Beach Resorts, Hotels in Kanyakumari (aveholidayhome.com): Tasty Ways to Prepare Good-for-You Greens(aveholidayhome.com)

Getting Your Greens

When Martha Stewart was doing hard time, there were reports that she voluntarily pulled up weeds outside in the prison yard each day. Was she just trying to get out early for good behavior? Not quite. Martha was actually taking an unconventional approach to good nutrition. She would harvest the leaves of dandelions, wash them, and then eat the nutritionally-dense greens as a side dish to balance out her bland prison fare.

Martha couldn’t have picked a better side dish, from a nutritional standpoint. Foraging for foliage provided her with a rich source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium, iron, folate, and magnesium. Besides these vitamins and minerals, dandelion greens also contain Lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration. Fiber and potassium are also abundant in the greens.

But don’t worry—you don’t have to become a weed eater to enjoy the benefits of greens. There are lots of nutritious choices of greens that you can pick up at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. You could try collard, turnip, broccoli rabe, or mustard greens—all of which, like dandelion greens, are strong-flavored and slightly bitter. Or you could enjoy popular greens like spinach, chard, beet greens, and bok choy, which are mild and tender. And then there’s kale, which lies somewhere in the middle of the flavor spectrum.

When purchasing or harvesting greens, look for leaves that are perky, lively, and deeply-colored. Generally, small leaves will be mild, sweet, and tender compared to larger leaves. Stay away from greens that are wilted, yellowed, or spotted—these will certainly be bitter, even when cooked. When you bring your greens home, store them inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator and use them within a few days.

Greens are versatile when it comes to cooking. You can heat them as a side dish, add them to soups, chop them to fill calzones or lasagna, and eat them raw in salads. Although greens can be delicious when they're properly prepared, most people who don't know how to do that, and wind up with a slimy, wilted pile of vegetable mush on their plates.

So here's a quick introduction to cooking and enjoying some of the most common greens, featuring recipes from our sister site, www.SparkRecipes.com:

Spinach

Most people have tried spinach at least a few times. This green is very versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked. When eating raw spinach, be sure to choose leaves that look dry, not slimy, and wash the leaves thoroughly. Toss a handful into your salad to boost its nutritional content, or put the leaves inside a wrap with cheese, tomatoes, grated carrots, romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing. You can also sauté fresh spinach with olive oil over medium heat until wilted, adding salt and pepper to taste. Frozen spinach can be added to lasagna, pasta sauce, soups or egg dishes (like omelets or frittatas). Skip the canned spinach, unless you’re going for slimy and flavorless cuisine. Try these spinach recipes:

Creamed Spinach

Spinach Feta Scramble

Greek Chickpeas & Spinach

Swiss Chard

Creamed Spinach

High protein and rich in vitamins and minerals

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 15

Number of Servings: 3

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 thick slices of onion, chopped

4 medium mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup soy flour

1 cup skim milk

2 TBS fat free sour cream

1 lb (about 6 cups) fresh or frozen spinach, chopped

Seasonings to taste

Directions

Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Saute onions and mushrooms. Remove onions and mushrooms or move them to one side of the pan and respray pan. Add flour, stirring continuously until flour just begins to brown.Slowly add milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously. When sauce is smooth and begins to boil, add the sauteed onions and mushrooms. Season to taste (I usually just use a pepper blend and about a TBS of red wine vinegar).Add spinach and sour cream and continue cooking until spinach is just wilted and heated through, stirring occasionally to coat evenly with sauce.

Makes 3 servings of just over 1 cup each.

Number of Servings: 3

Spinach Feta Scramble

easy, filling and delicious!

Minutes to Prepare: 10

Minutes to Cook: 10

Number of Servings: 2

Ingredients

cooking spray

1 cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups spinach, fresh, stems removed (recommend baby spinach)

4 eggs, two yolks separated and removed

1 oz milk

2 oz feta cheese crumbles

1/2 tsp dill weed, dried (or 1 tbsp fresh)

1/2 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic

salt and pepper to taste (a dash of each)

Directions

Spray nonstick pan with cooking spray and sweat onion and garlic for about two minutes on medium heat; add spinach and cook for another two minutes or until onions are translucent and tender and spinach is completely wilted. Meanwhile, whisk together whole eggs and egg whites with milk until yolks are full incorporated and pour into skillet, lowering temperature to medium low. Once the egg starts to coagulate, stir in remaining ingredients (feta through salt and pepper) and cook until eggs are just slightly underdone (they will finish cooking in the time it takes to plate your food). Serve with whole wheat toast or pita.

Number of Servings: 2

Greek Chickpeas and Spinach

Try this as a side dish tonight!

Ingredients

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups precooked chickpeas or one 15oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fresh dill weed, finely chopped

1/2 lb. fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped or torn into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions