If you’re not big on greens, give this one a try! It’s sure to please!

 

“EAT YOUR GREENS!”

 

I remember many evenings as a youngster hearing these words at the dinner table each night. What was the big deal with greens anyway? In my worldly 5-year-old opinion, greens were “yucky” and not fit for human consumption. Greens were rabbit food! Period.

Fast forward a few years, and greens are now a favorite of mine, but I know that’s not true of everyone. Mostly because of the way we prepare them – overcooked, mushy, and tasteless.

The human body craves greens – even though you may not. They are rich in the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, our bodies need to keep us running well.

Spinach is rich in folate used to manufacture of our blood cells and our DNA.

It is also rich in vitamin K, the vitamin that makes sure calcium gets deposited in your bones rather than building up in your arteries!

And, to top it all off,  it’s an excellent detoxing food. Enough reasons to include it in your menu plan?

In this recipe, a quick sauté over medium heat, keeps the vitamins from leaching away, as they would in a steamer or microwave. And with a hint of garlic, creamy butter, and a pinch of lemon, this is a recipe for any green-phobic, picky eaters.

 

Ingredients: 

  • 1.5 pounds spinach leaves
  • 1-2  tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter or ghee
  • 1-2 garlic cloves smashed and chopped (do this ahead to give the garlic about 10 minutes to sit before cooking. This will keep the active ingredient, allicin, activated during the cooking.
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon

 

 Directions:

  1.  Wash and spin the spinach dry
  2. Heat the oil and saute the garlic over medium heat
  3. Add spinach, a little salt and pepper, and toss with the garlic to mix lightly (you may think you have way too much spinach but just give it a minute over the heat and it reduces to a wonderful small heap.)
  4. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes
  5. Uncover, turn the heat up to med-high, stir lightly with a wooden spoon, and continue to cook for about a minute until the spinach is wilted but not overcooked. You do not want mushy spinach!
  6. Place in a warmed serving bowl. Top with a little slab of butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper….

 

Give it try and let me know how it went over with your picky eaters!! ♥

 

 

 

Have questions? Want to learn more about how to live young, drop me a note at elaine@elainepauly.com