July 2011 Newsletter
Food focus: NattoHave you ever
heard of natto? If so, probably in the
context of miso and tempeh as it’s also a form of fermented soy used in East
Asia, particularly Japan. For anyone interested in avoiding
osteoporosis or blood clots, natto could help.
It is an abundant source of vitamin K-2, which helps with calcium
absorption for the bones and it also provides the enzyme nattokinase which
dissolves the fibous material in clots. (Alternatives, Dr. David Williams,
Jan. 2008, p.53.)
If you take a blood thinner, check with your doctor before eating a lot of
natto.
Bacillus
subtilis, the bacteria used to ferment natto, “was popular worldwide before the
introduction of consumer antibiotics as an immunostimulatory agent to aid
treatment of gastrointestinal and urinary tract diseases.” Perhaps natto would be useful for people with
those difficulties who want to try an alternative to antibiotics first. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_subtilis)
Recipe of the month: Natto “Grilled Cheese Sandwich”
Ingredients:
4
slices of toasted bread
4
tablespoons of natto (available in Japanese grocery stores)
1
tablespoon of cream cheese
1
medium, ripe tomato
1
tablespoon of finely chopped onion
2
tablespoons of olive oil
1
teaspoon of dried oregano
Salt
and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Combine the
natto, cream cheese, olive oil, and oregano in a bowl and blend them
well.
- Add the onion and
mix it in.
- Slice the tomato
and cover the toast with the slices on the bottom and the natto mixture on
the top.
- Cook them on a
cookie sheet under the broiler for just a few minutes, checking that they
don’t burn, and take them out when an appetizing crust has formed on the
melted mixture.
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