Green with Envy

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Have you heard, we are all supposed to eat more greens? Does that news make your mouth feel covered with a yucky film? Did you wrinkle your nose? Are your thoughts racing around whining, but we don't like to eat our greens? If any of these reactions sound familiar don't fret! I have some easy solutions for you.

We all know green leafy vegetables are healthy and good for us. Maybe it is this knowledge that makes us cringe, healthy never tastes good. But let me tell you a secret. . . are you leaning in? Are you ready to hear this? Healthy food can be tasty...shhhh!!!! I am being completely honest!

My two biggest complaints about the greens in leafy variety never tasted good and how do I prepare them? Let's tackle the prep because this is where you are going to make them tasty. Most greens can be added to a salad. Which is probably the healthiest way you can eat them ensuring there maximum vitamins are retained. I also find these somewhat bitter. But you can add a sweet component to your salad, because I sure do have a sweet tooth. I love fruit for this and keep it simple, apples chopped, berries halved or whole, or the good ol' raisins. Mix with a friendlier lettuce when adding dark greens at first to customize your taste buds because that is usually the unfriendliness. Sadly greens are strangers to too many of us. Become acquaintances , sneak them in a salad or possibly top a burger, but after awhile you'll become good ol' pals and they might even become the entree or at least the major side. Also not all greens are equally nutritionally nor flavor wise. So if you don't like one move on to the next. I am going to share our last two introductions. Beet greens which is pictured above in both pictures and Collard greens. I feel so southern, now that we have boiled our first on our own collard greens:)

Beet greens might be my favorite green and the recipe we made was so simple and so tasty. We just wilted them. The picture on the top left is that we ate them with country fried tofu (which sounds a little crazy but honest to goodness tasted like chicken) and brown rice. The top right picture is to show how pretty they get up close with this simple prep. If you look closely you can see how the red of the beets sweats through the leaves, pretty and tasty!!! We added a little olive oil (LITTLE). Keep your pan hot and just drizzle enough to thinly coat the bottom to avoid burning. Most leafy vegetables especially after rinse carry enough moisture to help them cook. This side takes no more than five minutes including the rinse. So again, heat your pan, add a little olive oil and then pour in your greens (a bunch or so). Stir them around as they begin to wilt. Add a pinch each (think no more than 1 tsp) of salt and sugar. Stir together a little longer and voila! You are done. The sugar and the salt highlights the flavor of the beet greens, so a little truly goes a long way.

The other green we have added to our repertoire is the southern collard green. Now I am no nutrition expert and will say I believe that boiling your greens, you are for the most part bleeding out the healthy nutrients unless you also consume the broth. But also in my opinion is that it is better to eat greens that may not be maximizing their nutrition value then just avoiding them all together. Moving on to how we prepared our collard greens. The secret is boiling your water with flavors. We included hot sauce, seasoning salt, garlic powder, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and a little bit of bacon. We simmered our water for roughly fifteen minutes, (I imagine a little longer would help increase the flavor) and then added the collard greens. We boiled them for forty minutes. They were authentic and delicious with our oven roasted chicken and red fried rice (including tomatos, red pepper, and red onion.) Also the plate looks so pretty with all the natural colors of the food.

Don't be green with envy at how we incorporated greens into our meals, pick up your own and figure out what easy prep would work best for you and your family. I am a challenged cook and promise you that adding vegetables to your meals is not nearly as hard as we want to make it sometimes. It is fun to taste food prepared for the first time by yourself. I find there to be a sense of accomplishment and a surprise. Did this turn out? Will I like it? Will we attempt this again, maybe fixed differently? The possibilities are endless. May you find veggies that will make your friends, family, neighbors, green with envy at how tasty and easy they were to fix. May your HealthFULL Journey help you to Fully Understand Life by Living and trying new flavors! 'Til we meet again. . .