Many years ago I owned a cookbook written by Helen Nearing, well known in the health field for her back-to-the-earth efforts with her husband Scott Nearing. In that book, Helen stated that greens are the staff of life, not grains. I agreed with that statement, but still made grains the focus of my main meals. However, last week, after reading Victoria Boutenko’s book, Green for Life, I became so excited with Victoria’s research about greens that my diet has now been altered with the addition of greens made in the blender with fruits or vegetables to soften the sometimes bitter taste of the greens.

Victoria and her family had switched to a raw food diet for health reasons, but over time felt that something was still missing. By comparing the human diet to the diet of Chimpanzees, who  share 99.4% of the same genetic make up, she found that a chimp’s diet consisted of 50% fruit and 40% greens (the rest is made up of bark and insects). Victoria concluded that the missing piece to finding perfect health was adding more greens to the diet.  She talks about this in Chapter 4: “The Green Smoothie Revolution.” Then she calls Chapter 6 “Greens: A New Food Group.”

Her chapters on the importance of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid), fiber from the smoothies, healthy soil, and the healing power of chlorophyll are also very convincing arguments for adding more fresh greens to our diets. On page 102, the author lists green items that go into the smoothies. Greens has the longest list, from arugula to spinach; weeds include dandelions and purslane; herbs include mint, parsley and dill; and sprouts include alfalfa to sunflower. (I love the fact that sprouts are included!)

Near the end of the book are testimonials from some of the men and women who participated in a small study called the Roseberg Study, which involved participants drinking one quart of green smoothie each day. The testimonials are quite revealing and only sealed my enthusiasm for this book’s message: EAT MORE GREENS! At the very end of the book are some green smoothie recipes, some of which I have already tried and found surprisingly delicious. (Dark, leafy greens tend to be bitter and I am not fond of bitter tastes, so I always cook them separately and season them well. Now they are also in my smoothies—RAW!)

Finally, the book is written in a very easy, conversational style, so you can finish the book in one or two readings, especially if you are as enthusiastic as I am about this concept. You don’t have to replace your meals with smoothies. Just start adding them to your menu and you will find them very satisfying. Eventually, you may want to replace one meal with a smoothie. I am still experimenting, so I can give you a better idea after I work these smoothies into my diet.  In warm weather I eat more raw food anyway, so the timing is perfect. I can’t wait!

Green for Life is published by Raw Family Publishing (www.rawfamily.com) and costs $14.95. Also, Victoria’s latest book is Green Smoothie Revolution, which answers many of the frequently asked questions form Green for Life and has more than 200 recipes. That review is coming soon.

To purchase directly from Amazon.com, click on the Green for Life icon below or just the Green for Life highlighted in blue:

Below are two recipes I have tried from Green for Life, although after making a few from the book, I made some substitutions and switching around to use up what I had purchased last week at the market. (And they were also good!)  I recommend organic whenever possible. Also, check with your doctor if you have any concerns about the ingredients or the effect of raw foods on your digestive track or any other nutritional concerns. Raw foods may not be for everyone.

One of my green drinks sitting next to a tray of sunflower greens. How Earth Day appropriate is this? Growing your own greens and then drinking your harvest.

 

Blueberry Pudding

Blend well:

1 stalk celery

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 banana

2 cups water

Yields: 1 quart of smoothie

 

Raspberry Dream

Blend well:

2 bosc pears

1 handful raspberries

4-5 kale leaves

2 cups water

Yields: 1 quart of smoothie

Additional information: When I emailed my draft to Victoria, her assistant Emily sent me an essay by Victoria, who is traveling to spread the word about greens. This article includes several more green smoothie combos at the end of the essay that I plan to enJOY! (Since JOY is my theme for 2010, it fits right into this wonderful book.)

Ode to Green Smoothie by Victoria Boutenko

What do I mean by green smoothie? Here is one of my favorite recipes: 4 ripe pears, 1 bunch of parsley and 2 cups of water. Blended well. This smoothie looks very green, but it tastes like fruit. I like green smoothies so much that I bought an extra blender and placed it in my office, so that I could make green smoothies throughout the day. More than half of all the food I’ve had in last several months has been green smoothies. I have so much more energy and clarity that I have removed green juices from my diet. (Juicing has been something that I’ve been doing regularly for years.) Green smoothies have numerous benefits for human health.

1. Green smoothies are very nutritious. I believe that the ratio in them is optimal for human consumption: about 60% – ripe organic fruit mixed with about 40% – organic green vegetables.
2. Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable nutrients in these fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into such small particles that it becomes easy for the body to assimilate these nutrients, the green smoothies literally start to get absorbed in your mouth.
3. Green smoothies, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber. Consuming fiber is important for our elimination system.
4. Green smoothies belong to the most palatable dishes for all humans of all ages. With a ratio of fruits to veggies as 60:40, the fruit taste dominates the flavor, yet at the same time, the green vegetables balance out the sweetness of the fruit, adding nice zest to it. Green smoothies are simply the best tasting dishes for the majority of adults and children. I always make extra smoothie and offer it to my friends and customers. Some of them eat a standard American diet. They all finished their big cup of  green smoothies with complements. They were quite surprised that something so green could taste so nice and sweet.
5. By consuming two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough of greens for the day to nourish your body, and they will be well assimilated. Many people do not consume enough of greens, even those who stay on a raw food diet. The molecule of chlorophyll has only one atom that makes it different from a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore, to consume chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion.
6. Green smoothies are easy to make, and quick to clean up after. Many people told me that they do not drink green juices on a regular basis because it is time consuming to prepare green juices and clean the equipment after juicing, or to drive to the juice bar.
7. Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after mother’s milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.
8. When you consume your greens in the form of green smoothies, you can greatly reduce the consumption of oils and salt in your diet.
9. Regular consumption of Green smoothies forms a good habit of eating greens. Several people told me that after a couple of weeks of drinking green smoothies, they started to crave and enjoy eating more greens. Eating enough of green vegetable is often a problem with many people, especially in children.
10. Green smoothies can easily be freshly made at any juice bar, restaurant or health food store for the great convenience of health-oriented customers.

Also from Victoria: I encourage the readers of this article to start playing with green smoothies, and to discover the many joys and benefits of this wonderful delicious and nutritious addition to the menu.  You may find many more amazing facts about green smoothies in my new book, Green Smoothie Revolution, available at my website: www.rawfamily.com

Here are more ideas for your green creations from Victoria:

Some of my favorite greens to add to green smoothies: parsley, spinach, celery, kale and romaine. My favorite fruits for green smoothies are: bananas (especially red and finger bananas), mangoes, pears, peaches, nectarines, and apples. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries taste superb in green smoothies, particularly when combined with ripe bananas.

Delicious combinations to play with from Victoria: (I tried the mango parsley and the pear-kale-mint combos, which are also in Green for Life,  and both were terrific! ellensue)

Mango-Parsley

2 large mangos

1 bunch parsley

2 cups water

Peach-Spinach

6 peaches

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

2 cups water

Mango-Weeds

2 mangos

1 handful of edible weeds, such as lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane, etc

2 cups water

 

Strawberry-Banana-Romaine

1-cup strawberries

2 bananas

½ bunch romaine

2 cups water

 

Apple-Kale-Lemon

4 apples

½ lemon juice

4-5 leaves of kale

2 cups water

 

Kiwi-Banana-Celery

4 very ripe kiwis

1 ripe banana

3 stalks of celery

2 cups water

Pear-kale-mint

4 ripe pears

4-5 leaves of kale

½ bunch of mint

2 cups water

 

Finger Banana-Spinach

10 finger-bananas

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

2 cups water

 

Notes: I created this recipe for the Earth Day demonstration at MANNA, where I volunteer each week to pack food for people who are seriously ill. I used canned beans, because the nutritionist at MANNA, Cyndi Dinger, said that is probably what the clients would use, so this is pretty quick. It’s also nutritious and low on the food chain.

Below the three bean recipe is a photo of my Green Soybean Succotash, (originally posted on Feb. 15th) but I  added salsa. Next to it are the pea shoots that Cyndi grew. (She also made a tofu and spinach dish from a book recipe that everyone tasted.)  Finally, below the legume handout that Cyndi provided are my greens that I grew as a centerpiece.

Utensils: Cutting board and knife, strainer, can opener, bowl for  mixing, plate for serving
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: None!

Ingredients

one 15 ounce can of (salt-free) pinto beans
one 15 ounce can of (salt free) garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
one 15 ounce can of (salt free) black beans
1-2 cups diced vegetables (peppers, celery, carrots, scallions, artichoke hearts, etc.)
1 – 2 Tbl .of your favorite light dressing (not creamy)
salt & pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Drain beans into a large colander and rinse well with cold water. Place in a large bowl when fully drained.

2. Dice 1 – 2 cups of washed and trimmed vegetables and add to the bowl.

3. Add 1 -2 tablespoons of your favorite dressing. (I used the liquid from the jar of artichoke hearts.)

4. Season with salt and pepper if needed and if allowed in your diet.

5. Toss well and place in an attractive bowl to serve cold. Garnish with artichoke heart or other veggie.

Yield: 4 – 5 cups, depending on whether you use one or two cups of diced veggies.

Green Soybean Succotash from Feb. 15th posting (with salsa added) plus Cyndi’s pea shoots.

 

Legumes: Types and Cooking Tips*

Legumes Defined — a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils.  Legumes are typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber.  They are great for soups, stews, casseroles, dips, spreads, and salads.

Types of Legumes

Many supermarkets and food stores stock a wide variety of legumes — both dried and canned.

Type of legume		Common Uses
	Adzuki beans Also known as azuki beans, asuki beans, field peas, red oriental beans	Rice dishes and Japanese or Chinese cuisine
	Anasazi beans Also known as Jacob’s cattle beans	Homemade refried beans and Southwestern recipes — especially soups
	Black beans Also known as turtle beans, black Spanish beans and Venezuelan beans	Soups, stews, rice and beans, Mexican dishes, and Central and South American cuisine
	Black-eyed peas Also known as cowpeas, cherry beans, frijoles, China peas, Indian peas	Salads, casseroles, fritters, bean cakes, curry dishes, and Southern dishes with ham and rice
	Chickpeas Also known as garbanzos, garbanzo beans, ceci beans	Casseroles, hummus, minestrone soup, Spanish stews and Indian dishes, such as dal
	Edamame Also known as green soybeans	Side dishes, snacks, salads, soups, casseroles, and rice or pasta dishes
	Fava beans Also known as broad beans, faba beans, horse beans	Stews and side dishes
	Lentils	Soups, stews, salads, side dishes and Indian dishes, such as dal
	Lima beans Also known as butter beans, Madagascar beans	Succotash, casseroles, soups and salads
	Red kidney beans	Stews, mixed bean salad, chili and Cajun bean dishes
	Soy nuts Also known as soybean seeds, roasted soybeans	Snacks or as garnish to salads

Preparing Legumes

Beans and dried legumes require soaking in room temperature water, a step that rehydrates them for more even cooking. Before soaking, pick through the beans, discarding any discolored or shriveled ones or any foreign matter. Depending on how much time you have, choose one of the following soaking methods:

• Slow soak. In a stockpot, cover 1 pound dried beans with 10 cups water. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
• Hot soak. In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover tightly and set aside at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
• Quick soak. In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 pound dried beans and return to a boil. Boil 2 to 3 minutes. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Gas-free soak. In a stockpot, place 1 pound of beans in 10 or more cups of boiling water. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Then cover and set aside overnight. The next day 75 to 90 percent of the indigestible sugars that cause gas will have dissolved into the soaking water.

My tip for preparing: Soak overnight, drain and let sprout for one day. Place on a cookie sheet and allow beans to freeze singly. Gather and place in a freezer bag. When ready to cook, take out what you need. The cooking time will be much shorter. ellensue

Cooking Tips

• Add salt or acidic ingredients, such as vinegar, tomatoes or juice, near the end of the cooking time, when the beans are just tender. If these ingredients are added too early, they slow the cooking process.
• Beans are done when they can be easily mashed between two fingers or with a fork.
• To freeze cooked beans for later use, immerse them in cold water until cool, then drain well and freeze.
• One pound of dried beans yields about 5 or 6 cups cooked beans. A 15-ounce can of beans equals about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans, drained.

No time to spare?

Lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas don’t need to be soaked. In addition, some legumes are “quick-cooking” — meaning they have already been presoaked and redried and don’t need extra soaking. Finally, canned legumes make quick additions to dishes that don’t require long simmering. Just be sure to rinse prepared and canned legumes to remove sodium added during processing.

*Information provided by Mayo Clinic staff and Images provided by © Dole Food Co, Inc. Presented to MANNA participants at the legume demonstration and tasting

These are the sprouted greens I made for the food demo. From left to right: buckwheat “lettuce,” lentil grass, wheatgrass, and sunflower greens.  How green can you get???