Delicious Vitamins: Almond Shiitake [Un]Fried Rice

Ready for some Riboflavin?

Whenever I think of vitamins, leafy greens and citrus fruits always leap into my mind. While plentiful leaves and oranges await us on this nutritional tour, I have found it interesting to start with the beginning of the Vitamin alphabet, which quickly leads us to the B vitamins - all of which have such an extensive variety of food groups in which they are contained.

For instance, almonds. Now I know almonds are healthy - they're a terrific source of protein and unsaturated fats - and I know almonds, almond butter, almond milk, and chocolate covered almonds are insanely delicious, but when I'm nibbling on an almond I don't typically muse, in an absent-minded sort of fashion, "hmmm, I'm getting a fantastic dose of riboflavin right now..."

While I'm instead contemplating contentedly how crunchy and yet simultaneously silky that singular almond might be, however, I am getting a delightfully whopping supply of riboflavin. While dairy products typically contain the highest levels of riboflavin (also called Vitamin B2), almonds have one of the highest riboflavin contents of any plant food. One third of a cup of almonds encompasses 0.37 mg of riboflavin, and while 1/3 cup is A Lot of almonds, 0.37 mg is also A Lot of riboflavin given that the recommended daily intake is 1.7 mg and you needn't attempt to consume your day's intake in one food - or one sitting!

(Significant amounts of riboflavin are also found in beet greens, pork chops, eggs, spinach, ground beef, turkey, asparagus, and strawberries.)

Why, though, should its high riboflavin content tempt me to sample another almond? Well, my body requires riboflavin to help release all the powerful energy packed inside that dainty little almond, since riboflavin acts as a coenzyme in digestive reactions just like its cousin Thiamin. Riboflavin, a sociable sort of fellow, is also needed to activate several of the other vitamins bouncing around in our almonds and in the rest of our meal, namely Vitamin K, folic acid, and Vitamin B6. Furthermore, Riboflavin boosts the immune system, and might have a protective effect against esophageal cancer (an important factor for someone like me who likes to drink scalding hot tea, which can predispose you to esophageal cancer). As if Riboflavin hadn't already proven its usefulness, it also enables the eyes to adapt to light and has even been used to delay the progress of cataract formation. Since Zach and I have both managed to suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome over the years (likely from handwriting and typing Way Too Much Schoolwork), I've been quite interested to learn that riboflavin has demonstrated usefulness in carpel tunnel syndrome treatment as well.

Equally exciting, riboflavin facilitates absorption of iron from foods, mobilization of iron throughout the body, and retention and utilization of iron within the body. (So, if you're a vegetarian, next time someone asks you "but, but, are you sure you're getting enough iron in your diet?" you can smile and reply, "Why yes, I am, and I make sure to include plenty of riboflavin in my daily diet to enhance iron absorption" - and whoever was formerly bugging you will now be all impressed and leave you in peace. :-)

Lapsing into nostalgia for a moment, ever wonder why milk doesn't often come in clear containers anymore? Milk is an important source of riboflavin for much of the population, and riboflavin is actually destroyed by ultraviolet rays - so if you were enjoying a glass of milk that had briefly paused on the porch in an old-fashioned bottle, you were getting quite shortchanged on your riboflavin. Alcohol also destroys riboflavin, but we can still raise a toast to riboflavin in moderation... or simply raise an almond instead!

Almond and Shiitake [Un]Fried Rice

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
2 T olive oil
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
12 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
1 T dry red wine
2 T soy sauce
1 T minced fresh cilantro
2 cups cooked brown rice

~ Briefly toast the almonds on a baking sheet in a 400 degrees F oven until golden brown. Remove the almonds from the oven, and set aside.
~ In a wok over high heat, stir-fry the spring onions in the olive oil until they are limp.
~ Add the bell pepper, and continue to stir fry just until crisp-tender.
~ Add the shiitake mushrooms, and keep stir-frying until the mushrooms are tender.
~ Reduce the heat to medium, pour the red wine and soy sauce over the mushrooms, then stir in the cilantro and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.
~ Remove from the heat, season to taste with black pepper, and stir in the almonds.
~ Serve immediately, while the almonds are still nice and crunchy...

Other recipes with plentiful riboflavin:
Almond Citrus Cake
Asparagus and Barley Risotto
Double-Almond Oatmeal
White Asparagus Soup
Whole Grain Strawberry Corn Muffins
Whole Wheat Pasta with Tzatziki and Lebna Sauce

* Almonds and other such deliciousness can also found in the upcoming cookbook authored by the witty, brilliant, gourmet-chef and baker Ricki of Diet Dessert and Dogs, which will be published on May 15! I have been counting down to the cookbook's release date for quite some time - I am so proud of Ricki for accomplishing such a milestone! One glance at Ricki's beautiful blog will instantly reveal why I am so excited about the gorgeous, healthful desserts in Ricki's cookbook, Sweet Freedom... and Ricki is even generously giving away 8 copies of the cookbook!!