Broccoli Rising and Life Support
One way or another, all — or most — of the clamor of candidates begging for your support is over. Now it’s your turn. You need support too.
I started to write this on Election Day, long before the polls closed, at a moment when we teetered between two very different outcomes, two very different Americas.
Well, we all know how that went, don’t we?
One way or another, all — or most — of the clamor of candidates begging for your support is over. Now it’s your turn. You need support too. Election stress, economic stress, emotional stress — we’ve all got some of it. Some of us have all of it. So I want to nourish you with recipes that support you physically and emotionally., with foods rich in folate, magnesium, zinc and vitamin D. These are the vitamins, minerals and amino acids linked to good will, and honey, we all need it. Where do you find such wonders? In beans, greens, mushrooms, nuts and seeds — basic mild-mannered whole foods. Or so you think. They’re really superheroes of uplift in disguise.
How are you feeling? Have you taken your pulse? I mean beans. They’re sustainable, affordable, accessible, culturally appropriate, whatever your culture is, and they’re folate-rich, fiber-packed, the original plant-based protein, and more. They can feed all of us with less environmental impact. At a time when we’re nation’s divided by politics, religion and more, beans bring us together.
Lentils lead the pulse pack when it comes to folate. They’re the quickest cooking legume, too.
Enjoy them in kitchri, India’s dish of rice and beans. It means Kitchri means mess, but a glorious mess, and a delectable, digestible one too. It gets a golden glow from turmeric, a natural anti-inflammatory. Let’s dial down the heat.
I might also prescribe harira, Morocco’s soothing, spirit-lifting chickpea and vegetable soup. It’s luxe with saffron, another anti-inflammatory. I’m a big believer in cooking dried beans from scratch, but grant yourself a little grace here and go for canned. You’ll be ladling up harira in no time.
Do you really need me to talk up the wellness benefits of leafy greens? Very well. The CDC ranks greens among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. They’re anti-inflammatory and high in folate. Also known as B-9 (like benign), folate increases serotonin production, which releases happy-making neurotransmitters in the brain. They’re also goldmines for magnesium, a mineral that dusts away depression, so you get a double dose of well-being. Greens make me happy. They’ll make you happy too.
For fast green goodness delivery, go for Catalan spinach. This classic tapas dish gives spinach the quickest kiss of heat just so it wilts. A handful of raisins and nuts amp up the flavor and fun. Nuts offer more than delectable crunch. They offer healthy fats, happy mouth feel, and they’re high in zinc, a mineral that makes your skin and disposition glow. Zinc is found predominantly in foods vegans don’t eat. The exception is nuts and beans.
Greens and nuts pair up again in borani esfanaj, a luscious Irani dish of spinach and plant-based yogurt studded with pistachios. It’s like the love child of a salad and a spread.
For a more nutcentric experience, here’s another dish from Spain — ajo blanco — a creamy, dreamy almond and garlic soup that whips up in a flash in a Vitamix or food processor.
Vitamin D, is called the sunshine vitamin because our bodies produce it naturally when our skin is exposed to sun. Vitamin D also adds some sunniness to our nature. Sunniness can be hard to get, regardless of who your presidential candidate was. Dermatologists and sunscreen manufacturers urge us to limit our time in the sun and most D-rich foods aren’t vegan or animal-friendly. Cheer up — mushrooms offer delicious vitamin D deliverym even though their mycelium, or connective fungal network spreads underground.
Mushrooms have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. The darker and chewier the mushroom, the more D and more healing properties it has. Fun fact — cremini mushrooms, also called baby bellas, are basic white button mushrooms, just a little older.
I’m a sucker for my own mushroom barley soup, a rich, broth-free beauty ready in 30 minutes.
Mushrooms, lentils and nuts all come together in Chef Alexis Gauthier’s excellent faux gras. The velvety texture and rich flavor feels indulgent, but you’re doing good for geese, the planet and yourself.
It’s possible you’re feeling as gutted by the election results like I am. I made red lentil and spinach soup.
If you’re not up to cooking, no one could blame you. Have someone else make dinner — go out. Your favorite local vegan restaurant needs support just like you. Discover — and support — vegan options everywhere you are. HappyCow’s your source for that, and it’s celebrating its 25th anniversary today.
Think you’ve got it in you to make one small dietary shift? Ditch — or dial down — UPFs (ultra processed foods). Even vegan ones. They’re the opposite of nutrient-dense. More like nutrient-null Not only does regular consumption of UPFs increase your risk of obesity, cancer and other serious health issues, they contribute to anxiety, brain fog, depression, and all-around crappy mood. We don’t need any help in that department.
As we go forward together — and we must — nourish yourself. Support yourself. Be kind to yourself, be kind to each other. I’m sending you love and support and another fine source of magnesium — chocolate.
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