Garlicky Greens and Beans Fast, Healthy & Simple Meal

Carol Food

Do you like spinach sautéed with olive oil and garlic? I love it! I like most greens – collards, kale, chard.   I also like simple, easy one dish meals. I’ve been adding more plant-based meals for my health for the last several years. One of my favorite lunches is garlicky greens and beans.

 Spinach is my favorite green leaf veggie and provides great nutritional value.  (See Spinach Smoothie for more information )  As I blogged last year,

Just eating one serving of spinach a day can make your brain 11 years younger.  A diet rich in leafy green vegetables help prevent cognitive decline according to recent research.   It slows the aging process.

and

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that a woman’s chance of breaking a hip could be cut by almost a third with a daily intake of 109 micrograms of vitamin K . That’s the equivalent of a mere one cup of cooked spinach per day.

 

 

Today I using chard. Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, vitamin E and iron. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, choline, vitamin B2, calcium, vitamin B6, phosphorus and protein.

 

 

Fresh chard for garlicky greens and beans.

 

 

This fresh organic chard just begs to be sautéed.  I remove the large spine and chop the greens.

 

 

Chopped chard for garlicky greens and beans.

 

 

Add a small amount of organic olive oil; the amount depends on the amount of greens. Maybe two or three tablespoons of olive oil for a bunch of greens.  Add garlic; I like a lot of garlic but that is a personal preference.  One  or two cloves of garlic should be fine.

 

Saute the greens with olive oil and garlic; you can also tomatoes, carrots and other vegetables.

 

 

Most greens will cook down. Mature kale doesn’t cook down much but most others do.  Baby kale does as well.   If you want to add extra ingredients, that is an option. I often add carrots and several small cherry tomatoes.  They add flavor and vitamins.  Just think of your favorite additions to a stir fry.

 

Garlicky greens and beans - sauteed greens with tomatoes, brocolli, and white beans.

 

 

This day I also had leftover steamed broccoli from dinner. I added that with the cooked beans after the greens are cooked. Just heat a minute or two and serve.  My favorite bean to use is white beans. Today I used a can of organic white beans. Chickpeas are also a great addition.  Both of these legumes absorb the flavor of the stir-fry and provide great fiber and protein. I have tried almost all kinds of peas and beans.  I found kidney beans too strong for my dish. It’s better in chili.

 

Last week at my Tuesday visit to the local farmers’ market, my favorite grower had one bunch of unusual leaves.  Deep green with some purple-red leaves, I was intrigued. What is that? Beet greens was her reply. For those of you who grow your own veggies, you probably know more about these greens than I do.

 

Fresh beet greens.

 

 

I was told they taste like a mild mustard green. So I bought them and gave them a try.

 

 

Chopped beet greens for garlicky greens and beans.

 

 

 

Garlicky greens and beans - saute in olive oil with garlic.

 

 

Since they were supposed to have a spicy flavor, I added black beans.

 

 

Garlicky greens and beans with beet greens and black beans

 

 

I didn’t have any tomatoes left to add to the pan; I think tomatoes would have made it even better. A spicy flavor which I enjoyed.

 

 

Garlicky greens and beans sauteed with tomatoes, brocolli, and white beans.

 

I just bought a new green to try; it’s called Jamaican Spinach. Not a true spinach but reportedly with a spinach taste.  I will be cooking it for lunch with chickpeas.  You can use almost any of your favorite legumes.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

 

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Carol

I was raised in Tennessee but have lived in Florida for many years. Love my small home in the Tampa Bay area and its developing garden. My decorating style is eclectic - some vintage, some cottage, all with a modern flair. Pursuing a healthier lifestyle. Spent many years in social services but am happily retired.

15 thoughts to “Garlicky Greens and Beans Fast, Healthy & Simple Meal”

  2. We love Swiss Chard sautéed like you do, only I never bought of adding beans…great idea… I’m trying to do more plant based meals also. Will have to look for Jamaican spinach, that sounds interesting. Our Farmers Market sells beets with the greens, and we used to grow them, so I know about them, but I like chard or spinach better. Beautiful food photography!

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  5. I’ve never tried cooking greens before. We are on a heart healthy diet, so I might have to try it. I’m here from Epic Mom’s blog hop.

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  7. I do like sauteed spinach and beet greens too. We plant beets each year in our garden so we sautee the greens to have along with rice and beans. I like the white beans best for this meal too. I’ve never tried Swiss Chard or Jamaican Spinach, but I’m going to look for them at the grocer. They sound delish! And packed with goodness!

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  8. I need to do this more often! I have had kale coming out of my ears. lol! Wasted a lot of it, because hubby doesn’t love it. I would add a little to our salads and he didn’t mind that. Thanks for sharing your recipe with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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