6 Ways to More Green Veggies & Salad Isn't One
life is hard, food doesn't have to be #38 [vol2, 1.2]
It’s one thing to think about eating more green veggies, it’s another to get people to eat them. Below are six ways to eat more green veggies, plus recipes.
I will proclaim forever that fat is needed for the body to digest vitamins and minerals. It doesn’t matter if you eat all the veggies in the world...the body cannot absorb the vitamins from those veggies without fat. Please for the love of everything tasty, use a quality fat when eating veggies!
Ways I’m incorporating more green vegetables for the table:
1/ Misfit Market organic vegetable delivery. I get the largest box every other week. There are 2 sizes to choose from (1-2 people or 4-5 people) and every other week is a good rhythm for me. This isn’t for people who like picture perfect produce. I like the challenge of planning meals (or sides) based on what’s in my fridge. The gentle pressure of using produce that’s already at my house is just what I need to get more veg in my people. If you decide to try it out, use the code COOKWME-PE8ECJ and we both get 25% off our next box. I’ve a saved Story on Instagram with examples of what I’ve received.
2/ Did you know you can roast frozen veggies? LIFE CHANGING.
Toss frozen veggies on a cookie sheet.
Put cookie sheet in COLD oven.
Preheat to 400* - if you don’t have convection (or a fan in your oven, set it to 425*.)
Once oven is preheated, pull out veggies and give them a toss. If there’s still quite a bit of water send it back to dry a bit more.
Once most of the water has evaporated, toss in oil. Add 2-4T oil per pound of frozen veg. Be generous with the salt.
Roast for 11-15 minutes, depending on your oven, preference, and how crowded the pan is. Broccoli chars quicker than cauliflower. Okra is yummy roasted too.
This method works because as the oven preheats it evaporates the outer layer of ice THEN oil is added. If oil is added to frozen veg straight outta the bag, you’ll have soggy veg. *gross*
Here’s a video I made that explains how to roast frozen veggies.
3/ Collards are under appreciated. They have the best texture of all the greens. If your momma didn’t teach you, here’s how I do it:
Tear the rib out of the middle then roughly chop. Some stores sell bags of prepared collards. Start with an outrageous amount in a ridiculous sized pot. They cook way down.
First, saute a chopped onion with bacon, bacon fat, or another fat. If you don’t use bacon, please add another flavoring -- either a ham hock, smoked paprika or other spice blends. I like Jamie’s Spice Mix and use it all the time.
Add greens and salt then simmer, covered, till tender. This may take up to an hour or longer with collards. Taste them along the way and when the texture is just right for your liking, pull them off the heat. Depending on how frequently you take off the lid, or how much moisture is in the leaves, you might need to add a splash of liquid (water, broth, kombucha) to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
I saved a Story on Instagram when I cooked collards for New Year’s Day.
The same method can be used for kale, except kale cooks quicker. Spinach and swiss chard cook down even quicker -- in a matter of seconds. Because they have a high water content, I find them slimy and don’t prefer spinach or chard cooked this way. If I cook spinach or chard this way, I usually add it to another dish, like quiche.
4/ Roast cabbage on the stovetop.
Slice a cabbage or buy a bag of coleslaw mix. Heat a cast iron skillet very hot, like 8 on a scale of 10. Once skillet is hot, add a few tablespoons of avocado oil or other oil with higher smoke point. Toss in cabbage. Salt generously. Wait. Wait until you think it smells like cooked cabbage or maybe until it smells slightly burned. Use tongs to flip potions over. Roast until desired doneness. I’ve trained my family to say, “Dinner is gonna be good!” when the smoke alarm rings. Usually happens when I roast cabbage.
Here’s how I did it on Instagram.
5/ Here’s a one pot dish with collards or kale to add to your weekly winter rotation. It comes together in about 45 minutes and makes 6-8 portions. The twenty minutes it’s in the oven, I try to clean the kitchen, set the table, etc. Trying hard to do better at cleaning as I go...
Changes I make*
Increase meat to 2 lbs chicken, 1 lb loose sausage or sliced kielbasa. I’ve also used brats, let them simmer on top (last 20 min in the oven) then sliced and stirred in just before serving.
More garlic
Add mushrooms if you like them
1lb frozen kale instead of 4 cups collards
Decrease broth and add shredded frozen zucchini
Decrease rice
*my husband says I never make the same recipe twice, even if I “follow” a recipe or call it the same thing.
6/ Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sausage & Kale
Roast sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet at 400* for an hour. I don’t poke holes in them but do put them on parchment paper for easy clean up.
Meanwhile, saute a chopped onion in butter and a bit of salt. Once translucent, add chopped garlic. Then a pound of your favorite loose sausage. If you love mushrooms, add those too.
Once sausage is cooked through, add a bag of frozen kale. If you can remember to set the kale to thaw, squeeze extra water out before adding to your pan. If you don’t remember to thaw it, just push the kale around in the hot pan until water evaporates. I like to add a tablespoon or so of a seasoning blend if the sausage isn’t already seasoned.
Split the sweet potatoes down the middle and fill with sausage-kale mixture.
If you have parmesan, sprinkle some on the top before serving.
Note: We don’t eat much pork. When we do I try to make it the highest quality. Industrial pork (anything from a regular grocery store) never sees the light of day and is given routine antibiotics (translates to antibiotic resistance and weight gain in humans). Pastured pork from farmers markets will have high vitamin D from being in the sun, which is essential for healthy immune systems.
Locals: FarmShares start this weekend with FarmGirl Meats. Last week’s letter has details near the bottom.
Not local? GrassRoots has a 10% off bulk sale currently and ships to your door.
Salt and fat change the game for every meal. Don’t be afraid.
Julie
PS Extra bonus points if you remember to add a fermented veggie to your plate!
PSS Extra double bonus points if you forward this letter to a friend who wants to eat more green veggies.