 5 percent or more of the recommended intake of 25 nutrients (nine vitamins, nine minerals, and seven essential amino acids). Asparagus contains nearly as much insoluble fiber as celery, promoting healthy gastrointestinal function, and four times as much soluble fiber, the kind that lowers cholesterol. Asparagus is also the most abundant dietary source of glutathione, the main antioxidant in human cells. In addition, a 2003 University of Florida study endorsed asparagus as an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that reduces blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, helping to prevent heart disease.

how to get it: Serve fresh asparagus the day you buy it, or wrap the stalk bottoms in a damp paper towel and refrigerate the spears until you're ready to cook.

Spring Asparagus
With Sherry Vinaigrette

Serves 4

12   spears asparagus, trimmed

 2   tablespoons grape-seed or
     other mild-flavored oil

 2   teaspoons sherry vinegar or
     white-wine vinegar

 1   tablespoon finely chopped,
     peeled shallot

     Salt and fleshly ground
     black pepper to taste

 1   hard-boiled egg yolk

1. Place the asparagus spears in a large
skillet. Add 1 cup of water and bring to
a boil. Cover the pan, reduce heat to
medium, and cook asparagus for about
10 minutes, until tender but still bright
green. Drain and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil
and vinegar. Add the shallot, and season
with salt and pepper.

3. Place 3 spears on each of 4 salad
plates. Use a large spoon to drizzle the
dressing in a single broad band across
the middle of each bunch of spears.
Press the egg yolk through a sieve, and
sprinkle over the dressing. (For a more
substantial salad, finely chop the egg
white and scatter over the asparagus.)

Per serving: 109 calories, 63% fat (8 g; 1.05 g saturated), 25% carbs (7.19 g), 12% protein (3.37 g), 2.12 g fiber, 32.4 mg calcium, 1.22 mg iron, 5.58 mg sodium.

on the menu: Tomatoes

key benefit: Preventing cancer

what's in it for you? The pigment that gives tomatoes their red color is the cancer-fighting phytonutrient lycopene. Consumption of tomatoes (especially when they're cooked) has been associated with a reduced risk of stomach, lung, and prostate cancers, according to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Tomato products may also lower your risk for developing cancers of the mouth, esophagus, colon, cervix, and breast.

how to get it: Lycopene is most readily available in cooked tomatoes; it's better absorbed when combined with a bit of fat, such as olive oil, Parmesan cheese, or the healthful fats in fish (see the wild salmon recipe on page 65).

Turkish Stuffed Peppers With Brown Basmati Rice
and Tomato Sauce Serves 6

  6  bellpeppers (an
     assortment of red,
     yellow, and green
     varieties), tops
     removed and centers
     hollowed out

  1  cup brown basmati rice
     (or 2 cups leftover
     cooked brown rice)

1/2  cup red lentils, rinsed

  1  pound spinach, washed
     and stems removed

1/4  cup currants

1/2  teaspoons cinnamon,
     divided

  2  teaspoons extra virgin
     olive oil

  1  15-ounce can organic
     tomato sauce, such as
     Muir Glen brand

1/2  cup vegetable broth

  2  teaspoons lemon juice

  1  tablespoon fresh
     tarragon leaves
     (or 1 teaspoon dried)

     Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 [degrees] F.

2. Parboil the peppers over medium heat until
partially tenderized, about 10 minutes. Drain and
set aside.

3. Cook the rice according to package instructions
(or use leftover rice). Set aside.

4. Put the lentils and several cups of water in a
pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and
simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

5. Put 1/4 cup of water in a large pot and bring to a
boil. Add spinach, cover, and steam for 4 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. When the spinach is cool
enough to handle, squeeze all the liquid from the
leaves. Place on a cutting board and chop.

6. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of cooked rice
with the lentils, spinach, currants, and 1 teaspoon
of cinnamon. Lightly toss. Drizzle with olive oil
and toss again. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff
the bell peppers with the rice mixture.

7. Pour the tomato sauce into a 9-by-12-inch baking
dish. Add the vegetable broth, 112 teaspoon of cinnamon,
lemon juice, and tarragon. Stir to combine.
Arrange the stuffed peppers atop the sauce
in the dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper,
and serve immediately.