Wednesday Spotlight - Vitamin Solubility and the Bs!

So, I figured we might take a little break from the vitamin/mineral highlights and talk about vitamin solubility. In doing so, we will naturally touch on the B-vitamins, as you will see. Solubility is important because it can help you more efficiently plan you nutrient intake. You see, some vitamins will store for a period of time in our bodies, whereas some must be replenished regularly.

FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS store in the liver when not immediately used by our bodies. These vitamins are A, D, E and K. Foods that contain these vitamins also are less likely to lose them during cooking. Therefore, you can plan on cooking the following foods without loss of these particular nutrients:

• Vitamin A: liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin
• Vitamin D: egg yolks
• Vitamin E: green, leafy vegetables
• Vitamin K: green, leafy vegetables

I wrote about Vitamin K and Vitamin D in August, so check those out if you want to learn more - and stay tuned for A and E!

WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS are eliminated through our urine when the body has metabolized all it can. They do not store in the body and therefore need to be taken regularly, preferably daily or throughout the day, if possible. Cooking foods with water-soluble nutrients will reduce these vitamins. The various B vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble. Luckily, a lot of the C-dense foods, such as citrus fruit (oranges, limes, lemons, strawberries, melons), are mostly consumed raw. However, squash, broccoli, and bell peppers will lose some amount of their vitamin C if cooked. I wrote about Vitamin C on August 22, so take a look back if you are interested in learning more about that powerhouse nutrient!

Now, there are 8 B vitamins, and rather than inundate you in speaking to each of them individually, I will just give you an introduction here.

• B1 = Thiamin
• B2 = Riboflavin
• B3 = Niacin (spotlight on Sept 12)
• B5 = Pantothenic acid
• B6
• B7 = Biotin
• B9 = Folate
• B12 (spotlight on Aug 8)

B vitamins are important because they play an important role in the metabolism of foods for energy. They also promote red blood cell formation and contribute to the health of your skin, hair, muscles and nervous system. B vitamins also reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Good sources of B vitamins include animal proteins (turkey, tuna, liver, meat), whole grains, potatoes, beans, and lentils. Unfortunately, most of these foods must be cooked. Bananas are another source of B vitamins and are typically eaten raw. Beer drinkers and vegans need to be monitoring their B intake (specifically B12 for vegans) as they are at particular risk for deficiency.

As always, try to get your vitamins from whole foods because supplements are not biologically the same and can also lead to toxicity in large amounts. But, if you have allergies, inability to source certain foods, ethical objections, or simply personal tastes that restrict your diet in a way that affects your nutrient intake, do what you gotta do!

Monday Special - Bell Peppers (Sweet peppers)

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, we love bell peppers at my house. We put them in everything! And we are sad that they are on the way out. Maybe because I am in a hotter part of the country I might get them through fall at the market, but bell peppers are typically a summer/early autumn treat.

Some cool facts about bell peppers that you may not know:

• Red (and orange and yellow, etc) bell peppers are vine-ripened green bell peppers. (and my favorite!); although, some green bell peppers are green when ripe.
• In addition to red, orange, yellow, and green, peppers can also be purple or brown or ivory. The red, orange and yellow however tend to be sweeter than the green, purple.
• Non-green bell peppers also cost more because of the extra time to ripen!
• Green bell peppers have twice the vitamin C of oranges; red/yellow have four times as much.
• Paprika is made from either bell pepper and/or chili peppers.

Bell pepper is another very versatile food, which again, is why it is so adored at our house. We often add to salads or raw meal mixes (corn, okra, tomato, etc); we layer in hummus wraps or just cut into strips to dip into hummus. Some people grill bell peppers (whole or k-bobs), saute into dishes (yummy in omelettes!), or bake stuffed with rice or meat in the oven. While these are all delicious ideas, cooking reduces the nutrients in the peppers, so try to eat them raw as much as possible. Sometimes we just scramble our eggs and add in the veggies after or quickly at the end. Or, make your rice/beans/meat before hand and mix with veggies to stuff into a raw pepper. Be creative!

Bell pepper are a low-calorie food. One 3.5 ounce, raw serving contains between 20 and 30 calories, with negligible carbs, fat and protein. All sweet peppers are a great source of Vitamin C, but red peppers have substantially more than green and yellow peppers having quite a bit more than red. Green and red peppers provide some Vitamin B6 and only red peppers (versus green and yellow) provide a substantial amount of Vitamin A, and about 11% folate.

In addition to these nutrients, bell peppers are an excellent source of antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. To get the most of these benefits, look for ripe peppers that have deep coloring. The stems should be green and not dried out. The vegetable and its skin should be firm. Store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. If you want to freeze them for use when no longer in season (as I fully plan on doing), dice the peppers and freeze on a cookie sheet like fruit before putting into a freezer container. This is to make sure they freeze individually and don't stick together. Try to use the peppers within 6 months of freezing. Peppers thaw quickly and while they will have lost their crispness, they can still be used when cooking.

Bell peppers are good for containers if you would like to grow them next year and have limited garden space.

So, if you like bell peppers like me, take advantage and get your crisp, shiny peppers while you still can!

Friday Recipe - Longhorn Pasta

This week I put together a couple pasta dishes - one vegan, one not. I have been dying to try some specialty items from the market, so I decided to make a meal that incorporated both as well as found a way to sneak some eggplant into my diet. Thus, longhorn pasta was born!

Sorry! I am working on getting a better camera.

This recipe yields 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• A pound of meat* 
• Approximately 2 cups of dry pasta of your choice*
• 1 large eggplant
• 4 to 6 large cremini mushrooms (depending on your love of the shroom)
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1 or 2 jalapenos, depending on size
• 1 clove garlic (more if you LOVE garlic)
• A couple handfuls of purslane
• A jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I couldn't find this at the market, unfortunately)
• Spices/herbs of your choice - I used chili powder, paprika, oregano, parsley, black pepper
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

*SHOUT OUTS:

I used Texas Longhorn Land and Cattle Co. - Port Lavaca, TX - for the meat. This is a grass-fed ground beef used from the whole cow - they don't slice off all the prime cuts for steaks and grind the leftovers. You can contact sixmile@icsi.net for more information about their product.


For the pasta, I used Tavola's Roasted Red Pepper infused organic durum semolina rigatoni - this is truly a made-with-love product. Check them out on Facebook at Tavola pasta - Houston, TX.

I also like to put extra onion and pepper into the meat.

To get started, thaw the ground beef and wash and dice all the vegetables (from eggplant to purslane on list above). Once the beef is thawed, massage your spices into it. Set that aside and place your dry pasta into a pot and add plenty of water. Bring to a boil.







While that works into a boil, place a tablespoon of coconut oil into a large skillet and put over medium-high heat on the stove. Toss in your garlic and onion and let saute for a couple minutes. Then add the eggplant, mushrooms and jalapeno and saute these a few more minutes. All the vegetables should be quite cooked in 10 minutes.

Your noodles might also be boiling at this time and you can set a timer to 8 - 10 minutes and let the pasta boil uncovered. Add the meat to the sauteed skillet veggies and brown to perfection.
When everything is complete, portion the pasta into 4 servings, top with sauce and meat/veggie combo and enjoy. Sprinkle in some cheese for an extra treat.










For a vegan version, skip the meat! Easy as that. Because I love spinach, I sauteed some quickly in a skillet and topped on my noodles also.

Yum! Does anyone have some great ideas on different versions of this dish? Or maybe even some local pastas or specialty meats you want to share?



Linked with: Fight Back Friday

Anything GMO should NOT be labeled ALL NATURAL

Blurb from The Institute for Responsible Technology:

"It is now possible for plants to be engineered with genes taken from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. Scientists have worked on some interesting combinations:

• Spider genes were inserted into goat DNA, in hopes that the goat milk would contain spider web protein for use in bulletproof vests.
• Cow genes turned pigskins into cowhides.
• Jellyfish genes lit up pigs' noses in the dark.
• Artic fish genes gave tomatoes and strawberries tolerance to frost.

Field trials have included:

• Corn engineered with human genes (Dow)
• Sugarcane engineered with human genes (Hawaii Agriculture Research Center)
• Corn engineered with jellyfish genes (Stanford University)
• Tobacco engineered with lettuce genes (University of Hawaii)
• Rice engineered with human genes (Applied Phytologics)
• Corn engineered with hepatitis virus genes (Prodigene)
• Potatoes that glowed in the dark when they needed watering.
• Human genes were inserted into corn to produce spermicide."

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-basics/the-ge-process

Does any of this seem natural to you??

Wednesday Spotlight - Niacin

Niacin is a B-vitamin, B3 to be exact. It is also a water-soluble vitamin, which means that your body doesn't store surplus niacin (what it can't metabolize) but rather eliminates the excess. So, unlike Vitamins D and K, which are fat-soluble and can store longer in the body, Niacin must be ingested regularly to prevent deficiency.

So, why do we need it? Niacin is essential in turning your food calories into energy for the body, the utilization of fats and cholesterol production. It is necessary for DNA production and plays a role in insulin metabolism. A study published in 2004 reported that a study of seniors (age 65+) who consumed higher amounts of Niacin were 70% less likely to develop Alzheimer's. Niacin also has been shown to lower cholesterol and some health professionals claim it can effectively fight depression.

Boys and girls are recommended to get 2 to 8 milligrams a day of Niacin (babies - 2mg, increase with age). Puberty-age children are suggested to have 12mg a day, with teenagers and adults requiring 14mg if female, 16mg if male. Pregnant/lactating women are recommended to get 17-18mg a day.

People who might require higher amounts of niacin in their diet include those with chronic bowel problems as well as the usual suspects such as those with high-stress lifestyles, heavy alcohol intake, etc. Additionally, deficiency in tryptophan (an amino acid found in many seafoods and poultry) and other B-vitamins (namely B1, B6, B12) can lead to niacin deficiency.

An easy way to meet you daily B3 requirements is to get a couple servings a day of meat proteins like fish, poultry and beef. If you adhere to a vegan diet, peanuts, brown rice, sunflower seeds, potatoes, tomatoes and mushrooms are some plant sources of niacin.

• 60-80% Daily Recommended Value (adults) = tuna, chicken
• 31%-50% DRV = turkey, halibut, salmon, beef, deer, lamb
• 15-30% DRV = mushrooms (cremini/shitake), shrimp, sardines, peanuts, spelt

So maybe you have high cholesterol? Maybe you are feeling weak or never hungry? Are you having skin or digestive problems? Ask your doctor about incorporating more Niacin into your routine. And come Thanksgiving, instead of stuffing yourself with turkey all afternoon, bag a bunch of smaller portions to take home and eat throughout the next few days. 

Monday Spotlight - Eggplant

Eggplant. I don't know if you are like me but I typically have never cared for it much. But, it seems to be dominating the farmer's market these days so I figure I need to address it.

Eggplant is typically in season July - October. Eggplant, although referred to as a vegetable, is actually a fruit. It comes in many varieties, shapes (oblong/round), sizes (2 - 12 inches long), and colors (white to deep purple).

Now, eggplant isn't a particulary nutrient-dense food as far as standard vitamins and minerals go (lucky for those of us that don't really prefer it anyways!), however as you might have guessed from it's pigmentation (well, the deep purple ones at least) it carries a lot of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Eggplant might also be able to reduce cholesterol and protect brain cells. One serving of cooked eggplant will provide you 10% of the daily recommended amount of fiber in under 35 calories.

Eggplant can be cooked many ways - or just eaten raw! Although many people do not opt to eat them raw as some claim the skins are inedible. Eggplant parmaggiana and lasagna are often popular choices for eggplant, but adding them to casseroles, pastas, omelets or stews work fine as well. In fact, these are great ways to sneak in eggplant into many meals, particulary if diced first. Grilling or broiling are other healthy alternatives. If the skin is particularly bitter or the plant has been stored for longer than two days, try slicing the eggplant, sprinkling with sea salt and placing in a collander in the sink for 20 minutes or so. Wipe them off before eating or cooking them. This is your best bet for getting out some of its bitterness.

Grilled eggplant and tomato snack

Picking an eggplant can be a little tricky. If you are buying direct from your farmer, you can just ask him or her to help you determine the ripeness. One distinct advantage to a farmer's market is that the farmer usually picks what is ready for harvest right before bringing it to you. If you source your eggplant from the grocery store, press your thumb into the skin and watch to see if the skin bounces back. If it does, it should be ripe. If it is too hard that you can't make a finger impression, it is not ripe; if it is too soft, it is overripe. Like melons, the eggplant should feel heavier than it looks. If it sounds hollow when tapping it, chances are it isn't the eggplant for you. Eggplants have a short shelf life so try to avoid buying them unless you are jonesing for some purple stuff in your life.

So, if they call to you, eat them up! Cancer prevention is never a bad thing. But if you pass, that's ok too. Just make sure you are getting your blues and purples and blacks elsewhere (generally a good indication of antioxidant value) and that you incorporate whole fruits and vegetables into your diet. If you want to keep healthy, that is!

Friday Recipe - Curry Rabbit and Figs with Black Eyed BEANS and Spinach

With the exception of the broth, this entire recipe was sourced from the local farmers market - which could be one of my first ever - and only the beginning! I normally would have my own broth or one from my favorite chef, but unfortunately, he has been on break for the summer - sad face.

Sorry! Took this picture and had forgotten the figs!

So, I think rabbit is kind of safe (like chicken - feel like it goes with anything), but with the advice of the friendly folks at the farmers market, I was able to put something together a little more sophisticated than usual (granted, only slightly - I'm all about easy and fast cooking - minimal cleanup!). Here are my ingredients:

• A rabbit of any size - mine was a little over 3 pounds
• 16 ounces (or more or less depending on your tastes) curry sauce of choice (mine courtesy of The Curry Cup http://thecurrycup.tumblr.com/#)

• If you can't find a similar product at your market, just mix some tomato sauce (watered down a bit) with indian spices and herbs of your choice like coriander, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and clove and add in a bay leaf, onions, garlic and salt
• 16 ounces black eyed beans (fresh)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 8 figs
• A couple bunches of spinach

In preparation for this meal, marinate the rabbit in the curry sauce in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes beforehand. Then, rinse the blackeyes and put them in the crock pot. Add the vegetable broth and water until there is more than enough water for the beans to absorb when cooking. Then place the marinated rabbit into the pot and pour in the marinade. Set the crock pot to the low setting and cover.

Now, many people cut up the rabbit into a handful of pieces and brown it before putting into a slow cooker. This is braising. I am sure this enhances the flavor, but is an extra step (and more dishes to clean!) that I don't care to take. You can do whatever you like.

After an hour on low, rinse the cilantro, roughly chop it and placed on top of the rabbit and peas. Set the timer for another hour. When the hour has passed, check the temperature of the rabbit. I usually cook my chicken and rabbit to about 160 degrees, but most people cook a little higher than that. I find personally that if I let my meats get much hotter, they become too dry. But safety first and do what makes your comfortable.

Now, you might find the rabbit is done but the beans could use a little more time. That's actually perfect! Turn the slow cooker to high and let them sit a little longer. I let mine go somewhere between another 30 minutes to an hour before I pulled them. If you want to keep the rabbit warm, place it in a covered pan and put in a warm oven - very low temperature; again, I would rather have room temperature tender rabbit on hot beans than dry meat.

When the beans are getting close to done (about 20 minutes left), wash and chop your figs and place them into the slow cooker. Once the beans and figs are done, wash your spinach and quickly saute in a pan on the stove. I usually drop some water into a non-stick pan and cover, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn't overcook. I sprinkle with pepper and ground garlic if I have it.


Now that everything is done, throw everything together and drizzle the marinade all over. Now, just enjoy! 

Had some leftover cauliflower here - not from market :(

Nutrition (estimated as best as possible for rabbit, spinach, figs, blackeyes and veggie broth):

Does NOT include sauce, spices, cilantro, any added salt

per serving...

• General:
• 400 calories
• 4g fat, 1g saturated fat
• 53 carbs - 15g fiber - 17g sugar (half of sugar from fig)
• 39g protein
• Nutrients:
• 405% Vitamin A
• 37% Vitamin C
• 23% Vitamin E
• 1172% Vitamin K
• 26% Thiamin
• 45% Riboflavin
• 44% Niacin
• 45% B6
• 121% Folate
• 92% B12
• 50% Calcium
• 71% Iron
• 70% Magnesium
• 39% Phosphorus
• 56% Potassium
• 34% Zinc
• 36% Copper
• 135% Manganese
• 28% Selenium
• 35% Cholesterol

Estimated servings = 8

Estimated cost/serving = $7.50

A bit of a premium to regular meals, but quality rabbit, fresh beans and homemade curry sauce were definitely worth it!