I rather doubt that you have read nutrition tips that do not include Green Leafy Vegetables (GLVs). Their benefits are well-known and the recommendations ubiquitous. (I pursued Aging_with_Pizzazz after I wrote that sentence and found the reference has come up repeatedly.) We’ve heard it – and we get it. They are a good food source.
We don’t however see as many recommendations offering guidance on HOW to use them. Not everyone grew up learning to cook greens, unless you had traditional teaching in the southern style, or use cooking methods from other countries. Luckily, GLVs are some of the easiest ingredients to use and are difficult to ruin. Maybe not impossible, but difficult.
I decided to share some tips and favorite recipes here. I say ‘recipes’ albeit it more accurate to say general ideas versus step-by-step procedures, because precision is far less important than the basic concept. And the basic concept is to GO BOLD with the seasonings and amounts of GLV.
A Word about GLVs
One of the greatest characteristics of GLVs is that in almost any recipe calling for their use, they can be interchanged with another variety. You might find a cookbook calling for the ingredient of kale, but could easily substitute it for beet greens.
Yet, each GLV indeed has its own unique texture and flavor. Because of the way they cook down, the cooking times are not consistent between varieties, but are usually simple to adjust. Amounts to use can also vary somewhat. For instance, using escarole or spinach you might need to alter the amounts to one and half, or almost double that you would use if choosing kale.
Another tip is that – as a general rule – the darker the GLV, the more nutritious. Whether due to their ability to soak in sunlight or other reasons, they contain more minerals, more vitamins, and more antioxidants than lighter greens. When there’s a choice – go darker.
Some of my Favorite EASY Recipes
Recipes are “a dime a dozen,” although the ingredients are not. You might subscribe to newsletters, journals or newspapers, like the NYTimes that offer fascinating dishes. Once in a while I try those, not always in the GLV category. Such recipes tend to be complicated and time consuming, often calling for ingredients that have you trapsing to a specialty store to search out that one last component. (I visited 4 stores once looking for an ingredient to make a ‘hot pot.’ While listed in a different language, I believe I found the right substance although failed miserably at the hot pot. Another story for another time.)
I enjoy less sophisticated recipes, preferably with ingredients generally at hand. Particularly better is if the meal prep is quick. I trust you will like some of mine.
BTW, for any of you who do not ‘do dairy’, I imagine that you are a pro at using alternatives that can function as substitutes in these recipes. The GLVs will help the taste no matter how you combine them.
Eggs and Greens
A dish generally using spinach, kale, or less frequently: beet greens, mustard greens or lambs-quarters. (Lambs-quarters are common in the south, almost considered a weed, but difficult to find elsewhere. Still, when living in the South, I developed a love for its mild and nutty spinach-like taste.)
Prepare ‘sauce’. For two people combine: 1 TBSP vinegar (balsamic or rice), 2 TBSP Tamari or soy sauce, 4 TBSP water. Set it aside.
Steam the greens (3-4 cups or so), add to bowl and mix in sauce. Put a fried or poached egg on top of each person’s portion and serve with toast or bread. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Lemon Greens
Escarole best, but spinach or kale fine.
Start a separate pot for your favorite pasta. It may take longer than the rest of the dish.
Prepare half a lemon, grating the rind and cutting the rest (keep ALL the juice).
If you want to take out a second mortgage you can use pine nuts, which are the best in this dish. Still, I generally use shaved or slivered almonds; occasionally crushed hazelnuts. Sauté the nuts in oil. Add salt and pepper.
Depending on the number of servings, you might use 1 ½-2 cups dry pasta and 4-5 (or more) cups of greens. (We often have leftovers, so I guess that serves 4 people.)
Once pasta is 3/4rds cooked make sure greens are in their pan. As they start to cook down add the lemon rind and juice.
When pasta done, strain and add to greens. Mix with either olive oil or lemon olive oil (my favorite). Ready to serve. You might like shaved cheese on top.
Spinach Stuffed Omelet
Don’t forget the easy ideas. An egg and cheese omelet has few other ingredients in it, but the process is a skill (only if you want great presentation). In my house the biggest argument is do you sauté the spinach before adding it to the egg or put it in raw. (Garlic is another such argument.) Either way, after putting milk in the egg along with seasoning, add the cooked or raw spinach and your omelet is almost done. The biggest challenge is turning it over without ending up with a spinach scrambled egg dish. But hey, that’s also tasty.
Tofu GLV Scramble
This scramble doesn’t reply on the skill of an omelet chef. Fry up onions and when translucent crumble up a tub of tofu into the pan. Stir in turmeric, cumin, and coriander (in that order of balance). Salt will be needed, but don’t overdo. It’s difficult to overdo the other spices. Then after it looks like scrambled eggs, add in the GLV. Spinach is the swiftest to cook and is our favorite. You’ll never scrunch up your face at tofu again.
Taco Bowls
Here’s another simple dinner that’s fun after the fixings are ready – tomatoes, cheese, heated beans, black olives, etc. Optional is any meat alternative, like hot Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), which you first soak and brown with soy sauce or Braggs. If you eat animal meat, I suspect that browned ground-round would be your choice. The key is to avoid that iceberg lettuce. Dark Romane lettuce has approximately 10x the vitamin A and 8x the Vitamin C; I’d add that it also has some taste. Whether you are making your own bowls out of tortillas or even just using taco ‘chips’ go with the Romane – and lots of it.
Simple Sautéed Spinach
It might not be the entire dinner, but oh what a side dish. Simply steam the spinach. Remove to bowl and add butter, salt and a sprinkle of vinegar. I could eat this every day. It was a childhood favorite.
Caprese Salad
The amount depends on the number of guests and whether you are using it as an appetizer, side dish or main meal. Adjust accordingly. Use ripe but firm tomatoes (Romas are OK for this, as well as Beefsteak). Cut fresh mozzarella cheese slices, about the same thickness as the tomato slices. Most importantly, for further GLV benefit, use a much greater amount of fresh basil leaves than usually recommended or seen in restaurants. Layer the 3 ingredients together in single helpings, on skewers, or like Dominos on a large plate. Sprinkle with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and fresh ground pepper. This can be an entire dinner if served with a hearty crusty bread.
Watercress Sandwiches
This is a nice change for summer. Don’t use the typical recommendation of white bread, go for whole grain. Additionally, I like cream cheese, not butter. Soften the cream cheese. Wash and dry the leaves of the watercress. Be generous, both with the cream cheese and definitely with the GLV. Salt and pepper to taste. I like to add cucumber as well. Another option for a summer sandwich is to add watercress to egg salad. Both sandwiches are yummy and cool.
Romane Boats
It’s not vital, but I use a small type of Romane for this. (If you belong to Costco; they have an artisan mini-Romane lettuce that is perfect. You may not get as much for your money, but they are flawless as a finger food). Make a cold tuna or salmon salad seasoned to your liking and put a small amount in each Romane leaf. Cover everyone’s dish with as many as will fit. Simple, but nutritious meal. Added bonus – few plates or silverware to wash.
A Bit More Work for Some Additional Favorites
Caraway Noodles & Greens
Originally this was one of my cabbage dishes, and it is tasty using that ingredient. However, Bok Choy is a cabbage-like green that is more nutritious (remember darker green). While it can be made with many greens, it’s best to pick a hardier GLV for this dish. Another suggestion is Swiss chard.
The recipe can be made with pasta just cooked but I prefer fried noodles (from left over pasta). Fry noodles in oil until getting crispy. (Not as healthy, but I have a fondness for using part sesame oil.)
It’s best as a 2-pot job, hence the reason for more work. Prepare the greens by sautéing in separate pan (don’t overcook). Combine the noodles and greens. Sprinkle with copious crushed caraway seed, freshly ground pepper and salt.
Note: I don’t use a lot of Bok Choy, but it’s great for Asian dishes. Another GLV that I really have no experience with is Perilla. I am told it is often used in stir-fry or in Korian food, like Kimchi. In the US South it is often prepared on the side of meat/chicken/fish dishes in soul food cooking or served with mac and cheese. Something new to look forward to one day.
Red Pepper and Arugula
Sauté chopped red bell peppers in oil until softened. Added minced garlic and my favorite, red pepper flakes (which I add to more dishes than I am admitting here). Stir in 4 cups of arugula. Wilt briefly. Finish the side dish off with a dash of balsamic vinegar.
If you have the arugula but are in a hurry, you can start with frozen peppers. (I use the “trio” from Trader Joes’s, which is handy to keep in the freezer.
Note: this recipe is a complimentary dish for fish or other protein (meat, chicken or even tofu), but is ‘super sauce’ for your favorite pasta.
I’ve heard people make watermelon arugula salad. I’ve never tried it but am intrigued.
Turkish Purslane
This GLV is not the most common, but again this dish can be altered to use another green if your grocery never has Purslane on the shelf. Still, keep an eye out for it, best to try the original version once. The recipe can be split in half or doubled easily as the GLV, onion, carrot and rice are all about the same amounts.
Take 2 bunches of Purslane, remove & keep leaves but chop up stems.
Use 2 onions finely chopped. 2 carrots grated.
Sauté the onions a bit first, then add carrots and chopped stems in enough oil to cover pan bottom. Mix until all soft. Add 2 TBSP of rice (uncooked) – or couscous. Salt & pepper to taste. Stir & cover a minute. Add ½ cup of water. Cover and simmer 4-5 minutes. When ingredients are soft add all the Purslane leaves. Stir. Cover 1 minute. Add juice of ½ lemon and 2 grated cloves of garlic (don’t cook).
The only tricky key to the dish is making sure the rice texture is to your liking – maybe a bit crunchy.
To serve the Turkish way, you can add a few big, generous spoonful’s of plain yogurt on top.
Subzi, Rice and Dahl
I learned to make this dish and its infinite varieties years ago at the Himalayan Institute in Pennsylvania. The lovely feature of it is that you can basically incorporate anything in your cabinet or refrigerator to make delicious meals.
The GLV portion is important because since it has so much spice and variety you can invariably pick any green variation – spinach, kale, Swiss chard, mustard or beet greens, escarole, etc. It is the last ingredient in the pot and timing depends on the GLV (for instance, spinach is almost instantaneous, kale until soft and bright).
As the name implies ‘Subzi, Rice and Dahl’ has 3 dishes:
- The ‘rice’ used can be any variety like jasmine or basmati.
- The ‘dahl’ is a sauce also with a variety of ingredients. I tend to use cooked, salted lentils and the traditional spices of cumin, turmeric, and coriander, made into a smooth sauce (lots of cumin, lesser amount turmeric and coriander least – all depending on your palate). Dahl can be made and kept in the refrigerator for days or the freezer indefinitely. You can also buy store varieties like Tasty Bites for a quicker meal. The dahl is served over the rice (1 part dahl to 2 parts rice).
- The “Subzi” simply means mixed vegetables (a few or many) and can include ANYTHING you have in stock. Usually sautéed or steamed. Common ingredients I use are carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, peas, beans, bell peppers, potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and whatever else I find. BUT when all the veggies are cooked and seasoned with the same spices as the dahl, (often fresh ginger and garlic as well), you add the GLV. YOU PICK IT – any variety will work.
Subzi Tip: Don’t be afraid to use way more spice than you might think is needed.
In Indian restaurants this is often served with naan, paratha or roti (all different types of bread).
FINAL THOUGHT
Glorious GLVs are not just good for us, they are gloriously delicious, when effort is made. I trust there is at least one or two dishes that sound good to you (although of course there are myriad recipes in virtual online space). I suggest that you copy this blog or at least part of it and keep it on hand for dinner time ideas. Hope to hear about some of your experiments.
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Picture credit: Popeye cartoon with catchphrase: “I’m strong to da finich ‘cause I eats my spinach,” entered the public domain on January 1, 2025; original character and depictions from 1929 onward are no longer protected by copyright in U.S.
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