I recently read that cilantro may help the body detoxify from heavy metals. I don’t know if it’s really true or not, but Xy and I both like cilantro, so we’ve been on a bit of a cilantro kick lately. I fixed a creolized risotto in a cilantro reduction the other day, and last night we had cilantro-turkey tacos with lime. If anybody has any favorite recipes that feature cilantro (or coriander, which is from the same plant) please feel free to share them.
Of course, the more I poke around looking for information, the more muddled this gets. Cilantro couldn’t do any actual harm, could it? According to some sources, cilantro merely mobilizes the heavy metals — gets them out of tissues and into the bloodstream. If that’s true, it could actually raise your blood lead level. If those metals are not excreted, they could simply be reabsorbed into the body, so some people recommend consuming an agent such as chlorella (a type of algae) that supposedly will bind with the metals and get them out of the body.
The lack of peer-reviewed science on this subject makes me nervous.
Try making a cilantro chimichurri next time you are grilling steaks. Fabo.
I second Ricardo. Here’s the recipe we use. Cut the called-for parsley by half and add more cilantro if you want. Awesome on grilled chicken thighs!
Well if Battlestar Galactica is any indication, then I’d investigate chlorella further. Those odwalla drinks have spirulina, but that’d be a pricey habit to pick up… unless you made your own shakes.
I’ve always made pesto using basil, but I hear some people make it with cilantro. Could make a tasty spread on sandwiches.
Bart–
Is it possible that you haven’t seen this site??!?!
http://fuckyeahcilantro.tumblr.com/
It is a daily visit for me, mostly because of the author’s FURY (ALL CAPS his, not mine) with anyone who doesn’t love cilantro.
Best
Ethan
Pesto with cilantro. Substitute pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for the pignoli nuts – they impart a milder flavor. It freezes well if you leave out the cheese and add that upon defrosting.
A way-down-in-Mexico style, as my mouth waters describing it, is to
take barbacoa or pork carnitas, serve family-platter style with
assortment of salsas–chutneys–mole’s– fresh hot corn tortillas, and
long sprigs of fresh cilantro and chopped onions…wrap up your choice and
chomp-ola!!
—-
Chlorella! Yes!
Just this mornin’ I
Had my heaping teaspoon of fine green powder between bites of
high-fiber breakfast…chlorella is rich, sticky protein and almost eggy
in its texture when you eat it that way.
A good book about it by Dr. Mark Drucker M.D.
“Chlorella: The Key to Health, Vitality, and Longevity”
A lot of the returning Vets are going to need this therapy for
removing the Depleted Uranium from their bodies.
I recommend the Swanson Vitamins website, and especially their
hardcopy catalog includes (promotional) education about all these
hippie-fied new-age nutritional thangs.
I bought a pound of chlorella powder on eBay for about 1/3 the price
of most commercial-packaged Chlorella tablets.
Good ol simple pico de gallo…I make it all the time. I love me some cilantro!
If you’re a fish eater, this recipe for cilantro chipotle tilapia is great.
You can adjust the heat from the chipotle, and it has lots of cilantro.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cilantro-Chipotle-Tilapia-351295
Lime cilantro sweet potatoes make a great side dish if you’re really into cilantro.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lime-Cilantro-Sweet-Potatoes-109459
I’ve always hated cilantro and could never understand why, but it always tasted like a bitter soap to me, like someone took a Lava bar and sliced it up into my food. Turns out some of us are genetically predisposed to have this bit of taste misprogramming. This was a major bummer in New York, where they seem to douse any mexican food with a metric ton of the stuff.
I’ve heard reports that olestra has been used as a chelating agent, because the fake fat molecules bind with heavy metals and then exit your body in a hurry. Maybe in too much of a hurry if you’re not close to a toilet, though.