Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Life

Valentine-Inspired Black Beans & Rice

Wondering what to serve your Valentine next week?  How about a lovely heart-pleasing, red-accented black beans and rice dish...

As we discuss in the Dragon's Way Qigong-based wellness class offered through our office, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart is the keeper of the spirit (called Shen, in TCM).  It also rules mental activities, and is responsible for consciousness and memory. The primary emotion associated with the heart is joy, the "element" of the heart is fire, and (as one might imagine) the color correlated with the heart is red.

The following Valentine-Inspired Black Beans & Rice recipe is not only joyfully festive and red, but it has a hint of fire from the cherry bomb pepper. It is also VERY healthy, and cost-effective to boot. It combines black beans and rice as featured in this morning's segment with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB radio/WPME TV, with cocktail tomatoes (locally grown by Backyard Farms in Madison) from last week's WLOB 'basket o' fun.

Valentine-Inspired Black Beans & Rice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of scallions (about 8)
• 1 cherry bomb pepper (can substitute a mild jalapeno), seeded and chopped
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (we like Basmati)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/4 tsp ground sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• optional: 2 red radishes, halved and sliced into half-moons

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Chop scallions coarsely, setting green parts aside. Add garlic and white part of scallions to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

Add peppers to skillet.  Sprinkle with salt and cumin. Cook until just tender (5-10 minutes).

Add beans, rice and vegetable stock.  Cook until warmed through, and stock has been absorbed into the mixture.  Fold in tomatoes. Heat thoroughly.

Stir in lime juice. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Optional: garnish with radishes and/or uncooked, chopped green scallions.

Enjoy warm or cold.

Salmon Filets with Indian Spices

As we will discuss on our WLOB radio/WPME TV Dr. Lisa segment today, February is American Heart Month.  One way to keep our hearts healthy is by treating ourselves regularly to delicious fish dishes.  Fish is rich in heart-protective omega-3-fatty acids. 

The following recipe was created by my favorite self-taught chef (and husband), Kevin.  Hubbie is masterful in the kitchen, and his creations are always well worth a taste...

Salmon Filets with Indian Spices

~1-1 1/2 lbs salmon filets

~2 tablespoons olive oil

~I tsp each of cumin seed, coriander seed, mustard seed

~Salt and pepper

Toast seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until just fragrant—one minute or less—be very attntive so as not to burn the seeds

Place seeds in a spice mill

Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium heat—hot enough for droplets of water to sizzle on contact

Salt and pepper each side of the salmon filet

Using the spice mill, apply a coating of the ground spices to each side of the filet-rubbing the filet with a tablespoon of the olive oil

Grill the salmon just until it begins to release its white proteins, turning once after about five minutes.  Do not try to turn the fish too soon or it will stick to the grill.  Do not overcook the salmon.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Sweet Salad Turnips with Fresh Basil

This delicious side dish combines the summery taste of fresh basil with a readily available winter root crop.

It was created using delicate white salad turnips from Fishbowl Farm in Bowdoinham, along with other ingredients from our recent WLOB 'Basket o' Fun.'

In Maine, basil is grown year-round at Olivia's Garden in New Gloucester.

 Sweet Salad Turnips with Fresh Basil

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 10 medium salad turnips (2 cups when sliced)
• 2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
• 1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil skillet in a medium lidded skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and shallot. Cook until translucent, above 5 minutes.

Wash turnips and remove roots & greens.  Cut in each in half vertically, then slice into thin "half moons."   Add to skillet with basil.  Sprinkle with salt. Cover with skillet lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 10 minutes).

Add tomato to turnip mixture.  Cook until heated through (2-5 minutes).

Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Baby Chard & Mushroom Saute

Mushrooms are a phenomenal fungus.  As we've written about before (see our Mucking About with Mushrooms post), they are replete with amazing health benefits.  Mushrooms have been an important element of the Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years.  They are especially good at boosting the immune system, which is a welcome trait this time of year.

The following recipe combines white button mushrooms with locally grown baby chard and garlic from last week's WLOB 'basket o' fun.' It provides a simple, flavorful way to bring a phenomenal fungus to your table.

Baby Chard & Mushroom Saute

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1/2 lb button mushrooms
• 4 cups baby chard (or regular chard, stems removed & coursely chopped)
• 1/4 tsp ground sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil skillet in a medium lidded skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and shallot. Cook until translucent, above 5 minutes.

Gentle wipe mushrooms clean of dirt.  Remove stems.  Slice caps thinly.  Add to skillet.  Sprinkle with half the salt. Cover with skillet lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (5-10 minutes).

Wash chard well.  Pat dry.  Add to mushrooms.  Sprinkle with remaining salt. Cover with lid and allow to "steam" in the skillet until bright green (2-5 minutes).

Remove lid and cook until chard is wilted. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

El Rayo-Inspired Winter Squash Soup

We've featured winter squash many times in our WLOB "Basket o' Fun" on Tuesday mornings.  Winter squash varieties such as Butternut, Buttercup and Delicata are available during the coldest months, and keep (almost) forever. This sweet golden-orange vegetable is high in fiber, and full of vitamins, such as A, B and C. 

Winter squash is also a good source of folic acid (also known as Vitamin B9), the heart-healthy, birth defect preventive, anti-cancer nutrient featured on last Tuesday's Dr. Lisa segment with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB.

The "South of the Border Winter Squash Soup" recipe found below was inspired by a weekend visit to El Rayo Taqueria in Portland.  We love El Rayo for its use of fresh produce and its innovative take on Mexican food. Their soup was the perfect follow-up to a chilly (albeit beautiful) weekend walk.

Winter squash in a Mexican-style winter soup will warm the cockles of even the coldest heart.

South of the Border Winter Squash Soup

~2 tablespoon olive oil
~3 cups winter squash, cut into 1 inch cubes (we used Butternut)
~1 medium yellow onion, chopped
~3 garlic cloves, minced
~2 medium carrots, chopped
~2 stalks of celery, chopped
~2 sweet peppers, chopped (we used 1 green and 1 orange)
~1 mild jalapeno, seeds & ribs removed, minced
~4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
~1 tablespoon chili powder
~1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
~1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
~1 tablespoon maple syrup
~juice from 1/2 lime
~1 can black beans, rinsed
~1 cup cooked corn kernels (we used frozen)
~dash cayenne
~freshly ground pepper and sea salt, to taste

optional:
~2 tablespoons cilantro
~2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a dash of salt.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Put in a blender or food processor with 1 cup vegetable stock.  Process until smooth.

Pour remaining olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender.

Add carrots, celery and peppers. Stir in chili powder, dry mustard, cumin and a dash of salt. Saute 5-8 minutes.

Add stock, beans, corn and pureed squash to pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook until vegetables are tender and beans & corn heated through (approximately 10 minutes).

Add maple syrup and lime juice, followed by salt and pepper, to taste.

Garnish with cilantro and/or pumpkin seeds, if desired.

Enjoy!

Celeriac, Vindicated: Curried Apple & Celeriac Salad

It looks like a shrunken head, and it is admittedly a bit hard to work with, but celeriac (also known as celery root) adds an interesting flavor to winter dishes. 

This recipe was inspired by a recent visit to Bar Lola on Munjoy Hill in Portland.  Bar Lola's salad used a more traditional version of aioli, which involves the use of eggs.  Our adaptation (created by my talented self-taught-chef-of-a-husband husband) is egg-free.

After much trial and error with celeriac (as mentioned as part of last Tuesday's Dr. Lisa visit on WLOB), we've decided that this is a vegetable worth working with.  The key when using raw celeriac is to cut the root into very small pieces, like the "matchsticks" pictured below.

This fresh, tangy salad adds a brightness to any winter table.

Curried Apple & Celeriac Salad

Makes 3 cups

Dressing

~1/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
~2-3 cloves garlic (depending on taste)
~1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
~1 teaspoon high quality curry powder
~3-4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Salad

~2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
~1 medium head of celariac of red cabbage, peeled and cut into matchsticks
~1 large Fuji apple (preferably organic), cut into matchsticks, unpeeled

~juice from 1/2 lemon

Place dressing ingredients in a small food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Add lemon juice to apple pieces immediately after chopping, to keep from turning brown.  Combine apples, carrots and celeriac.

Fold dressing into salad ingredients.

Arrange on a beautiful platter or individual plates.

Enjoy!

 

 

Sweet Winter Parsnips

Are you an admirer of the Apiaceae family?  Do you get excited when you imagine the Umbelliferae?  If you enjoy carrots, celery or even the occasional fennel bulb, consider yourself a fan.  Each of these vegetables is a member of the hollow-stemmed Apiaceae/Umbelliferae plant family.  Another popular sibling, especially this time of year, is the sweet winter parsnip.

Parsnips resemble carrots in appearance but tend to have a more fibrous consistency.  This low-calorie vegetable is replete with vitamins and minerals, including the blood pressure-reducing mineral, potassium.  Parsnips grow best in cold climates (like the one we enjoy here in Maine), and are typically harvested from the late fall to early spring.  They tend to be abundant in winter farmers' markets and farmshares, and will also be part of our locally-grown Basket o' Fun on tomorrow's 7:20 am Dr. Lisa segment on WLOB (95.5 FM, streaming wlobradio.com). 

Here is a savory root veggie side dish which will help you make the most of today's featured Umbelliferae:

Roasted Parsnips with Nutmeg & Apples

(makes 8 cups)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)

• juice from 1/2 lemon

• 1 1/2 tablespoons real maple syrup

• 4 cups parsnips, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

• 3 cups carrots, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

• 2 baking apples (we used Golden Delicious), peeled, cored and cut into wedges

• 1/2 cup shallots, peeled and quartered

• 2 teaspoons high quality Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Mix oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, parsley, lemon juice and maple syrup in a small bowl.

Place vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Coat gently with above mixture.

Roast vegetables until tender and lightly browned (approximately 30-45 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Remove from oven and drizzle with vinegar.

Enjoy!

Gingered Carrot Salad from the Fun Basket

 
Today on our Dr. Lisa segment with Ray & Ted on WLOB, we shared a recipe for delicious Gingered Carrot Salad. To make this salad we used shallots, carrots, cabbage and garlic from the locally grown produce in our WLOB Basket o' Fun. (Note that WLOB re-caps are now available on our Dr. Lisa website.)

Ginger and garlic are anti-inflammatory and help keep the immune system up and running, while cabbage (like the Brussels sprouts featured in our most recent Aerie River/Dr. Lisa newsletter) is a heart-protective, cancer-preventive cruciferous vegetable.  Carrots are high in fiber and countless important vitamins, such as A and C.

Give this recipe a try and let us know what you think!

Gingered Carrot Salad

Makes 4 cups

Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons shallot, finely minced (approx. 1 medium)
1-2 cloves garlic (depending on taste), minced
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil 
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons high quality apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon  canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
freshly ground pepper & sea salt, to taste 

3 cups of carrots, shredded
1 cup of red cabbage, shredded

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots, garlic and ginger.  Saute until shallots are translucent (don't allow shallots or garlic to brown). Add to remaining dressing ingredients. Combine well.

Fold dressing into carrots and cabbage.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend. Adjust seasonings.

Serve on a beautiful platter.

Enjoy!

 

 

Jane's Two Stalk Sprouts

This week our office "abundance manager" and newsletter creator, Jane, handed me two stalks of Brussels Sprouts from the local farmers' market and suggested that I come up with a new recipe for our sprout-loving friends.  Never one to turn down a heart-healthy, cancer-protective cruciferous vegetable, I got right to work.

A Cook's Country recipe for "Roasted Cabbage Wedges" (provided by hubbie Kevin's colleague, Linda) served as inspiration.

Here is the the savory result--created with real Maine maple syrup--a perfect side for a late autumn supper...

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(serves 2)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• two stalks (approximately 1/2 pound) Brussels sprouts (for best results, chose smaller sprouts--think golf ball sized or smaller)

• 2 teaspoons high quality Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Remove sprouts from stalks, if necessary. Wash. Remove outer leaves.  Cut each in half lengthwise (through sprout stem).

Place sprouts in a medium bowl.  Toss gently with oil, salt and maple syrup.  Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast sprouts until tender and lightly browned (approximately 25 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Remove from oven and drizzle with vinegar.

Enjoy!

 

National Family Caregivers Month & Confetti Slaw on WLOB (11/30/10)

Thanks again to our dear Kate for providing the WLOB research and blog postings.  This one re-caps last Tuesday's discussion with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB.

Hello again, and thanks for listening-in Tuesday mornings! 

We finished off the month of November by discussing National Caregiver's Month.  During a month in which we celebrate "thanks", what appropriate timing for appreciating those who dedicate their time to taking care of friends, neighbors, and family members.  Caregivers are amazing, they offer their services, to those in need, while often putting their own health second.  The first step is to be thankful for what they provide to society.  But the recognition does not mean as much if we don't follow it with offering support, too.  Taking care of others is a lot of responsibility and can be very stressful, especially when filling the position for years.  According to the National Family Caregivers Association, celebrating family caregivers during NFC month, enables us to:

• Raise awareness of family caregiver issues 
• Celebrate the efforts of family caregivers
• Educate family caregivers about self-identification
• Increase support for family caregivers

There is no doubt that caregivers should be supported and appreciated, and when we look at the statistics, we see some amazing things.

• 65 million people in the U.S. (that's 29% of the population) care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age (spending on average 20hr/week providing care).    --- Caregiving in the United States; National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP; November 2009
• The value of the services family caregivers provide for "free", when caring for older adults, is estimated to be $375 billion/year....almost twice as much as is actually spent on homecare and nursing home services combined ($158 billion)! --  Evercare Survey of the Economic Downturn and its Impact on Family Caregiving; National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, March 2009
• 1.4 million children (ages 8-18) provide care for an adult; 72% are caring for a parent or grandparent; 64% live in the same household as their care recipient (most are not the sole caregiver) ---  National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Hospital Fund, Young Caregivers in the U.S. 2005
• 47% of working caregivers indicate an increase in caregiving expenses has caused them to use up ALL or MOST of their savings --- Evercare Survey of the Economic Downturn and Its Impact on Family Caregiving; National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare..March 2009
• 40-70% of family caregivers have clinically sifnificant symptoms of depression with approximately a 25-50% of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression. ---Zarit, S. (2006)  Assessment of Family Caregivers:  A Research Perspective

 To learn more about caregivers, check out the National Family Caregiver Story Project.  This website allows people access to sharing their own stories and read about other people's situations as well.  Are you a caregiver?  The site also offers a pen pal connection.  In this year's Presidential Proclamation, President Obama discusses a number of programs that can aid family caregivers (as well as other people/families) that may need help paying for medical costs.  He also reaffirmed his belief in our country with the comment, "The true strength of the American family finds its roots in an unwavering commitment to care for one another."

As always, one of the best ways to take care of ourselves and others, is to fuel ourselves with nutritious and yummy food.  The beautiful vegetables found in our Bountiful Basket this week were all sourced from Lois' Natural Marketplace, in Scarborough.  Here's the list of local delights with some suggestions of how to prepare them, yum!

• Organic Parsnips: delicious mashed with a little bit of butter or olive oil and some pepper.
• Red Cabbage:  perfect for homemade cole slaw.  See recipe below; substitute red cabbage for purple.
• Rutabaga:  not sure how to prepare these? Check out these recipes :)
• Multi-colored Carrots:  spice up a salad with some purple carrots, or slice up these delicious roots and dip them in your own favorite sauce as a snack.

Winter Confetti Slaw with Toasted Walnuts

Dressing

juice & zest from 1 medium orange, organic if possible (see note below)
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon high quality apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon high quality olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
sea salt, to taste

Slaw

2 cups of green cabbage, shredded
1 cup of purple cabbage, shredded
1 cup of carrots, shredded
1/4 cup raisins

Combine dressing ingredients.  Add to dressing to slaw ingredients, mix well.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend.

Makes 4 cups.

Note: when using citrus fruit peels for zest, chose organic produce when possible, as some fruits are exposed to pesticides and other chemicals that are not meant for human consumption

Thanks again for checking in here & listening Tuesday mornings @ 7:20am.  You can listen every week on 95.5 WLOB or streaming online, or even catch it televised on WPME TV.  Catch us next week with the Ray and Ted show!

Do you have suggestions for future health segments? Send an email to info@drlisabelisle.com.  

You can also subscribe to our Aerie River/Dr. Lisa newsletter by sending an email to the same address.

Thanks again to Kate Sarton for this great post! Hope you'll tune in tomorrow morning as we discuss bone marrow transplantation and aplastic anemia.