Halloween fever is all around us with ghoulish decor, sweet candy, and pumpkin carving to boot! As it turns out I have an unrelated fever, and this one’s got me feeling like the living dead…and a zombie costume is not what I was going for! Seasonal germs are already making their rounds, and when you’re sick nothing seems festive, especially in the kitchen. When depleted, cooking is too much effort and take-out seems a more inviting option. Yet, when sickness trick-or-treats at your door, there is never a more important time to fuel yourself with healthy ingredients (I guess that means candy corns don’t count then?) It can be as simple as a nutrient-packed pasta dish, ready in a minutes. Though antibiotics, Emergen-C packets & cough drops are there to get you back to better, you can help boost your immune system with fresh ingredients you probably have in your kitchen now. In fact, antibiotics can totally sap your energy whilst they work, so here is what I do in the kitchen to help reclaim mine!
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Garlic – Several months ago I did a post featuring the health benefits of garlic, and some easy ways to prepare it, Garlic the Great. I love garlic and cook with it almost daily, but it is much more than just an appetite booster! My former post goes into some great garlicky detail, but I turn to it again now because it posses significant antimicrobial & antibacterial properties. It is also very rich in the antioxidants manganese & Vitamin B6. 1 oz of raw garlic gives us all we need for our Daily Value’s (DV) worth . So, we’re going extra heavy on the garlic in this pasta…
Spinach – I incorporate spinach into my diet a few times per week, and love it raw or steamed. When I am under-the-weather, I try to make it a point to increase my spinach consumption, because this leafy green has much more than just iron to offer! Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Seriously, if you can pick just one healthy veggie, this is the it! 1 cup of cooked, fresh baby spinach has an abundance of antioxidants and phytonutrients like flavonoids & carotenoids (such as Beta-carotene). Spinach possesses a nice brag sheet if I do say so, and that 1 cup cooked gets you over 1000% DV Vitamin K, 377% of your Vitamin A, 84% Manganese, and 30% Vitamin C. The list goes on and on, but those mentioned are specifically important for your immune arsenal!
Tomatoes – Well besides loving them in most dishes (let’s be honest here, I mostly love them in ketchup), but 1 cup of raw tomato gets you similar phytonutrients as spinach, such as your flavonoids and carotenoids, but the lycopene in tomatoes shows increasing benefit as an antioxidant and anti-inflmmatory. Additionally, you’ll get over 38% DV of Vitamin C from that one cup, also 30% Vitamin A and over 11% potassium. More ketchup on that French fry, don’t mind if I do!
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And last but certainly not least, we’ll be adding fresh lemon zest, lemon juice and fresh basil into our pep-you-up pasta. Lemons are known as an excellent source of Vitamin C with over 46% in 1/4 cup of juice. Additionally, they possess flavanoid compunds shown in studies to have antioxidant properties too. Our flavorful & aromatic basil offers over 60% DV of Vitamin K in 2 tsp worth. Interestingly enough, the volatile oils in basil have been clinically shown to inhibit growth of several common & dominant bacterial strains, such as Staph & Listeria. Who’d have thought my garnish was so potent?!
Ok, we know why it’s good for us, now let’s get down to germ obliterating business…
Here’s a simple & fast recipe for the dinnervine’s Get-Well Garlic Pasta- with fresh spinach, tomato, lemon & basil.
Garlic Spinach & Tomato Pasta
with lemon, basil, parmesan & butter
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This Get Well Garlic Pasta - with fresh spinach, tomato, lemon & basil, packs just the punch necessary to help you combat seasonal germs when you're under the weather! Mild & delicious, this pasta dish is simple and full of nutrient dense ingredients, that's easy to do in 15 minutes, even when you're sick! This makes for an easy and delicious weeknight meal no matter how you're feeling!
What to get...
- ~ 4 oz of dried egg noodles (Like Dutch Pennsylvania)
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, smashed then chopped finely (small cloves)
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, trimmed & finely chopped
- 1 vine-ripened red tomato, deseeded & chopped
- 2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 lemon, juice squeezed into pasta
- 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 4 T butter
- 2-3 T shredded Parmesan cheese blend
- S&P to taste
What to do...
- In large pot on stove, liberally salt several cups of water (enough to cover pasta for boiling), use kosher salt if possible.)
- Boil egg noodles till tender, about 9 minutes, drain in colander, and rinse with hot water, and let drain.
- Peel garlic and smash cloves with flat blade of Chefs knife to release their enzymes, and chop smashed cloves finely, letting them sit for several minutes for maximum benefit!
- Return emptied pasta pot to low heat on stove, and add 1 tsp of the EVOO & garlic to sauté on low for 1 min, avoid browning.
- Add butter, pasta & combine coating well on low heat.
- To the pot add lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, S&P, chopped spinach & tomato, stirring well.
- Add lid to pot and let pasta heat on very low to allow spinach to wilt down (will only take a few seconds since it was chopped thinly).
- Add basil, season with more S&P to taste, and serve immediately.
- *Serve with wedge of lemon to squeeze on top of pasta as desired.
Notes
This one is super simple and contains specific ingredients that help fortify your immune system! It is purposefully mild to be easier on the stomach when you're feeling ill, but if you want to pep it up, you can add in some more spice! Any pasta choice will work well, but I like the texture of the egg noodles. Add more or spinach or cheese to your preference! Enjoy.
We went heavier on the garlic this time, so vampires have been warned! You don’t have to over exert yourself to make this easy dish and you can feed the crew while you’re at it. It may not be solve every condition, but it will sure help put you back on track, and tastes pretty darn good in the process…
Stay well out there!
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[...] I’ve previously praised the health benefits of spinach on the dinnervine, especially in our garlic spinach & tomato pasta, and I still try to eat it several times per week. This salad makes that easy to do, but [...]