Wednesday

Wine w/ What?

~ featuring ~

Alfred Mann's Signature Dish

 Kale Oil & Garlic w/ White Bean

4oz Olive Oil 
2oz Whole Butter 
1 medium bulb of Garlic peeled and shaved 
1/2 tsp. Crushed Pepper 
1 tsp Kosher Salt 
½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper 
1 Cup Cannellini Beans (white kidney beans) strained 
3lb Fresh Kale

Heat Sauté Pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil, garlic, crushed pepper, salt and pepper.  When garlic is slightly brown, add beans and sauté for a few minutes.  Add kale and sauté until soft.  Deglaze with chicken broth or spring water.  Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes then serve.

Serves 6 to 8

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~ Health Benefits of Kale ~

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat.  Just one cup of kale contains only 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K.  It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K.  Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits.   Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.  Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Kale is super-rich in Vitamin K.  Eating a diet that is rich in Vitamin K can reduce your overall risk of developing or dying from cancer.  Vitamin K is abundant in kale and can also be found in parsley, spinach, collard greens and cheese.

Vitamin K is necessary for the proper bodily functions including normal blood clotting, antioxidant activity and bone health.  But too much of a good thing can be bad for you.  Too much of Vitamin K can pose a problem in some.  For example, if you take anticoagulants, otherwise known as "blood thinners", kale should be avoided because of the high level of Vitamin K that may interfere with the drugs.  

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Some early research studies in humans have suggested possible cardiovascular benefits of garlic.  Many studies found garlic supplementation reduced accumulation of cholesterol on the vascular walls of humans.  Another study had similar results with garlic supplementation significantly reducing aortic plaque deposits of cholesterol-fed rabbits.  

Garlic is also alleged to help regulate blood sugar levels. Regular and prolonged use of therapeutic amounts of aged garlic extracts lower blood homocysteine levels and has been shown to prevent some complications of diabetes mellitus.  People taking insulin should not consume medicinal amounts of garlic without consulting a physician.

Garlic cloves are used as a remedy for infections (especially chest problems), digestive disorders, and fungal infections such as thrush.  Garlic can be used as a disinfectant because of its bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties.  Garlic has been found to enhance thiamin absorption, and therefore reduces the likelihood for developing the thiamin deficiency.  

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 ~ Health Benefits of Olive Oil ~

The main type of fat found in all kinds of olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). MUFAs are actually considered a healthy dietary fat. If your diet replaces saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats such as MUFAs and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), you may gain certain health benefits.  MUFAs and PUFAs may help lower your risk of heart disease by improving related risk factors. For instance, MUFAs have been found to lower your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. MUFAs may also help normalize blood clotting. And some research shows that MUFAs may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes. 

But even healthier fats like olive oil are high in calories, so use them only in moderation. Choose MUFA-rich foods such as olive oil in place of other fatty foods, particularly butter and stick margarine, not in addition to them. And remember that you can't make unhealthy foods healthier simply by adding olive oil to them.

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 ~ Health Benefits of White Navy Beans ~

Navy beans, or white beans, have a high protein content that can serve as an alternative to meat in your diets.  Each 1/2 cup of cooked beans contains 7.5 grams of protein per cup. While this protein is incomplete, missing 1 or more amino acids you need in your diet, a well-rounded diet will protect you against an amino acid deficiency.  Navy beans are also low in fat with less than 1 gram per serving.

 

Navy beans are also extremely high in fiber.  A single serving of cooked navy beans contains 9.6 grams of fiber, meeting the 38 percent of your daily value for fiber. The fiber in the navy beans offers a number of health benefits. Fiber in food adds bulk to stool, improving bowel movements and alleviating constipation. Fiber can also help lower blood cholesterol levels, improving heart-health. Fiber also takes your body longer to digest, helping to control hunger and aiding in weight management. In addition, people with higher intakes of fiber have lower rates of diabetes.

They are also on the Low Glycemic Index.  This index ranks how food effects one's blood sugar levels. Foods with a low glycemic index, less than or equal to 55, only cause a small rise in blood sugar, while foods with a high glycemic index, greater than 70, cause a more rapid rise in blood sugar. The glycemic index is most commonly used by people with diabetes to aid in blood sugar control. But including more low glycemic index foods in your diet may lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and also aid in weight control, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.  Navy beans have a low glycemic ranking of 31.

 

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 ~ Wine Suggestion ~

 Vouvray Sec or Demi-Sec

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