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| Intelligent Eating |
Cooking With Lilies
Onions, garlic, shallots. Scallions, leeks and chives. These healthy vegetables of the genus Allium are related to lilies and have been turning dishes from drab to delicious for millennia.
Recipes created for Canadian Health by Steve Pitt
Nutritional analysis by Susie Langley, RD
Allicin Wonderland
Allium vegetables contain pungent sulphur compounds such as allicin and diallyl disulphide. In the lab, these display detoxifying, antiviral anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-clotting properties. Population studies suggest that regular intakes of allium vegetables lower the risk of several cancers. In animal studies, garlic stops blood platelets from sticking together and may lower cholesterol. Onions are rich in anti-oxidant flavonoids and contain the trace mineral chromium, which may cut type 2 diabetes risk. This family also produces inulin, a carbohydrate that fosters the growth of protective probiotic bacteria for healthier intestines. Since allicin breaks down in cooking, add extra chopped garlic cloves before serving a dish and eat some allium vegetables raw in salads, salsa and tzatziki. — Diana Swift
Garlic Chicken Breasts in Panko Crumbs
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1. Mix garlic and lime juice with olive oil. Lightly season chicken breasts with pepper and salt and pour garlic mixture over them.
Mix until breasts are evenly covered. If possible, marinate 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator, but this marinade is so flavourful that chicken can be cooked immediately.
2. In a large flat bowl, combine crumbs and Parmesan.
3. Press both sides of chicken breasts into crumb mixture until evenly coated. Place breasts on a lightly greased baking tray.
4. Bake 30 minutes in a preheated 425ºF (220ºC) oven until top is a light golden brown and internal temperature is 180ºF (82ºC).
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Drunken Leek + Hot Beet Salad (p. 50) and your favourite potatoes.
Makes 4 servings
[Per serving 370 calories, 19 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 35 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 480 mg sodium. Excellent source of protein; good source of niacin]
Garlic galore
I save peeling and chopping time by buying large bags of peeled garlic cloves, which I finely chop in a food processor. I freeze garlic in 3-oz (90-g) bundles, each individually wrapped in plastic and stored in a sturdy ice cream container. For day-to-day use, I keep one bundle in the fridge, slightly submerged in olive oil. The oil extends the garlic’s shelf life, and it takes on the garlic’s flavour, which makes it great for garlic bread or salad dressing. Never keep thawed garlic longer than a week in the fridge because it is prone to botulism. — Steve Pitt
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1. In a large saucepan of water, cook beets on medium high until just tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and cut into thin slices. Set aside.
2. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, sauté leeks in butter and oil until soft but not soggy, about 10 minutes. This will yield about 1 cup (250 mL). Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
Do not let garlic turn brown. Add wine or vinegar and cook 1 minute.
3. Add beets, salt and pepper and toss until beets are evenly coated with leek mixture.
4. Garnish with chives and serve.
TIMESAVER: Replace fresh beets with a 28-oz (796-mL) can of sliced baby beets. Rinse well under warm water to remove salt, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Makes 4 servings
[Per serving 100 calories, 3.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 2 g fibre, 2 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 400 mg sodium. A source of vitamin A]
Better Red Than Dead
Red wine, like all alcoholic drinks, contains ethanol, which, when consumed in moderation, has modest cardiovascular benefits. Red wines also contain polyphenols such as resveratrol and anthocyanins. In lab studies, anthocyanin pigments show detoxifying and anti-cancer properties, while resveratrol appears to scavenge free radicals — rogue oxygen molecules that damage cells and make them prone to degeneration. Red wine is credited with playing a role — along with a varied diet of fresh foods and portion control — in the so-called French Paradox, the phenomenon in which people in France have relatively low rates of heart disease even many smoke and consume fatty foods such as butter, cheese, cream and liver pâté. Vinaigrette fans and teetotallers take note: red wine vinegar and plain, unfermented grape juice also contain polyphenols. — D.S.
Leeky Clean
Leeks pick up annoying bits of grit between their layers. To clean, trim off the beard from the white end. If outer layers are dry or scarred, pull off one or two. Trim off the leaves at the point where the leek turns from white to green. From the top, cut the leek lengthwise to about 1⁄2 in. (1 cm) from the bottom. Slice each half lengthwise so that the layers are divided into 4 even sections. Rinse out grit under cool running water, using your fingers to separate each layer. Slice leek sections into thin slivers. Discard the bottom piece where the vertical slices end. — S.P.
2 lbs (1 kg) lean beef roast (chuck, round, rump, shank or flank), cut into 1-in. (2.5-cm) pieces
Pepper and salt to taste
1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil
3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour
11⁄2 cups (375 mL) dark ale
1 cup (250 mL) water
1 tbsp (15 mL) dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
1 tbsp (15 mL) cider vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated lemon zest
12 oz (375 g) egg noodles, cooked in lightly salted boiling water until just tender, about 7 minutes
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) green onions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
1. Season beef pieces on all sides with pepper and salt.
2. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium high. Add onions and fry until translucent.
3. Add beef and brown on all sides.
4. Lower heat to medium. Add garlic and cook 20 seconds, then add flour and stir until meat and onions are well covered. Cook 1 minute until flour turns light brown.
5. Add ale, water, thyme, bay leaves, tomato paste, vinegar and lemon zest. Bring mixture almost to the boiling point. Reduce heat to low and simmer at least 2 hours.
6. When meat is easily pierced with a fork, remove bay leaves and arrange beef on top of noodles on a large serving dish. Garnish with scallions and serve with your favourite green salad.
Makes 8 servings
[Per serving 420 calories, 15 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 3 g fibre, 29 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 150 mg sodium. Good source of iron]
What’s Your Beef?
Many people think of beef as largely providing protein and fat. But in addition to high-quality protein, lean Canadian beef is an excellent source of vitamin B12, zinc and selenium. It is a good source of iron, vitamin B6, niacin, phosphorus and potassium and a source of riboflavin, magnesium, thiamine, pantothenate and vitamin D. A 3.5-oz (100-g) serving of cooked lean rump roast has 199 calories and 7.8 g of fat (2.7 g saturated and 5.1 g monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). According to research done at McGill University, lean red meat can help lower high blood cholesterol. For nutritional information on different cuts of Canadian beef, go to www.beefinfo.org and click on Nutrient Data under Nutrition & Health. — D.S.
From Tough Cut to Top Cut Belgian fare is more than beer and waffles. This onion-rich Flemish stew is a great way to cook cheaper, leaner beef cuts, which tend to be chewy and lacking in flavour. Tough cuts are usually simmered at a low temperature, which allows the connective tissue between muscle fibres to break down so the meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender and full of flavour. For the ale, ask your local beer merchant for the closest equivalent to a Belgian beer called Chimay. — S.P. |
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