A Memory Boosting Menu: Baked Apples with Lemon Balm and Silken Tofu

By Debbie Whittaker
Published on July 29, 2010
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Serves 8

Recent research indicates that there’s a link between a drop in estrogen and memory loss, which may be why women exhibit Alzheimers symptoms more often and to a greater extent than men. Soy is high in phytoestrogens, which mimic the role of natural estrogen. Apples are high in boron, which can increase the amount of estrogen circulating in the body, and lemon balm helps relieve stress, another cause of memory lapses.

• 4 Granny Smith apples, washed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried currants or other dried fruit, plus a little extra for garnish
• 3 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds, plus a ­little extra for garnish
• Water to fill the cored apples plus 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 8-ounce package soft silken tofu
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh lemon balm
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Partially core the apples 11/2 inches in diameter, removing the top 3/4 of the core but leaving the bases intact.

2. Stuff each apple with one-fourth of the currants and one-fourth of the sunflower seeds, then add water, filling the cavities to the top. Pour the boiling water into a glass baking dish, and put the apples in. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes in the top half of the oven, rotating the apples after 20 minutes to expose each inner half to the heat. The apples will be yellow when done.

3. While the apples bake, whisk the tofu in a medium-size bowl. Whisk in the honey, lemon balm, and optional cinnamon.

4. When the apples are done baking, cut each in half vertically and top each half with the tofu mixture. Garnish with a sprig of lemon balm and a sprinkle of currants and sunflower seeds.

Debbie Whittaker, a frequent contributor to Herbs for Health, demonstrates her healthy cooking style as the “Herb Gourmet” in ­Denver, Colorado.

Click here for the original article, A Memory Boosting Menu.

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