This one’s a no-brainer—every time you make a smoothie, be sure to throw in a handful of spinach or a couple destemmed kale or chard leaves. If you’re worried about altering the taste of your smoothie (especially when using tougher greens such as kale), include a handful of fresh or frozen berries. I find that seedy varieties, such as raspberries and blackberries, do a particularly excellent job of covering up the taste of greens.
When I first started juicing, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed green drinks! I love to make myself a tall glass of green juice first thing in the morning. My favorite blend is romaine lettuce, kale (stems and all!), cucumber, celery (include the nutritious leafy tops), green apple or pear, lemon, and ginger.
Is there anything better than crunchy, snackable raw kale chips? When encased in a delicious coating and dehydrated until crisp, kale morphs from a fibrous leafy green into delectable finger food. Eating a whole pile of greens can be as easy as picking up a storebought bag of raw kale chips, or – even better – making your own! (I included an entire chapter of kale chips in my cookbook Practically Raw.) Using cashews, sunflower seeds, or hempseed as a base and blended together with vegetables, herbs, spices, or even sweeteners, the possibilities for kale chip flavors are endless.
Discovering raw wraps was a green revelation for me. Dollop some of your favorite ingredients or fillings onto romaine leaves, destemmed collard or Swiss chard leaves, Belgian endive, or cabbage leaves and you have handheld party food at its finest. A couple of my favorites are raw taco nutmeat, nacho cheeze, and salsa in romaine leaves or raw hummus, sundried tomatoes, diced cucumber, and Kalamata olives in collard leaves.
Similar to smoothies, puréed raw soups and sauces are a great vehicle for leafy greens. Sure it’ll change the color a little, but the added nutrition will more than make up for that. Blend one or two destemmed kale or chard leaves into your next savory raw soup, or include a handful of spinach or beet greens in a batch of raw marinara sauce.
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CHICKPEA MAGAZINE FALL 2012