In our HealthBites Kitchen, we eat many kinds of greens because they’re a tremendous food that loves you back. All plant foods are great at doing this, but some foods are more amazing than others. Greens are one of them. They are a superfood, known as vasodilators, because they keep our blood vessels open for better blood flow. Greens are high in nitrates which our blood vessels turn into nitric oxide, an essential gas that prevents plaque buildup which often leads to the development of atherosclerosis. The more nitric oxide we have, the healthier our hearts will be.
An easy green to add to our meals is spinach. It is quick to cook up and is another nitric-oxide rich food. It is also an excellent source of calcium to help you maintain healthy blood pressure levels. It is also rich in the antioxidant lutein (pronounced LOO-teen) which is found in beneficial HDL cholesterol. It can also prevent the bad cholesterol, LDL, from oxidizing and promoting heart disease. Spinach also contains a fair amount of magnesium which will help improve and stimulate better blood flow. I like to add spinach to pastas, soups, salads and stews. And Spinach Alfredo Rotini is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.
Spinach Alfredo Rotini
Ingredients
- 14 ounces soft or firm tofu water pack
- 1 1/2 T lemon juice
- 1 cup soy or almond milk
- 1 T maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 tsp salt or salt substitute
- 3-4 cups baby spinach coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp basil
- 2 T parsley flakes
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring water to boil for pasta. Add whole grain rotini and cook until tender. Drain and set aside. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except for the spinach and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat. Cook until sauce is bubbly. Add the baby spinach into the sauce and stir until the spinach starts to wilt. Remove the pan from heat. Mix with the rotini and serve immediately.
- CHEF’S NOTE: This recipe is also good served with peas. In place of the spinach, add 1-2 cups of peas (I use frozen; thaw out in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, then add to the Alfredo sauce and pasta). The sauce is also great served over brown rice or a baked potato (white or sweet potato).
