today's new food. Dandelion greens

Did you know:::

Dandelion is in the top 4 of all green vegetables and is one of the most nutrient rich vegetables on the planet.! Dandelions are natures richest vegetable source of beta carotene and the third richest source of vitamin A after cod liver oil and beef liver

Today is a veggie-rific day. we are having besides our normal salad. butternut squash and dandelion greens.

Dandelion greens are a nutritional powerhouse. The plant has been used since antiquity as a diuretic, a liver tonic, to treat skin conditions and a whole host of other health problems.
They are packed with vitamins and minerals. One cup of cooked dandelion greens has more calcium than a cup of cottage cheese but only 34 calories. It provides 12% of the fiber, 19% of the iron and 28% of the Vitamin C that (averaging for adults and children) the USDA suggests that we get in our diets each day. Dandelion provides more vitamin A than an equal amount of kale, collard greens or summer squash, giving you 85% of the daily recommended intake.
The one cup serving also contains 2.1 grams of protein, many minerals including potassium, magnesium and phosphorous as well as vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, B-6 and folate

i am making dandelion greens three ways.
First is a simple boil in salted water
second they will be in their raw natural state as a side salad
thirdly sauteed

recipe

Sautéed Garlicky Dandelion Greens

Ingredients2 lb dandelion greens, tough stems removed and leaves cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method Cook greens in boiling water for about 4 minutes, and then drain in a colander. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking and drain well.
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat; add garlic, and gently cook for about 10 minutes making sure garlic does not brown. Increase heat to moderately high, then add greens, and salt and sauté, about 4 minutes.

growing up in Newfoundland i often heard about "dandelion soup' i had no idea that something so simple could be one of the worlds greatest superfoods.

will update this post more after supper. yummy

okay so supper is done. verdict. boiled dandelions are so good. just like the greens i used to have back in nfld growing up. sauteed in garlic and evoo was also good. dandelions as a salad green was not great. It was a lot like arugula except it's bite was a lot sharper than that of arugula. i think it would be great in a mixed greens salad. but as the only green it was too in tense.

we will definitely be having it again.

some more good information to know about dandelions they are great for liver detoxification, stimulates the production of bile helping with indigestion and heartburn. also helpful in the treatment of diabetes . it contains inulin which is a naturally occurring soluble fiber known to have a positive affect on blood sugar. it also has pectin which also in relieving constipation and lowering your cholesterol. it is a natural diabetic great or pms.

i bought my dandelion at petes frootique 1.99 for what is pictured.

On to the squash. i roasted it simply with evoo and salt and pepper. iT WAS SO GOOD!!!!

because i have not had any sugar for a very long time. ( june 16th) squash tasted like candy to me. it was so yummy and i have a whole bowl in the fridge left to eat hee hee

What the heck is jicama? And should you be eating it.?

well, i know what jicama is . but i have never tried it till tonight.

We have a store here called Pete's Frootique where you can get the more obscure fruits and veggies. And i found Jicama!

Jicama is a root vegetable that is used alot in Mexican food. Some people have characterized it as a cross between an apple and a potato. it looks like a turnip has a thin brown skin you can peel. it can be used in a zillion different way.

jicama is a low calorie, low-fat, high fiber food. it's mostly water about 90% yet a cup o it contains more than 6 grams of fiber. that alone makes it one of the worlds healthiest foods. but jicama also has calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin c, vitamin a and beta carotene. with a measly 49 calories per cup.

You can bake or broil a jicama like a potato, or slice it into stir fries. great raw. i mixed it into a berry-fruit salad for my snack later. i had a few bites and it is really satisfying.

so a new recommended superfood. jicama. Try it !