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Vegetable Spotlight:
Leafy Greens
Whether you love them or are completely baffled by them there are few vegetables that elicit as much chatter as leafy greens. It's not surprising when you consider how nutritious and versatile they are. 1 cup of fresh kale contains 680% of the daily RDA of Vitamin K, 200% the daily RDA of Vitamin A, 100% of the daily RDA of Vitamin C, and is an excellent source of dietary fiber. All this in just 33 calories!
Almost all of the leafy greens can be used interchangeably in recipes and once you become comfortable with a few basic preparation techniques you'll be singing their praises as well.
Storage:
You'll want to plan to use your greens quickly. They should be wrapped tightly and stored in a cool part of the fridge (but avoid any chance of freezing). As soon as I get home I'll take the greens off the stem, chop them into manageable pieces, and store in a ziplock bag with a paper towel to absorb any extra liquid. Don't wash until just before you use them. I find this helps with space and ease of preparation later. Then over the next few days I can grab a handful here or there to add to smoothies, soups, or whip up a quick side dish.
Preparation:
Keep it simple!
Great for any leafy green (try it with romaine lettuce too!)
- Remove the greens from the stems, roll them into a big bunch and slice into ribbons.
- Heat some olive oil in a pan, add sliced garlic and heat until fragrant. Add the greens to the pan and cook until completely wilted and tender. A common mistake is to undercook swiss chard, collard greens and kale. Be patient!
- Serve as a side or with a poached egg on top for Ginger's favorite breakfast.
Chips! Everyone talks about how amazing kale chips are. And it's no exaggeration- they're incredible.
Many families have gotten their kids to love kale chips in place of potato chips. Use any variety of kale or collards.
- Remove from stem and tear into 4 inch squares. This step is crucial. You don't want any of the stems in your chips or they won't achieve the perfect crispiness.
- Wash and thoroughly dry. Drizzle with olive oil and rub into surface of leaves until completely covered.
- Spread onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt or whatever other seasonings your heart desires.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until the edges are browned but not burnt and the chips are perfectly crispy.
Power up your morning with a smoothie! Add a handful of greens to your favorite smoothie recipe. It adds fiber and vitamins and chances are your family won't even know they're there. Here's my favorite morning smoothie adapted from Mark Hyman's UltraSmoothie.
- 1/2 cup silk tofu (if you want added protein) or greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup frozen berries. I like strawberries and cherries.
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup rice, almond, soy or hemp milk (regular milk is great too!)
- 1 generous handful of spinach or kale
- 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed or chia seed (optional)
- 1/2 Tablespoon flax oil (optional)
Blend until smooth adding more milk to achieve desired consistency.
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