Parsley Gremolata

parsleyI love the taste of parley – vibrant, clean and fresh! This green is highly nutritious, full of vitamin C and K. Vitamin K is often missing from conventional diet yet very important for normal blood clotting and healthy bones. Cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, asparagus and spinach have a good amount of vitamin K as well as anticancer components. It is also an excellent source of iron. Iron deficiency is very common these days. It is actually quite hard to meet a daily dose if you don’t consciously eat the right food. Feeling dizzy, tired, short of breaths, leg pains and headaches are all the symptoms of anemia. Adults need 8gm/day for men and 18mg/day for women. For the best plant source of iron, parsley is on the top of the list. You can affect an absorb-ability of iron by combining foods. For example, meat/poultry/fish, fruits containing vitamin C (orange, strawberries, grapefruit), some veggies (broccoli, tomato, potato) and white wine enhances iron absorption. However, red wine, coffee, tea, some veggies (spinach, chard, beet greens, sweet potato – oxalic acids in these veggies bind with iron in our body), whole grains and bran, and soy products inhibits iron absorption. So try to pair iron-rich foods with iron-absorption enhancers, for example this parsley gremolata on a grilled fish and broccoli-orange salad on the side. Your energy will be supercharged.

What is the better way to use parsley. Gremolata is a mixture of mixed parsley, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil, very popular in the Mediterranean. It is beautiful as salad, on grilled protein or in your soup. It is so versatile to use and really brightens up the dish.
parsley gremolataIngredients

1 cup of flat leaf parsley
1 lemon zest and juice
1 tsp minced garlic
e.v.o.o

Combine all ingredients except oil in a food processor and turn on. Add the olive oil a little bit at a time until a thick paste is formed. The amount of oil depends on what consistency you like. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for a week.