Want To Boost Immunity? Try These Dishes
Even though the calendar (and the groundhog) says we’re less than six weeks from spring, we’re still in the middle of cold, flu, and Covid season. It’s important to boost your immune system to help ward off these nagging afflictions. It’s much easier to keep them at bay than to fight them off once they’ve settled in. If you haven’t already, you should read the article by our contributing writer and nutritionist Ginger Hultin. It provides in-depth descriptions of foods that contain vitamins, minerals, and compounds that help your body fight diseases.
These FoodTrients can be found in delicious recipes from my cookbooks. For starters, this salad from my latest cookbook, Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World, is inspired by the Blue Zone of Ikaria, Greece, where the people can live to advanced ages of up to 100 years.
Ikarian Arugula Salad with Feta, Pine Nuts, and Berries
The feta cheese in the salad provides protein and calcium. Hint: if you can buy the feta in bulk from a Greek, Persian, or other Middle Eastern deli, do it! Packaged feta will do, but feta from the deli case tastes better. Pine nuts are a good source of B vitamins, folate, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and manganese. You can buy pine nuts pre-toasted. Leafy green arugula and extra virgin olive oil provide anti-inflammatory properties as do the berries. The salty feta and the sweet berries play beautifully together!
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 cup Greek feta cheese, cubed
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
½ tsp. dried Greek or Italian oregano
8 cups arugula (or spinach)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper to taste½ cup toasted pine nuts
½ cup (or more) fresh blueberries, figs, or strawberries
Instructions
- Place the feta cheese in a bowl.
- Pour ¼ cup olive oil over the cheese and add the oregano. Marinate the cheese for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat evenly.
- In a large bowl, combine the arugula (or spinach), lemon juice, remaining oil, feta cheese, and pepper. Toss gently.
- To serve, divide the salad among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Sprinkle each with the pine nuts and the berries.
Turkey with Mole Sauce
This recipe is from my Age Beautifully Cookbook. Mole (MOH-lay) is a rich, dark Mexican sauce that is usually made with a dozen ingredients or more. There is no one version and I’ve kept this one simple. Usually served with poultry, it’s a unique combination of flavors and full of immune-boosting ingredients such as dark chocolate, raisins, chilies, cinnamon, and cardamon.
This easy recipe can be made in a slow cooker or on a stove top. My FoodTrients Dessert Spice Mix adds antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. I spoon the turkey and sauce into corn tortillas that have been warmed on the griddle.
Health benefits: Turkey contains the FoodTrient selenium, which detoxifies organs and helps skin stay elastic, plus it’s loaded with lean protein. Dark chocolate contains catechins and flavonoids, which reduce the risk of heart disease. Almond milk provides the FoodTrients omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart and circulation system, and zinc, which increases your resistance to infection. Chile peppers are rich in the FoodTrients zinc and vitamin C, another boost to the immune system.
Variations: You can use chicken instead of turkey or make the mole spicier by adding hotter chiles or more varieties of hot peppers. This dish can be served over rice (preferably brown rice, for added nutrients) instead of with corn tortillas.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1¼ lbs. turkey cutlets or turkey tenders (skinless and boneless)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup almond milk
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles
¼ cup chopped jalapeño peppers
1 Tbs. raisins
2 tsp. FoodTrients Dessert Spice Mix (recipe follows)
2 tsp. raw or brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water
1 banana, mashed
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Place all ingredients except cornstarch mixture, banana, and chocolate into a crock pot or enamel-covered cast-iron pot with a lid (such as Le Creuset). Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add cornstarch mixture and cook another 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the mashed banana and the chocolate chips. Let sit 2–3 minutes, or until all the chocolate has melted. Stir well.
4. Spoon into grilled corn tortillas or ladle over rice.
FoodTrients Dessert Spice Mix
Ingredients
1 tsp. ground cardamom (brown, not green)
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. instant coffee (decaf is fine)
8 tsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened)
Procedure
Place ingredients in a jar. Add lid and shake until well combined. Store in a cool cupboard.
Mushroom Medley
Also from The Age Beautifully Cookbook, this side dish pairs well with chicken or beef or game meats. You can use almost any variety of mushrooms in any combination. I leave the small mushrooms whole because they look nicer that way, but you can chop them if you prefer. Mushrooms contain selenium, an antioxidant that boosts immune function and reduces cancer risk. Beta glucans in mushrooms boost the immune system. Mushrooms are also a good source of vitamin D for strong bones. You can learn more about the incredible benefits of mushrooms in my blog on Miraculous Mushrooms.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
1 cup white button mushrooms
1 cup chopped Portobello mushrooms
1 cup cremini mushrooms
3 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh oregano
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh marjoram
¼ sea salt or salt substitute
¼ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
1. In a heavy enamel-covered pan, braise the mushrooms in the butter and garlic over low or medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring often, or until the mushrooms shrink and darken all the way through.
2. Add the balsamic vinegar, herbs, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 5–10 minutes or until the liquid around the mushrooms has thickened a bit.
Chef’s Note: If you use dried mushrooms, first hydrate them in boiling-hot water for at least 20 minutes, then drain well before braising in butter.
Shrimp in Tomato Sauce
Shrimp and tomatoes are a very Mediterranean combination. Eat this dish from my first book, The Age Gracefully Cookbook, and you can almost imagine yourself on the Amalfi Coast with the sun gently warming your skin! I use soy sauce in place of salt and add Worcestershire sauce to create a nice depth of flavor. You’ll get selenium from the shrimp, allicin from the garlic, and lycopene from the tomatoes.
Serves 2
Ingredients
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3⁄4 lb. peeled shrimp (devein, if desired)
Chopped parsley as garnish
Chopped chives as garnish
Procedure
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it starts to turn golden brown, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and cook about 5–7 minutes.
- To serve, spoon over white or brown rice and garnish with parsley and chives.
Raspberry-Cream Banana Splits
Here’s a rich, creamy frozen dessert that’s vegan and from my Age Beautifully Cookbook. This heart-healthy confection delivers decadent coolness without any animal fats. I also use coconut cream—not to be confused with coconut milk or sweetened cream of coconut. Coconut cream is thicker and heavier than coconut milk and it usually comes unsweetened in cans or tetra packs. Even the chocolate sauce is vegan.
Benefits
Coconut cream contains lauric acid, an anti-inflammatory that can improve your cholesterol balance and prostate health. It’s also antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antiviral when applied topically. The monounsaturated fats in cashews are anti-inflammatory and can improve the appearance of the skin. Raspberries are loaded with vitamin C, which helps the body resist infection, aids tissue regeneration, and helps prevent cataracts.
Ingredients
Serves 2
1 cup raw cashews
Warm water to cover
1 cup very ripe raspberries
½ cup cold water
½ tsp. lemon zest
3 Tbs. coconut cream
2 Tbs. cocoa powder
2 Tbs. agave syrup
2–3 Tbs. coconut milk
2 peeled bananas
¼ cup chopped walnuts
Procedure
- Make the raspberry-cashew cream: Place the cashews in a small bowl. Cover with warm water and soak for 1 hour. While they are soaking, purée the raspberries and the cold water until smooth, then strain the seeds out. Drain the cashews and blend them with the raspberries, lemon zest, and coconut cream until smooth. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for 4–5 hours or until hard.
- Make the sauce: Whisk together the cocoa powder, agave syrup, and coconut milk until smooth. Chill until ready to use.
- Just before serving, blend the cubes of raspberry-cashew “ice” cream in the blender until thick and smooth.
- To serve, slice the bananas lengthwise and divide the slices between two serving dishes. Top with scoops of the raspberry cream, then the chocolate sauce and chopped walnuts.
Learn more about FoodTrients’ nine benefits with these additional articles from our nutritionist Ginger Hultin:
Anti-Inflammatory
Anti-Inflammatory Foods: The Top 10
Antioxidants
Antioxidants Help Slow Down Premature Aging
Beauty
Beauty Is So Much More Than Skin Deep
Detox
Which Foods Are Best To Help You Detox?
Disease Prevention
Meet the Best Foods for Disease Prevention
Recipes for DISEASE PREVENTION
Gut health
Good Gut Health Helps Prevent Diseases – FoodTrients
Immunity Booster
How To Support Your Immune System Naturally
Mind
How To Feed Your Brain and Keep Sharp
Strength
