49 minutes ago
Celery
A Crunchy CureFor years, celery has been touted by Chinese medicine as a treat for your blood pressure, thanks to a heart-healthy phytochemical compound called phthalide. It's known to help relax artery walls, allowing for faster, freer blood flow. And in early animal research, a daily extract providing the nutritional equivalent of about four stalks of celery helped reduce blood pressure 12–14 percent. Find out how celery can help prevent your arteries from hardening, too.
However, Bowden notes that celery is one of the more pollutant-prone veggies and so recommends going organic when you can. Find out which other fruits and veggies tend to get dirtiest.
Recipe Corner
What subtle celery lacks in flavour, it makes up for in texture. Use it to enhance soups, salads, side dishes, and even sandwiches. Like with these easy recipes from EatingWell:
- Try this healthier and even more flavorful version of a classic: Curried Waldorf Salad.
- Make this dazzling, savory rice dish that is anything but bland: Jeweled Golden Rice.
- Create this not-so-naughty sandwich that quiets chicken-wing cravings: Buffalo Chicken Wrap.
Braised celeryIngredients
2 celery hearts
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
300ml/10fl oz veal stock
Method
1. Because celery has a very pungent taste it benefits from par-boiling beforehand.
2. Wash and trim the celery hearts to about 15cm/6in long. Halve lengthways and par-boil in salted water for 7 minutes. Drain well.
3. Put the chopped onions and carrots into the bottom of a heavy-based pan or flameproof dish. Lay the celery hearts on top and cover with a good veal stock.
4. Bring to the boil and then braise, uncovered, at 160-180C/325-350F/Gas 3-4 for 1 hour until the celery is very tender. By this time the stock should be of a syrupy consistency. If it is not, remove the vegetables on to a serving dish and keep warm. Boil the stock rapidly until it reaches the right consistency and pour over the vegetables.
30 minutes to prepare
Cooking time 1-2 hours
More celery recipes
Chunky curried celery and walnut soup by Alex Mackay from Ready Steady Cook
In a study using mice that suggested some plants help protect the brain, luteolin, a chemical in celery, reduced brain inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease:
[...] The compound, luteolin, has been shown in previous studies to hinder inflammation in cells belonging to the lungs, prostate and gums. In this study, researchers used luteolin to block the inflammatory response of the brain's immune system, opening the door to potential treatments for diseases of the brain.Before you go stuffing your face with celery, know that it may not be enough to stave off Alzheimer's. In order to be able to eat enough celery to get to the comparable levels of luteolin used in the study you'd have to take a dietary supplement."When the body's nervous system is stimulated by pathogens, like a typical infection, the immune system conveys a message to the brain," said Rodney Johnson, professor of Animal Sciences and author of the study. "The immune cells located in the brain respond to that signal and produce more inflammatory molecules, which are thought to contribute to the exacerbation of neurodegenerative diseases.
"Luteolin has the ability to inhibit the production of these inflammatory molecules," Johnson said. "This could slow the progression of certain neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's or multiple sclerosis."
Peanut Butter
Step one for preventing lung cancer: Say no to tobacco. Step two: Have a tablespoon of vitamin-E-rich peanut butter.
Although many studies have suggested that taking high-dose vitamin E supplements may cause lung cancer, one new study bucks the trend. It revealed a possible lung benefit from dietary E -- the kind you get from peanut butter, nuts, and seeds.
Foods You Can Use
It's another argument for getting the nutrients you need from foods, not pills. In the study, people who had the highest intake of vitamin E from foods had a 55 percent lower risk of lung cancer compared with the people who got the least amount of vitamin E in their diets. Dietary alpha-tocopherol, the type of E found in peanut butter and oil-based salad dressings, was particularly protective.
Spicy Peanut Noodles
Although many studies have suggested that taking high-dose vitamin E supplements may cause lung cancer, one new study bucks the trend. It revealed a possible lung benefit from dietary E -- the kind you get from peanut butter, nuts, and seeds.
Foods You Can Use
It's another argument for getting the nutrients you need from foods, not pills. In the study, people who had the highest intake of vitamin E from foods had a 55 percent lower risk of lung cancer compared with the people who got the least amount of vitamin E in their diets. Dietary alpha-tocopherol, the type of E found in peanut butter and oil-based salad dressings, was particularly protective.
Spicy Peanut Noodles
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole-wheat pasta
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 4 sliced scallions
- 4 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- Sliced cucumber, for garnish
Directions
| 1. Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until just tender, according to package directions. Whisk peanut butter with boiling water in a bowl until smooth. Stir in scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar and cayenne. Toss with hot pasta. Garnish with cucumber. Serve hot or at room temperature. |
Nutrition Information
Per serving
Calories: 342
Carbohydrates: 49g
Fat: 11g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0g
Protein: 14g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Dietary Fiber: 9g
Potassium: 172mg
Sodium: 443mg
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Gordon Ramsay: The carrot and squash start to break down after half an hour’s cooking and, together with the starch from the pasta, will thicken the soup without the need for a blender. This is great for a hungry family.
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Soups - 9
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Jill Dupleix: This parmesan-flavoured cauliflower soup is a wonderful dish to have to hand during the busy Christmas season when guests are popping in. If you prefer it with more of a kick, use blue cheese instead of parmesan, or stir in a good pinch of garam masala
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Bread and Pastries
Breads & Pastries
Sides
Sides
Main Dishes
Main Dishes
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