Castor Beans will Kill Ya, But Green Beans will Bring You Health
I was wasting my breath explaining to a skeptic that beans aren’t considered Paleo because they’re not all that healthy for you (high concentrations of Galactans, lectins, phytates, etc.).
“It’s why all traditional cultures soaked beans prior to cooking them,” I struggled to explain.
A raised eye-brow and a questioning look was all I got in response.
“Like castor beans; they’ll kill you if you eat them raw!” I triumphantly exclaimed.
The questioning look turned into a “you’re making crazy sh** up look.” At that point, I’m pretty sure that the futility of my efforts were utterly obvious to everyone…that is, everyone but myself.
I battled bravely on for 10 more minutes. I’m not even sure what I said, but whatever it was, it was useless. The skeptic remained a skeptic, and no amount of truth would have brought her around.
Beans Are Not Paleo
Most of you know that beans are not Paleo. There are a bunch of reasons for why they’re not Paleo: from not being hugely nutritious to their high levels of phytates and lectins. Incidentally, what makes castor beans so toxic is their lectin, ricin (yeah, the stuff they make chemical/biological weapons from).
If you want to read about more reasons why beans (and other legumes) aren’t Paleo, then head over to this article called “10 Reasons to Avoid Eating Legumes.” I am sorely tempted to send that article to the skeptic I was talking to, but sadly I don’t have her email address (and I know it would still be pointless).
Are Green Beans Paleo?
Short answer is that they are Paleo even though they are a legume. If you’re interested in why they’re Paleo, then take a look at the video below and the article here.
How Do You Cook Green Beans?
I grew up eating green beans. My mum used to cook them all the time in a sort of stew with potatoes and beef. I have to admit, I’ve never tried to make that stew myself, but I did make this delicious green beans stir fry with apples and a touch of curry powder. It’s ridiculously easy actually.
You can use fresh or frozen green beans. Just make sure to take off both ends of the green beans. I like to boil my green beans first to ensure they’re tender, but you can boil them for less time (parboil) if you like them crisp and super green.
After the beans were boiled, I drained them and placed them into a skillet (or saucepan) with some coconut oil on medium heat. Then I added in the apple slices and stir fried them until the apples were tender (5-10 minutes).
Lastly, I stirred in a bit of curry powder, minced garlic, and salt.
Boil the green beans until tender (you can parboil them if you prefer crisper beans).
Drain the boiled green beans.
Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into a skillet (or saucepan). Add into the skillet the green beans and apple slices. Stir fry until the apples are tender (5-10 minutes).
Stir in the minced garlic, curry powder, and salt.
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