"Develop your own sense of taste and listen to your body, as this is the best way to identify what fruit and vegetables nourish you the most" - Pete Evans
"Luke, I am your Father! Eat your Vegetables!"
Even the pickiest eater will be won over by crispy carrot fritters with garlicky yoghurt dipping sauce, oh-so-simple sweet potato waffles topped with guacamole and a fried egg or the oozy deliciousness that is eggplant parmigiana.
Eat Your Greens also includes simple tips on:
- increasing your family's veg intake for breakfast, lunch and dinner
- buying and growing seasonal, organic produce
- harnessing the health benefits of different veggies.
Earlier this year streaming giant Netflix was pressured to pull a documentary narrated and produced by celebrity chef Pete 'Paleo' Evans. They had quietly released a show about the controversial ketogenic diet which features a number of people who claim (in the doco) that a diet high in protein and fat but low in carbohydrates can help alleviate everything from asthma to autism. One participant even claimed to have shrunk her breast cancer tumour by ditching grains and processed foods in favour of leafy greens. Now I don't know if that's possible but on a smaller, less hysterical level scientists and nutritionists have proven, time and again, that vegetables can be our true superfoods. Those are, of course, the ones that your mum made you eat as a kid.When you first flick through this book it becomes clear that Evans has been on a bit of a health farm fashion shoot. Dressed in a pure white t-shirt to show off his lean frame and bronzed skin, he's the picture of good health. Makes you wonder how he manages to fight off the extra calories earned during endless tastings on My Kitchen Rules.
Evans spares us most of his 'paleo' speech in the introduction, sticking to facts and figures, with a little bit of encouragement towards eating more healthy. He notes that this isn't a book for just vegetarians. There is a recipe for roasted Cauliflower in duck fat. But there's also a Zucchini 'cheese (a sort of roulade), to go with your salami on your antipasti platter. And there's a beetroot terrine to replace the usual ox tongue version.
Yes, we all know that Broccoli and Kale are heroes on the plate right now but what about Grapefruit, Radishes, Choy Sum or Pumpkin? Ironically, these are the cheapest and easiest veges to get hold of. Evans, in his new book, Eat Your Greens, shows us what to do with those boring old favourites plus a heap of new ingredients such as charcoal (which he bakes into bread),Za'ata (a mix of Mediterranean spices); Okra; Dashi paste (a Japanese stock for soup); or Raddichio.
Right off the bat, he steals ideas from a popular American Coffee chain with his own version of a spiced pumpkin latte recipe (yes, it's a real thing). Actually, pumpkin features quite a few times, in various recipes along with a number of other root vegetables. Absent, though, is the humble potato - perhaps because it's just way too common. Artichokes are plentiful in Australia, where Evans is based so his Italian inspired recipes would work there. Not so much here. He gives macadamia 'cheese', which is a sort of halva. Macadamia nuts are nigh on impossible to get here so that one will have to wait for the next trip to the Gold Coast.
He also shows us how to make Japanese Pancakes with tamari and coconut aminos (a paleo style sauce) and a whole range of stocks and juices using beetroot. In there are also a couple of Kimchi recipes, using Chinese cabbage ferments, as well. Being the popular trend at the moment, this along with kombucha is a welcome addition to the book. However, the vast array of bizarre and baffling new ingredients has created a bit of a challenge to the average suburban shopper. I can't see how I'm going to easily get hold of hemp powder, duck fat or activated charcoal at my local Pak'n'Save. That said, I wonder how these recipes will stand the test of time. If we look back 5, 10 years were cooks trying to introduce us to parmesan cheese, greek yoghurt, kale, mung beans, Bartoli beans, prosciutto. So why should the introduction on Kombu (a type of kelp, used in Korean and Japanese cooking) be any different? Hey, I'm eating coconut yoghurt right now. What I'm saying is to try something new. Who knows, looking at what we eat and how we do it might just be more than a trend. Maybe this book won't cure cancer. But it might reduce the risk. Go on take the plunge, I say. Dare to be different.
Pete Evans has been co-host and judge of Australia’s number 1 television show My Kitchen Rules for 9 seasons. He has hosted and produced 2 seasons of The Paleo Way, a television series which sees Pete creating delicious non-inflammatory dishes with special guests from around the globe and interviewing some of the world’s leading experts on health and wellness. Pete also hosts the award-winning PBS series Moveable Feast, now into its 6th season, which sees Pete cooking with leading chefs in the USA and learning where to source amazing local produce. Over the past 20 years, Pete has been a host of numerous television series including FISH (cooking, fishing and travel), the Lifestyle Channel’s Home show, Postcards from Home, as well as over 400 episodes of daily cooking show Fresh.
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