Dolkar Wellness & Longevity: ONE FOR THE PORCH, ONE FOR YOUR PLATE

Monday, October 20, 2008

ONE FOR THE PORCH, ONE FOR YOUR PLATE

When you grab a pumpkin for your fall porch this year, grab one for your plate, too. Why? Two really good reasons: Pumpkin makes an incredibly rich and flavorful base for all sorts of soups, stews, and desserts. And it’s absolutely packed with blood-pressure-friendly nutrients.

Your Halloween Pumpkin flesh is crammed full of phenols -- a type of health-promoting antioxidant that’s found in many plant-based foods. But pumpkin phenols may have particularly body-kind qualities. In cell studies, phenols from pumpkin flesh put a damper on the same enzyme that some blood pressure drugs target to reduce vascular tension. In other words, the phenols in pumpkin may help keep blood vessels relaxed, which means better blood pressure and better heart health

Save the Seeds

When you scoop out your pumpkin, save the seeds so you can roast them. Pumpkin seeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid – a healthy fat that also helps protect blood vessels. No time to cook fresh pumpkin? No problem. Use canned pureed pumpkin. It’s precooked, tastes great, and is just as good for you – because cooking pumpkin seems to enhance its phenolic properties. Real Age – October 2008.

-Real Age

FOR GREAT PUMPKIN recipes....check out Dolkar Wellness NOW!!

ROASTED PEAR-BUTTERNUT SOUP WITH CRUMBLED STILTON

Ingredients:
2 each ripe pears , peeled, quartered and cored
2 pounds butternut squash , peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 each medium tomatoes , cored and quartered
1 large leek , pale green and white parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced and washed thoroughly
2 cloves garlic , crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt , divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable broth or shitaki mushroom
seasoning, divided
2/3 cup crumbled Stilton or other blue-veined cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives or scallion
greens

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine pears, squash, tomatoes, leek, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast,
stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 40 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Place half the vegetables and 2 cups broth in a blender; puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the remaining vegetables and 2 cups broth. Add to the pan and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook the soup over medium-low heat, stirring, until hot, about 10 minutes. Divide among 6 bowls and garnish with cheese and chives (or scallion greens).