March 11th...Gett'n your Greens on!

OK our goal this week is too get our "greens on", that means eating the dark green leafy vegetable that you might not normally try.  Why would you want to do this...because those dark green leafy things that look like bushes, are PACKED FULL of nutrients!  These wondrous leaves are among the best sources of vitamins C and K, potassium and fibre, as well, some contain folate, a B vitamin that keeps our DNA healthy.  Greens are associated with protection from lung, stomach and ovarian cancers.  Did you know that 1/2 cup of cooked spinach or kale can lower your risks of cataracts and macular degeneration, an eye disease that is the leading cause of blindness in older adults.  So Popeye was right, eat your spinach and greens!

So where does one begin...well start with your computer, Google "green leafy vegetables", write a couple down, then look up a recipe for them.  Off to your local grocery store and choose your green.  If you are less adventurous then chop them up really small and hide them is a sauce, get creative! 

Here's what I came up with, I was suppose to use Collard greens, couldn't find them at the store I was at and didn't have time to go anywhere else.  So I grabbed Swiss Chard cause it looked the same!  We'll see if it tastes the same cause as I write this, it's cooking!

This is a side dish of sauteed greens, but what I love about it, is that it's cooked in chicken stock so I can add the left-overs to tomorrow's dinner, Curry Chicken...Here's what ya gotta do, cook up bacon (I used Turkey to save some calories) then remove from pan, and chop up.  In that SAME pan toss in onions, garlic and bacon... saute about 5 mins. til onions are clear...

 Wash and clean your greens then remove stems and chop up...

Add greens to onion mixture with a sprinkle of Sea salt and pepper.  Saute about 5 mins. then add your chicken broth.  Cover and simmer for about 45 mins.

OK because these are new to me as well, my kitchen smells like pea soup and bacon...I just plated my greens and tried a mouthful...YUM!!! These are surprising so good, wow have I been missing out all these years.  Super light tasting and full of flavor...the turkey bacon is de-lish!...I'm thinking regular bacon might be a bit to salty...I'm going to go finish my greens, let me know what you came up with!

Ingredients:

3 pieces of bacon

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bunch of Swiss Chard or Collards

3 cups chicken broth, low sodium

pinch of salt and pepper

And if you like your food hot and spicy you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes!