Cookbook Roundup: Greens Glorious Greens!
I love, love, LOVE this book! Not because it’s chock full of recipes for every meal, or that it’s a tome of 500+ healthy recipes, but because it’s a great first step book for those trying to integrate more green vegetables in their diet. This book is something I give to each new client, as a welcome, and a guide to help them find delicious and easy ways to cook their greens. Johanna Abli and Catherine Walthers have created an infinitely usable book, that makes a great addition to any bookshelf.
In the introduction to the book, the first few sentences touch on something that I often discuss with my clients - unidentifiable greens. How many times have you walked through the produce section of a store, particularly a health food store, and wondered what half the things there were? Yeah, we all know iceberg lettuce, romaine, red and green leaf, but sadly most of us don’t know much more. And yet the shelves in the produce section is overflowing with all kinds of fruits and vegetables that most of us will never bother to pick up! I often challenge clients who are maybe a little ill at ease with all the funky vegetables in the store to pick a new one each week, and try it out.
And this is where Greens, Glorious Greens comes in. The book is arranged alphabetically by vegetable, and features a lengthy, but certainly not boring discussion of the history, nutritional values, and unique flavor of each green, putting it in context of what it’s best served with. And because some greens last longer than others, or require shorter, or longer cooking times, each green has a dedicated “shopping tips”, “storage”, and “preparation” section.
My favorite recipes in this book, which I’ve made an over and over again are Chinese Bok Choy, Shiitake, and Tofu, Lemon-Basil Kale, Collards with Dill and Parsley, and Colcannon, an Irish recipe typically made with potatoes, milk, and kale, this version goes dairy free, and knocks the yummy factor up a notch by adding savoy cabbage, and makes a really exciting variation of regular old mashed potatoes. Other stand outs include Polenta Topped with Dandelion Greens, and Curried Chick-Peas with Mustard Greens and Sweet Potato.
Seriously, YUM.
Tags: cookbook roundup
