If I had to pick out any one food as a “super food,” it would be greens. They’re loaded with “methyl donors” like folic acid and sulforaphane as well other nutrients like vitamin C, beta carotene and other antioxidants. But unless you were raised in the Southern United States, you may not have acquired a taste for them. While this recipe calls for collard greens, any greens could be used, and they all have similar nutrient content. Greens are best in my opinion when cooked with a bit of a savory flavored meat like ham. Adding some sort of bean or legume to the dish ups the ante on nutrients even more. If you haven’t gotten into many greens recipes yet, this is a good one to try.

Serves: 6

Time to Table: 30 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate Good source of calcium, manganese

Ingredients* 2 T. olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed 1 medium onion, chopped 1 pound collard greens, washed and coarsely chopped 1 tsp dried thyme 1 ½ cup black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed well 8 oz. chicken or vegetable broth ¾ pound nitrite-free ham, cubed Salt and black pepper to taste Dash of Tabasco Lemon wedges *Use organic ingredients for optimal nutrition

Preparation In a large Dutch oven, sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add collards and cook until greens are wilted. Stir in broth and ham. Cook for another 10 minutes or until heated through. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco if desired.

Nutrition 200 calories, 15 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 43 mg cholesterol, 2 g sugar, 5 g fiber, 2994 IU vitamin A, .1 mg riboflavin, .2 mg vitamin B-6, 129 mcg folate, 29 mg vitamin C, 3 IU vitamin E, 130 mg calcium, 1 mg iron, .3 mg manganese, 360 mg potassium, 490 mg sodium