Brain Healthy Cooking in Tuscany: New recipes from Sempre Sano
Teach brain healthy cooking in Tuscany? Join a panel of distinguished experts on longevity and nutrition to talk about brain health during Sempre Sano? I couldn’t say “Yes!” fast enough when Dr. John Tew invited me to participate in Sempre Sano — Italian for Forever Healthy — an incredible wellness conference held each year at the hilltop hamlet of Monteverdi in Tuscany, Italy.
What we learned at Sempre Sano
I’ll be writing soon what I learned from my colleagues about the latest research on healthy aging. Lectures by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. John Tew, and Dr. Giovanni Vizzini combined cutting edge medicine with inspiring tips for optimal health. For now, all I can say is: meditate daily, do interval training when you exercise (think Tabata and HIIT), and consider the benefits of a whole food, plant based diet. (Read more about the Sempre Sano faculty here.)
Brain healthy cooking in Tuscany
But first, I can’t wait to share a few recipes from the cooking classes I taught at Sempre Sano. One of the highlights, for me, was getting to work with Giancarla Bodoni, the immensely talented executive chef at Monteverdi. Giancarla is a master at making artisanal pastas, a big fan of spiralizing vegetables, and is devoted to clean, organic products. Together, we were like two peas in a pod.
By combining my favorite brain healthy ingredients with Giancarla’s Tuscan accents, we created a menu of recipes that will taste just as good in your own kitchen. In case you are wondering: How a Brain Works cooking class teaches Alzheimer’s prevention.
5 top techniques I learned from Chef Giancarla in the Monteverdi kitchen
- Anchovies + cannellini beans = a simply divine soup. Ginacarla has an ingenious way to amp up the flavor and brain healthy nutrition of a simple cannellini bean soup. Anchovies (from a tin, packed in olive oil) are first sautéed with aromatics — onions, garlic and rosemary. Canned cannellini beans and water are added, and after a brief simmer, the soup is pureed until creamy (without the need to add cream.) The anchovies melt into the background, adding umami and depth of flavor. The anchovy flavor can be subtle or bold — you decide by playing with how many of the tiny, omega-3 packed fishes to add. This Tuscan Cannellini Bean Soup with Anchovies is a soup that turns anchovy haters into anchovy lovers.
- Roast your lemons. Lemons are sliced, brushed with olive oil and cooked in a grill pan over low heat until brown and caramelized. Chopped grilled lemons add a bright ping of flavor to so many savory dishes — think grain salads, simply prepared salmon and chicken. We chopped up the roasted lemons, rinds and all, and folded them into my Moroccan Forbidden Rice Salad, which we made from the black rice (riso nero) grown in the lush Po valley region of Italy. Just be sure to choose organic lemons; you’ll want to eat the rinds. (Read here the 5 reasons why black rice is one of my favorite brain healthy grains.)
- Be gentle with your extra virgin olive oil. Giancarla adores finishing her dishes with the EVOO from local purveyors. She drizzles it onto soups, over spiralized veggies, and bakes it into her cakes. But when cooking with EVOO, she is careful not to use intense heat. High heat cooking can break down the brain healthy polyphenols in olive oil and transform some of the healthy unsaturated fats into unstable fatty acids.
- Cauliflower power. Just like me, Giancarla is crazy for cauliflower. We both make cauli couscous and roast heads of it whole before slicing into “steaks.” Giancarla taught us her drop dead simple Salsa Verde for spooning atop cauli steaks. And have you tried Cauliflower Risotto? Giancarla tops hers with the zuccinni blossoms that are so abundant in Italy in the fall. (Recipe coming soon!)
- Quinoa for dessert. I am a huge fan of quinoa for its nutty flavor, chewy texture, and complete profile of amino acids. But I had never considered turning quinoa into a satisfying dessert. Giancarla combines quinoa and chia seeds, another great source of omega-3s, with freshly made cashew milk for a beautiful, comforting pudding. We topped our puddings with the black Tuscan grapes that were in season, but back home in Wyoming I use whatever fruit is in season — berries, mango, or even frozen acai puree. Give it a try at home: Quinoa Chia Seed Pudding with Passionfruit and Grapes.
Sempre Sano 2018
Great news! We have set the dates for Sempre Sano in 2018 and I am thrilled to be returning to Monteverdi next November. The Sempre Sano team is putting together another incomparable seven day experience that includes lectures, meditation, exercise, nourishing meals, cooking classes, and excursions all around the Tuscan countryside.
Won’t you join me? Giancarla and I will be dreaming up a whole new menu next fall. And, since truffle season will be in full swing, you can bet we’ll be discussing the health benefits of eating (and foraging for) wild mushrooms. For more information, visit my Events page.
Prep Time | 15 minutes |
Cook Time | 20 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 1 ¾ cups chickpea flour
- 2 cups water at room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for the pan and drizzling on the pizzas
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper one twist of the grinder
- 1 bunch arugula about 1 cup, coarsely chopped
- 2-3 small fresh, ripe tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in water for 30 minutes
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
Ingredients
Basil Cashew Cream
|
|
- Whisk the chickpea flour, water, salt, pepper and olive oil in a medium bowl. Set aside to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes while you prepare the Basil Cashew Cream.
- Drain the cashews and place in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend on low so create a coarse paste. Add lemon juice, salt, garlic, and basil, and blend on high until very smooth. (Depending on the strength of your blender, this may take a few minutes.) Taste; adjust for salt, pepper and lemon juice, if needed
- To make the socca, heat a 6-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; add enough olive oil to coat. Pour just enough batter into the pan to make a thin crepe, turning the pan to coat it evenly. When the socca bubbles and sets up, flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the edges are crisp. Place on a plate or wooden cutting board. Repeat to make as many soccas as you’d like.
- While the socca are still warm, swirl a few spoonfuls of basil cream evenly over each one and top with the arugula and tomato. Drizzle with more olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Depending on how many socca you make, you will have leftover batter. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days; stir to combine before cooking. Leftover basil cream keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 large cloves garlic smashed with a knife
- 2 anchovy filets packed in oil
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth or water
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans rinsed
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped plus 3 sprigs and more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- Finely ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh cremini or white buttonmushrooms coarsely chopped
Ingredients
|
|
- Heat ¼ cup of the oil and garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes or until they start to fall apart.
- Add the broth or water, beans, rosemary sprigs, and1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms: Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the mushrooms until soft and brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
- Remove the rosemary sprigs from the pot and transfer the soup to a blender, in batches if necessary. Puree until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with a spoonful of mushrooms, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of chopped rosemary.
Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 25 minutes |
Servings |
|
- For the pudding:
- 1 cup cooked white or red quinoa, or a mix See Note
- ¼ cup black chia seeds
- 1½ cups unsweetened, unflavored cashew milk or another plant-based milk
- up to 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup optional
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- For the topping:
- 1 grapefruit peeled and cut into segments
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Ingredients
|
|
- Combine the chia seeds and milk in a small bowl and refrigerate until plump, about 1 hour. Fold in the cooked quinoa (see note, below), up to 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, if using, and the vanilla and almonds extracts.
- To serve, divide pudding between 4 jars. Top each with grapefruit pieces and pomegranate arils.
- Serve right away or keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Note:
Quinoa is traditionally cooked with the absorption method (like rice)—boiled in a certain ratio of water to quinoa until done, then set aside to steam. The problem with this method, I have found, is that it isn't foolproof. It's hard to check for doneness without lifting the lid and releasing the steam. Sometimes the quinoa comes out soggy rather than fluffy, or it's not done enough. Plus, cooking quinoa like rice means you have to remember the water:quinoa ratio—was that 2:1 or 3:1?
Now I almost always boil quinoa like pasta. Just like with pasta, you won't need measure a certain ratio of water to quinoa. And, you can taste for doneness before draining, ensuring perfectly fluffy quinoa every time.
To cook quinoa like pasta, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add ½ cup quinoa and cook until tender (you'll notice a tiny tail form on each grain when it's done), 12 to 15 minutes. Drain in a fine mesh sieve and return to the warm pan. Cover and steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Depending on your quinoa, ½ cup dry quinoa makes 1½ to 2 cups cooked. Store leftover quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Stir into oatmeal, toss into a salad, or include in a veggie wrap.
1 Comment
Leave your reply.