For years, nutritionists have been urging us to eat nuts in place of high-carb and sugary snacks. Regulators allow purveyors of peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and pecans to make claims that these nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, chia and sesame would be worthy candidates for a similar push, since they too are loaded with many of the same nutrients – protein and fiber, calcium and vitamin E, healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. And oh, yes, they taste wonderful (at least sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds do – chia seeds are so small I can’t exactly tell what they taste like).
I value nuts and seeds as ingredients for cooking more than as snack foods. They give dishes great texture and wonderful satiety. They are used to thicken sauces in Mexico (think mole) and the Mediterranean (think pesto); they add flavor and a touch of luxury to pilafs, stir-fries and desserts throughout the Middle East and Asia. Lately I’ve even noticed that Chobani is selling yogurts that have a little packet of nuts and seeds to stir in – a great idea.
This week I used nuts and seeds in a mole and a pilaf, a seeded bread and a breakfast, and in an indulgent chocolate-chip cookie. I soaked the seeds first for some of these recipes. Soaking them for seven hours or longer breaks down phytic acid and protease inhibitors and makes the seeds’ nutrients more readily available (this is also true, say many, when you soak and sprout grains). They are added, still moist, to the bread, but for the other recipes (chocolate-chip cookies and a mix I add to yogurt), I dry them out in a low oven.
Rice Pilaf With Pistachios, Almonds and Spices: This dish is based on Persian rice pilafs, but uses much less butter.
Asparagus, Green Beans and Potatoes With Green Mole Sauce: Green mole sauce, thickened with nuts or seeds, is a natural with seasonal vegetables.
Whole-Wheat Seeded Loaves: Soaked seeds make this bread wonderfully moist.
Seeded Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Cookies: There’s plenty of chocolate in these cookies, but also nutrients and fiber from seeds.
Yogurt With Mixed Seeds, Toasted Oatmeal and Ginger Syrup: A delicious breakfast with pumpkin, poppy, chia, sesame and sunflower seeds as well as toasted oatmeal for crunch.
Bon Appétit
Written by Martha Rose Shulman and published by the New York Times, June 6, 2014.
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