A gorgeous smooth, mushroomy pâté that is divine spread on crackers, toast, or as a dip for veggies. Its deep, earthy flavour keeps people coming back for more and more.
1 punnet of fresh shiitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Dash of soy sauce
This is the easiest dip in the world to make. Just throw it all into a food processor and blend into a smooth dip. That’s it! No… really… that’s actually IT. Season to taste. You can add more oil if you would prefer a slightly thinner dip.
Medicinal Properties
Garlic – among other things, garlic contains a powerful antioxidant that is believed to prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidizing. It is this process that causes cholesterol to clog up arteries, so anything we can do to stop this has got to be a winner. There are also sulphurous chemicals present that are believed to affect the production of this “bad cholesterol” transporter, thus leading to a greater presence of the “good” HDL.
Garlic also contains a potent compound called ajoene. This chemical has an interaction with a biochemical messenger called platelet aggregation factor. This compound tells the platelets in the blood to stick together and form a blood clot. The ajoene found in fresh garlic helps to lower heart attack risk in general, although we must note that this protective effect comes from prolonged use.
Shiitake Mushrooms – these amazing Asian treasures have long been known as a powerful stimulant to the immune system, and are commonly used in flu-fighting potions and soups, etc. They are also known to affect the way the immune system responds to certain stimuli, including the way in which thehy respond to antibodies. In issues where there is an autoimmune disorder, or hypersensitivity, research suggests that the polysaccharide compounds in shiitake can actually reduce such responses.
Another interesting fact, many recent clinical trials in China and Japan have shown that shiitake may offer a protection against high cholesterol. This is due to the presence of a compound called eritadenine. Eritadenine appears to be able to encourage the conversion of the bad LDL cholesterol into the good HDL cholesterol, and also to give a general lowering of blood lipids (fats).
Sunflower Seeds – these gorgeous seeds are a fantastically rich source of a group of plant chemicals called phytosterols. These are the chemicals made famous by the myriad of cholesterol-lowering drinks, yogurts, spreads ,etc, on the market. They essentially help to reduce the level of cholesterol taken up by the digestive tract. Cholesterol moves around our body in a bit of a loop system. It is made in the liver from specific dietary fats and then transported throughout the body via several mechanisms. One mechanism, in particular, involves cholesterol being released from the liver into the digestive tract, where it is reabsorbed into the general circulation. Phytosterols actually block this reabsorption, thus allowing the cholesterol in the gut to be removed from the body via the bowel. The cholesterol lowering activities of phytosterols have been very well documented in recent years, thus adding to their popularity.
