Superfoods ~ Dandelion
at first a weed, and then a wish
When I was a much younger man, trying to grow a pristine lawn, the last thing I wanted in my garden was dandelions. These damn weeds are incredibly pernicious and damn difficult to get rid of. But back then I didn’t understand anything at all about herbalism, and the almost magical medicinal, therapeutic, and health benefits we can get from the common dandelion, or Taraxacum officinale. (to give it its proper name). The common dandelion is a real superfood.
Officially, this wild plant is a weed and usually very unwelcome in lawns, (or anywhere else come to that), because it will choke other plants and its silver tufted seeds will get everywhere when blown in the wind. The easiest and best way to get rid of unwanted dandelions is with a herbicide, but these days none of us approves of herbicides at all. If you just dig up a dandelion then you have to make certain to get every last bit of the tap-root.
But, unless it really is in the wrong place, why try to eradicate a dandelion at all? For a start, dandelion leaves are a great addition to a summer salad, and it is said that eating dandelion salad will help women to lose weight, and is why French women don’t get fat.
Collected in the autumn, the most medicinally efficacious part of the dandelion is the tap root which can be juiced, dried and used as a coffee substitute, turned into tea, or in all of the other complex preparations such as tincture and homeopathic dynamizations. For those biochemically inclined who may be interested dandelion root contains; taraxacin, choline, inulin, phytosterol, tannin, and mucilage. The major properties of the dandelion are as a cholagogue, laxative, depurative, and as a tonic. If you want to do a liver detox, forget celery juice and turn instead to the humble dandelion.
Dandelion sap will remove warts, corns, verrucae, dark spots on the skin, and lighten freckles.
However, like many medicinal plants the common dandelion is an exceedingly powerful collection of chemical compounds, so care should be taken when using it medicinally.
Broadly speaking, your common or garden dandelion leaf is packed full of vitamins, minerals, and other great stuff, so add some leaves to your salads. There are a stack of dandelion recipes, a salad might even stop you getting fat or help you to lose weight, especially as part of a Mediterranean Diet. Anything made from dandelion is damn good for your liver, and might just be the best way ever to do a liver detox.
~
jack collier
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
blueberry balsamic chicken over dandelion greens
Food on Friday # 51
Brussels Sprouts are one of those vegetables which should be much better liked than it is ~ it’s a superfood packed with nutrients and health-giving trace elements. In England we typically only serve brussels sprouts at Christmas, but I guess that in the USA they are a popular side dish at Thanksgiving.
Other than the slightly bitter and boring taste, there is one very good reason the polite English don’t eat brussels sprouts very often ~ wind. Brussels sprouts really stink up the house.
At Thanksgiving and Christmas you need all the oven space you can get, so first up this week we have a crockpot dish. From Chungah at Damn Delicious we have slow cooker balsamic brussels sprouts, and while this may take 4 hours to cook, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Next from the lovely Southern California girl Averie, at Averie Cooks, we have another slant on balsamic brussels sprouts ~ roasted this time. This is a 35 minute dish, so it will cook while the turkey is resting.
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Here’s something fun and very different from Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest; nutty wild rice & shredded brussels sprouts stuffed mini pumkins. This dish may persuade even the hardest die hard brussels sprouts hater to try the damn things.
Nutty Wild Rice and Shredded Brussels Sprouts Stuffed Mini Pumpkins
Another roasted brussels sprouts recipe, this time from Andrea at Cooking With A Wallflower; teriyaki glazed roasted brussels sprouts. Andrea says this is only a 15 minute dish, so it’s great if you’re pressed for time.
Teriyaki Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Another interest in recipe, from Cooking Up The Pantry, brussels sprouts with chorizo and red onion. Add some garlic and you have a really powerful dish.
Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo and Red Onion
Or, you could just boil your brussels sprouts and add a little butter. This is a very simple recipe from Epicurious.
Buttered Brussels Sprouts
Finally for this week, from Cooking at the New York times we have their 17 best brussels sprouts recipes for Thanksgiving, including this 45 minute dish of roasted brussels sprouts with garlic by Mark Bittman. One thing’s for certain, this dish is going to make you stink a little bit.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic
A very big thank you
to all the great cooks
featured in this week’s
Food on Friday
jackcollier7@talktalk.net
JackCollier7 
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