Gorgeous greens: let chlorophyll-rich foods energize your family

Gorgeous greens: let chlorophyll-rich foods energize your family

I've been working in the field of nutrition, whole foods, and cooking since 1983. I get pretty excited when I teach about the nutritional advantages and culinary delights of whole foods, but when it comes to dark, leafy greens, I become a cheerleader.

Dark, leafy greens are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. They are richer than carrots in usable carotene, the building block for vitamin A. Folic acid is also found in abundance in the leaves of bright green vegetables. (The word folic comes from the Latin folium, for leaf.) Low levels of folic acid have been related to poor fetal development, mental deterioration, and anemia. We also want to be sure that we get enough of the antioxidant vitamin C in our diets. Besides citrus fruits, green, leafy foods pack the most of this essential nutrient.

The mineral calcium is a hot topic of conversation and in the media. Because many children today display an allergy or sensitivity to milk products, parents are concerned about where their kids will get the calcium they need to build strong bones without dairy. I have always advocated obtaining calcium not just from milk, but from a wide variety of foods, and you guessed it--dark, leafy greens are one of the richest nondairy sources of calcium. And vitamin C and magnesium, which are also abundant in leafy greens, enhance the absorption of calcium.

Eating foods rich in chlorophyll--in other words, green, leafy vegetables--helps provide the body with vitamin K and oxygen-carrying red blood cells. It has also long been known that eating greens aids digestion. And greens are the perfect food if you're pregnant, nursing, or simply looking for more energy. Want regular bowel movements? extra protection against osteoporosis? clear, supple skin? Eat greens.

But if this single food contains so many gifts, why aren't greens served in every home, in every restaurant, at every meal? Probably because most people remain unfamiliar with them. Foods that aren't familiar tend to be rejected at first. Shoppers often pass by greens they've never eaten before, and don't know how to prepare them.

It takes at least is exposures to a food before a human being thinks of it as something "familiar." Yet parents all too willingly cross food after food off their child's list of what's acceptable to eat after only a single refusal. Soon the frustrated parent feels backed into a corner, with nothing to serve for dinner but macaroni and cheese. Don't give up and make separate meals. Serve foods that you know provide everyone in the family with nourishment. Have patience, and give your family time to cozy up to the sight of greens on their plates.

I serve a salad at almost every meal. As a toddler, my daughter picked out a few vegetables but wasn't really into grazing on raw greens. But when she was 10, salads suddenly became her favorite side dish to order when we went out to eat--and she began to request a serving from the dinner-salad bowl. The trick was that I had continued to serve and enjoy salads myself during her eight-year hiatus, with little to no pressure on her to eat a big helping. When a side dish of greens is offered as medicine that the child must swallow in order to be allowed to eat dessert, it gives a negative message. The best advertisement for greens is to regularly serve, eat, and enjoy them yourself.

Many wonderful, edible plants are dark, leafy greens: arugula, beet greens, bok choy, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, lamb's quarters, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress. Freshly chopped leafy green herbs--basil, cilantro, Italian parsley, mint--also add nutrients and flavor to any meal. Most tender greens, such as arugula, spinach, watercress, and fresh herbs, need little or no cooking. They can be added to salads or tossed into a cooked dish just before serving. More mature greens, such as bok choy, collards, dandelion greens, and kale, need more attention. If cooked until grayish-green they've lost most of their nutritional value, but when steamed or served raw they have a bitter flavor and a tough texture. There are three methods of cooking these more assertive greens that work for me in preserving both flavor and nutrients: quick boiling, simmering, and sauteing. All three techniques are used in the recipes accompanying this article.

When cooking greens, use your senses. Visually, the leaves should begin to wilt--to lose their ability to stand up straight--but still retain their bright green color. As you cook them, taste the greens every minute or so by tearing off a small piece and chewing it. If the texture is still tough and the juices bitter, it needs to cook some more. If the greens have little taste, you've cooked it too long. Look for a tender texture and the release of sweet juices in your mouth. At that point, take the greens off the heat right away.

I recently worked on a middle-school musical with a lively, enthusiastic young woman who was nursing her third child. At every rehearsal, baby at her breast, Molly played show tunes on the piano with gusto. When she invited us to her home for a cast party, where she'd prepared a lovely banquet, someone asked, "How do you do all this? I was sleepwalking when I was nursing, but you seem so cheerful!" Dishing up a beautiful salad, Molly replied, "My naturopath told me to eat more greens. If I just eat greens and meditate each day, I do fine." I couldn't dream up better testimony.

Golden mushroom-spinach-basil soup

The following creamy soup was introduced to me by Jeff Basom at the cafeteria of Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. Jeff's inventive use of vegetables and a touch of cashew butter create a taste everyone loves. Serve with a hearty sandwich for a simple family feast.

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 cups chopped onions (about 2 large or 3 medium onions) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 cups diced potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes) 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks) 1 large carrot, diced 3 1/2 to 4 cups water 2 tablespoons cashew butter 2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped 1/2 bunch fresh spinach sea salt and fresh ground pepper Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 3-quart pot. Add onions and salt. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat stirring occasionally, until onions cook down to a nice mush (15-20 minutes). Add potatoes, celery, carrot, and water to the onion mush; cover and simmer until potatoes are soft (15-20 minutes). Put soup mixture into bender with cashew butter and tamari; blend until smooth. Run soup through a strainer to remove celery strings. Return soup to pot. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small skillet. Add mushrooms and saute until soft. Finely chop basil, Pick stems from spinach and wash. Chop into thin strips. Stir sauteed mushroom, chopped basil, and spinach into finished soup. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Preparation time: 45 minutes

For Babies 6 Months & Older: Remove some of the cooked potato or carrot from the soup and puree

For Babies 10 Months & Older: Blend soup without adding tamari, sauteed mushrooms, and basil, and reserve a portion for baby.

Pan-fried tofu and collards with cashew ginger drizzle

This is a superb one-dish meal when served over udon or soba noodles, brown rice, or quinoa.

1 pound firm tofu 1-2 tablespoons sesame oil 1-2 large bunches collard greens Marinade 3 cloves garlic, sliced 4-5 slices (1/8 inch thick) fresh ginger-root 1 cup water 1 tablespoon brown-rice vinegar 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1/3 cup tamari or shoyu Sauce 1/4 cup creamy cashew butter 2 teaspoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu 1 tablespoon brown-rice vinegar 1 teaspoon grated gingerroot 1-2 teaspoons hot pepper oil 1/3 cup water

In the morning, combine all ingredients for marinade. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch slabs, then cut slabs into triangles. Put marinade and tofu in a glass storage container with a tight-fitting lid.

Heat sesame oil in a skillet....