15-Minute All-Greens Soup

Serves: 4

¼ cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 zucchini, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
½ bunch loosely-packed kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup loosely-packed fresh parsley or basil
About 2 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth or water (NOTE: Add more or less liquid to reach your desired consistency.)
Salt and pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the zucchini, celery and snow peas until fork-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Dunk into the prepared ice water bowl; drain and pat dry. Blanch the kale, spinach and parsley until bright green, about 45 seconds; drain and pat dry, then squeeze out any extra liquid. Place the onion mixture and half of the blanched vegetables and parsley in a blender; process until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Return to the pot, stir in the broth, remaining vegetables and season to taste with salt and pepper; cook over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Author's comments:
When I make this soup, I use whatever green vegetables and herbs I have in my fridge’s vegetable drawer. I’ve used kale, asparagus, green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, spinach, zucchini, celery, basil, parsley, cilantro. The list goes on and on, really. Please improvise with this recipe. The only ingredient you’ll need to adjust is the broth. Just add enough liquid until you reach your desired consistency. If I have any leftovers and I’m feeling decadent, I’ll melt in some shredded cheddar in the last few minutes of cooking.

But the beauty of blanching goes beyond the superficial. Blanching only takes a few minutes at most and will actually save you time in the long run. After blanching, all you need to do is blend the vegetables with a few more ingredients  and cook the soup on the stovetop just until heated through.
So what is blanching exactly? All it means is that you’re going to bring a large pot of water to a boil, add vegetables and cook until bright green and fork-tender, then you’ll dunk them into a big bowl of ice water and drain.
from Silvana's Kitchen 
http://www.silvanaskitchen.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-greens-soup/ 

Kale Salad - Love it!

1 or more bunches of kale (for a party, 2-3 large bunches is good)
Olive oil
Fresh lemon juice from at least 1/2 a lemon (or bottled)
salt & freshly ground pepper
Chopped nuts (1/4 to 1 c.)
Dried cranberries and raisins (or either one)  (1/4 to 1 c.)
Gorgonzola cheese (1/4 to 1 c.) (or blue cheese, or cheddar in a pinch)
Aim to have enough cheese, nuts, and dried fruit to be part of most bites of the salad

1) Quick Kale Prep (5 min.)
Wash enough kale to over-fill your salad bowl.
Strip the leaves off the stems by holding the stem in one hand, and using the fingers and thumb of your other hand, slide your second hand "up" the kale stem to pull off the leaf.
Wash by putting in a large bowl of water, swishing around, and lifting out.
If it's still sandy, repeat.
Spin dry or wrap in dishtowel to remove most of the water on the leaves.
Stack several leaves of kale on top of each other and cut both lengthwise and crosswise to make confetti-size pieces. (about 1/2" square).
Put into your salad bowl (they'll take up much less room now.

2) Massage the Kale (1 min.)
Sprinkle on olive oil and massage it into the kale with your hands.
As you do, the kale will "wilt" a bit and soften up - a good thing!

3) Complete the Dressing (1 min.):
Sprinkle on lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper.
Toss it with the kale, or massage it all together one more time

4) Add in the Special Toppings (2 min):
Crumbled gorgonzola cheese (you can choose another cheese if you prefer).
Mixed dried cranberries & raisins (or some other dried fruit)
Chopped walnuts (or pistachios or some other nuts)

5) Toss it all together (1 min)
Serve (or chill for later)
   and get ready for the ooohs and aahhs!

Even those who insist they "hate" kale, are taken by surprise and love this salad!

And it's so very easy to make. After you assemble your ingredients, you can make this in just 10 min.
Submitted by Patti Andrews

Creamy Pesto Dressing

Makes about 1 ½ cups; use ½ of the recipe for a 10” zucchini pizza

Grind until fine in a blender: 1/4 c raw walnuts or pine nuts
Add to the nuts and blend until smooth:
1 c. fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 small clove of garlic
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4-3/8 c. water

submitted by Patti Andrews; from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen and Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners by Amadea Morningstar

Morrocan Orange-Walnut Salad

Serves 4-6 (Note: this takes some time to prep., but it is delicious!)

6 Large Oranges
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 Tbs. honey (optional)
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. cinnamon salt to taste

1 lb. mixed salad greens, cleaned dried and chilled
½ cup thinly sliced red onion

freshly ground black pepper
1 cup toasted walnut halves,
  (or chopped toasted walnuts)

At least one hour ahead: Peel and section the oranges using a serrated knife. First cut off the polar ends of the peel, then slice the peel off the sides. Cut in one side of the membrane and out the other using a gentle sawing motion, releasing each orange section into a bowl. Squeeze all excess juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl, and pick out the seeds if necessary. Discard the membrane. Drizzle honey if desired, and sprinkle cinnamon over the orange slices. Cover the bowl and let it stand at room temp. at least one hour.

Shortly before serving, toss the greens in a large bowl with the onion, radishes and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the oranges with all their liquid, and toss well. Served topped with walnuts.

Submitted by Cheryl Rowell, from Mollie Katzen’s The Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Arugula Salad

7 cups trimmed arugula (about 5 ounces)

Dressing:
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Topping:
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation:
Place arugula in a large bowl. Combine shallots, lemon juice, olive oil, 1 tablespoon water, kosher salt, and black pepper; stir with a whisk. Pour over arugula; toss. Sprinkle with cheese.

Jena says: "This is great with farm fresh arugula!!"

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 38 (76% from fat), Fat: 3.2g (sat 0.8g,mono 2g,poly 0.3g), Protein: 1.5g,
Carbohydrate: 1.3g, Fiber: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 102mg, Calcium: 57mg

submitted by Jena Bulger from Cooking Light (9/08 issue)

About... Asian Greens

Many of us know and love Arugula, which is one of several Asian greens to pick and use raw in salads or cooked. Asian greens can be surprisingly sweet and tender, especially when small, or have more of a spicky "kick" when larger.  They are great to add to any salad. Lightly stir-fried, or added to any recipe, these greens add a rich array of vitamins and minerals, as deep-color veggies always do. These can be used in any recipe for other cooked greens.

Maggie's favorite is just to wash, chop, add salad dressing, and eat! 

Spicy (or not) Asian Greens with Tofu in 5 minutes!
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp oil (Peanut, canola, grapeseed, or any clear, mostly-flavourless oil with a high smoke point)
4 cloves garlic, moderately finely chopped
1 tsp chilli paste, or fresh chilli chopped (optional)
1 bunch Asian greens, washed and chopped into 2" bite-sized lengths (especially "Water spinach" or kangkung, Chinese broccoli or gai lan, choy sum; or any any sturdy western green in the brassica family, such as broccolini, rapini, tat soi or kale; but maybe not bok choi or other "heart style" cabbages)
Tofu, about 3-4 squares (about 2" square and just under 1" tall) of firm (or the non-sponge fried) tofu to go with one bunch of greens, sliced in thin 1/4" slices
Chinese light soy sauce or Japanese tamari

Heat the oil in a wok or stir-fry pan. Add the chilli and garlic and stir-fry vigorously until the garlic starts to soften, but not brown. Add the tofu and stir-fry another minute or two. You only need to heat it through and get it coated in the oil/garlic/chilli. Add the greens and a shake of soy sauce and stir-fry until the greens are wilted/cooked. Timing for this will vary depending on the sturdiness of the greens. Serve over rice. Total cooking time: 5 minutes, for the actual stir-frying. The prep work can be done while the rice is cooking. Serves: 2-4

Source: The Oeconomist http://oeconomist.infotrope.net/

Sauteed Radishes with Radish Greens or Arugula

Serves 2

Radish greens and Arugula both have a peppery bitterness that mellows slightly when they are cooked. The succulence of sautéed whole radishes will make you wonder why we don’t cook these feisty little roots more often. You can use either radish greens or arugula, or both, for this recipe.

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound radishes
2 cups radish greens or arugula
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the radishes; cook, stirring constantly, until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes depending on size. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Return skillet to the stove.

Put the greens in the skillet with the wash water still clinging to the leaves. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until wilting, 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and radishes to the skillet; stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

From Farmer John’s Cookbook

Turnip Greens

Serves 4

1/2 lb fresh turnip greens (or other braising greens)
4 cups water
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small yellow onion, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the greens and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess water, and set aside. Put the bacon and onion in a large skillet. Stirring constantly, cook over medium-low heat until the onion turns translucent and the bacon is slightly crisp, about 6 minutes. Add the greens. Still stirring, cook for about 5 minutes more or until tender and wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.

From One United Harvest

Cannellini Beans & Wilted Greens

Serves 6 to 8

2 cups dried cannellini beans
Bouquet garni: celery, thyme, parsley, bay leaf
1 onion
1 carrot
6 cups water or chicken stock
Salt and pepper
1 large bunch turnip greens, mustard greens, chard or kale
6 cloves garlic
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil

Soak the beans overnight. The next day drain them and put them into a heavy-bottomed pot with the bouquet garni. Add the onion and carrot, peeled. Cover with water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. Cook the beans until very tender, from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the age of the beans and how long they were soaked. Salt the beans generously once they start to soften. When fully cooked, remove from the heat.

While the beans are cooking, trim and chop the greens.

Finely chop the garlic cloves and gently sauté them in the olive oil with the rosemary, about 1 minute. Add the beans and about 1 cup of their cooking liquid, and simmer about 5 minutes, until some of the beans have crumbled apart. Add the greens to the beans, and stew together, uncovered, until the greens are wilted and tender. Add more of the bean liquid, if needed, to keep the vegetables moist and a little soupy. Taste for seasoning and grind in some pepper. Serve with extra-virgin olive oil drizzled over the surface.

This makes an excellent side dish with roasted or grilled poultry.
It is also a fine sauce for a sturdy pasta, like penne. When the beans are tender, roughly mash about half of them, to thicken the sauce, and then stir in the cooked pasta. Add a little more bean liquid if the mixture is too thick.

From Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Garlic Potatoes with Greens

Makes 6 servings

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
2 tsp salt
1 large bunch collard greens, kale, or turnip greens, stems removed, rinsed and coarsely chopped
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan or stockpot, and just cover with water. Add the salt, stir, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil the potatoes gently, partially covered, until they are nearly tender but still firm in the center, about 12 minutes. Add the greens, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have cooked down and turned dark green, about 15 minutes. The potatoes will be thoroughly cooked and a bit soft at the edges.

While the potatoes and greens are cooking, place the oil and the garlic in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook until the garlic turns a very pale gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the hot pepper flakes, and set aside.

When the potatoes and greens are cooked, transfer them to a warmed serving bowl, with any remaining cooking liquid, and either pour the garlic mixture over all, or serve it on the side.

From The Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Garlicky Greens

(with Collard Greens or Kale)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds collard greens (or other greens) steamed until tender
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 large cloves)
salt and black pepper, to taste
hot pepper sauce

Drain greens well. In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook garlic in the oil until it just begins to brown. Add the drained greens. Season to taste with salt and pepper then add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

Morrocan Orange-Walnut Salad

Serves 4-6 (Note: this takes some time to prep., but it is delicious!)

6 Large Oranges
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 Tbs. honey (optional)

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 lb. mixed salad greens, cleaned dried and chilled
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black peppe

1 cup toasted walnut halves, (or chopped toasted walnuts)


At least one hour ahead:
Peel and section the oranges using a serrated knife. First cut off the polar ends of the peel, then slice the peel off the sides. Cut in one side of the membrane and out the other using a gentle sawing motion, releasing each orange section into a bowl. Squeeze all excess juice from the remaining membrane into the bowl, and pick out the seeds if necessary. Discard the membrane. Drizzle honey if desired, and sprinkle cinnamon over the orange slices. Cover the bowl and let it stand @ room temp. at least one hour.

Shortly before serving:
Toss the greens in a large bowl with the onion, radishes and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the oranges with all their liquid, and toss well. Served topped with walnuts.

Submitted by Cheryl Rowell, from Mollie Katzen’s The Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Carolina Kale

submitted by Margery Prazar; from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
Serves 4 to 6

1 ½ lbs. kale, collards, chard, beet greens, or mustard greens
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes and their juice
1 cup minced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tsp. Tabasco
1/2 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste

Wash the greens. Remove the large stems and any discolored leaves. Stack the leaves and slice them crosswise in 1/8 inch strips.

Combine the tomatoes, onions, cumin, garlic, tabasco, and salt in a saucepan, cover, and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the greens, cover, and gently simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the greens are tender. Add pepper to taste and serve.

Serve separately as a side dish, or put over brown rice.

Greens & Tofu

1-1/4 c firm silken tofu, cut into 1" cubes
oil (as needed)
dark leafy greens, such as chard, kale or beet greens, or spinach torn into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp sesame salt (gomasio) or toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbl tamari
3 c cooked brown rice

Oil a large frying pan or wok. Sauté tofu cubes about 5 min. Push the cubes to the center of pan and spread torn greens around edges. Sprinkle the tofu with sesame salt of seeds and 1 Tbl of the tamari. Cover pan to steam the greens until it is just wilted. Be careful not to overcook
it. Remove from heat and drain excess liquid. Sprinkle the remaining Tbl of tamari over greens and serve with rice.

Patti’s Notes:
This is a very fast recipe, and can be done and ready to serve in the time it takes to cook the rice, plain sesame seeds work fine, varying quantities work fine. If the greens are large or a bit tough, it helps to be sure they are chopped into small pieces and that they are sautéed until tender. We just put the sesame seeds in without bothering to roast -- and we've always used kale (I am only noticing now that we could use just about any green or even broccoli and it will still be yummy.)

submitted by Patti Andrews From: Ecological Cooking by Joanne Stepaniak & Kathy Hecker

10 Minute Light Vegetable Soup for Two

Just double this recipe for 4

Place 1 Tbl ghee (clarified butter), or olive or sunflower oil in good-sized stir fry pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 or more sliced garlic cloves for a couple of minutes to soften and release
the flavor. Add progressively to the stir fry pan, stirring each to coat with oil and soften:

2 good-sized scallions (or 4-5 tiny ones), chopped fine, including the green parts;
1 smaller broccoli stalk, with all the stem parts sliced into dime-sized pieces and the remaining flower tops cut small as well.
1 smaller zucchini or yellow squash and cut into quarter-sized pieces.
1 handful of beet greens (or other greens such as chard or kale) also cut into small pieces.

Once everything has softened and the aroma of the food is filling the air, add:
1 quart of boiling water
1 vegetable bouillon cube (Marigold Organic Swiss is excellent, or a homemade one to control ingredients)

Stir to mix thoroughly, turn off heat and serve with a hearty bread and summer salad.

Notes: This cooks up in 5 - 10 minutes max, as long as one is set up to wash and chop vegetables quickly into finer-sized bites. We really like these flavors together, though other vegetables might appeal. We sometimes use a homemade broth by saving the cooking waters of other vegetables, popping each in the freezer in small quantities, and then heating these "vegetable broth pucks" up while preparing the rest of the stir fry. We also sometimes begin with some Indian spices in the olive oil and grated ginger instead of garlic or vegetable bouillon.

submitted by Patti Andrews