Leafy Green Recipes

Green Leafy Vegetables are nutritional powerhouses.  Loaded with vitamins and minerals, they also include beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein, phytonutrients that protect the eyes.

Leafy green vegetables can be steamed or sautéed in olive oil and garlic.  If these two don’t sound very appealing, here’s a couple of recipes with tons of flavor:

Spinach-Berry Salad

Ingredients:

1 pkg baby spinach

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/3 cup goat or sheep Feta cheese crumbles

1 cup blueberries

1 cup raspberries

1 cup sliced strawberries

Dressing:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tsp raspberry jam (no added sugar)

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp raw sugar (may substitute 2 packets of stevia to avoid sugar or other healthy sweetener of your choice)

Preparation:

Put spinach in large bowl.  Top with walnuts, cheese, and berries.  Mix all dressing ingredients, pour over salad and serve.   I made this for a potluck recently and it was a big hit!

Green  Frittata

Based on a traditional Persian recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups collard greens, chopped

2 cups kale, chopped

2 cups leeks, green part only, chopped

1 cup walnut pieces

3 tbsp whole wheat flour

5 eggs  (for reduced fat, use three eggs and four egg whites)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

Wash greens and remove excess water  (a salad spinner works well)

Add all remaining ingredients except olive oil and mix well.

Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in non-stick pan.

Add mixture and pat down.

Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges and loosen sides.  Drizzle with remaining oil.  (Can substitute olive oil spray)

Wrap lid in paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

Cook over low flame for another 15 minutes.

Serve with warm whole wheat flat bread and a side dish of plain yogurt mixed with chopped cucumber and dried mint.

(Excerpt from The Well Woman Cookbook by Patricia Panahi)