Spring Into Greens

Spring is coming and that means lighter eating. Gone are the heavy gratins and creamy sauces. It's time to incorporate greens into all sorts of recipes from sauces to sides to mains. It's a great way of embracing a healthier eating style for the warmer weather.

Spinach is a definite must in lighter eating. It's versatile and delicious plus being good for our systems. It's loaded with iron, but also folic acid and Vitamins  A,C and K1. As we get a few days of very warm weather , think about a spinach salad instead of  one with the usual Romaine or Bibb. Add toasted chickpeas for crunch and grape tomatoes for more color and flavor. Cook up a non traditional pasta sauce that combines spinach leaves with baby bella mushrooms and garlic. This is a tasty departure from tomato and cream based ones. You could also sub in the spinach with broccoli rabe or kale. Another healthy dish, perfect for Spring is stir fried spinach. This is an easy cook that has baby spinach leaves cooked with garlic in peanut oil. A drop of honey or maple syrup gives it sweetness while chili paste gives it some heat and zing. Toasted sesame oil throws in a nutty flavor. This dish is perfect on its' own but also good with grilled chicken or a lean cut steak.Another must have in your Spring diet is the ever popular kale. This is a must eat because it's the most nutrient dense green on the planet. It's loaded with powerful antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol that lower blood pressure and prevent cancers and certain viruses. 

Is kale as versatile as spinach? Yes!! You can do more with it than spinach. It can be the backbone of soups to being the star of the dinner table.People may have gotten tired of the ever popular kale chips (they're still yummy and easy to make) however kale is also good sauteed.Again, like spinach, it works well with other ingredients. Saute it with olive oil and spike it with red pepper flakes and garlic. You could also try it with chopped onions and peas for a different kind of sauce perfect with  pasta, polenta or rice. Try pairing it with mashed potatoes for a different but better for you side.It's mashing it with the cooked potatoes. Broccoli rabe has the same benefits of spinach, being rich in iron and having the same vitamins , A,C and K as the other.It's excellent with cavatelli  in a tasty garlic and olive oil sauce. You can zing it up with red pepper flakes or add vegan sausage to change it up. Caramelized onions are also a good pairing and a perfect side. This balances out the bitterness that broccoli has sometimes. You could also add tiny drop of maple syrup or honey to balance it out too.

It's Spring, It's time to eat light with dishes heavy on the greens. It's a nice way of leaving the heavy winter dishes behind and jumping into healthier eating.