I am Dr. Pepper

I must admit this week has been a work-fest and I'm afraid the blog has taken the fall. As the schedule is winding down, I made a promise to post something this week. It is now Saturday afternoon and I'm cutting it close!

Today's fun food facts are all about Black Pepper.



PEPPER is one of those thing that in my opinion, we take for granted. Black pepper is everywhere, on tables at restaurants and in pretty much all recipes. It's a staple for sure, a staple that serves a purpose.

Black pepper, when used properly, is great for digestion. It has properties that tell your stomach to produce the juices needed to properly process the food we eat, especially protein. It also helps us pee, sweat, have less gas and loose weight. The catch is that the pepper commonly found on tables is ground up and mixed with other spices and things like sugar. In order to get all the benefits, pepper should be fresh and ground up right before using. If used for cooking, it should always be added at the end as heating it can take away flavour and kill the enzymes.

Black pepper is also great for your blood, containing manganese, Vitamin K and iron.

Take Care,
The Nutritionista

Getting the The Yang of Beans

I use Kale a lot. It is a great little green leafy. High in Vitamin C and A,...but let's talk more about Adzuki Beans. They are a small, dark red bean that is popular in the east, especially Japan. It is the bean used to make that sweet red bean paste used in Asian desserts. Adzuki beans are a great detox bean, especially great for kidney cleansing. They are very high in zinc, magnesium, iron and Vitamin B3 as well as being high fiber, they help to regulate blood sugar.

They are known as the "most Yang of beans", and are popular in macrobiotic cooking for their warming properties. Adzuki beans are also said to be great for those that are lacking in vitality.

Feeling tired? Try this:

ADZUKI BEAN AND KALE SCRAMBLE



1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped
1 cup cooked or 1 can of rinsed adzuki beans
one medium sized onion
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon tamari
a pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
feta cheese (optional)

In a large pan, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until fragrant. Add kale and tamari, turn heat down to medium and cover. Let the kale steam for about 2 minutes. Once kale is wilted, stir in the beans and cayenne pepper. Continue to cook on medium heat for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on brown rice if you wish. You can also add some feta cheese to the top for some extra kick.

Take care,
The Nutritionista

Summer in March

The weather in Toronto has been less than desirable lately - cold, cold and more cold. I am all for eating with the seasons and I have eaten my share of roots this season and wanted something else. Maybe I felt the warm weather coming and tonight is daylight savings. And heck, sometimes it's nice to pretend you're on the beach after coming in from the cold.

This recipe mixes all of the six tastes: salty, sweet, bitter, astringent, spicy and pungent, which helps keep digestion balanced.




Summer in March salsa

1 cup corn (use frozen organic corn if you are playing the summer in march game and fresh is not in season)
1 avocado, diced
1 small red onion, diced (onion taste in this can be really over-powering)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Serve with corn tortilla chips or dollop on top of chili.

*this recipe was adapted from The Chef at Home. Most of his recipes are meat and dairy based and not my cup of tea at all. I do love watching his show, mainly to gush at his house in PEI and I gotta say, he's taught me a thing or two about the science of cooking. Last time I watched, I learned that to re-crisp wilty lettuce, you should let is sit in warm water before putting it in a cool water bath. That way the tiny lettuce pours soak up the warm water, plumping them up, before they are cooled shut by the cold water.

Take care,
The Nutritionista

Come and get yer protein!

If you can have a favourite source of protein, then mine would be quinoa. Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy greens from the genus Chenopodium. Quinoa has been part of the native indian diet for ever. It has only been recently became popular as a grain. Good grief, I'm a food nerd.



Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all essential amino acids. The great thing about it is that the amino acid lysine is in high abundance, making quinoa great for tissue repair. It is also high in B Vitamins, namely Vitamin B2, making it a great help for migraine sufferers. It is also high in magnesium, which is good for regulating blood pressure and insulin levels. Quinoa is a must for anyone at risk for diabetes. It is a great source of insoluble fiber and is an antioxidant.


Preparing Quinoa
Since it is technically a seed, the grain is covered in a protective coating which fends of pests. This coating has to be removed, unless you want it to taste bitter and soapy. A good way to do this is to rinse it in a small-holed, mesh strainer and rub the grain against the mesh as you rinse. This will remove the coating and help to open up the grains.

There is white quinoa and red quinoa. The red version is slightly more nutty. Either variety is cooked like rice- one part grain to two parts water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat. Quinoa only takes about 15-minutes. When it's cooked, the grain opens and a white tail-looking thing appears.


QUINOA SALAD
I find this recipe is the easiest way for people to try quinoa. It's so easy to make!

1 cup quinoa, cooked
a bunch of cilantro, rinsed and chopped
one small red onion or half a medium small onion, chopped small
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt and pepper

Toss everything in a bowl and give it a good toss.

Take care,
The Nutritionista