During our Coronavirsus social distancing, stay-at-home, this 5 minute braising greens cooking method is a simple way to cook the greens your local farmers are growing. Choose any mix of dark, leafy greens such as kale, chard, collards, mustard, bok choy, dandelion, turnip, broccoli, or cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts greens.
This recipe was inspired by farmer Billy Anthony of the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain, less than a mile from my home in Phoenix, Arizona. As part of this week’s Spring 2020 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), Billy harvested beautiful white and red Swiss chard leaves that are perfect for cooking with quick stove-top braising. Add flavor to the greens with green onions and fresh dill.
A look at The Farm at South Mountain…April 2020
Beautiful White Chard at The Farm at South Mountain
Nutrition Tip: Dark leafy greens are fiber-rich and good sources of vitamins (such as A, C, and K and folate) and minerals (including iron and calcium). Our body needs a little fat to absorb some of the vitamins in leafy greens.
Braised Leafy Greens Recipe
Use this simple method to cook Spring braising greens while we are at home with our families and loved ones. Mix and match whatever greens your local farmers are growing to create a simple veggie side dish.
By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author
More than kale chips. We can dehydrate all kinds of leafy greens to make chips.
This week I experimented with 5 different beautiful greens from this week’s CSA at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix, grown by urban farm Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden.
When leafy greens are in season, I invite you to experiment with dehyrating them and notice which you prefer. I absolutely love shungiku (chrysanthemum) and loved this floral green dehydrated.
Simple Recipe: Leafy Green Chips: More Than Kale Chips
1 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked in water for 2-4 hours
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp roasted garlic powder
½ tsp dry basil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch sea salt
2-4 tbsp water, for desired creaminess
Cashew Cream: Mise en Place
SIMPLE STEPS
Cashew Cream
Blend all ingredients in blender or processor.
Add water, as needed for desired creaminess.
Dehydrated Leafy Greens
Tear out any large stems in the leafy greens.
One variety of greens at a time, place leaves into a large bowl.
Add a few tablespoons of cashew cream to the greens.
Place greens and cashew cream into a small bowl.
Gently massage cashew cream into the leafy greens.
Lightly massage the cashew cream into the greens.
Spread greens onto dehydrator screen.
Mindfully spread greens onto dehydrator screens.
Dehydrate at 125 degrees F for about 3 hours.
Dehydrate greens at 125 degrees F for about 3 hours.
Test for desired crunchiness.
Dehydrate longer to suit your taste.
Enjoy as a snack.
More than Kale Chips. Enjoy all kinds of leafy green chips.
The Five Winter Greens
Shungiku, often known as edible chrysanthemum, is one of my favorite flavorful greens. These greens, popular in Japan, are aromatic and floral tasting. Shungiku are generally eaten raw or gently cooked to enjoy their crunchy texture and flavor.
Shungiku: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.
Mizuna, another Japanese green is a member of the mustard family, a little peppery, yet milder than arugula. These are growing in the Learning Garden at The Farm.
Mizuna: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.
Roquette Arugula, one of my favorite greens, a little spicy, nutty, and sweet, adds exciting flavor to all dishes. Arugula is enjoyed both as salad greens, as an herb, and now as a dehydrated chip.
Spigarello, technically in the broccoli family, looks like a spiral kale. Enjoy spigarello gently sauted or massaged with a simple acid-fat-salt dressing in a salad.
Cauliflower greens. Yes, there are the edible greens that grow on cauliflower. Enjoy!
Cauliflower Greens: The Soil & Seed Garden, The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona.
Purchase Melanie Albert’s award-winning cookbook,“A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”
COOKING CLASSES AT THE FARM AT SOUTH MOUNTAIN IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Thanks to Natural Awakenings AZ magazine for featuring my Plant-Based Chocolate Pie on the cover and Plant-Based Dessert recipes in the January 2019 issue.
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019
Natural Awakenings Arizona, January 2019. Start the New Year Off Right
By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author and Speaker, Certified Health Coach
Kale is the rage with raw salads, kale chips and smoothies. But, what about collard greens? I’m taking a Professional Plant-based Culinary Certification Course with Rouxbe, where we experimented with different ways to prepare kale. As an option, I decided to use some of the same techniques with collard greens.
On top of that, Reed avocados were available at Whole Foods Market this week, so I decided to try one. About 90% of the avocados are grown in California and about 90% of those are Hass avocados. The Reed avocado variety generally grows later in the season, are larger and rounder than Hass avocados, have a thick skin, and contain more monounsaturated fat and thus are creamier than Hass avocados.
Scroll down for the 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers
Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers Recipe This recipe was inspired by the lemon cucumbers from this week’s farmers market in Ahwatukee Arizona, the Reed avocado and collard greens.
Ingredients • 3-4 large collard greens leaves, chopped • 1 Reed avocado • 1 lemon cucumber • 4 small heirloom tomatoes • ½ red pepper • 3-4 green onions • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice • 1 garlic clove, finely minced • Fresh lemon basil, to taste • Fresh lemon thyme, to taste • Sea salt
Simple Steps • Chop all the vegetables • Squeeze the avocado into a bowl • Add collard greens, lemon juice and sea salt to the avocado • Massage the collard greens for about 3 minutes • Add the fresh garlic, lemon cucumber, red pepper, green onions and gently toss • Add the fresh lemon basil and lemon thyme and gently toss • Enjoy this delicious & refreshing salad
Come on over to our Facebook page, and post your avocado & collard greens creations: www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days
Pre-order NOW:Get the simple ways to prepare kale in our new book, “Enjoy Food & Life, 9 Ways 90 Days step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”
