Lettuce has been cultivated for thousands of years, valued as a food and medicinally. It was introduced to the Americas by Columbus. It is part of the sunflower family.
Containing more than 95% of water, lettuce is very low in calories and high in dietary fiber. A cup of shredded, raw, lettuce is less than 10 calories. This makes lettuce excellent in any slimming program.
Lettuce is a good source of vitamin A, B6, C and K with riboflavin, thiamin, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese and phosphorus. The darker leaf lettuce contains excellent amounts of folate and beta carotene.
There are many varieties of lettuces. Butterhead (Boston) which has a soft texture with a slightly sweet flavor, Iceberg which is a firm headed lettuce and the least nutritious, Romaine (Cos) which is a nutritious lettuce with long dark leaves and a slightly bitter taste and loose leaf lettuce which has curly green or red leaves with a delicate taste and a mildly crispy texture.
Lettuce aids digestion, is excellent for the liver and helps in the prevention of cataracts. The phytochemicals in a lettuce act as a mild sedative and also relieve nervous insomnia. Extract of lettuce is used in cough preparations. The ancient Egyptians used to rub shredded lettuce juice into their scalp when they began to go bald to stimulate the regrowth. To soothe sunburned skin, boil lettuce in water and after it has cooled, add the liquid to your bath water.
Due to pesticide residues often found in lettuces it is better to purchase organic lettuces or grow them in your garden. The loose leaf varieties are easy to grow. If you need to purchase ordinary lettuce’s wash well when preparing them for eating. If not eating the same day lettuce must be stored in the refrigerator. The Iceberg will keep for over for over a week but the soft leafed lettuces will only keep for a few days. Before storing, wash and dry lettuce well. Keep them in a container or covered with plastic. Always prepare lettuce last before serving to prevent them wilting and loss of nutrients.
We usually eat lettuce raw in the West, whereas in the East is often eaten cooked. Again, as mentioned before, to obtain the best nutritional and health properties of lettuce, purchase the organic, darker leafed varieties. Try them cooked or blended in with your vegetable juices and not just added to salads.
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Who can forget the wonderful Lettuce Ladies who supported and still support PETA in their campaigns. To take a look once more at these glamorous women in their lettuce leaf clothing why not pop in at their site Lettuce Ladies .
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Lettuce Recipes
Lettuce Soup
from Epicurious
This soup is a great way to use lettuce's outer leaves and ribs, which usually go to waste. Any kind of potato and any salad greens, including lettuce, arugula, spinach, and watercress, will work fine.
1 cup chopped onions, scallions, and/or shallots
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tbsps Vegan margerine
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tspn black pepper
3/4 cup diced (1/3 inch) peeled potato
8 cups coarsely chopped lettuce leaves including ribs (3/4 lb)
3 cups water
Cook onion mixture and garlic in 2 tablespoons marg in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add coriander, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in potato, lettuce, and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potato is very tender, about 10 minutes. Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Bring soup to a simmer, then whisk in remaining tablespoon marg and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings.
Sweet and Sour Lettuce Salad (Parve)
From Giora Shimoni, at kosherfood.about
My Hungarian father makes this special salad and my pickle-loving daughter gobbles it up. It is gentler than sauerkraut.
1 large round head lettuce
5 tbsps vinegar
5 heaping tbsps sugar
2 tsps salt
Separate and wash lettuce leaves. Dry well. Place in large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, salt and vinegar. Pour over lettuce. Mix well. Refrigerate.
Note: The salad tastes better after a day of sitting in the refrigerator.
Curry and Chickpea Lettuce
From Vegetarian Times
2 tbsps curry paste (available Asian stores and supermarkets)
4 oz. soy crumbles
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chickpeas (from 15.5-oz. can),drained and rinsed
6 large lettuce leaves
Whisk curry paste into 1/3 cup water in large microwave-safe bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except lettuce leaves. Cover, and microwave on high 3 minutes. Stir mixture to combine; cover and cook on high 2 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender. Spoon about 1/3 cup curry mixture onto each lettuce leaf. Wrap, and eat with your fingers. Serves 2.
Griddled Lettuce with Mango and Coriander Dressing
Nick Nairn of Ready Steady Cook (BBC Food)
1 baby Gem/Romaine lettuce, halved vertically
drizzle of olive oil
¼ mango, peeled, stoned and sliced
½ orange, zest and juice only
handful of fresh coriander leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a non-stick griddle pan until hot. Drizzle oil over the lettuce leaves and then griddle for 1-2 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, place the mango, orange zest and juice, fresh herbs and seasoning into a liquidiser or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving plate and spoon the dressing over to serve.
Lettuce Soup
from Epicurious
This soup is a great way to use lettuce's outer leaves and ribs, which usually go to waste. Any kind of potato and any salad greens, including lettuce, arugula, spinach, and watercress, will work fine.
1 cup chopped onions, scallions, and/or shallots
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tbsps Vegan margerine
3/4 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tspn black pepper
3/4 cup diced (1/3 inch) peeled potato
8 cups coarsely chopped lettuce leaves including ribs (3/4 lb)
3 cups water
Cook onion mixture and garlic in 2 tablespoons marg in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add coriander, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in potato, lettuce, and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potato is very tender, about 10 minutes. Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Bring soup to a simmer, then whisk in remaining tablespoon marg and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings.
Sweet and Sour Lettuce Salad (Parve)
From Giora Shimoni, at kosherfood.about
My Hungarian father makes this special salad and my pickle-loving daughter gobbles it up. It is gentler than sauerkraut.
1 large round head lettuce
5 tbsps vinegar
5 heaping tbsps sugar
2 tsps salt
Separate and wash lettuce leaves. Dry well. Place in large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, salt and vinegar. Pour over lettuce. Mix well. Refrigerate.
Note: The salad tastes better after a day of sitting in the refrigerator.
Curry and Chickpea Lettuce
From Vegetarian Times
2 tbsps curry paste (available Asian stores and supermarkets)
4 oz. soy crumbles
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chickpeas (from 15.5-oz. can),drained and rinsed
6 large lettuce leaves
Whisk curry paste into 1/3 cup water in large microwave-safe bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except lettuce leaves. Cover, and microwave on high 3 minutes. Stir mixture to combine; cover and cook on high 2 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender. Spoon about 1/3 cup curry mixture onto each lettuce leaf. Wrap, and eat with your fingers. Serves 2.
Griddled Lettuce with Mango and Coriander Dressing
Nick Nairn of Ready Steady Cook (BBC Food)
1 baby Gem/Romaine lettuce, halved vertically
drizzle of olive oil
¼ mango, peeled, stoned and sliced
½ orange, zest and juice only
handful of fresh coriander leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a non-stick griddle pan until hot. Drizzle oil over the lettuce leaves and then griddle for 1-2 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, place the mango, orange zest and juice, fresh herbs and seasoning into a liquidiser or mini food processor and blend until smooth. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving plate and spoon the dressing over to serve.
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