These
are nature’s ‘secret weapon of mass destruction’ (of illness,
viruses, bacteria and ageing) and as such are weapons we cannot afford
to be without! Packed to capacity with nutrients, fibre, distilled water
and enzymes, plays a host of other factors not yet discovered,
vegetables should be eaten daily in fairly large amounts of optimum
health.
Vegetables
are full of antioxidants too and these are ‘free radical
scavengers’. Free radicals are by-products of living, and come from
poor diet and lifestyle habits and as such can wreak havoc in the body.
Antioxidants ‘disarm’ free radicals, and are very important at
preventing disease.
Best
of all: vegetables are just too delicious NOT to eat lots of! 6-10
portions around the size of your fist is required daily for a healthy
diet.
So
eat them to your heart’s content. Remember to eat the greens, oranges
and brightly coloured ones for their valuable bioflavonoids, polyphenols
and phyto-nutrients. No meal can be complete without vegetables.
BRINJAL
ASSANTA - A
traditional Greek/Jewish dish
Serves
6 (* Wheat Free
* Sugar Free * Diary Free * Vegetarian *)
250
g dried chickpeas or 2 cans of chickpeas
500 g Spanish onions, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
600 g whole brinjals
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
herb salt and freshly ground black pepper
If
using dried chickpeas – soak them overnight. Discard the water and
rinse under cold running water the following day. Sauté
the onions in the olive oil until soft. Add
the chickpeas, cover with water and bring to the boil. Turn down the
heat to simmer until done. Keep topping up the water if necessary –
this may take 2 hours or more
Set
your oven to 200°C and roast the whole brinjals until soft. Strain off
the remaining water from chickpeas and mix well. Spread
this mixture evenly in baking tray and bake until done. Serve with a
green salad and a tasty slice of homemade bread.
BRAISED
FENNEL - Fennel
is particularly high in antioxidant vitamins A and C, which strengthen
the immune system
Serves
6 (* Wheat Free
*)
4
large fennel bulbs
half a lemon
1 large onion, sliced
125 g sliced carrots
700 ml vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper
50 g fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Trim,
wash and remove stalks and leaves from the fennel. Place the fennel in
boiling water together with the lemon, cover and boil gently for 15
minutes. Discard
the lemon and drain well. Cut the fennel in half lengthwise. Place the
sliced onion and carrots in the bottom of a casserole dish. Add the
fennel now and cover with the stock. Add
the bay leaves and thyme. Season well.
Cover
with a tight fitting lid or greaseproof paper. Cook in a pre-heated oven
at 140°C for 1½ hours. Serve
garnished with fresh parsley – as a side dish or on it’s own.
BROCCOLI
& ALMOND RISOTTO -
Broccoli
dramatically reduces your risk of disease because it contains
sulphoraphane, which fights cancer.
Serves
6 (* Wheat Free * Sugar Free * Diary Free * Vegetarian*)
200
g fresh, dark green broccoli, blanched and drained
1 diced red onion
1 chopped garlic clove
90 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 g blanched almonds
seasoning to taste
300 g Arborio rice
1 litre of home-made vegetable stock
6 fresh sage leaves, sliced, plus a whole sprig set aside for the
garnish later
60 ml Sublime Almond Cream (See below)
50 g fresh Parmesan cheese, grated plus shavings to garnish (optional)
In
a heavy bottomed pan cook the onion in a little olive oil until just
tender. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes to coat well. Get the stock
gently simmering on a side hot plate. Cover
the rice with the hot, home-made vegetable stock and stir frequently,
cooking gently for 10 minutes. Add
the fresh sage and season to taste. Gradually add more stock as the rice
absorbs the liquid. This will all probably take around 25 minutes to
accomplish.
A
few minutes before the rice is cooked and the stock absorbed add the
broccoli. When
cooked, add the almond cream and whole almonds. Stir well and season to
taste. Serve
with parmesan shavings and whole sage leaf garnish.
Sublime
Almond Cream - Delicious
and nutritious in place of dairy cream or as an accompaniment to
breakfast oats, homemade granola or muesli – or ‘Graneusli’.
Makes about 2 cups.
Third
of a cup hulled and chopped almonds. One cup water – distilled is
best Honey to taste if a sweet cream is required.
Blend
the nuts and water to a smooth consistency, adding water slowly.
Add honey to taste.
Nutritious
Published by Storm Books, Sally-Ann Creed and Jill Fraser Halkett
Leading
Edge www.leadingedge.co.za
Leading
Edge brings you extreme health – a collection of health recipes from
Leading Edge Nutrition Centres
Storm
Books
P.O. Box 540 Constantia, 7848
Tel: (021) 794-3052 Fax: (021)
794-0635
