What's for Dinner?

Wakame Seaweed and Cucumber salad.

I started making this salad about a week ago and I think I have had it for lunch or dinner everyday.

After I started reading about the benefits of the Wakame seaweed, it made me love it even more!

Here is a little information on the benefits of Wakame Seaweed.

It is an edible brown seaweed, mostly common in Japan, Korea and China.
Wakame provides a good source of the following vitamins and minerals

Vitamin D. Helps promote the absorption of calcium and enhances the nerve, muscle and immune systems.

Iron. Is essential for the production of red blood cells and prevention of anemia.

Folate. This helps the body make new cells.

Vitamins K, C, A, and E. These vitamins are essential for healthy skin.

Magnesium. This mineral is crucial for the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Also for the function of certain enzymes in your body and production and movement of energy. Also is needed for the production of protein.

Calcium. Each 100 grams of raw wakame contains 150 milligrams of calcium.

The salty taste of Wakame is not just salt but a balanced chelated combination of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and trace minerals.

 

 

I add cucumber to mine because the benefits of cucumber are endless and it tastes great together!

Cucumbers are:
Good source of B vitamins
They are 95% water, so they help in keeping the body hydrated.
They contain Lignans which have a strong history of and connection to helping reduce the risk of several types of cancers, including breast, ovarian, uterine and prostate.
Promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues.
When mixed with carrot juice they can help relieve arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels.

If you like sushi, you will immediately like Wakame seaweed. I have been buying my seaweed from
Whole Foods. Emerald Cove Pacific Wakame.

The seaweed is sun dried, so all you have to do is put some in a bowel and pour water over it and it will begin to swell. After about 10 min pour off the water, and it is ready to eat.
I keep cucumbers sliced in the refrigerator with the marinate/dressing. The marinate/dressing is made from Organic rice vinegar, Shoyu and a little agave. I don't have a definite recipe. I just start mixing until I come up with the taste I like. I will say that I don' t use a lot of agave.
Marinate your cucumbers for about an hour, then put them on top of your seaweed. Add a little more dressing to taste. You can put anything else in here you want. Sesame seeds, avocados or nuts, whatever sounds good. Give it a try, low in calories and high in nutrition!

Until next time,
Jan