Healthy Vegetable Recipes & Side Dishes

Sweet & Spicy Kale

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 small bunch of seriously fresh organic kale*, trimmed (to remove stem ends) and cut into large pieces
1/4 teaspoon pure sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce**
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Toasted sesame oil

Preparation: 
Heat large saute pan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic and cook until golden. Spray entire pan with olive oil spray and add kale and salt, stir to combine. Turn heat to medium low and cook for about 5-7 minutes. If you like your kale with a little "chew" to it, give it a taste after 5 minutes to determine your desired texture. Clear space in the center of pan and add Sriracha and honey, then stir to combine. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Serving size: 2 (always surprised at just how much kale cooks down, even though we are big eaters, a small bunch is still just enough for two.) 
* Really fresh kale brings it own moisture to the dish, so if your kale isn't fresh picked within a day or so, you'll want to add additional liquid. Add a few splashes of broth after adding kale and before the Sriracha/honey, just enough to steam the greens and keep them from burning. And increase your cooking time to 10-15 minutes. The same goes if you're using a medium to large bunch of kale.
** Srirachas' heat can vary wildly by brand. If you're using Huy Fong Sriracha you might half it. 
Sweet & Spicy Chard Recipe Variation:
Substitute one large bunch of organic chard. Increase oil to 2 teaspoons and swirl in pan to cover. Proceed as above reducing heat to low and cooking time to 4-6 minutes.

Mustard-dressed (Steamed) Collard Greens

Ingredients
1 large bunch of fresh organic collard greens (mustard greens work great too)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic or juice only from jarred garlic*
1 teaspoon honey
Hot pepper vinegar or sauce (optional)

Preparation
Wash and drain greens.
Place a steamer basket above an inch of water in a large stockpot. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to a low boil.
Cut and discard just the very ends of stems. Then tear collard leaves away from center stems. Cut the stems into half-inch pieces. Add stem pieces to steamer basket for approximately 4 minutes.
Tear remaining collard leaves into 1 inch pieces and toss with salt and pepper. Add leaves to steamer basket and cook with stems until just tender, approximately 4-6 minutes.
Combine olive oil, dijon, vinegar and honey in a large mixing boil. Remove greens from steamer, add to mixing bowl and toss with dressing. 
* Using just the juice from jarred garlic in dressings and other raw dishes often gives just the right flavor without overpowering.
Recipe Variation:
Combine with rice and black-eyed peas for a kicked up version of Hoppin' John.

Cinnamon Black Beans

Ingredients
Olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2/3 cups chopped organic carrots
1 small organic jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon  cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 15 oz. can of organic black beans, undrained
1/4 cup beer (can substitute broth but a good beer really complements the flavors)
1/2 teaspoon of honey

Preparation:
Heat saucepan over medium-high heat. A generous drizzle of olive oil. Add onions and cook 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add carrots, jalapeno and garlic and cook 2 minutes stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, salt and beans and cook 3 minutes.
Deglaze pan with beer/broth. Stir in honey and bring to gentle boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 5-7 minutes.

"Refried" Beans

Ingredients
1 recipe of Cinnamon Black Beans

Preparation
Keep beans warm until ready to use or serve. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree beans until desired texture and serve immediately. (Note: Try experimenting with the the amounts of liquid added to get the right consistency. Sometimes we'll drain and rinse the beans and add enough beer to get it right for pureeing.)

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