Posted at: 03/13/2012 1:38 PM

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Green Up Your Plate

Jen Haugen represents Hy-Vee as a nutrition expert promoting healthy eating throughout the community.  Jen is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Don’t press your luck and skip the greens in the produce aisle!  In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, a simple reminder to include more greens for your health all-year-round will add more than luck to your day!
 
Get to know 7 greens:
White Bean Soup with Winter Greens (6 – 1 cup servings)

All you need:
2 (15 ounce) cans white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste (pinch of each)
3/4 pound greens (collards, chard, kale or turnip)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

All you do:

1.    Heat olive oil in large pot over moderate heat.  Add onion, carrots, garlic, parsley and bay leaves.  Sauté until vegetables slightly softened, 5-10 minutes.

2.    Add drained beans, chicken broth and 2 cups water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

3.    Remove bay leaves.  In a blender, puree 4 cups of the mixture (make sure to gather all carrots in blender) and return the puree to the pot.  Stir well.  If needed, thin with broth.

4.    Wash greens well, removing any bruised leaves, thick ribs or stems that are thick and tough.  Once cleaned, you will have about ½ pound of greens.  Roll into a log and slice crosswise into 1/4 - inch strips.  Sauté greens in garlic-flavored olive oil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  You may also season with salt and pepper.

5.    Add greens to soup and stir well.  Let simmer 5-10 minutes.  Serve in warm bowls, topping each portion with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese.

 

Arugula: Tender and peppery, refrigerate and use within two days.  Makes a tasty grilled steak salad, pizza topping or add to pasta sauce. Excellent source of antioxidants and ALA, an essential fatty acid.

Bok Choy: Mild and slightly peppery, crunchy white stalks with dark green leaves.  Add to stir-fries and soups.  10 calories per cup, excellent source of vitamins A and C.

Collard Greens: Long stalks topped with dark green leaves, refrigerate in bag for up to 5 days.  Prepare like spinach or cabbage and season with garlic, chile peppers, onion, ginger or curry in place of salt pork.  Excellent source of fiber.

Mustard Greens: Dark green leaves with a peppery, pungent mustard flavor that mellows with slow cooking.  Adds a pleasant bite to salads and pairs with ham and onions.  Blanch in salted water to lessen the bite.  120% vitamin A and 15 calories per cup!

Swiss Chard: Broad green leaves grown on celery-like stalks, related to the beet.  Store in the refrigerator up to three days.  Trim leaves off the stalk and cook like spinach.  Cook the stalks like celery or asparagus.  Potent source of vitamin K and lutein.

Turnip Greens:  Tender and sweet when young, refrigerate and use within three days.  Trim leaves from stem, then boil, sauté, steam or stir-fry.   Potent cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Watercress: A relative to the mustard family, it adds bold flavor to salads, sandwiches, soups.  Wrap in plastic, store in refrigerator and use within a few days. 5 calories per cup.

Nutrition facts per cup: 310 calories, 13 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 31 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 18 g protein, 670 mg sodium, 15 mg cholesterol.
Daily Values: 30% calcium, 160% vitamin A, 40 % vitamin C and 15% iron.

 



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