The Lazy Nutritionist

March 2021

If I had a podcast, it would be called The Lazy Nutritionist. Audio only, because anything visual would reveal my messy style. Just ask my grand dogs. They hang around when I cook and are richly rewarded for waiting until my wild chopping sends vegetable bits or spills for them to slurp up with wide doggie smiles. They’ve become eager vegetarians.

 Still, The Lazy Nutritionist does have a mission: to create tasty food with the most nutritional value and the least amount of work. Sure, chopping and stirring are involved, but clean-up is often deferred until the next day. Ingredients are rife with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, and I’m rewarded in knowing I’m making healthy choices.

The Mushroom Edition

 Mushrooms are the only food in the produce section of the grocery store that contains vitamin D. Although grown in the dark, they are little vitamin D machines if you set them in a sunlit windowsill after you bring them home. It’s usually a quick moment of sunshine for them during winter in the Northwest. Then back they go into the refrigerator, stored in a paper bag, but not in the vegetable bin.

Many mushrooms -- including shiitake, maitake, lion’s mane, turkey tail, cordyceps and reishi – are considered medicinal because of the potency of their nutrients. Not all of them are suited for easy cooking.

Medicinal mushrooms may help reduce stress and fatigue, protect against environmental toxins, enhance natural killer cells, and provide enzymes to aid in digestion. Beta-glucans are a major source of their potency.

 Beta-glucans are carbohydrates (polysaccharides), which have been studied as:

·     anti-inflammatory

·     anti-tumor

·     antioxidant

·     immomodulating

·     antiviral

·     antimicrobial

·     anti-hypercholesterol

·     protective against high blood pressure and fatty liver

Lion’s Mane mushroom (most information is from animal studies)

·     two compounds to stimulate brain cell growth

·     neuroprotective

·     improve cognitive function, especially in the hippocampus

·     anti-inflammatory

·     may reduce anxiety and depression

·     aids in recovery from nerve damage; repairs nerve cells

·     reduces inflammation and related brain injury after strokes

·     protects against ulcers in GI tract and reduces H pylorigrowth

·     reduces heart disease and heart attack risk

·     aids in blood sugar and diabetes control

·     fights cancer in test tubes

·     increases immune system strength

 Lion’s Mane and Kale (for brain health)

The texture of Lion’s Mane mushroom is similar to lobster or crab. It is meaty and stringy.  In some plant foods, the peel (or skin) is higher in antioxidants and fiber than the inner parts. The outer coating builds up protection against the elements. Also, The Lazy Nutritionist does not like the work of peeling ginger!

 2 cups lion’s mane mushrooms 

3-4 kale leaves, stem removed, chopped bite-sized

1/3 sweet potato, chopped with skin (optional)

¼ cup red onion, chopped 

1 purple heirloom tomato, chopped (or tomato of choice)

2 tbs coconut cream: pureed whole coconut (optional)

1 tsp finely chopped ginger, with peel

½ Meyers lemon or citrus of choice

1 avocado, peeled and chopped (optional)

1-2 tbs Avocado oil, butter or ghee

1.    Clean mushroom with paper towel or dry dish towel to remove dirt. Do not wash unless necessary. Mushrooms are porous, will absorb the water, and can become soggy when cooked.

2.    Cover bottom of large skillet with oil and warm on low heat.

3.    Add sweet potato and cook until softened. This is for color and to balance the taste of the kale.

4.    Add mushrooms and cook until softened and slightly browned.

5.    Add onions, tomato and coconut cream. Coconut cream is optional, but adds a coconut taste, and the medium-chained triglyerides are easily absorbed, bypassing the liver, for quick energy.

6.    Add ginger and squeeze lemon juice over skillet ingredients. Remember that the mushrooms will absorb the lemon, so don’t overdo. Stir together. Continue to cook, but watch closely to keep from burning.

7.    Add avocado (optional). Stir everything together until completely browned. 

8.    Serve warm as a side dish.

9.    Can turn into a rice dish, by adding cooked (left-over rice) into skillet and warming. Could also be used as a base for a frittata, scramble or omelet. Would be easy to turn into a soup.

10.  Omitting the optional ingredients will reduce the costs of the dish. Other choices include a slight covering of soup broth or wine, chopped leeks, chopped garlic, or other chopped root vegetables.