Joint-Fire-Fighting Spinach Salad with Grilled Pineapple
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Here’s an arthritis-healing salad that is bursting with flavor and color. It’s also jam-packed with joint-soothing anti-inflammatory ingredients, including spinach, flax, extra virgin olive oil, pineapple, ginger and garlic. And the exquisite combination of flavors and textures is simply divine: a hint of coconut, sweet orange, tart pineapple and pungent garlic with warm ginger – all on a bed of crisp spinach, and topped with chewy, flax-crusted tofu.
Details
- Prep Time:
25 min - Cook Time:
25 min - Ready Time:
50 min
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra firm tofu cut into four slices
- 1/2 cup Asian marinade see tips and notes
- 1 medium pineapple peeled and cut into 1/4 inch half moons
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 cups spinach
- 1 pound oranges peeled and sectioned
Directions
Marinate the tofu in a basic Asian marinade for 20 minutes or up to 2 days. (See tips and notes for marinade instructions.)Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat a grill or grill pan on high heat and grill the pineapple for 1-2 minutes on each side.
Drain the tofu from the marinade and coat in the flax meal.
Sear the tofu in the coconut oil on high heat for 5 minutes on each side.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Combine the Tamari, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, ginger and garlic in a bowl and mix.
Toss the spinach with the dressing and place on four plates. Top with orange, pineapple and tofu.
TIPS AND NOTES
Basic Asian Marinade is a combination of low sodium soy sauce, orange juice, red chili paste, honey, mustard, minced ginger, garlic and onion. You can make it spicier, sweeter, or add any extras you like such as sesame oil, lemon juice or cilantro. Just taste the marinade and adjust to your liking.
I am a bit confused on this one. In your 30 program you mention that pinapple’s bromeline is destroyed by heat and that is why canned pinapple contains none or little of it. ???
This sounds great but have two questions:
1) is the low-sodium tamari – maybe it is supposed to be tamarind juice or extract?
2) Where can I find the “tips and notes’ for the marinade for this? I could not find it in previous recipe, or the next one.
thanks
Myriam Roiz
Myriam,
Tamari is a sauce very similar to soy sauce, just slightly different in flavor, and found right next to soy sauce in your local grocery store. You can purchase a low-sodium version, and even a wheat-free version of Tamari.
The notes for the marinade can be found below the recipe in Tips and Notes.
I hope you enjoy!
JH
Hi Tony.
The real problem is that the enzyme bromelain is most plentiful in the stem of the pineapple plant. The little that is contained in the fruit is compromised by processing. I prefer to take the extract capsules. JH
Okay, the marinade notes are NOT in the introduction paragraph. What temperature are we to cook the tofu?
Thank you! This is a beautiful recipe and I’m Grateful!
I think you missed the point of their question, “How is the pineapple beneficial in this recipe?” Your answer was you prefer the pill.
Marinate the tofu in a basic Asian marinade for 20 minutes or up to 2 days. You cook the tofu at 375 in the oven. Here is the link again. http://myhealingkitchen.com/recipes-main/spinach-salad-with-grilled-pineapple/ Good luck!
TIPS AND NOTES
Basic Asian Marinade is a combination of low sodium soy sauce, orange juice, red chili paste, honey, mustard, minced ginger, garlic and onion. You can make it spicier, sweeter, or add any extras you like such as sesame oil, lemon juice or cilantro. Just taste the marinade and adjust to your liking.
Tips and Notes follow the recipe. Have fun!
Roger and Tony,
Thanks for insisting on an answer to the pineapple question! Here is a more complete response.
In this recipe, pineapple’s primary benefit is heat-stable manganese, which curbs joint-damaging free radicals and is essential for building healthy joint tissue and dense bones. (One cup provides 128% of the RDA for manganese.)
The beneficial Vitamin C and bromelain found in raw pineapple are diminished by the hot grill and oven temperatures in this recipe.
So why do we cook it here? Because grilled pineapple adds a smoky, tangy sweetness that brilliantly compliments the other foods. I say eat 3/4 of your pineapple raw and grill the rest for a heavenly treat! You’ll still get the benefit of the manganese.
Remember I said that most of the bromelain is in a pineapple’s stem? Higher quantities are also found in the core, which you can chop up and throw in the blender for a smoothie. Drink it plain for a mid-afternoon snack so the enzymes go straight to work cleaning up the inflammatory gunk in your joints instead of digesting other fruits or veggies in the smoothie.