Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Lots of Leafies



You know I love my greens, but when it comes to leafy veggies, like with anything else, a bit of diversification is a good thing. Above are some juice veggies that were inspired by something I saw recently from Kris Carr-- I believe hers was called "Cabbage Rose". I'm pretty sure it was not exactly this collection, but the purple cabbage instead of greens was the start of the inspiration, and I went from there. In this batch was: 1/4 purple cabbage, a whole fennel bulb with stalks and fronds, two gala apples, a big cuke, and lots of raw ginger. This batch really packed a powerful flavor punch, which I liked, but others may want to reduce the fennel and/or ginger quantities. That was before. Here's after:

 Look at that color! Isn't it "mauvelous"? This was very yum.


From the rest of the cabbage, I made some cole slaw for fish tacos I served the family the other night. The slaw was easy -- sliced thinly, the cabbage was mixed with the juice of half a lime, 2 tablespoons of veganaise, a pinch of salt and green onion. A meal like tacos is perfect for my mixed family of carnivores, a vegetarian and a vegan. Other toppings I featured besides the slaw and the fish were sour cream - dairy and not, dairy cheese, garlicky collards and chick peas, black beans and salsa. Wynne had bean tacos with cheese and salsa, and I had bean, collards-n-chick peas, slaw and salsa tacos. The guys had whatever it was they wanted. I didn't pay attention, but nothing got wasted.

The next day, the slaw tasted even better. It was a great snack on some delicious multigrain sourdough bread spread with earth balance -- mmmm.


Before I close this "diverse leafy veg" post, I want to share my favorite prepackaged salad:


Normally I prefer to get whole veggies and wash and prepare them myself, but this is great for those busy moments where not having it on hand would make our food choices less wholesome. Organic Girl Super Greens is so much better than any other mixed prepackaged salad, in my opinion. They had me at "our most nutritious salad". Seriously -- this combination, of red and green swiss chard, tat soi, arugula and spinach, is so flavorful I eat it with no dressing. Give it a try if you haven't yet. I'd show you the greens, themselves, but, ummm, I already ate them. Here's my little trick for keeping these boxed salads fresh -- after the box is opened, lay a paper towel across the top of the greens before replacing the lid and putting it back in the fridge. The towel soaks up and holds excess moisture so the greens remain perfectly dry but the air within the box is moist enough to keep the veggies fresher longer. You may have already figured this out as well.

Leafy veggies of any color rock!

6 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for your recipes! I especially love the juices, recently got a juicer in the house. Made the veggie juice "Cabbage Rose" it was very good, I reduced the fennel, not a fan.

    Thanks again!

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  2. Thanks Beckyface! I'm glad you tried it and made it to taste right for YOU.

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  3. Hi Cheryl
    fantastic blog! I read your vegan story, it was great.
    Ive been vegan since april 2011, for ethical reasons. I have a friend with MS who wont listen to a thing i say about her diet :(
    ah well. we reap what we sow.
    Laura
    Visit genesis129 farm animal sanctuary

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  4. Love those colors! "Mauvelous!" You are the BEST!

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  5. Hi Laura -- Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad about your concern for your friend. From my own experience I know that a chronic illness diagnosis can be overwhelming. Living with it is a process. Be patient with your friend. If you let her be, I bet the seeds you've sown may germinate. But it has to be her decision. When I was newly diagnosed, I spent some time feeling sorry for myself. When I was in that space, giving up "favorite" foods would have felt like more of a punishment. My own lifestyle change wouldn't have worked out any earlier. I had to grow up enough to be open to it.

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