GREENS!

[syzygy314]

Okay, Foodies!

I'm calling on my culinary experts here!

I need to get more greens in my diet, but I've always been afraid to try them as I have nary a clue what to do with them! Heading to the grocery store after work today and am considering picking some up.

Who can help me figure out what to do? I don't want anything elaborate. I have a steamer and I wouldn't mind using some in salads. So, any ideas or recommendations as to what works raw and what doesn't, etc. would be great!

Thanks!

 

[Miss Lee]

This recipe for kale is similar to how it is prepared at my favorite restaurant and I LOVE it!! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/sauteed-kale-recipe/index.html

 

[lrusso]

I load my smoothies up with spinach. You would never know it's even in there with all the frozen berries and extras I add. YUM!!! LINDA

 

[Liann]

DH and I are rather hung up on Beet greens at the moment. We force ourselves to eventually eat the beets, but DH just cuts up the greens, stems and all (the stems are actually the best part) and then steams them for a few minutes. The red stems give it a lot of color and we like it better than cooked spinach. It's also supposed to be really good for you. You can season it however you want - vinegar, salt, nothing. We go the nothing route. Now the beets, I'm still trying to get used to. They aren't my favorite, but they are also supposed to be really good for you.

 

[Jane A]

I know these aren't really "greens", but have you ever tried chopping up raw Belgian endive and tossing with a salad? They add a nice crunch, and they're one of the few foods that are high in folic acid.

Jane

 

[janie1234]

DH and I are rather hung up on Beet greens at the moment. We force ourselves to eventually eat the beets, but DH just cuts up the greens, stems and all (the stems are actually the best part) and then steams them for a few minutes. The red stems give it a lot of color and we like it better than cooked spinach. It's also supposed to be really good for you. You can season it however you want - vinegar, salt, nothing. We go the nothing route. Now the beets, I'm still trying to get used to. They aren't my favorite, but they are also supposed to be really good for you.

Wow Liann I never thought of eating the greens to beets. I always just roast my beets and throw the greens away. How's the taste?

Tricia I love kale, . .and brocollini. I just saute in EVOO and a pinch of salt and pepper. I also embarassingly love okra. Most people hate the texture, . .it is sorta like snot. I also make a green pasta salad with just brocolli, peas, edamame, asparagus (cut on a bias) and whole wheat pasta (or spinach pasta) and some pesto and a sprinkle of parmesean (sp?) cheese.

 

[Jane A]

Miss Lee,
I printed up that recipe for kale, and it looks so good. I'm planning to try it out this weekend. Do you make it just as written, or do you ever modify it?
Thanks!

Jane

 

[Liann]

Janie - I actually like the taste especially the red stems. I'll have to ask my DH if he adds anything to them. He's the cook in the house.

 

[Gayle]

Wow Liann I never thought of eating the greens to beets. I always just roast my beets and throw the greens away. How's the taste?

Janie - Beet greens are wonderful! They aren't as bitter as kale can sometimes be. I saute them in olive oil.

Liann - Try roasting your beets...olive oil and salt. It brings out a lot of sweetness.

Tricia - Brussels sprouts are my current green of choice. I cut them in half and toss them in a roasting pan with a peeled diced sweet potato, olive oil and salt. I also throw in some chopped bacon, but not everyone is into that kind of thing. Roast it in the oven at 400 for 30-40 minutes until the potato is tender...good stuff! You can also do all of the above with just the brussels sprouts, too.

 

[Jane A]

Gayle,

I love beets, but I've only ever steamed them. How do you roast them? Just slice them, spice them, spray them, and low broil on a cookie sheet? Or do you bake? How long?

Jane

 

[Gayle]

Gayle,

I love beets, but I've only ever steamed them. How do you roast them? Just slice them, spice them, spray them, and low broil on a cookie sheet? Or do you bake? How long?

Jane

I've tried it a few different ways, and all come out well, but some take longer than others.

Whole, unpeeled. http://localfoods.about.com/od/preparationtips/qt/roastbeets.htm

I've also just peeled and diced them raw, then tossed them with olive oil and salt in a roasting pan and roasted the at 375-400 until they get tender.

The prep is pretty easy, they just seem to take while.

ETA - I sometimes also throw other things in the pan like diced carrots, potato, sweet potato (insert veg of choice) along with the beets when I do the diced up method. It's like a roasted vegetable hash.

 

[Miss Lee]

Miss Lee,
I printed up that recipe for kale, and it looks so good. I'm planning to try it out this weekend. Do you make it just as written, or do you ever modify it?
Thanks!

Jane

Jane, I have actually never made them myself . They often appear on the specials menu at a local restaurant, and this recipe looks very close to how they are prepared. They're very tasty!

 

[Jane A]

I've tried it a few different ways, and all come out well, but some take longer than others.

Whole, unpeeled. http://localfoods.about.com/od/preparationtips/qt/roastbeets.htm

I've also just peeled and diced them raw, then tossed them with olive oil and salt in a roasting pan and roasted the at 375-400 until they get tender.

The prep is pretty easy, they just seem to take while.

ETA - I sometimes also throw other things in the pan like diced carrots, potato, sweet potato (insert veg of choice) along with the beets when I do the diced up method. It's like a roasted vegetable hash.

Gayle,
Thank you! I'll try both ways. I've made a similar vegetable hash sort of thing before, but the whole unpeeled method looks very interesting.

I appreciate your response --
Jane

 

[kathryn]

Green smoothies (lots of recipes and videos online, and I have a couple dozen recipes in my blog here).

A basic one would be frozen banana, water, and greens (a handful of spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, etc.)

Wilted kale salad: slice kale in chiffonade (roll the kale like a cigar, then make very thin cross slices). Add a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt, and massage the kale with your hands until it wilts. Add other veggies (shredded carrots, sliced red pepper, for example) as desired.


Use collard leaves and romaine leaves as wraps for sandwiches (destem the collards and roll filling in them, use the romaine leaves like "taco" shells or like slices of bread--one on top and one on the bottom of filling).

 

[intensityjunkie]

I love collard greens in a soup called Black Eyed Pea Stew. I got it in clean eating magazine. found it online: http://tpox-proceedwithcaution.blogspot.com/2010/03/black-eyed-pea-stew.html

I throw spinach in my salads. I loooove seasoned rice vinegar and a splash of olive oil as dressing. so simple but so good.

Not sure if you call sugar snap peas greens? but they make a great snack and are good in salads also. when I get the munchies I always go for my snap peas.

 

[kathryn]

Not sure if you call sugar snap peas greens? but they make a great snack and are good in salads also. when I get the munchies I always go for my snap peas.

"Greens" are "leafy greens," like lettuces, beet greens (leaves), mustard greens, kale, collards, chard, spinach...

 

[syzygy314]

WOW!

Ladies, thanks for all the wonderful responses!

Kathryn I have seen your green smoothies posts and bookmarked the recipes!

I just don't get enough green leafies and get stuck on spinach and asparagus! DH wants to minimize meat in our meals and we're going to need quite a bit of variety to get the vitamins we need! I'm not sure if he wants to go all vegan (or vegetarian? are they different?), but he was in China for quite a while a few years ago and he says they use very little meat in their meals and that's what he wants to do.

So, here I go again, venturing into unknown territories and trying more new things!

Thanks again for your help! I'll let you know how it goes!

So, I'm trying to venture out and see what happens!

 

[josiespcah6ojsh]

i have a baby spinach salad almost every night. i like to steam kale or collards then add some lemon juice and feta cheese.i have the clean food cookbook with kale/collard recipes

Ginger Sesame Greens

2 bunches kale
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 T grated ginger
1 T mirin(found in chinese sdction of grocery
1 T tamari(can use soy sauce instead)


saute ginger in olive oil,mirin,and tamari for 1 min. add greens
increase heat to med high
add greens,lower heat,and cover.cook 3-5 min.

you can use any kind of greens.

for broccoli i like to boil water,take off stove,add broccoli,cover and let it sit 5 min. stays green that way and not cooked too much that its soft

laura

 

[morningstar]

DH and I are rather hung up on Beet greens at the moment. We force ourselves to eventually eat the beets, but DH just cuts up the greens, stems and all (the stems are actually the best part) and then steams them for a few minutes. The red stems give it a lot of color and we like it better than cooked spinach. It's also supposed to be really good for you. You can season it however you want - vinegar, salt, nothing. We go the nothing route. Now the beets, I'm still trying to get used to. They aren't my favorite, but they are also supposed to be really good for you.

Liann, have you ever tried just shredding raw beets and adding them to salads? They're a bit sweet and crunchy and really quite nummy. It's the only way I like beets, actually.

 

[morningstar]

Romaine lettuce hearts or red leaf lettuce can make a really nice alternative to spinach in your salad once in a while. The spinach has more nutritional oomph, but the idea is to enjoy your food too!