50 Best Plants on the Planet (30 page)

calcium
8
%

iron
15
%

½
cup semi-pearled farro
(see page 66)

¼
cup fresh grapefruit juice

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon finely minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon honey Salt

2 tablespoons canola oil

SALAD

6 cups baby spinach

1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, quartered, cut crosswise into
½
-inch slices

8 ounces cooked, shelled, deveined shrimp, cut in half lengthwise

Freshly ground black pepper

1
½
cups grapefruit supremes
(see page 230)

½
cup slivered almonds, toasted
(
see Cook's Note
)

1
.
Cook the farro by putting it in a small saucepan with
1
½
cups water. Bring it to a boil on high heat. Reduce it to low, cover, and simmer gently for
15
to
20
minutes, or until the farro is tender but a little chewy. If any water remains, drain it well. Set aside.

2
.
To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl or a measuring cup with a handle, stir together the juice, vinegar, ginger, and honey. Season with salt; stir until the salt dissolves and the honey is blended into the mixture. Whisk in the oil; set aside.

3
.
To make the salad: Put the spinach, avocado, shrimp, and farro in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture between six plates. Top with the grapefruit sections and almonds. Serve.

COOK'S NOTE
To toast slivered almonds, 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.

MEATLESS ALTERNATIVE
If desired, scatter cubes of warm sautéed tofu
(see page
54
)
on top of the salad instead of the shrimp.

Compotes, which are simple desserts that combine fruit and sugar syrup, show off the beauty of the produce. This is especially true if the compote is served in individual glass bowls. Generally, sugar syrups combine sugar and water, but here honey subs in for sugar, giving the dish a subtle floral note.

Yields
6
to
8
servings

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per serving, using
8
servings)

calories
140

fat calories
0

total fat (g)
0

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
10

total carbohydrates (g)
33

fiber (g)
2

sugars (g)
30

protein (g)
4

vitamin A IUs
30
%

vitamin C
100
%

calcium
4
%

iron
2
%

½
cup honey

One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced

3 whole star anise

2 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest

4 large pink grapefruits, cut into supremes
(see page 230)

1 cup plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

½
teaspoon ground cinnamon

OPTIONAL GARNISH
fresh mint sprigs

1
.
To make the compote: Combine
½
cup water with the honey, ginger, star anise, and zest in a medium saucepan on high heat, stirring until the honey melts. Bring it to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium. Gently simmer for
10
minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside at room temperature to cool for
1
hour.

2
.
Strain the honey mixture into a medium bowl. Add the grapefruit sections and any juice from cutting the grapefruit.

3
.
To make the yogurt royale: In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey, ginger, and cinnamon.

4
.
Divide the compote between six to eight small bowls or stemmed glasses. Top each with a dollop of yogurt mixture. If desired, garnish each with a small sprig of fresh mint. Serve.

These fleshy, flavorful pods are the subject of much culinary debate. Some like to briefly cook green beans to maintain a high degree of crunch and color. Others prefer a long gentle braise, rendering them limp and cushiony. Many take the middle road, blanching or steaming them until they are just barely fork tender. Then there are those who snack on them raw!

Green beans are often a warm-weather favorite with home gardeners because they are easy to grow and can be prolific producers. But in addition to being flavorful, they are a nutritional treasure chest. Vitamins, minerals, and fiber abound.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per
1
cup raw
½
-inch pieces)

calories
34

fat calories
1

total fat (g)
0

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
7

total carbohydrates (g)
8

fiber (g)
4

sugars (g)
2

protein (g)
2

vitamin A IUs
15
%

vitamin C
30
%

calcium
4
%

iron
6
%

Just
1
cup of steamed green beans adds about one-quarter of the fiber you need for the day. Fiber helps control blood sugar and improves digestive health; it is also beneficial because it creates a feeling of fullness. Green beans also contain resistant starch. It acts like fiber, giving similar benefits, but also boosts satiety by triggering certain chemical reactions in the G.I. tract.

Just
1
cup of cooked green beans has nearly
1
milligram iron. That is almost as much as a
3
-ounce portion of steak. Iron is important for blood, delivering oxygen to every cell of the body. Non-heme iron—the type found in plant foods—is critical to the biosynthesis of DNA.

While the iron in green beans does its work helping to deliver energy and oxygen throughout the body, phytochemical antioxidants called aglycones keep that iron from contributing to oxidative damage. Other powerful antioxidants in that group, such as quercitin and kaempferol, do their part in systemic damage control, scavenging free radicals that harm cells and their DNA.

Year-round

Choose beans that snap crisply when broken and are bright green without bruises, discoloration, or soft spots. Store them dry (markets often mist the beans, and consumers bring them home and refrigerate them wet, which shortens their shelf life) and unwashed, loosely wrapped in a paper towel inside a partially closed plastic bag for
2
to
5
days. Green beans are highly perishable, so eat them as soon as possible.

To wash beans, put them in a colander and run cold water over them; shake to remove the excess water. Snap off the ends by hand or cut them with a small knife. Leave them whole or break into
1
- to
2
-inch lengths, or cut on the diagonal if you prefer.

Place trimmed beans in boiling, lightly salted water; cook until they are tender-crisp,
2
to
8
minutes (time varies depending on width of beans). Drain in a colander; refresh with cold water. To steam, place the trimmed beans in a steamer basket over (but not touching) boiling water; cover and cook until they are tender-crisp, about
10
minutes for medium beans.

Blanch
1
pound trimmed green beans until tender-crisp; drain well. They can be prepared ahead to this point, if desired (cool and refrigerate them, wrapped in a kitchen towel placed in a partially closed plastic bag up to
2
days). In a large saucepan, heat
1
½
teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the beans and season with salt and pepper. When they are hot, remove them from the heat. Add
⅓
cup toasted walnut pieces and
3
tablespoons crumbled feta cheese; toss and serve.

In a large saucepan, combine
⅓
cup water,
1
tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil,
¼
cup finely diced red onion, a pinch of salt, and
1
pound green beans (trimmed, broken into
2
-inch lengths). Cover and cook on medium-high heat until the beans are starting to get tender,
6
to
9
minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates, about
1
minute. Toss the beans with
2
teaspoons minced fresh basil or tarragon.

Steam or blanch green beans that have been cut or snapped into
1
-inch lengths, cooking them until tender-crisp; rinse with cold water and let them cool to room temperature. Toss with your favorite potato salad, or place the cooked green beans on a platter and top with potato salad; garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Vegetarian lasagna is such a satisfying treat. This version showcases mushrooms and green beans, but you can augment the mix by layering in a few strips of roasted red bell pepper or caramelized onion. No tomatoes or tomato sauce is used. If you wish, heat up some marinara sauce and serve it on the side as an optional topping.

Yields
6
servings

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per serving)

calories
300

fat calories
120

total fat (g)
14

sat fat (g)
8

cholesterol (mg)
45

sodium (mg)
430

total carbohydrates (g)
23

fiber (g)
2

sugars (g)
3

protein (g)
22

vitamin A IUs
15
%

vitamin C
50
%

calcium
50
%

iron
10
%

4 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese