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Meatless Monday – Walnut Rice with Cream Cheese, Mushrooms and Spinach

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Wow! It’s been awhile since my last post, which was my game plan for French Restaurant Week in June. There are officially 99 days left in 2024! I’ve been cooking a lot and replicating recipes using techniques rather than ingredients because I had to work with what I had. Over the summer, two months ago, I came home early enough to utilize the ingredients that are in the refrigerator before they went bad. After surveying the content at that time, I had leftover vegan cream cheese, spinach and unopened mushrooms that needed to be cooked or it would have been a waste. Therefore, after my child went to bed, I did a basic search on dishes containing cream cheese, mushrooms and spinach. The first thing that popped up on my search engine was the recipe from RiceSelect. After reviewing this recipe, I discovered I had all the ingredients: cooked rice, walnuts, butter, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. I gathered up what I had and here is what I had to work with:

See these ingredients I realized that I have a healthy comforting vegetarian dish in the works.

Butter from grass fed cows have good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, chromium, copper, iodine, manganese, and zinc. For this recipe I used Vital Farms Unsalted Butter, has been labeled as on the best butters according to taste tests from Serious Eats and and Healthline. Personally I like using grass fed unsalted butter because it makes dishes taste a little richer while consuming the fat soluble vitamins essential for bone health. For this dish, I melted less than 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Then after the butter is melted, I added the mushrooms and let it cook for approximately 4 minutes.

One cup of mushrooms contain multiple cancer fighting antioxidants such as “polyphenols, polysaccharides, ergothioneine, glutathione, selenium, and vitamin C”, These antioxidants fight off oxidative stress, and prevent tumors. The presence of polysaccharides in mushrooms help regular blood sugar and insulin production. Mushrooms also contain a specific type of polysaccharide called beta-glucans. Beta-glucans has been shown to activate macrophages and natural killer cells to stimulate the immune system, which will inhibit further tumor growth, reduce proliferation and metastasis. In addition to the prevention of tumor production, beta-glucans in its soluble form is capable of forming a “gel on the mucosal surface of the bowel”, which will reduce cholesterol levels. The presence of glutathione and ergothioneine in white mushrooms display their respective roles in getting rid of potentially harmful substances and keeping the DNA safe from oxidative damage. Ergothioneine acts as a bioactive agent to prevent plaque development, which reduces the risk of early cardiovascular disease. The presence of Vitamin C and selenium also adds another layer of anticancer properties by respectively blocking specific enzymes responsible for spreading cancer and prevent cancer development. Finally, white button mushrooms have prebiotics, which is beneficial for intestinal health and gut health.

After the mushrooms are cooked, add the vegan cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted and reduce the heat temperature to medium-low.

Vegan Cream Cheese

Add cooked brown rice (leftover brown rice – a day old), stir to blend and heat with the mushroom cream cheese mixture (3-4 minutes).

Brown rice has been advertised and promoted as a healthy carbohydrate ingredient because it is considered a whole grain. Four years ago, a three prospective cohort study covering self-reporting, follow-up questionnaire with supplemental questionnaires covering a period of 33 years (1984-2017) was published. The results from this cohort study showed that higher consumption of whole grains, which includes brown rice was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes among the “158,259 women and 36,525 men who did not have type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline”. However, in 2023, there was an article that was published revealing that there is more arsenic found in brown rice versus white rice. The article addressed that arsenic is considered an environmental pollutant that has contributed to higher risk of arsenic-induced metabolic syndrome whose symptoms include “a large waistline, high blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, high triglyceride level, and low HDL cholesterol”. These symptoms often lead to cardiovascular disease in the long term. Ultimately, based on these two studies, more studies and research need to be completed to validate the health benefits of brown rice. In the meantime, we should limit food and products containing arsenic due to more consistent findings.

Add spinach to the rice mixture and stir until wilted.

Spinach is one of my favorite vegetable because of its versatility but more importantly this vegetable contains a large amount of health benefits. I have shared recipes in past blog posts containing spinach:

Recent research reveals another another component that is found in spinach called Betaine. Betaine has been known to help regulate homocysteine levels in the blood, which may contribute towards disease prevention such as heart disease, and stroke, Betaine has also been shown to with endurance, reduce fatigue and improve muscle power and strength.

After the spinach is wilted, remove pan from heat and add walnuts. Walnuts usually adds another layer of flavor and texture. They are great for garnishes. I personally like to include them when baking banana bread or incorporating them in a salad. There have been recent research showing that walnuts are beneficial for improving cognition and reducing the risk and/or progression of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. In additions the properties found in walnuts may provide protection against neuroinflammation.

Happy National Rice Month! I hope to continue to blog more successful dishes before the year ends!!

References:

Koman, T. We Taste-Tested 11 Supermarket Unsalted Butters—Here Are Our Favorites. Serious Eats. 2024 May 4. https://www.seriouseats.com/unsalted-butters-taste-test-8641945

Streit, L and Kubala, J. The 12 Best Butter Brands for Every Use. Healthline. 2022 Jun 30. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-butter-brands

Lang, A. White Mushrooms: Nutrition, Benefits, and Uses. Healthline. 2020 Jan 27. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-mushroom-nutrition

Pizzino G, Irrera N, Cucinotta M, Pallio G, Mannino F, Arcoraci V, Squadrito F, Altavilla D, Bitto A. Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:8416763. doi: 10.1155/2017/8416763. Epub 2017 Jul 27. PMID: 28819546; PMCID: PMC5551541.

Kozarski M, Klaus A, Jakovljevic D, Todorovic N, Vunduk J, Petrović P, Niksic M, Vrvic MM, van Griensven L. Antioxidants of Edible Mushrooms. Molecules. 2015 Oct 27;20(10):19489-525. doi: 10.3390/molecules201019489. PMID: 26516828; PMCID: PMC6331815.

Ganesan K, Xu B. Anti-Diabetic Effects and Mechanisms of Dietary Polysaccharides. Molecules. 2019 Jul 13;24(14):2556. doi: 10.3390/molecules24142556. PMID: 31337059; PMCID: PMC6680889.

Yang S, Yan J, Yang L, Meng Y, Wang N, He C, Fan Y, Zhou Y. Alkali-soluble polysaccharides from mushroom fruiting bodies improve insulin resistance. Int J Biol Macromol. 2019 Apr 1;126:466-474. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.12.251. Epub 2018 Dec 27. PMID: 30594618; PMCID: PMC8593897.

Akramiene D, Kondrotas A, Didziapetriene J, Kevelaitis E. Effects of beta-glucans on the immune system. Medicina (Kaunas). 2007;43(8):597-606. PMID: 17895634.

Volman JJ, Helsper JP, Wei S, Baars JJ, van Griensven LJ, Sonnenberg AS, Mensink RP, Plat J. Effects of mushroom-derived beta-glucan-rich polysaccharide extracts on nitric oxide production by bone marrow-derived macrophages and nuclear factor-kappaB transactivation in Caco-2 reporter cells: can effects be explained by structure? Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Feb;54(2):268-76. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.200900009. PMID: 19885842.

Kalaras MD, Richie JP, Calcagnotto A, Beelman RB. Mushrooms: A rich source of the antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione. Food Chem. 2017 Oct 15;233:429-433. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.109. Epub 2017 Apr 20. PMID: 28530594.

Chambial S, Dwivedi S, Shukla KK, John PJ, Sharma P. Vitamin C in disease prevention and cure: an overview. Indian J Clin Biochem. 2013 Oct;28(4):314-28. doi: 10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3. Epub 2013 Sep 1. PMID: 24426232; PMCID: PMC3783921.

Mehdi Y, Hornick JL, Istasse L, Dufrasne I. Selenium in the environment, metabolism and involvement in body functions. Molecules. 2013 Mar 13;18(3):3292-311. doi: 10.3390/molecules18033292. PMID: 23486107; PMCID: PMC6270138.

Sima P, Vannucci L, Vetvicka V. β-glucans and cholesterol (Review). Int J Mol Med. 2018 Apr;41(4):1799-1808. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2018.3411. Epub 2018 Jan 22. PMID: 29393350; PMCID: PMC5810204.

Martin KR. The bioactive agent ergothioneine, a key component of dietary mushrooms, inhibits monocyte binding to endothelial cells characteristic of early cardiovascular disease. J Med Food. 2010 Dec;13(6):1340-6. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2009.0194. PMID: 21091247.

Martin KR. Both common and specialty mushrooms inhibit adhesion molecule expression and in vitro binding of monocytes to human aortic endothelial cells in a pro-inflammatory environment. Nutr J. 2010 Jul 16;9:29. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-9-29. PMID: 20637088; PMCID: PMC2916885.

Solano-Aguilar GI, Jang S, Lakshman S, Gupta R, Beshah E, Sikaroodi M, Vinyard B, Molokin A, Gillevet PM, Urban JF Jr. The Effect of Dietary Mushroom Agaricus bisporus on Intestinal Microbiota Composition and Host Immunological Function. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 9;10(11):1721. doi: 10.3390/nu10111721. PMID: 30424006; PMCID: PMC6266512.

Solano-Aguilar GI, Jang S, Lakshman S, Gupta R, Beshah E, Sikaroodi M, Vinyard B, Molokin A, Gillevet PM, Urban JF Jr. The Effect of Dietary Mushroom Agaricus bisporus on Intestinal Microbiota Composition and Host Immunological Function. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 9;10(11):1721. doi: 10.3390/nu10111721. PMID: 30424006; PMCID: PMC6266512.

Hess J, Wang Q, Gould T, Slavin J. Impact of Agaricus bisporus Mushroom Consumption on Gut Health Markers in Healthy Adults. Nutrients. 2018 Oct 2;10(10):1402. doi: 10.3390/nu10101402. PMID: 30279332; PMCID: PMC6213353.

Hu Y, Ding M, Sampson L, Willett WC, Manson JE, Wang M, Rosner B, Hu FB, Sun Q. Intake of whole grain foods and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective cohort studies. BMJ. 2020 Jul 8;370:m2206. doi: 10.1136/bmj.m2206. PMID: 32641435; PMCID: PMC7341349.

Su LJ, Chiang TC, O’Connor SN. Arsenic in brown rice: do the benefits outweigh the risks? Front Nutr. 2023 Jul 14;10:1209574. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1209574. PMID: 37521417; PMCID: PMC10375490.

Dobrijević D, Pastor K, Nastić N, Özogul F, Krulj J, Kokić B, Bartkiene E, Rocha JM, Kojić J. Betaine as a Functional Ingredient: Metabolism, Health-Promoting Attributes, Food Sources, Applications and Analysis Methods. Molecules. 2023 Jun 17;28(12):4824. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124824. PMID: 37375378; PMCID: PMC10302777.

Chauhan A, Chauhan V. Beneficial Effects of Walnuts on Cognition and Brain Health. Nutrients. 2020 Feb 20;12(2):550. doi: 10.3390/nu12020550. PMID: 32093220; PMCID: PMC7071526.

Tan B, Wang Y, Zhang X, Sun X. Recent Studies on Protective Effects of Walnuts against Neuroinflammation. Nutrients. 2022 Oct 18;14(20):4360. doi: 10.3390/nu14204360. PMID: 36297047; PMCID: PMC9609811.

Traditional Tuesday – Carbonara

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Ten years ago I have had the privilege of traveling to Italy for vacation. At time the Euro was stronger than the dollar so most things were pricey. Throughout my time there, I was approached as being “giapponese” which means Japanese. I went to Rome, Florence, Umbria, Vatican City and Pisa. We went to many churches, most of them were labelled as minor basilicas. We attended many masses unintentionally, maybe it was a blessing. A lot of people spoke English but they don’t want to speak English, so I spent time during my 9 hour flight there learning the basics and if I can’t speak it in Italian, I spoke Spanish. We hit the major tourist spots such as the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Square, Duomo, Tower of Pisa and Spanish Steps.

Now to the food, I have the privilege of tasting authentic Italian cuisine and wine throughout the trip. Given the cost of food, I resorted to what the Italian’s call “the poor man’s food” – Spaghetti Carbonara.

What is Spaghetti Carbonara?

Carbonara is a dish that consists of eggs, spaghetti (any pasta), cheese and leftover pancetta, guanciale or bacon. This dish was invented by a chef from Bologna, Italy named Renato Gualandi in 1944 just approximately at the end of World War II. During this time access to food and resources were very limited and he had a banquet to prepare for. Therefore, “he concocted a sauce for spaghetti made of bacon, cream, processed cheese and dried egg yolk, topped with a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper”.

During quarantine I’ve been creating dishes with the food that we have. I had leftover bacon along with onions, cheese, eggs and pasta so I made carbonara. I searched for authentic recipes and I came across the simple recipe from Lidia Bastianich and I almost followed it to the “T”. So here is what I did:

Ingredients set up: bacon, onions, whole grain spaghetti, olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, two eggs (yolks were used), salt and pepper.
1) Boil water 2) Chop bacon and cook it over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes.
Push the bacon to the side and add the chopped onions. Cook the onions for five minutes.
As the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Combine the bacon and onions. Ladle 2-4 cups of pasta water (depending on serving size) to the bacon and onions.
Bring it to a boil and reduce.
Whisk egg yolks and add 1/2 cup of hot pasta water.
After the pasta is cooked add it to the bacon and onion mixture. Combine until well mixed.
Remove from heat and immediately add in the egg yolks. Stir until it’s creamy.
Add parmesan cheese and toss.
Serve immediately!!

Recently, I came across a recipe that was a low carb and even keto friendly from Food & Wine called: Asparagus Carbonara. There are so many health benefit to consuming asparagus. Asparagus contain antioxidants, which prevents inflammation, improve the immune system, remove excess water from the body. They treat ulcers, kidney stones, and depression. They also lower sugar levels, prevent wrinkles and breakouts, maintain skin elasticity and improve reproductive health. So, here is what I did with this recipe provided by Melissa Clark from Food & Wine magazine.

Heat skillet and cook chopped bacon for approximately 4-5 minutes.
Add asparagus and two tablespoons of water. Cook for 2-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat immediately and add the egg yolks with butter. Note: Pan was still hot and the egg yolks started to cook.
After the butter is melted, add in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Toss and serve immediately!!

For the last 75 plus years, carbonara has become a staple dish in Roman Italian cuisine. The dish is easy to make and it does not break the bank, therefore it is budget friendly. I am happy to be finally posting and blessed to do it on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Cheers! Enjoy! God Bless you all!

Meatless Monday – 2 ingredients – Sauteed spinach & Garlic

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Here’s a quick pick-me-up that is cheap, healthy, gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian side dish.  Recently I brought a bag of Dole Baby Spinach, on sale at Shop & Shop (buy 1 get 1 free) and homemade minced garlic (thank you dad) and put a quick side dish together.

Spinach has many health properties, which were previously mentioned on a past Meatless Monday post.  In addition, spinach has one of the highest if not the highest level of folate, which helps prevent depression, neural tube disorders during pregnancy, and dementia.

 

Garlic has been considered to be medicine food especially in India and China.  It was used to aid respiration and digestion.  It helps reduce inflammation and even prevent cancers.  It also contains neuroprotective properties that helps with visual memory and performing executive functions.  It is also an immune system booster, which helps treat colds and flu.  It helps with high blood pressure and may help treat diabetes.

1 bag of Dole Baby Spinach, washed = 20 calories for 3 cups.

2 tablespoons of minced garlic = 30 calories

  1. Spray the pan with cooking spray

2. Add minced garlic and saute until starts becoming golden brown

3. Stir in spinach gradually until wilted

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At various Chinese restaurants I’ve eaten at, this dish or any other green vegetable dish and garlic would cost over $10 (family style) and they use vegetable oil, which is less healthier than olive oil, and grapeseed oil.  This dish can be made with other vegetables such as bok choy and watercress.

 

Meatless Monday – Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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It has been over a week since my last post and as promised I am starting the week with another Meatless Monday recipe with a child’s least favorite vegetable: Brussels Sprouts.  Actually I was first introduced to brussels sprouts a few years ago as a frozen vegetable by my dad who would serve it with butter sauce.  Then over the summer I went with a former colleague to La Dama, a Mexican restaurant in the Financial District in NYC where I had a roasted brussels sprouts side dish.  The sprouts were roasted and it had cheese and lime. It was delicious, but unfortunately, they no longer make this side dish.

Recently, I came across fresh Brussels sprouts on sale two weeks ago at my local supermarket and I decided to purchase a bag.  After researching an easy dish to make with these brussels sprouts, I came across a dish that was posted on Once Upon a Chef where the Brussels Sprouts were roasted and mixed with balsamic vinegar and honey.

After being culinary inspired, the world of Brussels sprouts were further explored.

Brussels Sprouts were initially discovered during the 16th century in Belgium.  But more importantly, this cruciferous vegetable has many health benefits:

  • Prevents cancer especially bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.
  • Contains vitamin C, which protects cells from cancer and heart disease
  • Maintain healthy gums, teeth and skin
  • Helps with the immune system
  • Contains fiber, which regulates the digestive system, prevents constipation, lowers cholesterol levels and reduces heart disease and stroke.
  • Contains folate, which prevents birth defect development
  • Helps form and maintain DNA

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Two Vinegars and Honey (inspired by Once Upon a Chef)

There are six ingredients for this dish and the star ingredient is the Brussels Sprouts:

  • 1 package (12 0z) brussels sprouts, halved, stems and ragged outer leaves removed*
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Datu Putu
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Everything with the exception of the brussels sprouts were in my pantry.  The star ingredient was on sale at my local supermarket for $2.5o.

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Six ingredient dish preparation 

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Remove outer leaves and cut each piece in half.  Please the sprout onto a large bowl.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

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Place brussels sprouts.  Sprinkle the brussels sprouts with ground black pepper.  Add two tablespoons of olive oil.  Toss to combine.  

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Line baking pan with aluminum foil.  Spray the foiled pan with cooking spray.  Transfer brussels sprouts to a baking pan.  Spread sprouts evenly.  Roast in the oven for approximately twenty minutes.  Turn halfway for even browning.   

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Remove pan from the oven and let it cool.  

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Transfer brussels sprouts to a bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Datu putu sugar cane vinegar and 1 teaspoon honey.  Mix well to blend.  Serve. 

The total cost to make this meatless and health friendly dish is an investment of less than $20 and the Brussels sprouts only cost $2.50.  This dish usually serves 2-3 people, but the ingredients used can be applied to make other dishes such as Adobo and salads.