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| Pretty |
Let’s talk food, specifically brain food. I’m pretty sure it is safe to say, if it’s
good for the brain likely it’s good for other parts or organs of the body. Certainly most of us know cinnamon is a multi-tasker, in that not
only is it quite tasty mixed into our oatmeal or as a star ingredient in our
cinnamon rolls, it’s loaded with antioxidants.
Originating from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree, I learned it's the
oily compound cinnamaldehyde that is responsible
for cinnamon’s ability to help reduce the buildup of tau proteins, those
associated with the plaque that interferes with the cells of the brain
communicating with one another and for repairing tissue. Just one gram of cinnamon can have a beneficial
effect on blood markers for those dealing with type 2 diabetes. If you can, make the effort to find
Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka, Madagascar or Seychelles instead of the more
prevalent Cassia strain from China and Indonesia.
Turmeric, probably sitting somewhere in the back of your spice
cabinet not only gives curry and rice dishes that beautiful golden, sunburst
color but is another champion boxer in the ring of antioxidants. Best when taken or mixed with pepper, since
it’s a tad difficult for our bodies to absorb. The medicinal properties of the curcmin within turmeric, give those nasty free
radicals who spend their time and energy creating cancer and wreaking other
havoc in our bodies, a run for their money. Not to mention turmeric
also works as an alternative aide in soothing arthritis pain and according to
recent research and studies, turmeric is extremely healing for the brain in
terms of memory and cognition. Bam!
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| In it's whole form, turmeric resembles ginger root. But has a more golden hue. |
While turmeric is not used in American cuisine as much as
say, salt and sugar, we can begin to make small changes in our diets that allow
us to obtain more of the good and less bad in our weekly intake of
food. Nancy and I now sprinkle a good
dash of both cinnamon and turmeric in our coffee grounds when brewing our
morning pots.
Seeing as I can feel the weather just beginning to warm with
the evening hours and early mornings still carrying a chill I thought I’d sneak
in one more soup recipe before I start talking cold soups and salads. My go-to choice and Nancy’s as well, is a
warm cup of soup with a few wholesome crackers and a cluster of red grapes on
the side. Keeping it light for your last
meal of the day allows you to more easily digest the meal, resulting in a more
restful sleep and fewer pounds to creep up onto the scale.
Indian cuisine seems to offer a plethora of recipes
incorporating ingredients that are absolutely good for the brain. One of these is a recent discovery I found at
the International Market, the Moong bean
or Mung bean. It looks similar to green lentil beans, which
is what I thought I was looking at, yet is used in both sweet, as a paste in
pancakes, ice cream and Popsicles and savory dishes, soups and stews. With a delicate, slightly sweet flavor, you
can find these little oval shaped, legumes at Whole Foods and other specialty
markets. You can buy them whole or split
and hulled and will find them ranging in color from green to yellow to
black. While they don’t need to be
soaked overnight, I did see recipes instructing me to soak them for an hour or
so prior to cooking.
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| A new fandangled kind of pancake. Thinking a different type of infused syrup might be called for. |
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| I'm definitely going to try these!! |
After reviewing several recipes and talking to one of my
savory chef friends, I decided to prepare a simple Moong and Green Chili
soup. Oooh man! ~ was this ever
good!! Here’s the recipe:
MOONG and GREEN CHILE SOUP
Ingredients
1 cup dry Moong beans 2 cups vegetable
stock 1 cup water
½ teaspoon turmeric salt and pepper to
taste 3 tablespoons ghee*
1 teaspoon mustard seeds 4 cloves fresh
garlic-minced 1 half Spanish onion-minced
2-3 green chilies, seeded and rough chopped 1 fennel bulb – cleaned and thinly
sliced
creme fraiche - garnish
Procedure
1)
Rinse beans and soak in clean water for about 1
hour. Drain, rinse again then set to the
side.
2)
To a heavy stock pot or Dutch, over medium heat,
add ghee. Heat until melted then add
mustard seeds, cook until seeds start to sputter.
3)
Stir in sliced fennel. Cook just until fennel begins to soften then
add minced garlic, onion and green chilies.
4)
Pour in vegetable
stock and water to pot then add beans. Bring
to a boil then reduce to simmer.
5)
Season with turmeric, salt and pepper to taste;
continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
Garnish each individual serving with a dollop of creme fraiche.
Makes 2-3 Servings
*Ghee:A form of clarified butter - you can purchase at Whole Foods or make yourself. If you don't know how let me know, I'll include a recipe on our next post :o)
