Kale, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens and bok choy are among the best choices for greens. Green vegetables are rich in very accessible minerals and vitamins. Most are in the cruciferous family as are broccoli and cauliflower, and are known for their cancer prevention qualities.
Greens can also be tricky to prepare so that they are delicious and digestible. Baby greens cook quickly, are always more tender, and are easily digested. The more mature greens can be tougher with more fiber and bigger stems.
- The trick to preparing greens is in the cutting. With baby greens, there is very little cutting, and it is fine to leave the stems as they are.
- Mature greens are a different story. Cut the stems out, but do not throw them away. Chop them finely and include them in the cooking, because stems are rich in Vitamin C (the same is true of broccoli stems).
- Next, stack the leaves, roll them into a cylindrical shape and slice them diagonally. The tougher the leaves are, the finer the slice is. This is logical, because the tougher leaves have more fiber, and you are helping to break down the fiber by cutting it. This makes the greens more digestible.
- The same is true for cooking greens. The longer they are cooked, the more digestible they are. There is a delicate balance here, because you want to preserve the vitamins and minerals, which can be lost with over cooking. The perfect time for cooking greens is when they are at their peak of color and are sufficiently tender.
You have two choices for cooking greens: steaming and sautéing. Steaming is simpler and avoids the use of heated oil. Sautéing is rich and flavorful and can include sautéed onions and garlic to enhance flavor.
- After you have chopped the greens, place them in a pot with a steamer and an inch of water.
- A simpler and more healthful approach is to place the greens in a pot without the steamer but with just enough water to cook them. It may take practice to discern how much water, and you may need to keep checking to be sure there is sufficient water.
- Add a tablespoon oil (more or less) and some chopped garlic and onion.
- If the oil smokes, then you are using too much heat. Smoking oil is a sign that the oil has been altered in a way that is not healthy.
- After sautéing the garlic and/or onions, add the chopped greens.
- Sauté them for a couple of minutes.
- If they are not tender at that point, then add 1/8 cup of water and cover the skillet with a top.
- After another couple of minutes, the greens are ready to serve.
If you want to add a touch of salt, do so while the greens are cooking so that the salt can dissolve. However, if you add shoyu or tamari, do so right at the end in order to preserve the delicate flavor and healthful qualities of these condiments.