Whole Food Thinking and Whole Plant Eating

Would it sound strange to buy sneakers without the laces, or a sandwich and throw away the bun? Well, it seems to be in this culture of ours, we’ve grown accustomed to eating just part of a whole food, and tossing away the parts that matter most. We peel our apples, we separate eggs into their respective white and yolk parts, we strip our grains of all their exterior nutrients to make pristine, white everything, and we lop the tops off our root vegetables. Stop the insanity!

Foods are whole for a reason – they are all perfect packages of well-balanced nutrition – designed that way for our benefit. Beets are a perfect example of this. Fortunately, this time of year, you can find them in their whole state, with the delicious green tops attached! It’s like getting two vegetables for the price of one! Here are some other vegetables that you can eat (gasp!) whole.

Celery – the root bulb is tasty and surprisingly potato-like; it’s called celeriac.
Cilantro – the roots are super nutritious and contain the most flavour.
Kohlrabi – both greens and roots are delicious!
Garlic – eat the unopened garlic flowers in the spring; they are called scapes.
Leeks – don’t just eat the white parts - the tops are good for you too!
Broccoli – the tree trunks are just as yummy as the tops.

Give Greens a Chance
Poor little beet greens, often tossed away by your grocer and forgotten. A trip to a farmer’s market or good grocery store this time of year will reward you with the leafy beauties that are still in season. They are loaded with carotenes and minerals, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin C, E, B6, B1, B2, B3, folate…the list goes on forever! They are also amazing when juiced. Beetroots are also a wonderful source of nutrition and have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. They have a cleansing effect on the liver, and aid digestion and the lymphatic system. Beets tone the blood and build red blood cells. Together, roots and greens are hard to beet!
Sorry.

Here’s a simple recipe that uses both nutrient-dense parts of the beet plant – the roots and the greens. Select the freshest beets based on the look of their tops: they should be bright green, crisp and perky. Avoid beets greens with brown spots and ones that look limp. The greens should be consumed within two or three days, while you can save the roots for later.


Balsamic Beets and Greens Salad

Ingredients:
1 bunch beets with greens (about 3-4 medium beets)
1 can or 1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Handful of almonds or walnuts, chopped

Directions:
1. Scrub the beetroots and place whole in a steamer to cook until tender – 30-40 minutes.
2. Separate the beet roots from the greens. Wash greens thoroughly by submerging them in water and agitating. Remove from water bath, shake dry, and roughly chop into strips.
3. Peel beet roots simply by running under cold water. Cut beets into bite-size pieces. Toss with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt. Add chickpeas (they will turn pink!)
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté garlic for 3 minutes. Add sliced greens and cook uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until wilted.
5. Just before serving add beet greens to the beetroot and chickpea mixture. Garnish with chopped walnuts or almonds for crunch.

Exploring farmers markets is a wonderful way to understand how plants are grown. Ask the vendors which parts of the plants are edible and which are not. And find some recipes that include both parts of your favorite fruits and vegetables to get the most for your money – nutrition, taste, and a few pennies pinched!

Black Bean Beauty Burgers

Just because summer is winding down, does not mean that the barbeque will be put to sleep just yet. If you’re a die-hard griller, you know that there are still plenty of late summer nights left to enjoy the smoky taste only a barbeque can deliver.

For years I have been the brunt of too many jokes at family barbeques, as I munch on salad while my family eats cheeseburgers and hot dogs (I am still not interested, Uncle Peter, but thanks for offering every single time for the last decade). This summer I thought that it was finally time I got my act together to create a real, grill-able, vegetarian version of the classic burger good enough for carnivore to eat.

Now, I have absolutely tried my best to make these before, but there are always problems, such as the patties falling apart while cooking, too dry, too moist, too “vegetarian-tasting”. It is not until now that I have the confidence to say I’ve finally mastered it. These black bean burgers are juicy, flavourful, and they retain their shape after flipping on the grill! Incredible.

Bad News for BBQs
If the taste of the black bean burger doesn’t convince you, perhaps some information on the health risks of grilling the “alternatives” will. Many consumers are unaware that barbequing popular meats can produce cancer-causing and mutagenic compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs, are produced during the cooking of many animal products, including chicken, beef, pork, and fish. In January of 2005, the United States government officially added HCAs to its list of known carcinogens.(1)

Grilled meat yields some of the highest concentrations of heterocyclic amines (HCAs).(2) These compounds form when a combination of creatine (a specific amino acid found in muscle) and sugars, which are both found naturally in meats, are heated during cooking.(3) Grilling is particularly carcinogen-forming because the process involves high heat and long cooking times. Nearly all meats, including chicken and fish, produce significant amounts of HCAs when tossed on the grill.

But there is good news! Since creatine, one of the ingredients for the formation of HCAs, is mostly found in muscle tissue, grilled veggie burgers, such as the recipe below, and other vegetarian foods contain either no HCAs or negligible levels.(2)
Choosing plant-based foods instead of meat also lowers cancer risk in other ways. Not only are vegetables low in fat and high in fiber, they also contain many cancer-fighting substances. Chalk one up for the bean burger beauty!

Black Bean Beauty Burger
Ingredients:
1/2 red onion
1 red bell pepper
4 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 15.5 oz. can or 1 cup cooked black beans
2 tablespoons of water
3/4 cup of wheat germ


Directions:
1. Put one half of a medium-sized, peeled onion in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add 1 red bell pepper and pulse just until finely chopped. Set them aside in a medium bowl.
2. Combine the garlic, spices, salt, almonds, sunflower seeds, and oil in the food processor and pulse until texture resembles breadcrumbs. Add cilantro and pulse until the cilantro is well incorporated. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the onion and pepper.
3. Put the black beans and water in the food processor and process until smooth. Add this mixture to the bowl along with the wheat germ. Mix (preferably with your hands) completely, and then taste for seasoning – you may want to add more salt, spices, or herbs at this point.
4. Separate bean mixture into six balls and shape into patties. Make sure the patties are not too thin or they will fall apart.
5. Grill for 8 minutes on each side, or until slightly browned. Alternatively, bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until heated through.

Enjoy with your favorite burger fixings: homemade mustard, natural ketchup, avocado, arugula, red pepper, pickles, tomato, shredded carrot, cilantro oil…be creative!

Sources:
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program. 2005. 11th Report on Carcinogens. Available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/toc11.html.
2. Nagao, M and Sugimura, T. Food Borne Carcinogens: Heterocyclic Amines. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. New York: 2000.
3. Jagerstad M, Skog K, Grivas S, Olsson K. Formation of heterocyclic amines using model systems. Mutat Res. 1991;259:219-33.