Greens

Eat your greens! All the green vegetables are delicious and good for you! Click a link for recipes:  cabbage, chard, collards, kale.

Cabbage

Chinese (napa) cabbage is somewhat milder and a sweeter than regular green cabbage. It is delicious raw or cooked, and can be substituted for regular cabbage in most recipes.

Member Marjorie recommends: The Chinese cabbage was good chopped with oranges, avocado, red onion, and blue cheese dressing. Yum!

Chard

Related to spinach and beets, Swiss chard is available throughout the year, although it is at its best from June through August.

It is an excellent source of iron and antioxidants like Vitamins A and K.

Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans and Fresh Tomatoes

Swiss chard baked with beans and goat cheese

Swiss Chard With Currants and Pine Nuts

Swiss Chard with Garbanzo Beans and Fresh Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup garbanzo beans, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch red Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Stir in shallot and green onions; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.
3. Stir in garbanzo beans, and season with salt and pepper; heat through.
4. Place chard in the pan, and cook until wilted.
5. Add tomato slices, squeeze lemon juice over greens, heat through, and serve.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over
   medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until
   fragrant, about 1 minute. Add Swiss chard, cover and cook for 4 minutes.
   Uncover and mix in the pinto beans, tomato, lime juice, salt and
   pepper. Cover and continue cooking until the chard is wilted, about 4
   more minutes.
3. Transfer the chard to the baking dish and dot with
   goat cheese, pushing it down into the dish.
4. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until
   the goat cheese is warmed.

Swiss Chard With Currants and Pine Nuts

From Martha Rose Shulman, via The New York Times

This popular Mediterranean dish is often made with spinach, this recipe uses Swiss chard, because the chard stands up to the cooking but still has a delicate flavor. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons currants, raisins, or golden raisins
• 2 pounds Swiss chard, stemmed and washed in several changes of water, stems diced and set aside
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.
2. Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard.
3. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender.
4. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes.
5. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely.
6. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.
7. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute or just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant.
9. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Advance preparation: You can make this several hours before serving. Reheat gently on top of the stove if you want to serve it hot. The blanched greens will keep in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

Collards

Collard greens are very high in vitamins A and C, manganese, folate, dietary fiber and calcium, and they’re a very good source of potassium, vitamin B2 and B6.

Their phytonutrients are believed to have antioxidant properties.

Spicy black-eyed peas with collard greens

Braised greens tacos

Garbanzo beans with kale (or other hearty greens)

Spicy Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 5 cups collard greens, rinsed and chopped or shredded
• 2 15-oz. cans of black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 large poblano or anaheim chili pepper, seeds removed, minced
• 1/3 cup wine (red or white)
• 2/3 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth

Directions

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or deep frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and saute until translucent.
3. Add the garlic and pepper and all of the herbs and spices except the salt. Stirring frequently, cook the spices in the oil for several minutes.
4. Add the collard greens and saute, coating the greens thoroughly in the spices and oil. Saute for 5 minutes or until the greens begin to wilt.
5. Add all of the remaining ingredients and cover. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the greens are tender.
6. Stir regularly to make sure ingredients don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Serve hot, as a main dish or a side dish. Can be topped with sour cream.

Braised Greens Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce bunch collard leaves, washed (or Swiss chard, kale, etc.)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large white or red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Dash of barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water
• 12 corn tortillas, warmed with a bit of water in a kitchen towel in the microwave
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco (or feta, or goat cheese)
• A large handful (6-10) cherry tomatoes
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• (Alternatively, a store-bought salsa or hot sauce will work)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium high
2. Add the onion and cook until golden but still a bit crunchy, 4-5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, slice the greens crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.
4. Add the garlic and chili flakes to the onion and cook for an additional minute.
5. Add the broth or water, a large pinch of salt, and the greens. Reduce heat to low and braise, covered, for about 5 minutes or until the greens are nearing tender, but not quite finished.
6. Add the barbecue sauce to the greens.
7. Meanwhile, put the cherry tomatoes into a dry skillet over medium-high heat until blistered, transfer to a small food processor with the chipotle pepper and a large pinch of salt, and blend until smooth.
8. Remove the cover from the greens and cook off the moisture until it is nearly dry. Season with salt if necessary. Fill each taco—two tortillas thick—with a tong-full of the greens, a spoonful of salsa, and the queso fresco.

Kale

Kale leaves have an earthy flavor and more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.

Asian-style kale

Sweet and savory kale

Wilted Russian kale salad with balsamic vinegar & orange zest

Garbanzo beans with kale (or other hearty greens)

Asian-style kale

Ingredients (3 – 4 servings)

• 3/4 pound (1 large bunch) kale
• 2 to 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 to 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup (2 thin) minced scallions, both white and light green parts
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds*, for garnish

Directions:

1. Wash the kale thoroughly to remove all grit. Discard the tough ribs, and coarsely chop the kale leaves.
2. In a large skillet or heavy wok, heat the sesame oil over medium heat.
3. Add the shallot, garlic, scallions ,and ginger root and cook for about 1 minute to release the aromas.
4. Add the kale a bunch at a time and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the leaves have softened a bit but the kale retains its shape.
5. Remove from heat and add the soy sauce.
6. Divide among individual plates, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, if using, and serve hot.

*To toast sesame seeds: Heat the seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat or in a 325-degree oven, shaking the pan frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant, 4 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully; they burn easily.

Sweet and Savory Kale

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup veg broth (or more)
• 4 cups stemmed, torn and rinsed kale
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the mustard, sugar, vinegar, and broth, and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Stir in the kale, cover, and cook 5 minutes until wilted.
5. Stir in the dried cranberries, and continue boiling, uncovered, until the liquid has reduced by about half, and the cranberries have softened, about 15 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before serving.

Wilted Russian Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinegar & Orange Zest

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 large bunch of kale (I like the Russian
  kind or some other purplish variety for this, rather than the dinosaur
  kale)
• 2 cloves of
  garlic, minced or thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1/4 cup organic currants
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 2 tsps balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  glaze
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Wash the kale well and then chop into large pieces.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and saute until
translucent. Add the kale and cook until completely wilted.

3. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the vinegar, currants, zest, and salt
and pepper to taste. Toss well to combine and serve.

Garbanzo beans with kale (or other hearty greens)

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 2 center-cut bacon slices (optional)
• 1 C chopped carrot
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 1/2 C low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 C water
• 2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 4 C chopped fresh kale (or other hearty green)
• 1/2 C plain yogurt
• 4 lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and crumble.
2. Add the carrot and onion to the drippings in the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add paprika, salt, cumin, and red pepper. Stir for 30 seconds.
5. Add the broth, water, and beans, and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add kale, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the kale is tender. Stir occasionally.

To serve, ladle into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with the bacon and server with lemon wedges.