Vegetables and fresh fruits are the powerhouse of a healthy anti-inflammatory diet. Think in terms of having 2/3 of every meal be vegetables or fruit, primarily vegetables.
Vegetables are nature's package for fiber, vitamins, phytonutrients. "At almost every one of the steps along the pathway leading to cancer, there are one or more compounds in vegetables or fruit that will slow up or reverse the process." says John Potter of U.niversity of Michigan. Organic?
For the SCECD we recommend Non Starchy Vegetables. As you add carbs you can reintroduce the starchier root crops and squashes (see bottom of this list of recipes)
Ways to prepare and enjoy Vegetables:
Fresh and Raw: salads, sticks, cubed, mashed, blended.!!
Steaming: Place in a pan with a quarter inch of water and cook lidded for 15 minutes.
Stir Fry: Add 1 tsp olive or coconut oil to a hot pan; sauté garlic onions and spices; then add your vegetables and ¼ c water. Cook until tender.
Roasting: Coat vegetables with coconut or olive oil, salt and lemon juice and broil for 10-15 minutes.
A bed of greens is a great way to start. Where you have used toast or a bed of rice, try a bed of greens instead Serve your breakfast eggs on a bed of greens or cauliflower rice. Serve fish or chicken, or a tomato sauce on a bed of greens.. These greens can be cooked, or a raw salad. Serve your chicken or fish on a nicely seasoned bed of spaghetti squash.
Roasted Vegetables (these are all low glycemic)
6 zucchini chopped lengthwise
1 eggplant, 1” cubes or ½ # mushrooms
1 red onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
½ # green beans
3/8 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
Directions 1. In a large bowl mix the zucchini, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, onions and peppers with the oil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, oregano, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cover and chill for 2 hours, preferably overnight or just cook it now if you don’t have time!
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. On a large roasting pan, roast the vegetables, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have split and the edges of some of the vegetables are starting to crisp. Remove from the oven and stir before returning to the oven for another 20 minutes. At this time reduce heat to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and continue cooking until vegetables are tender, turning every 20 minutes.
Other great low glycemic vegetables are: asparagus, celery root.
OR go simple: lemon juice, coconut oil and salt with your favorite mix of vegetables.
Ginger Sprouted Lentil (or Mung Bean) Saute a simpler saute of sprouts alone is excellent as well.
To sprout your Beans:
Fill a quart jar with a sieve lid[1] to 1/3 full with lentils. Fill to 2/3 full with water and let it sit overnight. Rinse lentils two times daily until they grow a root and leaves. To add nutrients, set it in the sun for a day so the leaves get a bit green!
When your lentils are nice and sprouted:
Sauté 1/2 an onion with 2 tbsp grated ginger in 3 tablespoonfuls of coconut oil until onions are cooked. Add the lentils and cook until they are tender. Salt to taste.
[1] Sieve lids for sprouting can be purchased at Madison Market. A collander also works fine.
Kale Chips:
Stem and chop:
Bunch of Kale or collards
Mix with:
2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
1/4 C tahini
1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne
Dry in a dehydrator until crunchy
or Bake in the oven at 350 until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
Kale Herb Pesto
Adapted from Courtney Savin Serves 6-8
kale herbs and nuts, adding different fresh herbs on hand,
bright freshness of the mint plays well with the kale. Leftovers make a tasty breakfast topped with a poached egg and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
1 large bunch kale (I prefer Lacinato but curly works well, too)
1 clove garlic
2 cups nuts of your choice, toasted (I've used walnuts, almonds and macadamias)
1 bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped (dill is also nice)
2 cups fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 lemons, juiced (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil (or more if it seems dry)
A dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Remove the tough stems of the kale and roughly chop. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and nuts together about 12 times. Scrape out into a large bowl. Add the kale to the food processor (may need to do this in 2 batches) with 1 tablespoon olive oil (divide if doing 2 batches) and pulse until chopped finely. Scrape down sides once while pulsing. Add to the nuts and garlic.
Place the herbs in the food processor with 1 tablespoon olive oil and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down sides once. Add to the kale mix.
Stir in the lemon juice, salt and remaining olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon, salt or oil if needed. If you want to spice it up, add the crushed red pepper flakes. This salad does well if made ahead and can be served room temperature.
COLLARD GREENS WITH HAM HOCKS
4 bunches collard greens
2 lg. ham hocks
1 med. onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
Remove leaves from stems of collard greens and discard stems. Wash thoroughly insuring all grit and grime has been removed from the greens. Wash ham hocks and boil with chopped onion until almost done. (Do this ahead of time making sure meat has cooked long enough.) Add greens, salt, and pepper and crushed red pepper to ham hocks. Bring greens to a boil, reduce heat and cook until greens are tender.
Sneak some vegetables into a light breakfast cereal:
Sunflower cereal:
1 cup Sunflower seeds: (soaked for 8 hours, or for greater nutritional value, sprouted)
¼ cup Raisins: soaked for ½ hr (longer ok)
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
Grind the sunflower seeds and raisins in a blender or some such thing. Mix with sprouts and enjoy!
When you are reintroducing carbs to your plan try these higher glycemic vegetable dishes:
Smashed Roots
Sauté: 1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
Cut into 2” cubes your favorite combination of:
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
Parsnips
Boil the roots till knife tender. Drain. (Save the sweet pot liquor for some other dish: it has great minerals in it!) Add a half stick of butter per cup of roots. Really. Add pepper and salt to taste. Mash with a potato masher, keeping some chunks for flavor variation.
Steamed Butternut Squash with Red Chili Sauce
The beautiful orange color of the squash reflects its rich concentration of health-promoting vitamin A— 295% of the Daily Value for this nutrient
· 1 medium-sized butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
· 1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced
· 3 tbsp coconut oil
· 3 cloves garlic, chopped
· 1 tsp red chili powder
· 1/8 tsp ground cumin
· 1/8 tsp cinnamon
· 1 TBS + 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
· salt and black pepper to taste
· 1 TBS chopped cilantro
Slice onion and chop garlic
Bring 2 inches of water in a steamer to a boil.
Cut squash into cubes and steam in a steamer with a tight fitting lid until al denté, about 5-6 minutes.
Heat 1 TBS broth in a medium-size skillet. Sauté onion in coconut oil for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add garlic and spices and mix well. After about 1 minute, add rest of broth and begin to simmer gently.
When squash is al denté, add it to simmering sauce and cook together for another 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro.
Fresh and Raw: salads, sticks, cubed, mashed, blended.!!
Steaming: Place in a pan with a quarter inch of water and cook lidded for 15 minutes.
Stir Fry: Add 1 tsp olive or coconut oil to a hot pan; sauté garlic onions and spices; then add your vegetables and ¼ c water. Cook until tender.
Roasting: Coat vegetables with coconut or olive oil, salt and lemon juice and broil for 10-15 minutes.
A bed of greens is a great way to start. Where you have used toast or a bed of rice, try a bed of greens instead Serve your breakfast eggs on a bed of greens or cauliflower rice. Serve fish or chicken, or a tomato sauce on a bed of greens.. These greens can be cooked, or a raw salad. Serve your chicken or fish on a nicely seasoned bed of spaghetti squash.
Roasted Vegetables (these are all low glycemic)
6 zucchini chopped lengthwise
1 eggplant, 1” cubes or ½ # mushrooms
1 red onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
½ # green beans
3/8 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
Directions 1. In a large bowl mix the zucchini, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, onions and peppers with the oil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, oregano, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cover and chill for 2 hours, preferably overnight or just cook it now if you don’t have time!
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. On a large roasting pan, roast the vegetables, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have split and the edges of some of the vegetables are starting to crisp. Remove from the oven and stir before returning to the oven for another 20 minutes. At this time reduce heat to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and continue cooking until vegetables are tender, turning every 20 minutes.
Other great low glycemic vegetables are: asparagus, celery root.
OR go simple: lemon juice, coconut oil and salt with your favorite mix of vegetables.
Ginger Sprouted Lentil (or Mung Bean) Saute a simpler saute of sprouts alone is excellent as well.
To sprout your Beans:
Fill a quart jar with a sieve lid[1] to 1/3 full with lentils. Fill to 2/3 full with water and let it sit overnight. Rinse lentils two times daily until they grow a root and leaves. To add nutrients, set it in the sun for a day so the leaves get a bit green!
When your lentils are nice and sprouted:
Sauté 1/2 an onion with 2 tbsp grated ginger in 3 tablespoonfuls of coconut oil until onions are cooked. Add the lentils and cook until they are tender. Salt to taste.
[1] Sieve lids for sprouting can be purchased at Madison Market. A collander also works fine.
Kale Chips:
Stem and chop:
Bunch of Kale or collards
Mix with:
2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
1/4 C tahini
1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne
Dry in a dehydrator until crunchy
or Bake in the oven at 350 until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.
Kale Herb Pesto
Adapted from Courtney Savin Serves 6-8
kale herbs and nuts, adding different fresh herbs on hand,
bright freshness of the mint plays well with the kale. Leftovers make a tasty breakfast topped with a poached egg and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
1 large bunch kale (I prefer Lacinato but curly works well, too)
1 clove garlic
2 cups nuts of your choice, toasted (I've used walnuts, almonds and macadamias)
1 bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped (dill is also nice)
2 cups fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 lemons, juiced (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil (or more if it seems dry)
A dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Remove the tough stems of the kale and roughly chop. In a food processor, pulse the garlic and nuts together about 12 times. Scrape out into a large bowl. Add the kale to the food processor (may need to do this in 2 batches) with 1 tablespoon olive oil (divide if doing 2 batches) and pulse until chopped finely. Scrape down sides once while pulsing. Add to the nuts and garlic.
Place the herbs in the food processor with 1 tablespoon olive oil and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down sides once. Add to the kale mix.
Stir in the lemon juice, salt and remaining olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon, salt or oil if needed. If you want to spice it up, add the crushed red pepper flakes. This salad does well if made ahead and can be served room temperature.
COLLARD GREENS WITH HAM HOCKS
4 bunches collard greens
2 lg. ham hocks
1 med. onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
Remove leaves from stems of collard greens and discard stems. Wash thoroughly insuring all grit and grime has been removed from the greens. Wash ham hocks and boil with chopped onion until almost done. (Do this ahead of time making sure meat has cooked long enough.) Add greens, salt, and pepper and crushed red pepper to ham hocks. Bring greens to a boil, reduce heat and cook until greens are tender.
Sneak some vegetables into a light breakfast cereal:
Sunflower cereal:
1 cup Sunflower seeds: (soaked for 8 hours, or for greater nutritional value, sprouted)
¼ cup Raisins: soaked for ½ hr (longer ok)
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
Grind the sunflower seeds and raisins in a blender or some such thing. Mix with sprouts and enjoy!
When you are reintroducing carbs to your plan try these higher glycemic vegetable dishes:
Smashed Roots
Sauté: 1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
Cut into 2” cubes your favorite combination of:
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
Parsnips
Boil the roots till knife tender. Drain. (Save the sweet pot liquor for some other dish: it has great minerals in it!) Add a half stick of butter per cup of roots. Really. Add pepper and salt to taste. Mash with a potato masher, keeping some chunks for flavor variation.
Steamed Butternut Squash with Red Chili Sauce
The beautiful orange color of the squash reflects its rich concentration of health-promoting vitamin A— 295% of the Daily Value for this nutrient
· 1 medium-sized butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
· 1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced
· 3 tbsp coconut oil
· 3 cloves garlic, chopped
· 1 tsp red chili powder
· 1/8 tsp ground cumin
· 1/8 tsp cinnamon
· 1 TBS + 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
· salt and black pepper to taste
· 1 TBS chopped cilantro
Slice onion and chop garlic
Bring 2 inches of water in a steamer to a boil.
Cut squash into cubes and steam in a steamer with a tight fitting lid until al denté, about 5-6 minutes.
Heat 1 TBS broth in a medium-size skillet. Sauté onion in coconut oil for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add garlic and spices and mix well. After about 1 minute, add rest of broth and begin to simmer gently.
When squash is al denté, add it to simmering sauce and cook together for another 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro.