- Home >> Lifestyle: Preserves:
-
- “Good
Food, Good Health”
- Vegetable-Fruit
Purees For Fall
- BY THE AMERICAN
INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
An apple a
day keeps the doctor away and a few squash don’t hurt either.
As summer fades
into fall, apples and squash are not only healthful but plentiful.
Cooked together, their rich flavors and compatible textures blend
well for a vegetable purée side dish.
Apples have
long been touted for their healthful properties, and there’s
now scientific proof that the assumptions are true. One study
shows that apples are the most concentrated food source of flavonoids,
a group of phytochemicals, natural substances that have been
found to protect against cancer and heart disease, and may block
the ability of certain viruses to grow and spread.
Much of the
flavonoids’ protection against cancer and heart disease
seems related to their antioxidant power. Health experts say
that if people eat five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables
a day, flavonoid consumption can reach a healthy range.
Squash, too,
is full of healthful properties. Winter squash, like acorn, Hubbard
and butternut, is more concentrated in several nutrients than
summer squash. Its dark color is a hint that winter squash is
an outstanding source of carotenoids, a family of antioxidants
believed to enhance immunity and heart health as well as play
an anticancer role. Winter squash is also a good source of vitamins
A and C, potassium, iron, riboflavin and dietary fiber.
Choose squash
that are heavy for their size and have a hard, deep-colored rind
that is free of blemishes or moldy spots.
This simple
combination of squash and apples makes a good side dish for poultry.
Puréed vegetables have become trendy in up-scale restaurants,
but they’re easy to reproduce with the home kitchen blender.
Squash and
Apple Purée - Makes 8 servings.
- 3 lbs. winter
squash (such as acorn, butternut or Hubbard)
- 3 large baking
apples (Rome Beauty, York Imperial or Granny Smith)
- 2 tsp. fresh
parsley, minced
- 1/4 tsp. freshly
ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup toasted
wheat germ
Preheat oven
at 350 degrees.
Cut squash
in half. Scoop out seeds and stringy portions. Place in a large
baking pan cut side down and bake until soft, 45 to 60 minutes,
depending on size.
About 30 minutes
before you expect squash to be done, poke a few holes in the
apples. Add to the baking pan. When squash and apples are tender
but not mushy, remove from oven.
Cut apples
in half to aid in cooling.
Scoop squash
out of their shell, or pull off peel. Remove peels, seeds and
cores of apples. Place squash and apple in a blender. Add parsley
and pepper. Purée.
Preheat oven
to 400 degrees. Spread purée in a baking dish lightly
sprayed with oil. Sprinkle wheat germ evenly over the top. Bake
20 minutes, or until bubbling softly.
Per serving: 155 calories, 1 g. total fat (4 g. saturated fat),
37 g. carbohydrate, 4 g. protein, 9 g. dietary fiber, 347 mg.
sodium.
_______________________________________
Author:
- AICR offers
a Nutrition Hotline (1-800-843-8114) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday-Friday.
This free service allows you to ask a registered dietitian questions
about diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR is the only major cancer
charity focused exclusively on the link between diet, nutrition
and cancer. It provides a range of education programs that help
Americans learn to make changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also
supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment
at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S.
It has provided more than $65 million for research in diet, nutrition
and cancer. AICR’s Web address is www.aicr.org. AICR is a member
of the World Cancer Research Fund International.
- _______________________________________
- RECIPE POSTED
SEPTEMBER 29, 2003
|
WHAT'S NEW?
