Last week we talked about the “incredible edible egg.” This week I’d like to talk about another spring ingredient, greens. Greens are made up of a variety of plants including: spinach, collard greens, lettuce and Swiss chard. Greens are very good for you because they contain high concentrations of anti-oxidants and calcium, both of which help you to fight the signs of aging.
When you work with greens you have two options. You can cook them or you can eat them raw. Generally, raw is better because cooking greens washes out some of their nutrients. When you prepare greens to be eaten raw it is very important that you wash them thoroughly. This is because non-organic greens are sprayed with pesticides, they are grown near the ground and are vulnerable to contamination and because people handle greens in the super market. To further increase the health benefits and taste of fresh greens, buy organic.
If you want to cook your greens before eating them then invest in a vegetable steamer. Steaming greens will soften them without making them the consistency of sea weed. Blanching greens will also slightly wilt them and preserve their color without over cooking them. Generally I would avoid boiling fresh greens. If you want boiled greens just buy them in a can.
Cooking healthy is easy to do during the Spring and Summer because of all the great fresh produce that is available. However, if you don’t learn how to prepare fresh vegetables properly, you can end up stripping their nutrients or adding unwanted fat and calories to the dish.