50 Best Plants on the Planet (7 page)

2 teaspoons minced fresh mint or basil

1 pound small broccoli florets

Two 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, drained again

½
small red onion, cut in half top to bottom, thinly sliced (
see Cook's Notes
)

1 cup thinly sliced small peeled carrots

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cups baby arugula

OPTIONAL GARNISH
¾
cup finely diced Manchego or smoked mozzarella cheese

OPTIONAL GARNISH
1 pita bread, cut into narrow triangles, toasted (
see Cook's Notes
)

1
.
Put a large pot of salted water on high heat and bring to a boil.

2
.
To make the dressing: In a small bowl or a measuring cup with a handle, mix together the vinegar, mustard, and salt. Stir in the oil, then the yogurt. Stir in
1
½
tablespoons water and the mint. Set aside.

3
.
To make the salad: Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water until tender-crisp,
3
to
4
minutes. Drain and refresh with cold water. Drain well and place in a large bowl. When the broccoli is completely cool, add the beans, onion, and carrots.

4
.
Add the dressing, season with pepper, and toss.

5
.
Divide the arugula between eight plates. Top with the broccoli mixture. If desired, scatter the cheese on top and place the pita triangles next to the salad before serving.

COOK'S NOTES
If red onion is too strong for you, slice and soak it in ice water for
30
minutes. Drain and pat dry before adding to the salad.

To toast pita triangles, place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Coat with nonstick olive oil spray. Toast in a
350
-degree-F oven until lightly browned and starting to crisp.

Taste the salad at the end of step
3
; if you like, add a pinch of dried red pepper flakes and gently toss again.

Raw arugula, with its assertive flavor profile, provides just-right perkiness for pesto. Here it is tossed with whole-grain spaghetti, but it is also delicious with steamed or blanched green beans or fingerling potatoes. To make larger portions, toss some blanched or roasted cauliflower with the spaghetti. To learn how to easily roast cauliflower florets,
see Cook's Note
, page
339
.

Yields
8
first-course or side-dish servings

(per serving)

calories
350

fat calories
140

total fat (g)
16

sat fat (g)
1.5

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
15

total carbohydrates (g)
45

fiber (g)
6

sugars (g)
3

protein (g)
9

vitamin A IUs
8
%

vitamin C
8
%

calcium
4
%

iron
10
%

2 medium garlic cloves, peeled

½
cup toasted pine nuts (
see Cook's Note
)

4 cups arugula

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound dry whole-grain spaghetti

Salt

GARNISH
2 Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, diced

OPTIONAL GARNISH
grated Parmesan cheese

1
.
Put a large pot of salted water on high heat and bring to a boil.

2
.
Meanwhile, with the motor running, drop the garlic into a food processor fitted with the metal blade; process until minced. Stop the machine and add the pine nuts and arugula; process until finely minced. With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and season with pepper. Process until smooth.

3
.
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente (following the package directions). Scoop out and reserve
½
cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the spaghetti. In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti and pesto. Toss in enough of the reserved cooking liquid to make the pesto a little saucy. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Divide the pasta between small shallow bowls and top with the diced tomato. Pass the Parmesan when serving, if desired.

COOK'S NOTE
To toast pine nuts, place them in a small skillet on medium-high heat. Shake the handle of the skillet to keep rotating the pine nuts as they lightly toast. Watch carefully because they burn easily.

Thin sheets of lavash flatbread toasted with a little Parmesan cheese make irresistible crisp crackers to accompany this arugula-based salad. To reduce calories in this ambrosial concoction, use less fruit and/or cheese. The amounts given here are generous.

Yields
4
servings

(per serving)

calories
240

fat calories
120

total fat (g)
13

sat fat (g)
4

cholesterol (mg)
15

sodium (mg)
380

total carbohydrates (g)
23

fiber (g)
3

sugars (g)
9

protein (g)
7

vitamin A IUs
15
%

vitamin C
10
%

calcium
25
%

iron
8
%

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

One 9-by-12-inch sheet of lavash

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, plus 3-ounce chunk, shaved into thin strips using a peeler

8 cups baby arugula

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 fresh figs, quartered, or 2 ripe pears, cored and cut into eighths lengthwise

1
.
Preheat the oven to
400
degrees F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place the lavash on the prepared sheet and coat it with nonstick spray. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Bake until crisp,
3
to
4
minutes. Remove from the oven. Cut crosswise into
8
pieces; set aside.

2
.
Place the arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat the leaves. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Add half the Parmesan strips and toss. Divide the salad between four dinner plates. Top with the remaining strips of cheese. Place the figs around the perimeter of the salad, interspersed with pieces of lavash. Serve immediately.

Asparagus has a regal appearance. Each stately stalk is topped with an imperious budlike point, a delicate crown that sits atop a lanky shoot. Sought out as a delicacy in ancient Rome and dubbed the “food of kings” by King Louis XIV of France, asparagus offers much more than an elegant appearance, more than an appealing grassy, nutty-sweet flavor profile, and more than an alluring tender texture.

It is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, leading nearly all fruits and vegetables in the healthful components it provides.

(per
1
cup raw, chopped)

calories
27

fat calories
1

total fat (g)
0

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
3

total carbohydrates (g)
5

fiber (g)
3

sugars (g)
3

protein (g)
3

vitamin A IUs
20
%

vitamin C
13
%

calcium
3
%

iron
16
%

Five spears supply about
60
percent of the average daily requirement for folic acid, the essential B vitamin that helps to prevent birth defects. Folic acid also plays a key role in preventing heart disease because it helps to control homocysteine, which otherwise can promote atherosclerosis by reducing the integrity of blood vessel walls.

Asparagus contains more dietary glutathione than any other fruit or vegetable. This phytochemical recycles vitamins C and E back to their active forms, and research suggests that it helps reduce cataract development in the eyes.

Asparagus contains the amino acid asparagine that promotes the formation of urine in the kidneys. Because it reduces swelling, asparagus can be useful for treating PMS-related water retention. Although it seems to be the subject of great debate, most think it is the asparagine that gives some people's urine that peculiar, post-meal smell.

It's an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as a good source of dietary fiber and potassium, plus an impressive source of minerals and B vitamins. Asparagus is also high in rutin, a flavonoid that is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Year-round

Choose stalks that are about the same size for even cooking. Asparagus needs to be kept cold; refrigerate, unwashed, in a plastic bag up to
3
or
4
days in the crisper drawer. Or store upright in about
1
inch of water, covered with a plastic bag. Note that folate diminishes when exposed to heat or light.

Wash thoroughly with cold water. If the tips are sandy, dunk them in and out of a bowl of cold water to loosen the sand. Trim tough, woody ends or grasp both ends and snap at the breaking point.

Briefly cook or serve asparagus raw, unpeeled, to preserve the most nutritional benefits. Both green and purple varieties turn bright green when cooked. Whether steaming, blanching, roasting, or grilling, heat only long enough for the asparagus to become tender-crisp. White asparagus cooks very quickly, so be especially cautious not to overcook it.

Put trimmed asparagus in a covered steamer basket over boiling water for about
3
minutes or just until tender-crisp (time varies depending on width of stalks). Place on a platter and drizzle on a ginger vinaigrette (combine
¼
cup rice vinegar,
1
tablespoon agave syrup,
1
tablespoon minced unpeeled fresh ginger,
2
tablespoons vegetable oil, plus salt and freshly ground black pepper to season).