Tag Archives: garlic

Garlic Scape Pesto

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My sister and I caught up on the phone this past weekend and both of us were introduced to the Garlic Scape at our Farmers Markets.  It was like the news of the day!

What is a Garlic Scape?

Well, let me tell you!

Garlic grows underground, where initially the bulb its journey is soft and onion-like. As the bulb gets harder (and more like the garlic we know), a shoot pokes its way through the ground. Chlorophyll- green like a scallion (maybe even greener), the shoot is long and thin and pliable enough to curl into gorgeous tendrils.

This is the garlic scape!!

If left unattended, the scape will harden and transform from green to the familiar opaque white/beige color of garlic peel. Keeping the shoot attached will also curtail further growth of the bulb.

So, in an effort to allow the garlic to keep growing, the farmer treats all of us to this seasonal edible delectable that folks are seemingly just beginning to discover.

The scape is terrific fun; try dicing it into scrambled eggs, adding to a veggie saute or using as garnish for rice. However,  the best way to understand the beauty of garlic scape heaven is to pulverize a bunch into pesto.

the above what is a garlic scape which I so forgot to source can be found here  ( to the person who drew this to my attention I would love to thank you but you left me a bogus email address )

I made Garlic Scape Pesto last weekend and my goodness was it ever ever yummy.

My recipe sourced from here

( Jessie of the hungry mouse shares about stumbling upon a garlic farm out east that has “scape weekends”   Get it?  like, escape weekends! )

This yielded enough for one pasta meal.

A chicken grill off –  garlic pesto style.

and two baby food jars for the freezer!

WOW!

Here is the recipe:

1 C Garlic Scape – the darkest green parts.

1/3 C Walnuts

3/4 C Olive Oil

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese

Salt And Pepper.

Pulse scapes and walnuts together, add oil gradually in a pour, then the cheese etc

Variations:

I only had pecans around and 1/2 the amount of cheese. That said – my pesto was still really good.

This week I am making more for grilled veggies and to freeze. I am adding fresh basil, and using sunflower seeds. I bought more parmesan. I bet this is terrific also!

 

the images below are a tadd off because for some reason they had this funny red hue to them. All except the last one. I must have had a color filter selected.   I still like the black and whites actually.

What a local seasonal treat these are! I also just love them visually – curly garlic treasures!

Baked Seasoned Tofu

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I think tofu is about as “crunchy” as it gets.  My earlier exposure to tofu wasn’t particularly inspiring.  Tofu mayo and so – so brownies??  I’ll pass.  My favorite experiences with tofu has mostly been out.  Thai food – yum.   I recently started experimenting again with tofu in my stir-fry’s – and found I am getting better at it.

Tofu is a tremendous plant protein alternative.

This particular recipe caught my eye and I have to tell you  - it’s astounding.  The making of was a tad time consuming.   Not terrible in the scheme of things and I got two terrific meals out of the effort. Next time I make this I will double the recipe and see what happens when I freeze.

Wrap one block of  organic  ( non-GMO or pesticide treated ) tofu in a kitchen towel. Press with something heavy for 15 minutes.  Move towel to a dry part and press another 15.  The removal of moisture helps the tofu soak up more flavor.

Turn oven on to 450 degrees

While pressing tofu – in a larger skillet make marinade.

Combine 1 3/4 C water, 1/4 C shoyu – I use tamari, 1 T chopped ginger, 1 T chopped garlic, 2 stars of anise broken into petals ( oh yum!!) 1/4 red pepper flakes.

Cut tofu into one inch rectangles.  Arrange in marinade in a single layer and bring to a boil.  Simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Brush a baking dish with oil – they recommended sesame.  Place tofu carefully in dish removing bits of garlic or ginger ( they will burn) and top with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Flip pieces over, sprinkle with more seeds and bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Should be deliciously baked brown.

Tofu becomes firmer as it cools.

OK to keep in a container for a week.  I ate it all in two days!

*not familiar with star anise? it’s similar to licorice, found in quality bulk or chinese grocery stores

sourced from the new soy cookbook by Lorna Sass

Next time I make this I will photograph and pop an image in ….

 

 

Garlic Can Lower High Blood Pressure

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If you are at risk for heart disease,  use antibiotics regulary,  have diarrhea or flatulance,  any bacterial,  fungal,  or viral infection,  low immunity,  arthritis,  sore throat,  toothache,  asthma,  allergies,  pneumonia,  cancer,  meningitis, colds or flu,  tuberculosis,  fever blisters,  athlete’s foot,  common warts,  genital herpes,  sinus infections,  whooping cough or high blood pressure then garlic may be useful for you!Garlic as a medicinal herb has a remarkable history, withstanding the test of time.  Reliably, Garlic is part of a valid heart health supplement program and also benefits those who have immune function challenges.

Garlic, to eat may taste wonderful, but does not maintain Allicin, it’s medicinal value, once it’s been cooked or smashed.

In other words you can cook with it all you want. Yum. but if you cook it or smash it,  then you need to take it in supplement form too.

Having Garlic in pill form secures it’s medicinal validity especially when the product is not produced at extreme temperatures, is dried very slowly, and combined with rosemary and spearmint for odor control.

Should you add a high quality Garlic supplement to your health building protocol you will notice these benefits:

Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke
lower serum cholesterol readings
lower tryglycerides
raised HDL, good cholesterol
increased blood fluidity
stops free radicals

Garlic is anti-inflammatory, bacterial, fungal and viral – sometimes referred to as a natural antibiotic.

It kills parasites
protects the liver from toxins
protects against radiation
is used to treat excess perspiration
lower blood glucose in diabetics
is a blood cleanser, traps heavy metals
used in treatment for colic
increases while blood cell levels, even in AIDS patients

sourced from nutrition and you


garlic flickr image credit

Which Nutrients Benefit The Heart?

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Which Nutrients Benefit Your Heart?

The classic hallmark card holiday brings to mind an idealized from the heart mind set. It’s easy to buy chocolates and roses. Yet perhaps not so easy to address the actual physical health of your very own heart. If you have family history with heart disease then your heart is genetically predisposed to heart concerns. I can offer information about long term heart prevention strategies that potentially keep you off medications or naturally shift heart heart health challenges like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Multi/Vitamin/Mineral SupplementIndependent clinical research concludes the completeness and bioavailability of this multiple vitamin. Shortage of levels of basic nutrients will put blood lipids out of balance. Also available w/o Iron and a superb over age 50 formula Multi-for seniors

Soy Protein A Complete, low fat, low calorie protein drink mix that stabilizes blood sugarsoy rebuild cells and hormones. Isoflavones are the special substances in soy that help lower cholesterol, reduce risk of cancer, help control PMS and menopausal symptoms and reduce the risk of kidney and gallstones. Our Soy Protein has been proven effective as reported in the Arteriosclerosis Journal of Medicine. The New England Journal of Medicine states 38 studies showing soy itself lowers cholesterol by 12 to 13% and 11.5% is LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Acidophilus/Bifidus Friendly bacteria supports the growth of health microflora naturally found in the colon. Our product delivers a guaranteed 500 million live bifidus and acidophilus to the lower intestine. Acidopholus/ Bifidus lowers cholesterol in three ways:

1. Limits cholesterol production in the liver;

2. A healthy acid environment the probiodics converts cholesterol into a form the body cannot absorb;

3. Probiotics consume the cholesterol (like pac-man) and cholesterol is eliminated.

Fiber Our unique blend of four types of soluble fibers can significantly help you lower your blood cholesterol when combined with a low-fat diet. It is easy to add to your soy protein shake. Our Fiber has been clinically tested and proven at Stanford University School of Medicine. Two studies were reported in the American Journal of Cardiology that our Fiber lowered total cholesterol in just 4 weeks, by 15%; LDL (bad cholesterol) lowered by 22% and HDL (good cholesterol) stayed the same. For each 1% drop in total cholesterol you reduce your heart attack risk by 2%. This 15% decrease means that heart attack risk has been reduced by 30%. To get the amount of fiber in one serving of our Fiber, one would need to consume 20 slices of whole wheat bread or 6 apples or 3 ½ bowls of oatmeal. Get results with no side effects as found with  medications.

Essential Fatty Acids Reduces 3 risk factors for heart disease: reduces clots in blood vessels; lowers triglycerides and raises HDL (good cholesterol). Omega-3 fatty acids like those in cold water fish and EPA, play a role in the formation of prostaglandins, which are hormone like substances which regulate blood clotting, inflammation and normalize blood pressure. EPA is nature’s Teflon because it makes arterial walls more slippery and red blood cells more flexible, thus improves blood flow. Easier blood flow means the heart doesn’t have to pump as hard to move blood. That translates to lower blood pressure. Lecithin may also be added to the program when dealing with stubborn high cholesterol levels, as it emulsifies fat.

B Complex Why do people with low cholesterol levels have heart attacks? The natural by-products of metabolism called homocysteine are collecting in the arteries. High levels of homocysteines, as reported by the New England Journal of Medicine creates a 30 times greater chance of heart attack no matter what cholesterol levels are. B vitamins especially folic acid, B6, and B12  totally protect you from high homocysteine levels. 90% of Americans are deficient in B complex. Stress, sugar and processed foods rob the body of B vitamins.

The B Vitamin niacin is one of the oldest & most effective treatments for high cholesterol. However it is best taken as a B-complex to prevent “niacin flush”. Niacin is also needed for proper circulation, healthy skin & nervous system, and the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and in the production of hydrochloric acid for the digestive system.

Vita-E Heart disease risk factors are reduced by 30 to 40% when taking 400IU of Vitamin E. This study was done with 87,000 nurses and 35,000 physicians. One would have to consume 4 pints of peanut butter a day to get 400IU of vitamin E. Our Vitamin E, selenium and grapeseed extract deliver potent antioxidant protection from free radical cell damage. By preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and by protecting arterial walls, vitamin E is an important factor in promoting hearth health and in maintaining a normal cardiovascular system.

Our Calcium product Studies show that calcium and magnesium help balance the delicate ratio of minerals in our cells that affect blood pressure and the proper function of the heart. Cal-Mag also promotes the mineralizing of the skeleton system thus preventing osteoporosis.

Vita C Tufts University reports higher vitamin C levels relates to higher HDL levels. Vitamin C enhances the oxygen supply to the blood stream. It also protects supports the collagen of the cell. Our Vita-C contains the entire vitamin C complex (bioflavonoids etc) and is gently released continuously over a 24 hour period.

Garlic In addition to lowering cholesterol, garlic has also been shown to lower elevated blood pressure, triglycerides and blood glucose in diabetics. It acts as a natural antibiotic, protects the liver from toxins, kills intestinal parasites and is used as a treatment for colic when breast-feeding.

CoQ10 At least 35 controlled clinical trials in Japan, Europe and the U.S. have demonstrated the benefit of CoQ10 therapy in congestive heart failure, angina and ischemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction. CoQ10 levels in heart tissue decline disproportionately with age. At age 20, the heart has a higher CoQ10 level than other major organs. At age 80 this is no longer true, with heart levels cut by more than half. CoQ10 pioneer Karl Folkers (1985), in agreement with earlier Japanese studies, found lower CoQ10 levels in patients with more severe heart disease and showed that CoQ10 supplements significantly raised blood and heart tissue levels of CoQ10 in these patients.

Cholesterol medications deplete CoQ10.

FYI — Our Co-enzyme Q10 is up to 500% more bio-available than dry powder products, up to 333% more bio-available than soft gels


medical protocol flickr image credit

Four Steps To Correct Yeast Overgrowth

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Four Steps to Correct Yeast Overgrowth

1. Decrease the amount of yeast in the body by using antifungal preparations
2. Stop feeding the existing yeast by limiting the foods and drugs that cause the yeast to multiply.
3. Rebuild the immune system through a nutritional supplementation program
4. Create a non – toxic environment in your home to decrease candida – related symptoms.

Yeast reduction – anti fungal preparations

The first step in resolving a yeast overgrowth in your body is to destroy the excessive yeast. There are several different products that have been used successfully to kill the yeast including:

Nystatin
A drug available by prescription only, that when taken orally coats the membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and kills the yeast with which it comes in contact with. Powdered nystatin is preferable to tablets because the pills don’t dissolve in time to coat the areas in the sinus, mouth throat, esophagus and stomach which also may be affected. However, the powder does need to remain refrigerated.

Caprylic Acid
Many physicians, especially naturopathic doctors use caprylic acid products as the main antifungal agent in a yeast control program. Caprylic acid is a long-chain fatty acid naturally occurring in coconut that is toxic to yeast. Most health food stores stock a variety of caprylic acid products

Homeopathic Remedies
There are a variety of homeopathic Candida remedies which kill yeast. Some are available directly from Homeopathic Physicians; others are available from health food stores

Garlic
Garlic, a medicinal herb, contains two potent antifungal agents – allin. A precursor to allicin and haeoni, the stronger of the two.  Most commercially available garlic tablets or capsules do not contain adequate quantities of the antifungal agents because they are destroyed by cooking or processing. However, this corporation does make a garlic tablet in which the antifungal agents are still potent. It works best if you take one or two tablets at the same time you use one of the other antifungal preparations.

sourced affectionately from a brochure by Gemma Gorham 1997, a document I have used to assist those who feel they may have candida.