MALIBU WAY OF LIFE / By Jody Stump
I was nonplussed to read that people consume an extra 25 percent calories on Thanksgiving. It seems low. Either the usual American diet is astonishingly high in calories, which might be true, or our family really packs it on for the holiday. This I know is true. For three hours of happy nibbling, we graze through five or six calorie-rich courses. Soup to nuts, Thanksgiving is a meal that exceeds the term, wandering past feast into the realm of a food orgy.
Thanksgiving is excessive. Most of us disregard daily concerns about cholesterol and carbohydrates to focus on flavor. The funny thing is that the end result is a meal packed full of things that are good for us-foods we often skip in our everyday diets.
Take turkey, for starters. The poor bird has been relegated to just one, or possibly two, meals a year, yet it is the leanest, inexpensive meat source on the planet. That Thanksgiving centerpiece is filled to the quills with heart-healthy, cancer-fighting nutrients like vitamin B-6, zinc and selenium. Turkey is far lower in calories than chicken and much higher in essential proteins than fish. And then there’s the magic of tryptophan, an amino acid as potent to humans as krypton to Superman. According to an AOL poll, turkey puts a third of the populace to sleep after dinner (although a recent Los Angeles Times article debunks the theory of turkey-ingested tryptophan causing drowsiness-not enough T in turkey to do the job).
After turkey, consider the sides. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach and kale, are among the most beneficial foods you can eat. They boost the immune system, build strong bones and lower the incidence of cataracts, all while delivering big flavor in packages with almost no calories. And, if you have ever smoked, only crucifers help heal the lining of your lungs.
Cranberries, and their cousins-red grapes, blueberries, currants and cherries- are super-foods containing more densely packed disease-fighting antioxidants, ounce for ounce, than anything else you can eat. So pile high the cranberry relish and grab more berries after dinner as pie or cobbler.
Speaking of dessert, let’s hear it for the pumpkin. Native Americans cherished the gourd as a container, food and medicine. For American colonists, pumpkin, not turkey, was the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal. They made a pudding, scooping out the pumpkin seeds and filling the cavity with cream, honey and spices, then burying it to bake in hot ashes. Pumpkins are high in fiber, vitamins A, C and E, and magnesium, and are an excellent source of high-quality, bio-available carotene. Carotene is the cell-knitting nutrient that clusters to fend off free radicals and detoxify tissues. It protects against sun damage to the skin and eyes and, in the landmark Nurses’ Health Study, appeared to be the most significant factor in a lower incidence of breast cancer. So eat more pie. Sweet potato, too. It’s a close relative to the mighty pumpkin.
I could go on to extol the virtues of oranges and pomegranate seeds in your salad and salmon in hors d’oeuvres but I think the message is clear. Eat hearty and protect your heart. Give thanks for all the nutrients you’re packing into your body. And, remember to add these items to your regular diet and you’ll feel better all year.
Am I Really Eating Brussels Sprouts?
Serves 8
Crucifers. All the dark cabbages that are so good for you-spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale-get a bad rap, usually from decades of late harvests and over-cooking. When picked young and cooked gently, they are among the most flavorful and delicious vegetables you can serve. At our house, they are more often dinner’s centerpiece than the roast or grilled fillet. This recipe is a surprising holiday favorite, the oft-hated Brussels sprouts transformed into a clamored-after sidedish. Packed with complex flavors, it is a perfect antidote to the neutrality of mashed potatoes and turkey.
4 thick slices smoky bacon, cubed
2 Tbs. butter
2 lb. baby Brussels sprouts, trimmed*
3 Tbs. maple syrup
1 cup heavy cream
1 jar roasted chestnuts, chunked
* To trim, remove core and thick outer leaves. Slice an “X” in the base before cooking so heat penetrates the inner leaves.
1. Brown bacon; set aside. Add butter and sprouts to pan. Toss to brown. Pour off fat. Add 1 cup of salted water and simmer, partly covered, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Remove lid, add syrup and boil gently until water evaporates.
3. Add cream and bacon. Stir until sauce starts to thicken. Add chestnuts and cook until tender. Season with salt, pepper and freshly-grated nutmeg.
Note: This may be made a day ahead and refrigerated-it’s even better when the flavors blend overnight. Reheat gently and serve warm.