Delicious and Healthy Spiced Greens

I am always looking for dishes that use healthy ingredients without adding excess fat, salt, and sugar to make them delicious.  It amazes me that some people make a good choice like a salad bar, but then proceed to add a bunch of mayo based toppings, cheese, dried fruit, and then drown it with chemical laden dressing.  Generally, you would be better off, calorie-wise with a burger.  Admittedly, healthy pickin’s are often slim on a salad bar and restaurants often overdress their salads with many unhealthy things.   But you can ask them to only put veggies, fresh fruit, and lean protein on your salad with dressing on the side.  If they will not accommodate this, move on.   It means that your salad is premade and probably will not taste great anyway.

Cooked greens such as kale, spinach, dandelion, watercress, collard, beet and mustard are most often cooked southern style with ham hocks or bacon….sort of negates the health benefits of the actual greens.  However, if you have ever tasted plain steamed greens, you know they are nothing to get excited about.  It’s always such a balancing act to make food that’s good for you taste great without loads of sugar, salt and fat.   The most obvious solution is to add flavor in another way.  This recipe is well spiced, but not spicy.  It relies on a few Indian spices and cooking techniques to transform a ton of vitamins and minerals into a really simple and delicious side dish to serve with grilled proteins.

Indian Spiced Greens

Ingredients:

• 1 TBL. canola oil
• 3 TBL onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 TBL. ginger, chopped fine
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ C. water
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 8 oz. of assorted greens, such as kale, collard, beet and mustard

The Ingredient Set-Up

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium heat and add the onions.
2. Cook until the onions are translucent
3. Add the ginger and cook, stirring for one minute.
4. Add the garlic, salt, turmeric and paprika and cook, stirring for another minute.
   

   The Aromatics and Spices

5. Add the tomatoes and water, turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
6. Add the greens, cover and turn down the heat to medium low.
   

   Adding Assorted Greens

7. Cook for about five minutes until the greens are wilted.
   

   Spicy Healthy Greens With an Indian Flair

8. Serve immediately.