Plenty for a family dinner

This post was originally published as Thai Peanut Sauce by Laurel on Health Food.
My favorite Thai restaurant in the city recently closed for renovations. Wah! But, the good news is that it motivated me to try making my own Thai peanut sauce. Ohhh, I am so glad I did. This sauce was one of the easiest things to make, thanks to store bought peanut butter. I wanted the sauce to have a pretty strong peanut butter taste, because that’s how I like it. My boyfriend and I ate the sauce last night over brown rice and plain stir-fried vegetables (garlic, red bell pepper, mushrooms, snow peas, and green onions sautéed in veggie stock) with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top. It was rich and filling, and you can bet I ate the leftovers for lunch today.
This sauce is definitely rich, so remember that a little goes a long way. The recipe makes plenty for a family dinner with leftovers for meals later in the week. Serve it with plain vegetables and whole grains (there is plenty of oil and flavor in the sauce already).

Thai Peanut Sauce
(makes a little over 2 cups of sauce)

2/3 cup chunky peanut butter (all natural, no added sugar, oil, or salt)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. agave nectar
1/4 cup peanut oil or safflower oil
1/4 cup hot water
Juice from 1 lemon wedge

Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl and whisk until you get a smooth consistency (there will still be pieces of peanut from the chunky peanut butter). Serve drizzled on top of vegetables and brown rice or rice noodles. Save leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Tip 1: If you want your sauce to have an extra spicy kick, try adding one teaspoon of Sriracha hot sauce. Tip 2: If your peanut butter was refrigerated, you’ll want to warm it up before making the sauce so the ingredients are easier to mix together.

Learn to Love Whole Grain

This post was originally published as Learn to Love Whole Grain by Laurel on Health Food blog.

The National Cancer Institute in Maryland recently conducted a study on whole grains and cancer. Researchers found that people who consumed a daily minimum of 8.4g of fiber from whole grains were 40% less likely to develop cancer of the small intestines. (Self Magazine, March 2009, p. 88)

If you have a minute, check out this helpful tips page from the Whole Grains Council. They’ve got great ideas for how to add more whole grains to your diet. For example, add 1/2 cup brown rice to your favorite soup. Or, add 3/4 cup raw oats to hamburger meat or meatloaf before you portion them out.

To get more information on whole grains, including what they are and why they’re good for you, read the Whole Grains Fact Sheet online the International Food Information Council.

Brain health and cognitive function

This post was originally published as Folate, B-12 Essential for Brain Health by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Barbara L. Minton from Natural News reviewed some recent studies that prove folate and vitamin B-12 are essential for brain health and cognitive function. Researchers are finding that deficiencies in folate and B-12 are causing Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, and strokes. Here are some of the key findings mentioned in the article:

• - A January 2008 study in Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids found that low blood folate and high homocysteine (a toxic amino acid) levels are related to poor brain function. The study concluded that folic acid increases the level of essential fatty acids DHA and EPA in your blood, contributing to healthy brain function.
• - A November 2007 study in Stroke found that low blood levels of B-12 and folate increase your risk of cerebral ischemia (stroke caused by “inadequate supply of blood and oxygen to the brain as a result of blockage of an artery”).
• - A June 2007 study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition concluded that low levels of folate and high levels of homocysteine are common in elderly post-stroke patients.

Some of the best natural food sources of folate and B-12 are:

• - Folate: leafy green vegetables, fruit juice, beans, bran, barley, beef, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, cheese, dates, lamb, chicken, salmon, tuna, pork, liver, wheat germ, whole grains, and whole wheat.
• - Vitamin B-12: animal products (try snapper, venison, shrimp, scallops, salmon, and beef).
  Note: Natural News says that “individuals over the age of 50 should obtain their B-12 from supplements because of the increased likelihood of food-bound B-12 malabsorption.” 

Whole grain additions to your diet

This post was originally published as Brown Rice and Wild Rice Stack Up by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Cooking Light magazine reports that brown rice and wild rice are easy  whole grain additions to your diet.  Both contain fiber, iron, B vitamins, and vitamin E.  Based on a 1/2 cup cooked portion size, these are how the two add up for nutritional content.

• Brown rice: 109 calories, 4 micrograms folate, 10 micrograms selenium
• Wild rice: 83 calories, 21 micrograms folate, 0.6 micrograms selenium

*Did you know selenium is an antioxidant that regulates your thyroid gland and boosts your immune system?

Reference: Cooking Light Magazine, March 2007, p. 28

Some other whole grains you can try are: amaranth, barley, buckwheat (kasha), quinoa (my favorite), oats, and millet.