Foods that can boost your mood- Yippee and a smile!

It’s Fun Food Friday – and so today brings a post about Foods to Fight the Blues from the nice folks at EatingWell – where good taste meets good health. 

“Find out what foods can boost your mood and help fight depression.

One in twenty Americans suffers from depression. If you’re feeling blue—or want to ward off feeling that way—there are some foods to consider that might help. Studies have linked the foods on the following slides with helping people cope with the blues. Here are some to try. (As with any health condition, you should, of course, consult your healthcare provider for a full treatment plan.)  —Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor (read whole article here) ” – The slides and further information are on the following foods. 

  • Coffee
  • Salmon (Omega-3 fatty acids)
  • Saffron (long been used in traditional Persian medicine as a mood lifter)
  • Carbs
  • Chocolate (Hurrah for antioxidants may help lower levels of cortisol! )
Since we now know Saffron is a mood booster goodie…..

 Iberian-Style Sausage & Chicken Ragù

Julia-SAFFRON
Julia, Saffron and smiles all around! (click to see larger)

  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/iberian_sausage_chicken_ragu.html

From EatingWell:  November/December 2009This hearty sausage and chicken ragu was inspired by a fabulous stew Bruce Aidells enjoyed when he was traveling in Spain. Serve it over a heartier pasta, such as whole-wheat penne, or gnocchi. Garnish with grated sheep’s-milk cheese, such as Manchego.***

About 8 cups, for 16 servings | Active Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces linguisa (Portuguese-style sausage) or Spanish-style chorizo, diced
  • 3 cups chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Pimentón de la Vera (see Note**)
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 3 cups white wine
  • 4 cups diced seeded tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 generous pinch saffron threads (see Note)

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges begin to color, 5 to 10 minutes. Add onion and garlic. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is quite soft.
  2. Sprinkle Pimentón de la Vera** (i.e Saffron) over the onion mixture; stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Add chicken, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to high; cook until the wine is reduced by about a third, about 8 minutes.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, broth, parsley and saffron; reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and the sauce is beginning to thicken, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Season with more pepper, if desired.

Nutrition

185 Calories; 7 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 38 mg Cholesterol; 7 g Carbohydrates; 16 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 230 mg Sodium; 312 mg Potassium 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving  Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 medium-fat meat
Nutrition Note: Vitamin A (20% daily value), Vitamin C (15% dv).

Tips & Notes

  • Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • ** Notes: Spain is known for its superb paprika called Pimentón de la Vera, which has a smoky flavor. Look for it in well-stocked supermarkets, gourmet-food shops or online at tienda.com.
  • The dried stigma from Crocus sativus, saffron adds flavor and golden color to a variety of Middle Eastern, African and European foods. Find it in the spice section of supermarkets, gourmet shops or at tienda.com. It will keep in an airtight container for several years.
  • *** Manchego (aged) = queso Manchego viejo   Notes:   Aged Manchego cheese is yellow and a terrific grating cheese.  Don’t confuse it with unaged Manchego cheese, which is almost white, semi-firm, and typically used as a melting cheese.   Substitutes: pecorino Romano OR other firm cheese OR nutritional yeast (This substitution works best if recipe calls for cheese to be sprinkled over a dish. Nutritional yeast is low in fat, high in protein and B vitamins, and it’s not made with any animal products.) from http://www.foodsubs.com/Chefirm.html