Lima Beans, Mushrooms and Nappa Cabbage

I hope you are preparing to celebrate our country’s independence and also that you are having a wonderful summer. This month I want to talk about three nutritional powerhouses, beginning with the humble lima bean.

Lima BeansAlthough all beans in general are good sources of fiber, these beans are your best choice for soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the type that becomes gummy when ingested and binds with toxins and excess cholesterol, sweeping them through the digestive system and out of your body! Where good sources like chick peas and lentils have 1 gram of fiber per serving, lima beans have a whopping 3.5 grams per serving! You definitely get more for your nutritional buck! And not only that, soluble fiber also helps your immune system function more efficiently by cooling inflammatory response and even feeds the good bacteria in your gut.

MushroomsYou have so many varieties to choose from – white button mushrooms, flavorful cremini, shitake, meaty portobellos. They are all considered super foods and for good reason! They are high in vegetable proteins and low in calories, making them a valuable source of healthy nutrition. They also contain zinc, iron, chitin, vitamins B, C and K, minerals, pantothenic acid and riboflavin, amino acids and dietary fiber. Not only are mushrooms a healthy addition to the diet, they also have important medicinal properties.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has used mushrooms for thousands of years, with over 200species of mushrooms used for healing, 25% of which are credited with having tumor-fighting capabilities.

All varieties possess cleansing capabilities because they contain a substance called Germanium. This is a nutrient that helps boost the oxygen efficiency within the body, helps counteract exposure to environmental toxins and increases the body's ability to fight disease. Mushrooms also contain polysaccharides, which enables them to boost the immune system and fight the growth of tumors.

Nappa CabbageThis is sometimes called Chinese cabbage and it is part of the Brassica family, well known for its cancer fighting compounds. This cabbage has elongated, crinkly, pale green leaves and is much milder and more tender than green or red cabbage. It’s used in many Asian dishes and in the Korean fermented food called Kimchi. It’s low in calories and loaded with vitamins C and K, folic acid and protein. It’s available at your local supermarket.

Take a Step:

Being of Greek descent I grew up eating Lima beans Greek style and love them! I buy them frozen – simply use about a quarter of a cup of olive oil and heat it in the bottom of a cooking pot. Saute a large onion chopped finely. Add your 16 oz. bag of frozen lima beans and a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, granulated garlic and ground pepper. Stir bring to a boil and reduce to low – cover and simmer 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally, and add a little vegetable or beef stock if the pot gets too dry. They are delicious.

You can also puree them with a bit of granulated garlic and stock to make a delicious dip or spread!

The medicinal and health benefits of mushrooms are released when they are cooked so rather than slice them raw onto a salad, I include them in my morning omelets and chop them finely and include them in meat loaf and burger recipes. It gives ground chicken and turkey burgers a much “beefier” flavor and adds nutrition and fiber.

Big, beautiful, beefy portobellos, brushed with a bit of olive oil and grilled until tender make a much healthier “bun” for your burgers – in fact they can be a burger replacement! They’re delicious on a whole grain bun topped with lettuce and tomato!

There are so many ways to use nappa cabbage – cut it crosswise into shreds for a quick, healthy cabbage slaw or salad, add it to stir fries or use the leaves to replace traditional taco shells! Gently steam the whole leaves for about 20or 30 seconds to soften. Fill with your favorite taco ingredients – roll and eat.

As a matter of fact – you can combine all three into a delicious veggie side dish – lightly sauté chopped nappa cabbage, sliced mushrooms of your choice in olive oil with one or two cloves of chopped garlic until tender, add a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and a bag of thawed lima beans, some cumin and coriander and some stock. Cook at medium heat, adding more stock if the sauce gets too dry.

Until next month I wish you vibrant health! Ann

Healthy Dinner Ideas

To ramp up the fiber and nutrients in your dinner meals consider the following add-ins:

Pureed cannellini beans, 1/2 cup pureed peas, a few tablespoons of Benefiber, shredded carrots, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup frozen, thawed, chopped spinach, pureed sweet potato or cauliflower can be added to marinara sauce. They'll never know it's there!

Shredded carrots, sweet potato puree, shredded zucchini can also be added in to meatloaf, hamburgers and meat balls. Cooked, pureed cauliflower can be whisked into cheese sauce for mac and cheese.

I've been told adding baby food prunes or pureed blueberries to ground beef also works well, although I've never tried it myself.

Try making vegetables more inviting - roast brocolli, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, green beans, root vegetables like turnips, carrots and parsnips and brussels sprouts - instead of steaming. Simply arrange on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes - turning once halfway through.

Better mashed potatoes: Drain 1 cup of cooked cauliflower florets; puree with a little milk or water until smooth and mash with equal parts potatoes. You can combine pureed cauliflower and celeriac or parsnips with potatoes as well.

Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld gives you even more ideas on how to sneak healthy ingredients into your child's foods.

Substitute ground chicken, turkey, lamb, veal and even buffalo for beef when making burgers. Add in chopped Baby Bella (cremini), white button mushrooms or chopped and sauteed shiitake mushrooms and shredded zucchini to keep burgers moist and add flavor. If you add some frozen, chopped spinach that's been thawed, it not only keeps the burgers or mealtloaf moist, but a component in the spinach helps synthesize protein, so you get even more benefit from your lean protein source!

If you are breading chicken fingers - try substituting crushed whole grain crackers (Original Triscuits)or shredded wheat cereal or ground up nuts to increase the protein and fiber content.

Take a Step:

I like to make each meal as nutrient-dense as possible and by sneaking in some hidden nutrients in the way of shredded vegetables is such an easy way to do it. Don't assume your kids won't like it. If you include them in the preparation, they will be more likely to take ownership of the meal and be much more willing to try new things.

Until next time, I wish you vibrant health. Ann