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Sautéed Leafy Greens

Ditch the green food dye and add some festive color to your table the natural way with a leafy green side dish. This simple sauté is perfect for everyone from the accomplished culinarian to the kitchen-illiterate. It calls for just 5 ingredients, but packs plenty of flavor and phytochemicals. Beta-carotene is a particularly powerful antioxidant found in dark leafy greens. Foods containing carotenoids may help protect against cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and stomach.

Ingredients:

1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 medium onion chopped
1/2 lb. leafy greens (kale, chard, or collard greens)
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste

(As always, for the very healthiest versions of any recipe choose organic content as much as possible.)

Instructions:

1. Chop the garlic and onions, and then set aside – research shows that allowing garlic to stand for 10-15 minutes before cooking can help retain its health-beneficial enzymes.
2. With a knife, remove and discard very tough or damaged end portions of the greens – keep the majority of the stems attached. 3. "Core" the center portion of the greens, then chop the leaf cores and stems into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Roll the leaves into a tube shape, about 3 at a time, and cut lengthwise to create thin 1" ribbons.
4. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, black pepper, and green stems and cores. Heat, covered, for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent. Add the leaves and cook, covered, another 3-5 minutes until stems are tender and leaves are wilted and brightly colored. Add a tablespoon of water to the pan if it seems like the leaves are getting too dry.
5. Add sea salt to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 65 calories, 4 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 1.5 g dietary fiber, 25 mg sodium.

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