Sunday, April 1, 2012

Goodbye Egg Whites. Hello Runny Yolks

Oh Sunday night! You came to fast. It was a jam packed weekend with catering a bridal shower, date night with him which included dinner at my favorite Thai food restaurant in Coronado & the movie The Hunger Games, (which I loved!) a hike on Sunday, a little work on my next endeavor (which I will share soon) and more cooking for passover next Friday.
I am already looking forward to next weekend, which I plan to relax and decompress from the busy week that I have ahead.
I don't know about you but cooking really relaxes me and is somewhat therapeutic. Not so much cooking for a large event where one dish takes 2-3 hours to make and you are constantly looking at the clock to get things done in time. But cooking for fun! A new recipe, with beautiful healthy ingredients, for two.
I was recently turned on to a new blog which I absolutely love. I will share it with you even though I kind of want to keep it all for myself. : )
My New Roots who's tag line is "How to Make Healthy Choices Everyday", is my new favorite.
I have already made two recipes from it and both were fantastic. The writer is a holistic nutritionist, vegetarian chef and writes every post filled with eye opening nutrition informational. I find every post so inspiring, informative, beautiful in sight and taste!
So here is the first recipe I made with my friend who turned me on to My New Roots.
Veggie & Egg Tower of PowerHow eye catching is this dish? We served it with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Such a beautiful meal! Its kind of a take on healthy eggs benedict. Sweet potatoes (in place of the bread), spinach, caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes and a poached egg all stacked high. Although we didn't stack it because that just felt too formal to us. All the veggies are cooked with coconut oil.
What I learned about this recipe? I learned about Lecithin.
Lecithin is a nutrient produced by the liver, and is found in both whole and processed foods. Its function in the body is to emulsify fats, and enhance the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, namely vitamin A. The big reason for consuming lecithin however is the fact that nearly 1/3 of your brain is made of the stuff. 30% of your brain's dry matter is lecithin. Lecithin is rather vital to proper brain function, increasing mental activity and enhancing memory. Lecithin also exhibits a calming effect and can be helpful in reducing hyperactivity. Lecithin protects against gallstone formation, high blood pressure, and cholesterol excesses.
Whole food sources of lecithin include egg yolks, rice bran and soy beans. You have to eat the egg yolk runny to obtain lecithin. Lecithin is a very delicate nutrient and is destroyed with heat. You know that when the yolks are hard, as in scrambled eggs or hard-boiled eggs, you've gone too far and the lecithin is no longer viable. Poaching and soft boiling are therefore your best choices for preserving the many health benefits of that precious lecithin. Fried eggs are best avoided because of the problems with fried fats. Egg whites? Hasta La Vista!!! I never liked you anyway.
Get the full recipe here.