Now that Thanksgiving is over, we pretty much eat ourselves silly until the New Year. Of course, we can choose foods that make us feel better instead of opting for instant gratification and a sugar hangover. My Creamy Vegan Greens are healthy and taste decadent all at the same time. Take them along to any of the holiday parties you are attending to share the health with all your friends. Also keep them in mind for your New Year’s Day feast!
This post is sponsored by the Partnership for Food Safety Education, who reached out to me to share a few food safety tips with you. You can get more information at The Story of Your Dinner. As always, the opinions and recipe are all mine.
You might think because you aren’t cooking any meat that you don’t have to think about food safety, but that’s just not true. Like other raw vegetables, greens should be rinsed before eating. Always wash produce under running tap water even if you are not going to eat the rind or skin!
If you have children, you can print out placemats for your kids to learn all about hand washing and vegetable safety. It’s fun because there are quizzes and it’s perfect for coloring too!
I learned something new about cleaning greens, that they need to be dried after you rinse them before you cook with them. You can use a clean paper towel like I did above, or use your handy-dandy salad spinner.
After you dry them, fold in half and cut out the thick stem. Some people love them, and if you are one of them, please feel free to leave them in. My picky eater will only eat these without the stems.
Be sure to save the kale and/or collard stems you remove! Then make Kale Stem Pesto from The CSA Cookbook. It’s a great way to use every part of your greens, and it makes me feel very thrifty!
Creamy Greens
A fall or winter CSA is full of all kinds of greens and you are welcome to mix and match with what you have on hand. If you’re new to greens try kale, collards, or spinach because they are milder than some of the other varieties. I’m partnering with foodsafety.gov for this recipe so take note of all the safety tips in the recipe directions. You can use them in other dishes that you make too! gluten-free, soy-free, no oil added option*, dairy-free
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (*water sauté to make these oil-free)
- 1 small onion (You will only use 1/2)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 large bunch fresh greens like collards (kale, and/or spinach)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon tapioca or cornstarch (optional)
- Clean Up and Get Ready to CookMake sure to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and running water before you begin and frequently throughout your cooking session. You can sing the Happy Birthday song about 2 times in 20 seconds to time yourself.
- Clean the surface you’ll be working on and your cutting board with hot water and soap.
- Prep the VegetablesFor the onion and the garlic: Remove the outer skin. Rub by hand or scrub with a clean brush while rinsing under running tap water.
- Chop half the onion to use in the next step. Mince the garlic.
- Thoroughly rinse the greens under running tap water and dry in a salad spinner or with clean paper towels. Remove the stems (save to use in this kale stem pesto recipe), and tear the leaves into smallish pieces. You should have 6 to 7 cups of prepared greens when you’re finished.
- Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add the oil if you are using it. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté a minute or two more.
- Add the greens about 2 cups at a time as they cook down. Once they have all been added and wilted, stir in the coconut milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, until it’s piping hot and steaming.
- If you’d like to thicken the sauce, spoon out a tablespoon of liquid from the greens with a clean spoon and in a small cup, mix in the starch of your choice. Add the mixture back to the greens and cook until thickened.
- Enjoy your leftovers! Refrigerate them at 40ºF or below within two hours.
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