Top Chef Shares 3 Recipes That Make It Easy to Eat 30 Plants a Week for Gut Health – Nutritionist Approved

Although 30 plants might sound daunting, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, a top UK-based celebrity chef, believes taking aim makes cooking more interesting and food tastier.

“Don’t assume that just because this approach is undeniably good for you, it must be a chore to get there. I think the opposite is true,” he wrote in his cookbook “How to Eat 30 Plants per week.”

This approach encourages people to think outside the box and add more flavor, texture and nutrients to dishes they might be making on autopilot, he wrote.

“Not only do I believe I can make it pretty easy for you, I’m also very confident you’ll enjoy the ride,” he wrote. The recipes were approved by Professor Tim Spector, a nutritionist and gut microbiologist at King’s College London, who wrote an introduction to the book.

“What I love about Hugh’s cooking is that he makes it easy, fun and delicious to include more plants,” Spector wrote. “It’s great to see nuts, seeds and legumes feature so generously in Hugh’s recipes in this book.”

Here are three of Fearnley-Whittingstall’s fiber-filled recipes from “How to Eat 30 Plants a Week.”

Purple shakshuka

Lizzie Mayson

Serves: two to four

Raw materials:

• Oil or fat for cooking
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely grated or chopped
• 1 small red chili or a good pinch of dried chile flakes (optional)
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika plus an extra pinch
• 1 medium-sized beet, scrubbed and coarsely grated (about 150 g)
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced ​​(optional)
• 400 g tin of peeled plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 400 g canned kidney beans
• 1 small radicchio coarsely grated
• 4 eggs
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the decoration:

• 50 g herb leaves, such as parsley, chives or coriander, roughly chopped
• Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon
• 1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• Dukkah

Method:

1. Heat a little oil or fat in a medium frying pan or shallow, wide, ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add the onion(s) and fry for six to eight minutes until soft but not coloured, then add the garlic, chilli, cumin and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring often, for two minutes.

2. Add the beets, red pepper if using, and the tinned tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as they go in (and picking out any stem ends or bits of skin). Cook for eight to ten minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down, helping them to do so with the back of the spoon. Stir in extra virgin olive oil and a splash of water if the mixture seems dry.

3. Drain the beans, reserving some of the liquid, then add them to the pan with the reserved liquid. Stir in the radicchio and simmer gently for four to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender, well mixed and thick.

4. Use the back of a tablespoon to make four wells in the mixture. Crack an egg into each well and season with salt, pepper and a dash of smoked paprika. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for four to six minutes until the egg whites have set but the yolk is still runny.

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the herbs with lemon zest and juice, a pinch of salt and extra virgin olive oil.

6. Serve the shakshuka as soon as it is ready, with the dressed herbs, and a dollop for sprinkling.

Number of plants: 12+

Caponata with chickpeas and apricots

Lizzie Mayson

Serves: four

Raw materials:

• 2 medium-sized eggplants (about 500 g in total)
• 2 medium zucchini (or use another zucchini)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 large plums or other ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 400g can of peeled plum tomatoes
• 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 70 g dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 60 g green olives, cut in half
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the decoration:

• 50 g pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, toasted
• A good handful of oregano leaves (or basil or parsley)
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Method:

• Cut the aubergines into two to three cm cubes, pour them into a colander and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over them. Stir well and then let the juice reduce for about an hour. Cut the zucchini into similar sized cubes; put aside.

• About halfway through the brining time for the eggplant, heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over a fairly low heat. Add the onion and celery and fry for about 10 minutes until soft and golden. Pour in the garlic and fry for another two minutes until fragrant.

• Add the tomatoes (crush the canned ones with your hands as they go in and pick off the stem ends or skin). Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, dried apricots, capers and olives and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.

• Rinse the eggplants and dry with kitchen paper. Heat a little more oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the zucchini cubes and fry for about five to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper and then pour into the tomato mixture.

• Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the zucchini in the same way, then drain and add to the eggplant and tomato mixture.

• Bring back to a boil and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well combined, reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Allow the caponata to cool to room temperature if you have time, or serve it warm if you prefer. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds, oregano (or other herbs) leaves, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish.

Number of plants: 12

Zucchini dumplings in barley broth

Lizzie Mayson

Serves: four to give

Raw materials:

• 1 medium or 2 small courgettes (about 250 g)
• 500 g minced lamb or beef
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• A small handful of parsley leaves, very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fennel or cumin seeds, crushed
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oil or fat for cooking
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the pearl barley stew:

• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and finely chopped (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 100ml white wine (optional)
• 1 liter vegetable or chicken stock
• 100 g pearl barley or quick-cooked spelled, well rinsed
• 100 g frozen peas
• 100 g frozen broad beans or edamame beans (optional)
• Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

For the decoration:

• Raita with added zucchini
• Parsley and/or mint leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Coarsely grate the zucchini and mix with a good pinch of salt. Place in a colander over the sink for 20 minutes to reduce water. Then squeeze as much water out of the grated zucchini as you can with your hands.

2. Mix grated zucchini, mince, garlic, parsley, oregano if using in a bowl, crushed fennel or cumin seeds, salt and pepper and the beaten egg. Mix well and stir everything together with your hands until it is evenly mixed.

3. Divide the mixture into 16 equal pieces and shape into balls, rolling them firmly in your palms. Place on a tray or plate and chill in the fridge for an hour to firm up a bit (if time has come).

4. Heat a little oil or fat in a large saucepan with a thick base. When they are hot, brown the meatballs in batches over a fairly high heat, browning evenly on all sides. Take out and set aside on a plate.

5. Now prepare the broth. Heat a little more oil or fat in the pan and lower the heat. Add the onion, along with the fennel if using, and fry for 10 minutes until soft and light golden, stirring occasionally and scraping up any chunks of meat from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the garlic and cook for another two minutes, then add the wine if using.

6. Now pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the barley or spelled, with a pinch of salt, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until tender but still slightly nutty. The corn thickens the stock a bit, but there should be plenty of liquid left in the pot—you can always add a splash more stock or hot water.

7. Add the meatballs back to the pot and simmer in the broth for five minutes. Add the beans and broad beans or edamame beans if using, bring back to a boil and cook for two to three minutes. Turn off the heat. Check the seasoning, add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

8. Place three or four meatballs in each hot bowl and pour in plenty of barley, vegetables and alcohol. Add a dollop of courgette raita, sprinkle with a few parsley and/or mint leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to serve.

Number of plants: nine