Spinach, kale, rapini: new greens for the new year

Start the new year off right with a healthy diet. Eating vegetables can be a challenge and adding them into your daily diet can be difficult. Below are a few recipes and products to help you get your share of greens.

One of the most beneficial groups of greens you can add to your new year’s diet is dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale and rapini.

What is Kale?

Baked kale. Photo courtesy of Flickr Images

Kale cabbage-like vegetable with an earthy flavour. It is high in vitamin K, C, lutein, calcium and carotene and is categorized as a low-glycemic food which aids in weight loss. Kale is also known to reduce the occurrence of certain cancers.

What is Rapini?

Fresh rapini. Photo courtesy of Flickr Images

Also known as Broccoli Rabe, Rapini is a great source of calcium, potassium, iron and vitamins A, C and K. This vegetable has a distinct nutty flavour. The leaves have a slightly jagged edges.

What is Spinach?

Spinach salad. Photo courtesy of Flickr Images

Spinach is a leafy vegetable high in antioxidants and is high in lutein, magnesium, iron, folic acid, vitamins C, E and K.

The benefits of dark, leafy greens

Not only are these vegetables a great source of fibre and low in fat, but they are abundant in:

Folate: aids in production of new cells (especially during infancy and pregnancy), reduces certain birth defects, prevents anemia.

Vitamin A: which helps cells reproduce normally and maintain healthy vision.

Vitamin C: helps to ward off the common cold, the flu, high cholesterol, stress, asthma and many other ailments.

Vitamin K: helps to protect your bones, aids blood clotting.

Image courtesy of Cookin' Greens

Easily introduce a few new greens into your daily cooking with Cookin’ Greens. These dark, leafy greens are prewashed, chopped and quick-frozen to maintain all the nutritional benefits. Cookin’ Greens can easily be incorporated into virtually any dish from the typical sloppy joes and cheesy pastas to rapini and feta quiches and spinach and kale cheddar biscuits.

Image courtesy of Cookin' Greens

If you decide to try your hand with fresh greens, try a delicious cranberry spinach salad or whip up a batch of crispy kale chips. For a tradional appetizer try this great recipe for Spinach dip.

Ingredients

2 eggs
Pinch each salt and pepper
½ cups (120 mL) prepared/sautéed Everyday Cookin' Greens
(Kale, Rapini, Designer's Mix or Athlete's Mix)
*1 tbsp julienned sundried tomatoes in oil (optional)
2 tbsp (30 mL) shredded Cheddar Cheese
(You can also use Mozzarella, Monterey Jack,
Swiss, Feta or other favourite cheese)
1 large whole wheat tortilla
1 tbsp (15 mL) salsa

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk eggs with salt and pepper.

In a medium non-stick pan heat ½ cup (120 ml) prepared Everyday Cookin' Greens recipe as per the back of the package or recipe provided.

When the greens are almost heated through, make a well in the centre of the pan and add whisked eggs; move the eggs around with a spatula until almost cooked, (3-4 minutes) (*you can add 1 tbsp julienned sundried tomatoes in oil at this point -optional)

Mix the eggs together gently with sautéed greens until they are completely cooked but not dried out. Remove pan from the heat.

Place wrap on the counter and fill the centre with the egg/greens mixture leaving a 1-inch space around
the outside to prevent the filling from falling during the rolling process. Top egg/greens mixture with 2 tbsp (30 mL) shredded cheese.

Fold in the sides then roll the tortilla carefully over the filling making sure that everything is securely inside.

Enjoy with your favourite salsa on the side.

For more ideas on how to cook your greens, visit the Cookin' Greens' website.