Happy Taco Tuesday! I’m back! I took a little blog vacation for some personal reasons but also to give myself some time to rejuvenate for this spring blogging season! So much to talk about, and with spring it full bloom I am so excited to explore the farmers markets and find you delicious new recipes!But today I want to talk about a food that often gets overlooked, GREENS! Not the most popular food in the world, but once you know how AMAZING they are for you, you might reconsider them as more than a pretty garnish.
Some fun facts about GREENS
• Greens are an excellent source of protein…I repeat, greens are an EXCELLENT source of protein.
• Technically speaking, greens are NOT vegetables
• Greens contain lots of FIBER, both soluble and insoluble, which aids our digestion and is very beneficial to our health. (I could write a whole blog on fiber alone!)
• Consuming greens makes the body more alkaline
• And finally, greens are packed with vital nutrients such as calcium, iron, and zinc to name just a few that keep your body at optimal health. Consider them like taking a multi-vitamin!
Information taken from “Green for Life” by Victoria Boutenko. (Highly recommend this book)
So now that you’re intrigued by how nutritious these greens are for you, let’s talk about how to get them into your diet! My favorite greens include: Kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, swiss chard and arugula. I admit that I was skeptical of liking greens, especially kale (its tough, weed-like appearance didn't help)! BUT, with the right preparation, greens taste delicious!
Below are three recipes, a salad, a smoothie, and a side dish. I’m also including a special recipe that incorporates greens and has a very special meaning in my life.
Arugula Salad
Nutritional Highlights: Excellent source of Vitamin A, C, Folic Acid, Maganese, Calcium, and Magnesium. Contains anti-cancer compounds and omega-3 fatty acids.
Equipment Needed: Salad bowl, knife, fork
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups arugula, 1 green onion
(sliced), 9 sprigs cilantro (chopped), 1/2 avocado, 1 TBSP flaxseed oil, juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, fresh ground pepper (to taste)
Directions: Using a sharp knife, cut green onion and cilantro. Place arugula in a large bowl. Drizzle with flax oil and toss to coat. Add onion and cilantro. Squeeze lemon juice (start with half and add more to taste) and toss again. Slice avocado in half and then into
chunks. Add avocado and pumpkin seeds. Add pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Green Smoothie
Nutritional Highlights: High in Vitamin A, C, K and B6. Great for the immune system. Blending increases absorb-ability of nutrients.
Equipment Needed: Blender
Ingredients: One Banana, 2 cups spinach, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1 TBSP parsley, 1 cup ice
Directions: Put all ingredients in blender. Blend on high until liquified. Garnish with extra parsley. Enjoy!
Natalie’s Kale Salad
Nutritional Highlights: Great source of Vitamin A, C and K. Kale is packed full of nutrients and is low in calories. A good source of protein
Equipment Needed: knife, bowl
Ingredients: 1 bunch kale, 1/2 cup white onion, 1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, dash of sea salt
Directions: Wash kale. Remove thick middle of leaves, chop finely. Also chop the onion and jalapeno finely. Toss together with the lemon juice and olive oil. Delicious add-ons include guacamole and roasted almonds.
Three easy recipes that you can start making TODAY! Please, give me feedback on how you like them, any variations you tried and other great recipes with greens!
Below, I’ve recreated a very special Pizza, with the help of my brother, and we like to call it Pizza de Matteo. This recipe is being posted in memory of Matthew Chance, a dear friend who happened to have very good taste!
Pizza de Matteo (pizza is featured in my blog picture)
In the oven : Pizza dough, marinara sauce, sliced buffalo mozzarella*
Roll out dough, smear with sauce to your liking and top with sliced mozzarella*. Bake at 425 until golden brown.
After baking, top with : Sliced fresh arugula, large shreds of Parmesan, quartered cherry tomatoes and pearl sized fresh mozzarella balls*
*choose organic
Fold a slice in half and enjoy! Thanks Matt! :)
Recipe courtesy of Eric Zellhart (pizza dough tossing lessons available, haha)
I have a very personal blog I'll be working on for next time, hopefully getting back into the once weekly updates :)
Until next time, cheers!
Zelda F.
Food Enthusiast Extraordinaire
