Last
week I learned about a new cookbook from of all places…Fox News. Don’t be
mistaken. I am not NOT a follower of anything Fox. However, a friend
posted an article about veganism they published (I’ll spare you the trouble, it
wasn’t all that flattering of an article, although considering the source it
wasn’t terrible either) and Nava Atlas, the vegan cookbook author
extraordinaire, was featured in it.
At the bottom, it mentioned she had a new book out called Wild
About Greens: 125 Delectable Vegan Recipes for Kale, Collards, Arugula, Bok
Choy, and other Leafy Veggies Everyone Loves. I messaged a close friend asking if they had
heard of it and a week later that very special friend gave me the book as a
birthday present. I can assure you all that this is one present that will be
getting a lot of use!
Having
now read Wild About Greens from cover
to cover I can say this is easily one of my favorite cookbooks. The first 25
pages gives short “biographical” sketches about each of the main greens
featured throughout the book. Here you will find blurbs about taste and texture
for common household named greens like spinach and kale as well as a few more
rare treats such as escarole and dandelion greens. Nava Atlas also included a
quick recipe finder in this section to spare the reader from having to search
aimlessly in the index for recipes for specific greens. (Note: I’m not actually
so sure how much more helpful this is then the index, but it’s a nice touch).
Unlike other cookbooks I have, Atlas chose to only use relatively easy to find
greens (all the greens in this book are commonly found in grocery stores,
health stores, and CSA’s) in her recipes, this is a particularly appealing
aspect of the book.
After
this introduction to the greens, come her amazing recipes. If you are familiar
with her other work, all of the recipes in this book sound as amazing as her
more classic ones. The book is broken down into Basic Preparations; Greens with
Beans, Grains, Pasta & Other Vegetables; Salads, Dressings & Dips;
Greens in Soups & Stews; and concludes with a short section on Green Juices
& Smoothies.
The
book is well written and the directions are easy to follow. So far I’ve made a
few recipes all of which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, but down below I decided to
share my favorite!
There
are two negatives in this otherwise excellent book. My first compliant is that the
book was published in China. This just seems completely unnecessary with so
many US printers. My second compliant is the lack of photos of the prepared
food. Often times, I flip through a cookbook without reading a single word but
instead just glance for the pictures that look appealing. This book, however,
only offers 8 high definition photos found in the middle of the book. Still if
you are looking to increase your intake of veggies, particularly of
nutrient-dense greens, this is a must have cookbook!
Here
is a remarkable recipe, which I altered just slightly. It is high in protein as
well as vitamins and minerals. While I enjoyed it immensely in 90+ degree heat
of the summer, I think it would really go-over well in the autumn and winter
seasons.
Curried Sweet Potatoes with Chard
& Chickpeas (4 servings)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into chunks
1 16-20 oz can of chickpeas (I used 2/3 cup of
dried chickpeas which I cooked ahead of time)
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 scallions (I used green onion)
8 to 12 oz of chard (I used collards)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup raisins
cilantro or parsley and salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the garlic over low heat until
golden. Then add the sweet potato with 1½ cups of water. Bring the mixture to a
simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes until they are tender. (I think if you
prebake the sweet potatoes you can skip this step and save about 12 minutes of
cooking time).
After
most of the water has been cooked off and the sweet potatoes are tender, add
the chickpeas, tomatoes, scallions, curry powder, ginger, and cumin and bring
the mixture to a simmer again; cook over low heat for 10 minutes or so until
the tomatoes have been reduced to a sauce and the flavors have mingled.
Meanwhile,
strip or cut the chard leaves (collards) away from their stems. Slice the
leaves into strips.
Add
the greens to the skillet and cook briefly, just until the greens begin to
wilt. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and optional
raisins. I highly recommend the raisins. The sweet and spicy combination made
this dish phenomenal!
(yes, I consider this a single portion)
Now
besides swapping chard for collards, I also added freshly crushed red pepper
seeds to the mixture as well as ½ cup cooked buckwheat that I had left over.
While the dish certainly doesn’t need it, I couldn’t imagine making this again
in the future without it! Finally I served the entire dish over fresh spinach
adding just a little extra something special.
enjoy
Mad my parents this (non vegans) and they loved it! Then we watched Forks Over Knives and they're trying to cut down on meat!
ReplyDeletehey kat,
ReplyDeletethat is absolutely awesome! I actually just spent the weekend with the Forks Over Knives group (Dr. Cambell, Dr. Esselstyn, Rip ect). The evidence is overwhelming. Stop the Meat and Dairy and greatly reduce and restrict oil and sodium and the body will begin remaking itself.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
making this for some non-vegan friends this weekend. Looks great!
ReplyDelete