Leafy Greens

Healthy eating has never been easier! You probably know that vitamin-and-mineral-rich greens, such as kale, collards and spinach, offer a week's worth of nutrients in one single serving. However, you might have trouble actually getting them on the dinner table. Many people have little experience with these gold mines.

Here are some easy side dishes to get you started.

COLCANNON (Irish mashed potatoes and kale-serves 4)
Cut 3-4 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes into 2-inch chunks. Cook potato chunks with 6 minced garlic cloves in a large saucepan of lightly salted water until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Wash and dry 8 oz kale (8 cups) and trim away tough stems. Cook remaining kale in lightly salted boiling water until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Drain and press out liquid.
Mash cooked potatoes with a potato masher. Heat 1/2 cup 1% milk with 1 tbsp. olive oil in microwave until steaming and stir into potato mixture. Stir in kale. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

QUICK CREAMED SPINACH (serves 2)
Mix 1/2 cup 1% milk and 2 tsp flour with a fork in measuring cup and set aside. Buy 5 oz. (8 cups) pre-washed baby spinach. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup chopped green onion whites; cook, stirring until softened, about 1 minute. Add spinach; cook, stirring, until spinach has wilted, 1-2 minutes. Push spinach to the outside of skillet. Pour milk mixture into center of skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until simmering and thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir spinach into sauce and remove form heat. Stir in 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest, and 1/8 tsp each of salt and pepper.

COLLARD GREENS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND GARLIC (serves 4)
Cook 1 sliced onion in 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often until light brown, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper; cook just until fragrant, 10-20 seconds. Meanwhile, trim thick stems from 1 lb collard greens; wash and pat dry then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (You will have about 8 cups). Cook collards in lightly salted boiling water in a large pot until tender, 6-8 minutes. Drain and press out liquid. Add collards and 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth to onion mixture; stir to mix well. Bring to a simmer. Stir in 2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.

TIP: To prepare collards and kale, place each leaf on cutting board and fold it in half along the stem. Holding knife parallel to stem, cut stem from leaf. Rinse leaves and discard tough center stems. To chop leaves, stack several leaves on cutting board. Roll up into a cylinder, slice into ribbons with knife, then slice in the opposite direction.