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Food & Drink R
emember to “Eat your greens”. How often do we hear that and how easy is it really, even with the best of intentions? If you’re faced with a massive
Savoy cabbage or a huge marrow donated by some friends - the one that escaped in the courgette patch – it can be a little overwhelming.
That’s why I’m a big fan of softer leaves – the ones
you can eat in a salad; put in a fresh slaw; stuff in a sandwich, wrap or pitta; or stir through your supper just as it’s finishing cooking. Leaves like spinach, chard, rocket, wild garlic in season, beetroot tops especially if you are growing your own, and watercress are all easy to incorporate into your eating and a good way of incorporating those essential greens.
Full of vitamins A, C & K, plenty of fibre, packed with minerals and anti-oxidants, they truly are a super super-food. Tasty too without being too full-on, not so windy as cabbage or sprouts and really easy to use.
What will all these benefits do? Well,
help to keep you healthy in many and various ways – improves your skin, helps produce serotonin and dopamine which mean you feel good; aids good bone health; supports your immune system; keeps your gut healthy and mobile; improves your memory; and much, much more...
So, how to use them –
Salads – this could not be easier as they come in salad bags. Just rip them open and add a handful per person. The leaves are definitely so much more than a garnish on the side of your plate. Add some strips of carrot for colour, finely chopped red pepper for crunch, some cooked chicken or ham or chickpeas for protein, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of olive oil and that’s a great and quick lunch. Make sure you use your salad bags up quickly though; nothing worse than a forgotten bag of leaves lurking in the drawer of the fridge and slowly turning to slime (apparently!)
Slaws – homemade slaw is fantastic; easy to make and delicious. We make ours by shredding some white cabbage very finely, adding grated carrot and apple, shredding in some fresh chard (easy to grow in the garden even for non-gardeners), a tiny bit of finely chopped red onion and a spoon of mayo and plain yoghurt with lots of chopped fresh parsley and/or chives. Serve with ham or on baked potatoes, how ever you’d normally eat your coleslaw.
Sandwiches – one of our favourite sandwiches is fresh spinach topped with garlicky hummus – homemade or shop bought – with some slow cooked red onions and peppers and a pinch or two of dukkah, that fantastically flavourful combination of sesame, oregano, nuts and spices. Or how about egg mayo with added watercress,; cold roast chicken or beef with peppery rocket and thinly sliced tomatoes; cold cooked salmon or some smoked salmon with watercress and cream cheese – it’s a classic for a reason.
Eggs – if you are scrambling some eggs, wilt in some baby leaves – chard or watercress or spinach – at the half way stage; a good handful that cooks with the eggs in the time remaining. Also if you’re making an omelette, how about a mushroom one and stir in some greens to wilt through the cooking mushrooms before adding them to the omelette. Or poached eggs served on sautéed spinach covered with a cheese sauce on top and flashed under a hot grill – another classic of eggs Florentine.
Written by David & Holly Jones
mannafromdevon.com Tel.01803 752943
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