Make Room For The Queen of Greens!

Move over Popeye and make room for the "queen of greens," kale. Gaining in popularity, kale is an amazing vegetable being recognized for its exceptional nutrient richness, health benefits, and delicious flavor.

Eating a variety of natural, unprocessed vegetables can do wonders for your health, but choosing super-nutritious kale on a regular basis may provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol

 

 

 

Kale-Slaw with Curried Almond Dressing

From Dreena Burton:  Healthy Vegan Recipes

 

This slaw is a fresh take with nutrient-rich kale, along with crunchy carrots, fennel, and a touch of sweetness from apples and cranberries. The dressing really brings this slaw to life — don’t skip it!

Makes 5 1/2 – 6 1/2 cups
Wheat-free, Gluten-free, Soy-free, Oil-free

• 1 small to medium-size apple, cored and julienned (3/4 to 1 cup), tossed in 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups julienned kale (leaves cut/torn from stems and stems discarded) (see note)
• 1 cup very thinly sliced or julienned fennel
• 1/4 cup cranberries or raisins
• 2/3 – 3/4 cup Creamy Curried Almond Dressing (or more, if desired; recipe follows)
• 2 to 4 Tablespoons sliced or chopped raw almonds
• Extra salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the apple, vegetables, and cranberries in a bowl and toss. Add the dressing, starting with about 2/3 cup and adding more as desired, if you want a thicker coating of dressing. Toss to coat well, then let sit for 5 minutes or more to allow the kale leaves to soften slightly in the dressing.
2. Serve, garnishing with a light sprinkling of almonds and extra salt and pepper, if desire.

 

Kale salads can be quite versatile. Try another thick, creamy nut- or seed-based dressing, such as Citrus Tahini Dressing, Creamy Cumin-Spiced Dressing, or DJ’s Hummus Salad Dressing. The key is to coat the leaves nicely, and let the salad sit for a few minutes before serving.

If fennel isn’t your thing, substitute julienned jicama, thinly sliced celery (cut on a diagonal), or julienned red bell pepper, or some combination of these ingredients.
If you aren’t sure if you’ll like this much kale in the salad, try starting with 2 to 21/2 cups, making up the difference with extra grated carrot or fennel.

Other veggies you can consider adding include chopped or finely sliced cucumber, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, grated beet (“pretty in pink” salad, anyone?). Or try some zucchini ribbons: Use a vegetable peeler to make thick ribbons—these can be the base of a salad all on their own! And other dried fruit, such as apricots, goji berries, and raisins, can be interchanged with the cranberries, if you prefer.

Creamy Curried Almond Dressing
Makes about 1 generous cup.
Wheat-free, Gluten-free, Soy-free, Oil-free
This dressing will definitely cling to your greens, and can easily be used as a dip as well. It is one of my favorites, with a very subtle curry flavor in a creamy, slightly sweet base. This is also the dressing for Kale-slaw with Curried Almond Dressing, a modern makeover of traditional coleslaw.

• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectar
• 2/3 cup water (or more to thin as needed; see note)
• 1 very small clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon curry powder, or more to taste (see note)

Curry Salad Dressing Directions

1. Using a standing blender or an immersion blender and deep cup or jar, puree all the ingredients (starting with 1/2 cup of the water) until very smooth. (A high-powered blender such as a Blendtec works best to smooth out the dressing; using an immersion blender or regular blender will leave a little more texture and take a little longer.) Add additional curry to taste, and additional water to thin as desired (see note).

Notes: I like using about 1/8 rounded teaspoon of curry powder in this dressing, for a very muted flavor. But if you love curry, feel free to use more than this, adjusting to your own taste.
Serving Suggestions: I first tinkered with this recipe for a salad dressing. After making it, I realized it would work equally well as a dip. If using as a dip, use just 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water to puree and then refrigerate it, adding extra water later, if desired, to thin (it will thicken considerably after chilling). If using as a salad dressing, you can keep it thick, or thin it more as you prefer. I like it with about 2/3 cup of water as a salad dressing, which keeps it fairly thick, almost like a Caesar dressing consistency.

Lemon Balm - A Refreshing Herbal Tea

Gardening for fun is still a lot of work.  When gardening IS your work then this refreshing, invigorating tea is a must......way better than soda for sure! 

 

From A Time For Herbs

 

Another Yummy Summertime Drink.....
Lemon Balm Mint Cooler

2 cups loosely-packed lemon balm1 cup loosely-packed mint (apple or pineapple will work also)
6 cups hot water
juice of 4 fresh lemons (1 cup)
honey or sugar to taste

Place the leaves into a 2-quart jar or pitcher.
Bruise them to release the flavor with a wooden spoon.
Pour hot water over leaves and let sit for 1 hour.
Strain and discard the leaves.
Add lemon juice and honey or sugar to taste.
Mix and serve over ice with sprigs of lemon balm or mint for garnish.

 

Factoids about Lemon Balm - (Thank you Wikipedia)

 

Culinary use

Lemon balm is often used as a flavouring in ice cream and herbal teas, both hot and iced, often in combination with other herbs such as spearmint. It is also frequently paired with fruit dishes or candies. It can be used in fish dishes and is the key ingredient in lemon balm pesto. It has been suggested that it might be a better, healthier preservative than beta hydroxy acid in sausages.

 

Medicinal Uses of Lemon Balm

The crushed leaves, when rubbed on the skin, are used as a repellant for mosquitos.

Lemon balm is also used medicinally as an herbal tea, or in extract form. It is claimed to have antibacterial and antiviral properties (it is effective against herpes simplex).

 

It is also used as an anxiolytic, mild sedative or calming agent. At least one study has found it to be effective at reducing stress, although the study's authors call for further research.^[10] Lemon balm extract was identified as a potent in vitro inhibitor of GABA transaminase, which explains anxiolytic effects. The major compound responsible for GABA transaminase inhibition activity in lemon balm was then found to be rosmarinic acid.

 

Lemon balm and preparations thereof also have been shown to improve mood and mental performance. These effects are believed to involve muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Positive results have been achieved in a small clinical trial involving Alzheimer patients with mild to moderate symptoms.  Essential oils obtained from Melissa officinalis leaf showed high acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase co-inhibitory activities.

 

Its antibacterial properties have also been demonstrated scientifically, although they are markedly weaker than those from a number of other plants studied.  The extract of lemon balm was also found to have exceptionally high antioxidant activity.

 

Lemon balm is mentioned in the scientific journal Endocrinology, where it is explained that Melissa officinalis exhibits antithyrotropic activity, inhibiting TSH from attaching to TSH receptors, hence making it of possible use in the treatment of Graves' disease or hyperthyroidism.

 

Lemon balm essential oil is very popular in aromatherapy. The essential oil is commonly co-distilled with lemon oil, citronella oil, or other oils.

 

Lemon balm is believed to inhibit the absorption of the thyroid medication thyroxine.

Ob-X, a mixture of three herbs, Morus alba, M. officinalis, and Artemisia capillaris, may help regulate obesity. Ob-X reduces body weight gain and visceral adipose tissue mass in genetically obese mice.

 

Recent research found a daily dose of the tea reduced oxidative stress status in radiology staff that were exposed to persistent low-dose radiation during work. After only 30 days of taking the tea daily researchers found Lemon balm tea resulted in a significant improvement in plasma levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase and a marked reduction in plasma DNA damage, myeloperoxidase, and lipid peroxidation.

 

Lemon balm was found to be effective in the amelioration of laboratory-induced stress in human subjects, producing "significantly increased self-ratings of calmness and reduced self-ratings of alertness." The authors further report a "significant increase in the speed of mathematical processing, with no reduction in accuracy" following the administration of a 300 mg dose.

 

Lemon balm is the main ingredient of Carmelite Water, which is still for sale in German pharmacies

Garlicky White Bean Soup From The Nourishing Gourmet

 

In early spring when the April showers and wind are whipping the landscape, I like a nice warm bowl of soup for lunch or early supper.  Here's a nice simple soup recipe that is packed with tasty and nutritious ingredients.

 

Garlicky White Bean Soup with Dark Greens -10-12 servings

You could serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top and rustic bread on the side.

Soak 4 cups of white beans overnight in plenty of water (I used great northern beans)
10-12 cups of water
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups of baby spinach (or one bunch of kale, swiss chard, or dark green of your choice)
1/3 cup of olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or put through garlic press
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 cup of tomato paste
Sea Salt and Pepper

1-Rinse and drain your beans, then add to a large pot. Add 10-12 cups of water, the smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves and olive oil.
Bring to a boil and turn down heat to a low simmer. Simmer until beans are soft and tender. How long this takes will depend on how old your beans are, and what type you are using, but it should generally take about 1 1/2 hours.
2-Wash and drain the baby spinach leaves (or wash and chop dark greens of your choice). Add to soup and allow to simmer while you do step three. Baby spinach will only take a few minutes to completely cook, while kale or swiss chard can take up to 10-15 minutes to really soften.
3- In a small saucepan heat the olive oil until hot. Add the tomato paste, oregano, and garlic. Continually stir until the the olive oil is tinted with red, and the garlic is softening (but not brown). Pour this flavorful mix over your beans in the pot and stir in.
4-Taste test, you will need to add plenty of salt and pepper (remember you haven’t added any in yet). Serve slightly cooled. If you serve it piping hot, you won’t be able to taste as much of the flavors. Enjoy!

For more great recipes visit The Nourishing Gourmet

Greek Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini plants are prolific as many a gardener can tell you.  This recipe from The Foodie Physician is a tasty and healthy way to use the overflow once you have supplied your neighbors with enough squash to stuff a car!  Photos from their Facebook page give you a step by step pictorial, too!

 

From LiveStrong.com:  Zucchini are a type of summer squash, traditionally harvested between May and July. All parts of the zucchini are edible including the flesh, green skin and seeds and it can be eaten raw or cooked. Like other varieties of summer squash, including yellow squash and patty pan squash, zucchini will keep in the refrigerator about one week.

Basic Nutrition

One cup of sliced, boiled zucchini, weighing approximately 180g, makes up a single serving of this vegetable. In this single serving, there are 29 calories. Zucchini contains 7g of carbohydrate, including 3g of fiber, per serving. There is also 1g of protein and 5mg of salt. Zucchini contains no fat or cholesterol. The water content of a cup of sliced zucchini comes to 171g.    

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Vitamins

Zucchini is high in vitamin A, containing 2011 IU of the vitamin per one-cup serving, a full 40 percent of the recommended daily intake. A serving also contains 14 percent of the recommended intake of vitamin C and smaller amounts of vitamins B6, E and K.Other vitamins in zucchini include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, betaine, pantothenic acid, folate and choline.

Minerals

One cup of zucchini has 16 percent of the recommendation for manganese, 13 percent of the potassium recommendation and 10 percent of the daily recommendation for magnesium. Zucchini also contains the minerals iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper and selenium.

Phytochemicals

Zucchini contains high levels of phytochemicals, another class of healthy compounds in addition to its vitamin and minerals. Two of these phytochemicals are lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help protect vision and lower the risk of developing macular degeneration and cataracts. Other phytochemicals in zucchini include secoisolariciresinol, isoflavones and cucurbitacin E.

Health Benefits

According to World's Healthiest Foods, zucchini helps prevent cellular changes that can lead to cancer. The vitamins C and A in zucchini may protect against atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. The folate in zucchini can confer protection against heart attack and stroke. As a high-fiber food, zucchini can also contribute to colon health, including protection against colon cancer, as well as helping lower cholesterol levels.

Considerations

Zucchini, along with all other types of summer squash, contain oxalates, compounds that may cause problems in people susceptible to gallbladder or kidney disease. Oxalates may cause a problem because they can crystallize in the body and accumulate in these organs. Another potential problem oxalates can cause is that they can interfere with calcium absorption. Normally, this effect is minimal and the calcium present in zucchini typically makes up for the loss of absorption.

 

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/265078-nutrition-information-for-zucchini/#ixzz2PRC1rkGc