While you may usually eat leafy greens raw in a salad, cooking leafy greens actually helps to make them more palatable as well as release beneficial phytochemicals. Try this delicious and healthy dish courtesy of Terri Taylor, registered dietitian at HonorHealth Cancer Care.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Swiss Chard stemmed and washed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- One large onion, chopped
- Three garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- Salt to taste
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes (or 28-oz BPA free can chopped tomatoes with juice, low sodium)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh fennel or dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, diluted in 1/2 cup water
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Steam the greens in a large steamer for two minutes. Rinse and squeeze dry.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook until the onion is tender and beginning to color (about five to eight minutes).
- Stir in the garlic, paprika and cayenne.
- Add the tomatoes and salt to taste.
- Bring to a simmer and continue to cook until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly (about 10 minutes).
- Add the greens, mint, fennel and tomato paste. Cover and simmer until the greens are very tender (about 20 minutes).
- Add pepper to taste.
Serving suggestion: Serve with brown rice, bulgur or whole grain bread.
Yield: Five servings
Approximate nutritional breakdown per serving: 131 calories, 5 grams protein, 6 grams, fat 18 grams total carbohydrates, 7 grams dietary fiber, 401 milligrams sodium