Category: Food

Healthy Food

An apple a day

An apple a day … keeps cholesterol at bay? Fruit may work better than statins at preventing artery blockages: study

Sarah Knapton, The Daily Telegraph, National Post Wire Services | 18/12/13 | Last Updated: 18/12/13 1:27 PM ET
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The soluble fibre found in fruits such as apples may block the formation of plaque on artery walls better than conventional cholesterol drugs, a new study suggests.

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images filesThe soluble fibre found in fruits such as apples may block the formation of plaque on artery walls better than conventional cholesterol drugs, a new study suggests.

An apple a day really will keep the doctor away and is as effective as statins at preventing strokes and heart attacks, a new U.K. study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Oxford have concluded that around 8,500 deaths could be prevented every year if people over 50 who are not already taking statins ate an apple each day.

The Pendragon apple contained more beneficial compounds than any other

Apples are high in soluble fibre which slows the build-up of cholesterol-rich plaque in the arteries. Last year researchers found the Pendragon apple contained more beneficial compounds than any other.

Dr. Adam Briggs, of the BHF health promotion research group at Oxford, said: “While no one currently prescribed medicine should replace them with apples, we could all benefit from eating more fruit.”

Apples, unlike statins, have no side effects

Also apples, unlike statins, have no side effects.

Previous studies, which showed the benefits of fruit consumption for cardiovascular health and decreased mortality, were compared with similar mortality figures for statins.

Around 5.2 million people are eligible for statins. If everyone over age 50 were to be prescribed statins, it would mean an extra 17.6 million would take them — and 9,400 more deaths would be prevented each year.

‘The Victorians had it about right’

Researchers assumed there would be a 70% compliance rate if apples were prescribed, which would prevent 8,500 deaths. The results appear in the British Medical Journal.

Noting further that the study shows just how profoundly even small changes in diet and lifestyle can affect health outcomes, Briggs said: “The Victorians had it about right when they came up with their brilliantly clear and simple public health advice: ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ “

Vegetarian Pot Pie Recipe

veg pie

For a quick and delicious weeknight (or any night really) dinner, try this easy vegetarian pot pie recipe. I personally love all kinds of pot pies and think it’s the ultimate comfort food. I love the creamy filling and flaky, buttery crust. Here is one of my favorite versions of a meatless pot pie.

I used store-bought puff pastry which is a life saver, but hopefully one day I’ll be able to make my own using whole wheat flour. For the filling I like to use a variety of vegetables but add in your favorites. During the summer months I use fresh corn and if I want more greens in my pot pie, I throw in some broccoli florets. For this recipe I made individual ramekins (I used 4.5-inch ramekins from Amazon) but feel free to make one whole pot pie, it will still taste delicious! Vegetable Pot Pie Recipe

  • olive oil
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 large shallot, diced
  • 2 small leeks, sliced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 cup diced potatoes
  • 2 cups diced cremini mushrooms
  • 2 heaping tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • a splash of cream
  • 2 teaspoons fresh or dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons fresh or dried parsley
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry, defrosted if frozen

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and add garlic, shallots, leeks, carrot, and celery. Cook until shallots are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes and mushrooms, then season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms reduce, about 5-6 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables. Stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and cream and mix until smooth. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for about 5-6 minutes, until slightly thickened. Turn heat off and stir in herbs and frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

To prepare pot pies I used Nigella Lawson’s method: Cut a 1/2-inch strip of puff pastry dough. Dampen edges of 2-3 large ramekins with water and curl pastry strips around the top of the pots. Fill each pot with the vegetable filling. Cut circles bigger than the top of each pie-pot for the lid. Dampen the tops of the pastry strips and top each pie sealing the edges with a fork. Prick with your fork or add slits in the top of each pie to vent. Cook the pot pies for about 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown and puffed. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Note: If you don’t have ramekins, use an 8×8 baking dish for one whole serving of pot pie. Cut puff pastry dough to fit over baking dish.

Total Time: 45-55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Lasagna

 

lasagna

Copyright DelectablyFree.com

This simple spinach-and-mushroom lasagna is a perfect dish to serve to the whole family for the holidays.

To make this dish even easier, use a jarred marinara sauce. Just make sure it is filled with simple, plant-based ingredients!

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, low-sodium
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce, low-sodium
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound firm tofu, low-fat
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons soy sauce, low-sodium
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
12 ounces dry lasagna noodles (about 10 noodles)

Directions

Sauté onion and carrot in water, add more liquid as needed. Cook over high heat, stirring often until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, thyme, fennel seeds, and cayenne. Simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mash tofu in a mixing bowl, then stir in parsley and soy sauce.

To assemble, spread 1 cup of sauce in a 9″×13″ (or larger) baking dish. Cover with a layer of uncooked noodles, half the tofu mixture, and half the spinach.

Spread with half of remaining sauce.

Repeat layers of noodles, tofu, spinach, and sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake until noodles are tender, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: This lasagna may be assembled up to a day in advance and baked just before serving. The noodles will soften while the lasagna stands, so the baking time can be reduced to 30 minutes.

Per 1-cup serving: 172 calories; 2.5 g fat; 0.4 g saturated fat; 12% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 9.8 g protein; 31.6 g carbohydrates; 5.9 g sugar; 5.8 g fiber; 123 mg sodium; 87 mg calcium; 3.5 mg iron; 13.4 mg vitamin C; 1,973 mcg beta carotene; 2.1 mg vitamin E

Adapted From: Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Please feel free to tailor PCRM recipes to suit your individual dietary needs.

 

Which Fruit Fights Cancer Better?

The ability of eleven common fruits to suppress cancer cell growth in vitro was compared. Which was most effective—apples, bananas, cranberries, grapefruits, grapes, lemons, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, or strawberries?

May 10, 2013 | 

Silky Lentil Soup

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l tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 colored pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 zucchini, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 cup split red lentils, washed and picked over
5 cups vegetable broth
1 can plum tomatoes
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
sea salt and black pepper,  fresh parsley or cilantro, to garnish (optional)
Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the onion and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes until soft.  Stir in the bell pepper, carrot and zucchini and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin and coriander, then cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.  Add the remaining soup ingredients, lentils, broth, tomatoes and juice, tomato paste and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are very soft.
Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup in a food processor.  The soup will be fairly thick, so dilute with a little more veggie broth if you prefer it thinner.  Season to taste, then reheat and serve garnished with parsley or cilantro.

Split Pea Barley Soup

Protein-Rich Recipes
pea soup

Split Pea Barley Soup

Makes about 3 quarts

Barley adds great texture to this simple one-pot soup.

2 cups split peas
1/2 cup hulled or pearled barley
8 cups water or vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

In a large pot, combine peas, barley, water, onion, celery, cumin, basil, thyme, and black pepper. Cover loosely and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 1 hour.

Transfer 4 cups to a blender and process until smooth. You may have to do this in a couple of batches. Fill blender no more than half full and hold lid on firmly. Return to pot, add salt, and serve.

Per 1-cup serving: 180 calories; 11 g protein; 34 g carbohydrate; 1 g fat; 6 g fiber; 337 mg sodium; calories from protein: 24%; calories from carbohydrates: 72%; calories from fats: 4%

The Leaky Gut Theory of Why Animal Products Cause Inflammation

A single meal of meats, eggs, and dairy can cause a spike of inflammation within hours that can stiffen one’s arteries. Originally this was thought to be the result of saturated animal fat causing our gut lining to leak bacterial toxins into our blood stream leading to endotoxemia.

Ribollita

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I think Ribollita can be defined mostly by the core ingredients which always seem to be white cannelloni beans, kale, tomatoes and ‘stale’ bread. The rest of the ingredients are seasonable vegetables and that is why so many recipes are different. I believe that the first four I mentioned actually define this dish. Also, there is never any pasta added which might make it enter the realm of minestrone.
Jennifer D
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My Recipe
Red onion
Head of garlic  (the majority thinly sliced, the rest minced)
1 Small leek (optional)
1-2 Carrots
Bell Pepper (optional)
Zucchini (optional)
1 Can whole tomatoes (crushed by hand) (***Some people use fresh roma tomatoes)
I can cannelloni beans
1/2 cup red or white wine
One bunch of Kale washed and chopped.
Salt and pepper to taste
(Other common ingredients include potatoes, celery and savoy cabbage)
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Stage No. 1:  Saute…
Add in this order and saute:
Olive Oil
1 medium red onion chopped
1 head of garlic (2/3 thinly sliced and 1/3 minced)
1 small leek chopped (optional)
1 large or 2 small carrots chopped (un-pealed carrots are more rustic)
( **** a lot of recipes call for celery and potatoes. I didn’t have any)
1 bell pepper (any color) I chose yellow for contrast.
zucchini (yellow or green)
salt to taste
 
Stage No 2. 
Add…
Can of diced tomatoes or hand crushed whole tomatoes. (***Some people use fresh roma)
Add 1/3 can of cannelloni beans mashed finely with a fork to help thicken
Splash of red or white wine
3 cups vegetable (or faux chicken broth)
(Afterwards it is important to keep a few cups of broth at your ready disposal to keep this just shy of a soup level) I used 3 more cups throughout the evening to keep it where I wanted.
Stage No. 3
Wilt the kale into the soup/stew.
(****It is also common to use savoy cabbage in addition to the kale)
Add 2/3 can of cannelloni beans
Stage No. 4
Toast crostini slices with olive oil on top. When crunchy, rub with halved garlic cloves
Stage No. 5
Serve soup/stew over toasted bread (or add crusty bread on top) and if you have fresh basil add that at the end.