Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and The... (123 page)

THIN HERB FRITATAS

Makes 6

3 eggs

1 tablespoon each chives and basil leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons
piima cream
or
creme fraiche

sea salt and pepper

about 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

These delicious "egg pancakes" may be eaten as is or in sandwiches. Mix eggs with herbs, cheese, cream and seasonings. Heat a small, cast-iron skillet and brush with olive oil. Pour ¼ cup egg mixture into the pan and tilt the pan to spread the mixture. When the fritata has set, flip over to brown the other side. Transfer to a heated platter and keep warm in the oven while preparing the remaining fritatas.

An unpublished study carried out at the University of California at Berkeley proves the folk wisdom of the Orient—that eggs are a brain food. Researchers studied men in their eighty's, dividing them into two groups: Those who were senile and required constant care, and those who had all their faculties intact and were able to care for themselves. All men were given dietary surveys. Researchers found only one difference between the dietary habits of those who required care and those who were mentally alert—the latter group ate at least one egg per day.

Scientists engaged in a recent study of breast milk components carried out in China discovered that pregnant and nursing mothers routinely ate up to 12 eggs per day. This is the explanation for the fact that their milk had high levels of DHA, a fatty acid found in egg yolks that is necessary for optimal mental development of the infant. SWF

EMBER DAY TART

Serves 4-6

1 recipe
flaky pie crust
or ½ recipe
yoghurt dough

2 large onions, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

4 eggs

2 tablespoons whole grain bread crumbs

½ teaspoon saffron threads dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water

½ teaspoon sea salt

pinch nutmeg

2 tablespoons currants

This recipe for a meatless holiday is based on one taken from a 1390 Middle English cookbook. Line a pie pan with pastry. Meanwhile, saute onions in butter until soft. Beat eggs and stir in onions, bread crumbs, seasonings and currants. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

The public has not been well served by the recommendation that the long-standing custom of having one or two eggs for breakfast be discontinued and not more than two or three eggs per week be eaten—or worse, that the recently marketed "chemical egg" concoctions be substituted for the real thing! Eggs are a valuable food, providing excellent protein, vitamins and minerals. The cholesterol in them is balanced with sufficient lecithin to keep the cholesterol circulating in the blood and prevent it from depositing in the arteries. This is another instance showing the balance in whole, natural foods. Emory W. Thurston, PhD
Nutrition for Tots to Teens

EGGPLANT TORTA

Serves 8

6 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise

about 2 tablespoons sea salt

about ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups
chunky tomato sauce

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese

3 large eggs, beaten

Salt the eggplant slices, cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Rinse eggplant slices and dry well. Brush both sides with olive oil, place on baking sheets and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and soft. Line the bottom and sides of an oiled 9-inch springform pan with eggplant slices. Spread
¹
/
₃
of sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with
¹
/
₃
of the cheeses. Make another layer of eggplant, cutting edges so it fits neatly, followed by layer of sauce and cheese. Make a final layer of eggplant, sauce and remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Poke holes in the torta and pour the eggs over the top so that they soak in evenly. Sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan. Bake on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about ½ hour. Let cool and run a knife around the inside of the pan before releasing spring. Cut into wedges with a serrated knife. May be served with additional tomato sauce.

In Framingham, Massachusetts, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower people's serum cholesterol. . .we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories weighed the least and were the most physically active.

William Castelli, Director
The Framingham Study

For 15 years, an 88-year-old Denver man has been consuming 24 soft-boiled eggs a day. This particular story made it to the
New England Journal of Medicine
because a researcher from the University of Colorado wondered how this compulsive cholesterol cuisine might be affecting the man's health. To his surprise, the scientist found that despite a cholesterol intake close to 6,000 milligrams a day—well above the recommended maximum of 300 milligrams per day—the man had normal blood cholesterol and showed no signs of heart disease. . .. Over the past 13 years, though, there's been a growing body of evidence that it might be something in our food that is causing. . .blood vessel damage. The suspected ingredient is a modified form of cholesterol called oxidized cholesterol. This is not the kind you find in eggs or other fresh foods. Oxidized cholesterol forms when cholesterol reacts with oxygen. This usually occurs when high-cholesterol foods are dried, such as in powdered eggs. Oxidized cholesterol also can be found in small amounts in powdered dairy products such as milk, cheese or butter. One soon-to-be-released study found significant amounts in fast food french fries that had been cooked in animal fat. Edward Blonz
PPNF Health Journal

RED PEPPER QUICHE

Serves 4-8

1 recipe
flaky pie crust
or ½ recipe
yoghurt dough

2 red peppers, seeded and cut into a julienne

1 medium onion, finely sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 egg yolks

½ cup creme fraiche or piima cream (
Creme Fraiche
and
Piima Cream
)

sea salt and pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Monterey Jack cheese

Roll out dough and line a 10-inch, French-style tart pan with a removable bottom. Half bake the crust at 325 degrees for about 15 to 30 minutes (longer for yoghurt dough). Meanwhile, saute peppers and onion in olive oil until soft. Beat yolks with cream, seasonings and half of the cheese. Strew the peppers over the crust and pour the egg mixture over. Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about ½ hour.

Variation: Mushroom Quiche

Substitute
1 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried and sliced
for the peppers. Saute in a mixture of
2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil
and proceed with recipe.

Variation: Zucchini Quiche

Omit peppers and use
2 medium zucchini, cut into a julienne
, using the julienne slicer of your food processor. Mix with
about 1 tablespoon salt
and drain in a colander for ½ hour. Rinse and squeeze dry in a dish towel. Strew zucchini over crust and proceed with recipe.

Since eggs have the highest amount of cholesterol per unit weight of all common foods (liver and brains have more), people began to fear them. Once called nature's most perfect food by nutritionists, eggs fell into disfavor and their consumption began to plummet after 1950. The average number of eggs consumed in the U.S. per person per year dropped from a high of 389 in 1950. . .to only 234 in 1989. Americans are eating many fewer eggs today than at the turn of the century. . .. Thousands of egg farmers have gone out of business over the last 30 years because of the false dietary cholesterol scare. And millions of Americans have given up or substantially reduced their consumption of one of the best and most economical foods available for no good scientific or common sense reasons. Russell L. Smith, PhD
Health Freedom News

When I was chief physician at Hotel Dieu Hospital, Paris, some 3,500 patients passed through my hands during a year. Before my term expired I tried the experiment of giving one-half of the patients that were then present no medicines at all; the rest, the usual medical treatment. The former were given, instead, only what is known as "Food and Home Remedies," and, to my unbounded surprise, they all got well—not a single death; while among those receiving medical treatment the customary number of deaths occurred. A second trial yielded a like result, and I was converted. Ever since I have given but little medicine to my patients.

Dr. F. Magendie