50 Best Plants on the Planet (27 page)

1
.
In a
4
- to
6
-quart pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion; cook until the onion softens,
3
to
4
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for
30
seconds. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for
2
minutes.

2
.
Add the lentils and season with salt and pepper. Bring them to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for
10
minutes. Uncover and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the broth, wine, and
2
cups water. Bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, about
30
minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and discard it.

3
.
Using a ladle, transfer
2
cups of the soup to a food processor or blender. Process until it is smooth and return to the soup. You can complete the soup to this point, then cool and refrigerate it until the next day. Before finishing it, rewarm over medium heat.

4
.
Add the endive and the Canadian bacon, if using. Bring to a simmer on medium-low heat and cook until the endive softens, about
4
minutes. Stir in the vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

5
.
Ladle the soup into bowls and, if desired, top each serving with a very thin slice of lemon. Pass bottled hot sauce as an optional addition.

If you aren't a fan of feta, use finely diced Parmesan instead in these tasty canapés. Or if you prefer to omit the cheese altogether, substitute finely diced red bell pepper. Pomegranate molasses adds a lovely sweet-sour spark to this dish. It is sold at Middle Eastern markets and many natural food stores. If it is unavailable, substitute balsamic vinegar.

Yields about
24
appetizers

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per appetizer)

calories
30

fat calories
25

total fat (g)
3

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
60

total carbohydrates (g)
2

fiber (g)
1

sugars (g)
0

protein (g)
1

vitamin A IUs
8
%

vitamin C
10
%

calcium
2
%

iron
2
%

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives

2 green onions, thinly sliced (including half of dark green stalks)

¼
cup toasted walnut pieces, coarsely chopped (
see Cook's Note
)

¼
cup crumbled feta cheese

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

24 endive leaves

OPTIONAL GARNISH
¼
cup pomegranate arils (seeds)

1
.
In a medium bowl, combine the parsley, olives, onions, walnuts, and feta. Toss.

2
.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup with a handle, stir together the juice and molasses and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour the dressing over the onion-parsley mixture; toss.

3
.
Arrange the endive leaves on a large platter, preferably round, placing them like the spokes of a wheel, with the pointed ends facing the edge of the plate. Fill the leaves half full with the parsley mixture. If desired, scatter the pomegranate arils on top and serve.

COOK'S NOTE
To toast walnut pieces, place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a
350
-degree-F oven for
3
to
4
minutes, or until lightly browned. Watch carefully because nuts burn easily. Let them cool before coarsely chopping and using in the salad.

It's understandable why gai lan is one of the most popular vegetables at Asian restaurants around the globe. Also called “Chinese broccoli,” gai lan has appealing crunch and a flavor profile that can be addictive. The stalk, leaves, and the clusters of tightly packed buds have a delectable balance of sweet and peppery flavors. It is a taste that is somewhat reminiscent of rapini, but the bitterness is much more subdued, with a more evident sweetness.

One cup of cooked gai lan weighs in at only
19
calories, so you can eat
20
cups for the same caloric price as a single cheeseburger.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per
1
cup cooked, chopped)

calories
19

fat calories
5

total fat (g)
1

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
6

total carbohydrates (g)
3

fiber (g)
2

sugars (g)
1

protein (g)
1

vitamin A IUs
29
%

vitamin C
41
%

calcium
9
%

iron
3
%

As with all leafy greens, gai lan contains the triumvirate of vitamins A, C, and K while providing a good dose of needed minerals such as potassium, manganese, iron, and calcium. And, of course, being a leafy green, it's replete with folate and fiber.

Gai lan is a good plant source of omega-
3
fatty acids, almost one-third more than common broccoli. Decades of research comprising thousands of studies show that omega-
3
s help brain and nerve development in fetuses and children, reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer, and act as an important bulwark against memory and cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and depression.

Year-round

Look for gai lan that smells fresh, with tightly closed buds rather than open flowers. The leaves should be bright green without any wilting, and the stalks should be crisp and firm, without soft spots or discoloration. Refrigerate them unwashed, wrapped in paper towels in the crisper drawer, up to
7
days.

Wash thoroughly with cold water. Trim off the bottom of the stalks, making a shallow cut about
⅜
inch from the bottom edge. Generally gai lan is cut into manageable pieces
1
to
2
inches long but can be served whole.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on high heat. Cut the gai lan into
2
-inch pieces and add them to the water. Blanch until they are tender-crisp, about
3
to
4
minutes. Drain and refresh with cold water; drain again. If desired, serve the gai lan topped with oyster sauce. You can thin the sauce with a splash of seasoned rice vinegar, vegetable broth, and dried red pepper flakes.

Add bite-size pieces of gai lan to your favorite noodle soup. Either cook it in the soup's broth or blanch it until tender-crisp before adding it in the last minute of cooking.

Serve tender-crisp blanched gai lan as a dipper for a yogurt-based dip. Stir together
¾
cup plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt with
1
tablespoon minced unpeeled ginger,
1
½
teaspoons sodium-reduced soy sauce,
½
teaspoon Asian sesame oil,
1
teaspoon balsamic vinegar, and a drop or two Asian hot sauce.

Blanch
1
pound gai lan (cut into
1
-inch pieces) until tender-crisp. Prepare a dressing by whisking
1
tablespoon fresh lemon juice with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Toss with the gai lan. Top with toasted sesame seeds.

If you prefer, bring down the calorie count of this delicious frittata by making 8 to 10 smaller servings instead of 6. Serve those smaller wedges of warm frittata on beds of fresh baby spinach. The frittata's warmth will partially wilt the greens, giving them an appealing texture and aroma.

Yields 6 servings

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per serving)

calories 240

fat calories 140

total fat (g) 16

sat fat (g) 6

cholesterol (mg) 275

sodium (mg) 710

total carbohydrates (g) 5

fiber (g) 1

sugars (g) 2

protein (g) 20

vitamin A IUs 25%

vitamin C 70%

calcium 25%

iron 10%

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

4 ounces Canadian bacon, roughly chopped

7 eggs plus 2 egg whites

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

⅓
cup whole milk

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1
½
cups small cauliflower florets

4 ounces gai lan, cut into
½
-inch pieces

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1.
Coat a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet with nonstick spray. Add the bacon and place it on medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon and set aside.

2.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, Parmesan, milk, and parsley, and season with pepper.

3.
In the same skillet used for the bacon, add the butter and oil. Place the pan on medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the gai lan and cook until tender-crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir the bacon into the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Reduce the temperature to low. Cover and cook until the frittata is almost set, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack 6 to 8 inches below the broiler element. Preheat the broiler.

4.
Place the pan under the broiler and heat until the frittata is nicely browned and completely set, about 2 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully. Remember that the handle of the skillet is hot when removing it from the oven. Run a silicone spatula around the edge of the frittata to loosen it. Slide it onto a platter or cutting board. Cut it into wedges and serve.

MEATLESS ALTERNATIVE
Omit the Canadian bacon, and start the recipe with step 2.

Tamari is a dark, thick soy sauce that adds an earthy punch. Here it boosts the flavor of a ginger-scented broth. To bump up the flavor even more, add a dash of Asian-style hot sauce to the bubbling broth.