The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (8 page)

1 small clove garlic

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional

• Put kiwi, vinegar, apple juice, oil, water, agave nectar, garlic, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce, if using, into a blender jar and process until smooth. Serve.

•
NOTE
Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to five days. Stir well before using.

YIELD
1 cup

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
18 calories, 2.7 g carbohydrate, 0.2 g protein, 0.9 g fat, 0.5 g dietary fiber

Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds to Hispaniola in 1493, introducing lemons to the Americas. Later Spanish immigrants cultivated lemon orchards in Florida, Arizona, and California, where most of the lemons in the United States are grown today.

Rich in vitamin C, lemons were among the foods used to combat scurvy among sailors. Lemons also contain vitamin A, as well as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One medium raw lemon provides 17 calories, 5.4 g carbohydrate, 0.6 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 1.6 g dietary fiber, 17 IU vitamin A, 31 mg vitamin C, 6 mcg folic acid, 80 mg potassium, 15 mg calcium, 9 mg phosphorus, and 5 mg magnesium.

Fresh lemons are now available year-round. As with other citrus fruit, a good lemon is a thin-skinned one—thick-skinned lemons are often dry inside. Choose lemons that feel heavy in your hand and whose peels have a fine-grained texture.

Lemons will keep at room temperature for about a week if kept away from light. They keep about four weeks in the refrigerator.

One lemon yields about 1½ fluid ounces of lemon juice, though you get more juice from a lemon at room temperature than from one that's just come from the refrigerator.

Make lemon ice cubes by freezing fresh-squeezed lemon juice in ice cube trays, and pop one in a glass of water or iced tea for a splash of flavor.

ADD ZEST!

The colorful peel of citrus fruit—lemons, limes, and oranges—is called “zest” and is used to add color, flavor, and vitamin C to your cooking.

To zest a piece of citrus fruit, begin by washing it well. Then use a sharp paring knife or a special “zester” tool to cut the peel away from the fruit. Be careful not to dig too deep, because you don't want any of the bitter, spongy white pith. It's much easier to zest a whole lemon, lime, or orange before it's been cut into smaller pieces.

You now have zest!

Use zest as a garnish after foods are cooked, because vitamin C doesn't stand up well to the heat of cooking. One tablespoon of zest provides 13 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin C.

Livit Recipe

See Add Zest! on page 34.

4 organic apples (red delicious, golden delicious), peeled, cored, and chunked

¼ lemon, peeled and seeded (reserve some lemon zest, optional)

• Put the apple chunks and lemon into a blender jar. Add lemon zest, if using, and process until liquefied. The result will not be as clear as conventional apple juice or lemonade, but it will contain more good fruit fiber and nutrition!

•
NOTE
If you have a juicer that can handle fruit with the peel on, wash the apples and lemons well before putting them into the juicer.

•
VARIATION
For a very tart lemonade, use the lemon with its peel. A milder tartness can be achieved by adding some reserved lemon zest.

YIELD
1 serving

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
331 calories, 87.1 g carbohydrate, 1.4 g protein, 2.1 g fat, 16.2 g dietary fiber

Limes are sweeter than lemons and they also contain more citric acid, a compound essential to the metabolic process that burns carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to turn them into water and carbon dioxide and release energy in the body. Like lemons, limes are an excellent source of vitamin C. It's limes that were issued to English sailors to prevent scurvy in the 19th century. They also contain calcium, potassium, and vitamin A.

There are two main types of limes—Key limes and Persian limes. Key limes are smaller, darker in color, and thinner skinned. The typical supermarket lime is a Persian lime.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One medium raw lime provides 20 calories, 7.1 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 1.9 g dietary fiber, 7 IU vitamin A, 19 mg vitamin C, 5 mcg folic acid, 0.15 mg pantothenic acid, 68 mg potassium, 1 mg sodium, 22 mg calcium, 12 mg phosphorus, 4 mg magnesium, and 0.4 mg iron.

Limes are available year-round but are easier to find and will probably have traveled less in the spring and summer. Choose limes that are a deep green color, shiny-skinned, and that feel heavy in the hand. A lime with a few yellow spots is acceptable, but as they get riper and more yellow, their flavor declines somewhat.

Limes will keep at room temperature for about a week, if kept out of sunlight. In the refrigerator, they will last for about two weeks.

You can use limes or lime juice as a variation in nearly any recipe that calls for lemons or lemon juice. For example, try making the lemon juice ice cubes above with lime juice instead, or try lime zest for a colorful garnish.

Livit Recipe

See Add Zest! on page 34.

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 organic red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red chili pepper, seeded and sliced

3 tablespoons tomato puree

3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 lime, juice and zest only

Black pepper

Shreds of lime zest, as garnish

• Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Put the onion and bell peppers into the sauce pan and cook for about 5 minutes at low to medium heat. Add the garlic, chili pepper, and tomato puree to the saucepan. Stir in 1½ cups of the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

• Allow the soup to cool enough to handle safely, then puree in a food processor or blender. Return the blended soup to the pan and add the remaining 1½ cups of broth, along with the lime juice, black pepper, and most of the zest (reserve a few curls for garnish). Bring the soup to a boil, then remove from heat. Pour into bowls, garnish each serving with a few curls of lime zest, and serve immediately.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
92.2 calories, 18.6 g carbohydrate, 2.3 g protein, 1.5 g fat, 5.1 g dietary fiber

Lychee fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium, as well as a good source of copper and phosphorus. In traditional Chinese medicine, lychees are used as a pain reliever, as an aid to digestion, and to promote health and long life. They were also used as a treatment for coughs, a sore throat, and swollen glands.

Recently, two Chinese studies have suggested that lychee has potential as a cancer-fighting agent. Research at Zhejiang Gongshang University in Hangzhou,
China, found that polyphenols from lychee fruit pulp appeared to slow the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. It appeared to be especially effective against human breast cancer. A second study, at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, also showed lychee polyphenols to inhibit the growth of liver cancer cells. Although the research has not established that the lychee flavonoids work the same way inside the human body, the implications are hopeful.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Ten medium raw lychees provide 66 calories, 16.5 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 1.3 g dietary fiber, 72 mg vitamin C, 14 mcg folic acid, 171 mg potassium, 5 mg calcium, 31 mg phosphorus, and 10 mg magnesium.

LYCHEE FRUIT

Lychee fruit contains a form of profilin that can cause severe anaphylactic reactions in people who are sensitive to it. As of 2007, only six cases of lychee allergy had been reported, but as more people eat lychee, more reactions may come to light. It is also possible that more exposure to the lychee profilin may cause people to become sensitized, but this has not been established. The risk for allergic reaction appears to be greatest in those who already react to other plant profilins or pollens, or to latex.

Fresh lychees were once impossible to find but are now available in Asian groceries and, increasingly, in mainstream produce sections. You can also purchase them online from some specialty growers. The main sources within the United States are in Florida, where the season runs from May through July. Lychees are also imported from Asia, Australia, Mexico, and Israel during the rest of the year.

Lychees have a rough, red outer layer that turns brown when refrigerated. Some imports are subjected to a treatment of cold for two weeks in order to kill insect parasites; opinions differ on whether this harms the lychees' taste. If you can find red lychees, you'll know that they haven't been refrigerated and that they probably haven't traveled as far. Likewise, lychees sold in bunches, with their leaves and stems still attached, are likely to have a fresher taste. Avoid lychees that are leaky or that have broken skins.

The lychee has an edible flesh that is translucent white. The hard seed of the lychee is not edible, although it is sometimes used as a component in traditional Chinese medicine. The term “lychee nut” is an old name for dried lychee fruit, which is available when fresh lychees are not. Canned lychees are also available.

Lychees do not ripen after they are picked, so make sure that the lychees you purchase are ripe. They will last a few days in the refrigerator. If you are going to keep them longer, freeze lychees with the skin on.

Livit Recipe

2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

½ cup fresh or canned lychees, drained

1 orange, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 thin slices red onion, separated into rings

2 tablespoons low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

• In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, lychees, orange, and onion.

• In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, vinegar, juice, and oil. Pour this dressing over the lettuce mixture, tossing gently to coat.

•
VARIATION
Use another of the green leaf lettuces for a slightly different taste.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
48.5 calories, 8.5 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g protein, 1.2 g fat, 1.4 g dietary fiber

Nectarines are a type of peach and, like the peach, have the golden-yellow, orange, and reddish coloration that is typical of fruits and vegetables containing lutein. As one of the pigments found in the retina of the eye, lutein may help prevent macular degeneration. Nectarines are also a good source of carotenes, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and niacin, as well as fiber.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One medium raw nectarine provides 67 calories, 16 g carbohydrate, 1.3 g protein, 0.6 g fat, 2.2 g dietary fiber, 1001 IU vitamin A, 7 mg vitamin C, 1.3 mg niacin, 5 mcg folic acid, 288 mg potassium, 7 mg calcium, 22 mg phosphorus, 11 mg magnesium, and 0.2 mg iron.

Nectarines do not ripen much after picking and do not keep well for more than two or three days, so choose nectarines that are soft enough to eat—not hard, and not mushy. They can range in color from golden yellow to mostly red, but they should not have any green spots. Refrigerated, ripe nectarines may keep for three to five days.

Livit Recipe

3 nectarines, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 lemon, juice only (about 2 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons cane sugar
OR
raw sugar

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup organic light brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup nonfat milk

3 tablespoons pasteurized liquid egg whites
OR
2 egg whites

• Preheat oven to 400°F.

• Line a muffin tin with 12 paper baking cups.

• In a small bowl, toss the nectarine cubes with the lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Set aside.

• In a prep bowl, mix the sugar with ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon. Set aside.

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Break up any stubborn lumps of brown sugar with a fork.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, milk, and egg whites.

• Stir the applesauce mixture into the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. (Traditional instructions say to stir muffins no more than 50 strokes.) Fold in the diced nectarines.

• Spoon the batter into muffin cups, and sprinkle each muffin with a bit of the prepared cinnamon sugar.

• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 3 minutes in the pan, then gently remove them from the pan to continue cooling. Serve warm.

YIELD
12 muffins