Spinach and kale regularly top the food pyramids for some of the best dark greens you can eat. They are great for giving you super high amounts of life force giving vitamins and minerals. And they are available pretty much everywhere and almost all the year round. Where they are not there are other alternatives, such as bok choi. The point is we know we should be eating more of them, but sometimes we are not sure how. Here’s an easy guide to getting your greens.
Whizz them up!
It’s that simple. Rinse your spinach and stuff fistfulls into your blender or juicer. Nutri bullets are taking over the world and little wonder. Juicing has never been quicker or easier. You might want to blend to spinach with something else. One easy delicious way is to cut up a pineapple or even a banana. Why stop there? Try a refreshing cucumber and anything else you like. That dark greeny goodness is at the centre of it all. It’s like drinking life itself. You just feel better looking at it.
Life would be a bit dreary if we just had smoothies. Sometimes you just fancy something a little warmer and more substantial. Adding spinach or poached free range eggs is a great favourite of mine. As in all the foodie tips on this post, you can eat the spinach raw or blanched. Make sure you rinse it first. It can tend to be a bit gritty. To cook, simplY pull out any tough stalks and lightly chop.
If you are using baby spinach don’t even bother with that step. Just put the leaves, in the water that clings to them, into a saucepan. Heat gently.You’ll see the leaves wilt, and that’s it! It’s amazing how much water is in the plant, so don’t hold back on the amount. Lift them out and carefully give them a squeeze. Place the spinach on a chopping board and chop with a sharp knife.
Serve your poached eggs on a bed of wilted spinach with some wholemeal toast. A grind of black pepper and a touch of sea salt and you are in breakfast deli heaven!
Spinach treated this way can be added to just about any meal you imagine. Run it through pasta and tomato sauce. Layer it on any pizza over the sauce and grate tasty cheeses on top. It will go through a Mac and Cheese with no trouble. It works especially well with quiches. Place a bed under your steak or chicken and it is magnificent with mushrooms.
Dip into any recipes from around the world and feel free to improvise. Spinach after all is one of the world’s great energy enhancers, not too mention aphrodisiacs. In Nigeria Naija ladies believe that eating your greens increases the size of your chest!
Kale is having a bit of renaissance right now, and you can use it in a similar way to spinach. One thing I had not tried until recently was kale chips. Now we can’t stop eating them! They are simplicity itself. Rinse and chop kale. Mix in a bowl with olive oil, seasoning and few chilli flakes. You could even experiment with your spices. Bake in oven, turning once in awhile. You won’t believe how crispy, crunchy and nutritious they are. A bowl of kale chips goes with just about everything you can throw a salad at.
Getting your greens year round is as easy as that. Good for you, tasty and super nutritious. Give yourself and even your partner a real green treat.
Mihaela Turcu