This is something to consider over the Thanksgiving holiday in US (It was once Harvest Home in the old countries), or any other time of ritual feasting, like at Jul, simple, satisfying dishes from inexpensive ingredients. He goes into detail for those with a clinical focus, how the legume family, here focusing on lentils, chickpeas, black beans, and English peas, have phytochemicals that are highly prophylactic, preventing inflammation, helping to prevent snacking or overeating, and actually mitigating tumor angiogenesis.
There are only a few points where I find fault with his otherwise very engaging presentation. Dr. Li is spot on about how health promoting using more legumes in the diet is. My disagreement is the use of extra virgin olive oil as a cooking oil, as shown in my blog citation “Vegetable Oil Apocalypse” by a Dr. Chris Knobbe, UCLA doctor, tracking the rise of chronic diseases as the consumption of “vegetable” oils in our diets increased. When the oil, especially those with low smoking points, such as olive oil, are highly heated, they become toxic.
I’d rather just us a nonstick pan, and rather than saute in oil; gently precook the garlic to milden it, in chicken broth, the proceed with the rest of the bean recipe. I agree with him on the healthiness of extra virgin olive oil, but add it well after the beans have boiled and simmered, no more than equivalent of a tablespoon per bowl to get the oleopein and hydroxytyrosol, also the olive taste is stronger that way. Ditto for adding full fat unflavored active cultures yogurt to a bean dish, good idea AFTER the beans have been brought to a boil and simmered and are cooked, something, like the oil, to add to a warm bowl just before serving. The beneficial microorganism in yogurt would be mostly killed off by the cooking, so, when you add it is important. You’ll get the same creaminess while keeping the beneficial probiotic organisms alive.
Likewise, I disagree with using canned beans. If you do use canned beans, rinse them with filtered water and let drain before using in the pot, but for reasons he explores later in video always a good idea to soak dry beans, discard the soaking solution, then rinse them off and add more water or broth to cook them. This procedure, rather than “straight from the can” as he proposes, prevents the gas that many people are prone to with legumes. Lentils are the exception, as they don’t tend to produce gas in most people. If they do, use same procedure. Also, making bean dishes from dried beans allows you to use your broccoli broth or whatever vegetable broth that resulted from your cooking (or chicken broth, for example, or, like me, if you guy a tough cut of beef because it is much less expensive, again, great thing to soak my black beans in, then, rinse, discard soaking compound, and cook in more of the same for a richer flavor.