Greetings Family! I’m still eating healthy (mostly out of necessity rather than by choice), but I’ve found some great recipes so I thought I’d share them with you!

The latest research shows that “Going Green” is good for you. I’m not talking about organic (although that’s good for you, too). I mean leafy greens like kale, collards, mustard greens, spring and winter greens, spinach, chicory, dandelion, mache, and more. If you study some of the healthiest cultures on the planet, you’ll find that they love greens. The Chinese eat green spinach or other leafy greens for good luck during celebrations for the Chinese New Year.

The Greeks are famous for eating wild greens. In fact, after WWII everyone expected the Greeks to be malnourished because of the harsh war conditions and the lack of meat. Quite the contrary! The Greeks had survived on a diet that consisted mostly of wild green and they were found to be in excellent health! The Europeans eat a type of green called Lamb’s Lettuce. You can find it in the grocery labeled as Mache. Africans from the Sub-Sahara are supposed to eat more greens than any other culture.

Greens can be bitter and I’ve found that most bitter things have great healing properties – green tea, for example. The young and beautiful former Budweiser girl, Kris Carr, has written a book called Crazy, Sexy, Cool Cancer. After being diagnosed with the last stage of a rare and deadly cancer, she became a medical wonder by surviving and thriving. One of her secrets is juicing anything green from the fridge first thing in the morning. She believes her diet that is rich in leafy green vegetables is part of the key to her health success. According to Wikipedia, greens are low in fat and high in protein, fiber, iron, calcium, and vitamin C, A, lutein and folic acid.

What’s to keep us from these leafy green wonders? Well, most of them are difficult to clean. Mother used to put her collard greens in the washing machine! Now, however, most grocery stores have pre-washed and cut greens, so it’s much easier to grab a bag and have them for dinner.

The Greeks serve greens cooked as side dish called Horta. Madhu Jaffrey’s cookbook, World Vegetarian is a great help when looking for healthy recipes. She writes about every vegetable, having recipes with that vegetable from around the world. I couldn’t be a vegetarian if I tried, but I’ve enjoyed Kale prepared the way they do in Kasmir, Spinach and Chickpeas from Spain, and Horta from Greece. Her recipe for Horta follows. Greeks serve it as a side dish with just about everything.

I confess that after dinner tonight I’m having homemade vanilla gelato (the recipe is on Oprah’s website – best ever), but I still strive to live a healthy lifestyle. Genesis 1:30 says, “…And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everthing that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” Our family has suffered with heart problems and allergies for years. I know that we all want health for each other. I challenge you to “Go Green”! Love,
Lelia Dodson

Greek Mixed Greens or Horta by Madhur Jaffrey from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian

Salt
1 _ pounds mixed greens, well washed, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
º cup olive oil
5 scallions, cut crosswise into fine rings
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled but left whole
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, as if you were boiling pasta. Add enough salt to make the water feel slightly salty (about 1 tablespoon). Drop in the greens and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain.


Put the º cup of olive oil in a large frying pan or sautÈ pan and set over medium high heat. When hot, put in the scallions and garlic. Stir and fry for a minute (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the greens and about _ teaspoon salt (taste as you go) and mix well. Turn off the heat. Put the contents of the pan into a serving dish. Dribble the lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil over the top and serve immediately.
Serves 4