By Lyn Potter
It's Movember again, when men are encouraged to talk about the fact that they can - and do - get depressed, and are prone to diseases which are unique to them, such as prostrate cancer. I'm proud of my rellies and friends who are joining in, and whose hairy upper lips are evidence that they are in the process of growing their mo bros.
This week I thought about what I could do to help. I’m a girl, so growing a mo is not an option. Apart from lending an ear to the guys in my life should they want to discuss their health issues, it occurred to me that prevention is better than cure. But which foods would be best?
From what I have read - and I’m no medical expert - it would seem that cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli, could be major players in the prevention of prostrate and colon cancer. Small quantities of broccoli sprouts may protect against cancer as effectively as much larger quantities of the mature vegetable. It’s a chemical they contain named sulforaphane that is reputedly the effective anti-cancer agent.
So I'm sprouting in Movember. As I write, a bunch of them are growing in a jar on the windowsill in my kitchen - a perfect spot as it is light, but not too sunny. Harsh sunlight can fry sprouts!
I picked up my sprouting skills at a recent sprouting session held at IE produce in Takapuna, my local organic and fresh produce shop. Katrina Wright, the managing director of “The Wright Sprouts” had come up from Hawke’s Bay for the presentation and tasting.
She bounced in looking the picture of health and vitality. She’d had a brush with death a few years ago. As she told it:
"I used to work as an ambulance officer until I was involved in a serious car accident. I couldn’t do my job anymore but didn't want to go on ACC for a lengthy period. Sprouting had always been something I enjoyed so I decided to grow it into a business.”
"My focus is on good health so the sprouts are grown from certified organic seed and the operation is Organic Farms NZ Certified.”
It's been a great success and “The Wright Sprouts” are now sprouting all over the country.
At the sprouting session we learned, not only how to grow them, but got to taste a whole lot of different sprouts such as those made from adzuki beans, sunflower and broccoli seeds seeds, chick peas, blue beans, alfalfa and mung.
We watched a food demo and tasted recipes in which they were used. It was a great way to find out there's much more to sprouts than alfalfa!
When customers told her that they wanted to grow their own sprouts, Katrina branched out, and now sells sprouting kits. She wanted them to be affordable, so her sprouting kit is simply a jar with a white plastic ring lid with aluminium mesh. You can buy the lids by themselves as they fit AGEE and MASON preserving jars.
I've tried sprouting in one of her lidded jars. It worked really well.
This is how you grow these mini super foods. The process is the same for different sprouts but some take a day or two longer to sprout than others. It's simple as!
How to sprout:
- Soak the beans overnight.
- Put in the lidded jar
- Put the jar upside down, or as Katrina does leave it to drain at an angle in the dish rack.
- Rinse once in the morning and once at night
- Sprouts need light but don't put them in direct sunlight or they will cook
- The sprouts will be ready to harvest in 3-5 days
Katrina had suggested just a teaspoon of broccoli sprouts would be enough but I’d shaken a rather liberal quantity into the jar. When the sprouting was done I was faced with what looked like a mountain of broccoli sprouts. Now what?! Could the men in my life be persuaded to eat them?
Like broccoli, broccoli sprouts are best eaten raw as the enzyme that produces sulforaphane is destroyed by cooking.
You can just nibble them by themselves. They have a pleasant taste rather like radishes without the crunch.
But they looked more appealing as part of a healthy raw salad platter with carrot sticks slices of cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce served with a dipping bowl of equal quantities of Greek Yoghurt and avocado, or simply some good olive oil. Some smoked salmon and crackers alongside make it a perfect light meal.
But the best way I think is to simply fill a wrap with cottage/cream cheese, broccoli sprouts and any other salad veggies to hand. The Farrah brand Spinach and Garlic Pesto Gourmet wraps are especially nice for this. Add some meat if you wish. An easy and healthy lunch!
Visit Wright’s website for more information on Wright’s sprouts, how to buy them and use them.