Dark Green Leafy Vegetables!

DARK LEAFY GREEN VEGETABLES
v Dark green leafy vegetables are good sources of many vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy, like vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. They are also great sources of fiber. The darker the leaves, the more nutrients the vegetable usually has.
Examples of dark green leafy vegetables and the best way to eat them:
Arugula has a peppery taste and is rich in vitamins A, C, and calcium. Arugula can be eaten raw in salads or added to stir-fry, soups, and pasta sauces.
Chicory has a slightly bitter flavor and is rich in vitamins K, C, and calcium. Chicory is best eaten with other greens in salad or when added to soups and pasta sauces.
Collard Greens have a spinach-like flavor and are rich in vitamin A and calcium. They are best if you saute’ them briefly and then add to a soup or stir-fry. You can also eat collard greens as a side dish. Just add your favorite seasoning and enjoy!
Dandelion Greens have a bitter, tangy flavor and are rich in vitamin A and calcium. They are best when steamed or eaten raw in salad.
Kale has a slightly bitter, cabbage-like flavor and is rich in vitamin A, C, calcium, folic acid, and potassium. Kale is tasty when added to soups, stir-fries, and sauces.
Mustard Greens have a hot, spicy flavor and are rich in vitamin A, C and calcium. They are delicious eaten raw in salads or in stir-frys and soups.
Spinach has a sweet flavor and is rich in vitamin A, C, iron and calcium. Spinach tastes great eaten raw in salads or steamed.
Swiss Chard tastes similar to spinach and is rich in vitamins C, K, and calcium. It is best stir-fried or eaten raw in salads.

Quick and Easy Recipe Ideas:
v Dark leafy greens are very tasty and easy to add to your daily meals. Look for them at your local grocery store, natural health food grocery store, or farmer’s market, and try some of these recipe ideas:
Make a salad: Leafy greens like spinach and arugula taste great when mixed in a salad with different kinds of veggies, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and lettuce.
Wrap it up: Make a wrap with tempeh, tofu, tuna, chicken, or turkey and add spinach, arugula, swiss chard, or mustard greens, and other veggies for a great sandwich. You can even use the larger leaves as the wrap!
Add to soup: Try mixing some leafy greens with your favorite soup.
Stir-fry: Add chopped leafy greens to your stir-fry. Chicken or tofu stir-fried with veggies and olive or grape seed oil and your favorite leafy greens is delicious!
Steam it: For some tasty greens, steam some collard greens, kale, or spinach. Add water to a pot and place a steamer with the vegetables into it. Next, bring the water to a simmer, cover with a lid, and wait a few minutes until your vegetables are slightly soft, but not over cooked.
Arugula Recipe
Arugula is one of my favorites.
For Pesto, blend arugula, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan (or non-dairy cheese) in a food processor until coarsely chopped. While machine is running, add a little olive oil until well blended.
Arugula, tossed with chopped tomatoes and olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper, and can be served on sliced marinated tempeh or tofu, chicken cutlets or fish, topped with a grated cheese of your choice.
Arugula can be saute’d until wilted but not overcooked, and then combined with tomato sauce of choice, and served with pasta.
I will be updating this site with lots more recipes in the near future so please do come back and check it out!

Dr. Cindy Bates