EAT YOUR GREENS

by Renee Porter Sullivan, CHt

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Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large pot.  Stainless Steel is best in this case. If you have a smaller size pot, cook the greens in two batches
2. Wash the greens well.  Run your fingers down the leaves and stems to make certain there is no sand left on the greens.  It only takes a little remaining sand to ruin some really great food.
3. Hold on to the bottom of the stem firmly and run your circled fingers backward down the stem to remove the tough stem from the leaves of the greens.  If you would be more comfortable trimming the stem away with a knife, that works too.
4. Tear the leaves into large pieces. The leaves can be cooked whole and cut later as well.  Either way will work fine.
5. Immerse the  greens in boiling water. Boil uncovered over medium-high heat. The greens will cook in 3-7 minutes.  Chard and Spinach take less time to cook than Collards or other more hardy greens, stir the greens and continue cooking until tender and vibrant green.
6. When the greens are done, remove them from the pot and plunge them in ice water to stop the cooking.
7. Toss with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. This is my favorite way to have greens.  Plain and simple.  Bursting with vitamins and fiber.  Or, experiment with your favorite gluten-free dressing combination.
8. Refrigerate the left overs in glass or stainless steel.  Use within 3 Days.

Variations:

You can use these green leaves whole for Gluten Free Roll-ups. Collards work really well for this because of their size and strength. Cook the leaves whole without removing the stems.  Just cut off the tough bottom section. Omit the dressing and place 2-3 tablespoons chicken, tuna or egg salad, a meat ball, or sliced steak on each leaf.  Fold in the sides, roll up the Package, secure with a toothpick.  Chill if desired and serve.  Be creative and add colorful blanched vegetables to the mix like red bell peppers, or sun dried tomatoes, onions, anything at all.  These rolls can even be sliced and served for snacks.