(Scroll down to find watercress recipes)
Do you know the Bible story of Daniel? The young man and his friends who were taken by king Nebuchadnezzar to serve him. The king demanded them to be raised in Babylonian ways and to eat their finest cuts of meat and wine. But Daniel refused to defile himself because the Babylonians dedicated their foods to idols prior to consuming, and he and his friends would rather obey God in not eating unclean things, then please the earthly king.
It was strictly forbidden to refuse the king’s demand. To disobey him would surely mean death. No free will there. But Daniel stood firm and requested he and his friends to be tested for 10 days. They went on a ten day vegan acid/alkaline diet. Daniel challenged the officials, “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water, At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” Daniel 1:13
Well, you know the story, after 10 days the Babylonians examined them. The results were in. Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king.
After this, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the high acidic diet provided. Besides their healthier appearance, God blessed them with a keen mind of wisdom and understanding. And Daniel himself was blessed by the Lord with the gift to interpret visions and dreams. Wow!
Makes you wonder what specific vegetables they consumed that made them look healthier and better nourished, right? We know of one ancient vegetable for sure.
Discover Watercress
Watercress, the most ancient of Alkaline Green vegetables known to man and its use can be traced back to the Persians, Greeks and Romans. In fact, a famous Persian chronicler advised Persians to feed watercress to their children to improve bodily growth. He also strongly recommended its use to the Greek and Persians soldiers of that time.
When Hippocrates founded the first hospital on the Island of Kos around 400 BC, he grew wild watercress in the natural springs and used it to treat blood disorders.
Watercress is an aquatic plant renown for it’s vivid green color and unique peppery flavor. The delicate leafy green is fortified with more than 15 essential vitamins and minerals. Watercress is one of God’s most nutrient dense vegetable, capturing a perfect 1000 score on the ANDI nutrient density scale. It is as close to a perfect food as there is!
Watercress is an alkaline super food rich in vitamin A (from beta-carotene) and vitamin C, and is a source of folate, calcium, iron and vitamin E. It also contains useful amounts of vitamin K, thiamin, vitamin B6, potassium and iodine and is naturally low in sodium. Due to its high water content (93%) it is low in calories. It contains very little carbohydrate and fat but provides some protein.
Alkaline Benefits of Watercress Super Food
Disease Prevention
- Fights cancer with potent anti-cancer compounds
- Promotes vision and overall eye health with carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin
- Stabilizes cholesterol and blood pressure
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Decreases incidence of breast cancer in women
Increased Vitality
- Increases sexual energy and enhances fertility
- Improves memory, mental sharpness and slows the onset of old age
- Cleanses the blood
- Accelerates the production of breast milk
Watercress is considered an anti-aging food, as good as or even better than many herbs used for that purpose. It contains a lot of lutein, which helps improve or maintain eye health despite aging. Watercress is very high in naturally occurring iodine. So high that it is not advised for anyone with hyperthyroidism.
Delicious Ways To Eat Watercress
Wash and eat raw!
Add to salads
Use in sandwiches instead of lettuce
Mix with pasta dishes
Add as garnish to meat and fish dishes
Use as one component of a filler for dumplings
Puree into a tasty and healthy dipping sauce
Add to soups
Watercress Acid/Alkaline Food Recipes
Beet Apple Watercress Salad
Curry Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 clove garlic
1/4-teaspoon coarse Himalayan pink crystals optional
2 teaspoons of curry powder
1/2-teaspoon fresh ginger peeled and grated (if hypertensive substitute galangai or Thai ginger)
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons of olive oil
Curry Vinaigrette Preparation
Pound the garlic in a mortar with the sea salt until it forms a smooth paste. Add the curry powder (use commercially prepared powder or make your own. Add ginger and work in the garlic. Stir in the lemon juice and whisk in the oil.
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cardommon seeds
1 stick cinnamon
10 cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric
Grind the whole spices in a spice ill, then stir in the cayenne and turmeric. Use soon after making and store any that is left over in a cool place in a tightly covered jar.
Salad Ingredients
1 pound beets, mixed red and golden
6 scallions, white parts only, minced
Lemon juice
½ cup currants
2 large bunches watercress or a mixture of water and field cress
2 firm apples (Gala)
1 celery heart sliced into pieces 1/4 inch wide (soak in lemon juice to diminish pesticides)
¾ cup walnut meats, freshly cracked and roasted
Preparation
Prepare the oven to 400ºF. Leaving the tails and an inch of the stems on the beets, rinse them, put them in a baking pan with 1/4 inch of water, cover, and bake them until they are tender when pierced with a knife, 25-40 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Take care not to overcook them. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets, slice them in half, then into wedges, and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and half the scallions. Add lemon juice to taste to make the beets a little tart. Set them aside. Cover the currants with hot water and let them stand to soften for 15 minutes. Then drain, gently squeeze them to remove extra water, and add them to the cooked beets. Go through the watercress and break off the small branches from the thick main stems. Discard any yellow leaves. Wash and spin dry. If you are using field cress, wash and dry it also. Quarter the apples and slice them into thin pieces. Combine them with the celery, walnuts, and the rest of the scallions; toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. If you are using both kinds, combine the two cresses, dress them with the rest of the vinaigrette, and set them out on salad plates or a large platter. Arrange the beets on top of the greens with the celery, apples, and walnuts scattered over and around them.
Cucumber & Watercress Soup
Serves Two
Ingredients
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
1 large cucumber, de-seeded and chopped
2 bunches of watercress (or as much as you like, to taste, keep adding more and more if you like!)
1¾ pint water yeast free vegetable stock (cooled)
(Himalayan) Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Chop, slice and dice all of the ingredients and place in a blender. Make the stock by putting a small amount of hot water onto the stock cube or bouillon and once melted, top up with cold water. Add this to the blender too and then blend it all up! Serve chilled with an ice cube per bowl.
Alkaline Foods Cookbook
In this best-selling alkaline cookbook you’ll own many more alkaline recipes. More than 80 delicious recipes.
This is a must-have collection of easy-to-follow alkaline recipes to help you drain tiredness out of your system, power up your stamina and help your body operate at it’s peak levels.
Watch the video of a chef using the Alkaline Cookbook.
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