The Complete Leafy Greens Cookbook Review

This post is made possible by the publishing company Robert Rose, Inc.^[*]

I serve plenty of leafy greens in our home with the recurring role being spinach. I am comfortable with it and all too often, I fall back on spinach in good faith. I wanted to get better acquainted with other varieties and mix things up a bit.

The Complete Leafy Greens Cookbook by Susan Sampson was just what I needed! It covers 67 greens; some I had never heard of, others that are more common, and even greens that are considered trendy. *cough* kale *cough*

Each green has a collection of recipes that complement its flavor. All together this cookbook provides 250 vegetarian recipes. Every green featured can be found in alphabetical order, and each highlights:

• Scientific and alternate names, and types
• Historical information including fascinating folk remedies
• Nutritional information as well as tasting notes
• Recipes that correspond to the particular green
• How to buy, store, prepare and cook the green
• Measures & substitutions, equivalents
• Intriguing and entertaining sidebar boxes.

I have truly enjoyed learning about different greens and exploring new flavors! Here is one of my favorite recipes that we have tried so far…

Dandelion Salad with Balsamic Pepper Strawberries

If you haven’t tried strawberries with balsamic vinegar and pepper, now’s the time. Check out the amazing combination in this simply dressed, bitter/sweet dandelion salad.

1  bunch dandelion greens (10 to 12 oz/1 300 to 375 g), trimmed and coarsely chopped (about 5 cups/1.25 L)
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion 250 mL (see Tips)
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 10 mL
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 mL
1⁄2 tsp kosher or coarse sea salt 2 mL
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb ripe strawberries, quartered 500 g
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 15 mL
1 tsp granulated sugar (see Tips) 5 mL
1⁄4 cup slivered almonds, toasted 60 mL (see Tips)

1. In a large bowl, toss dandelion leaves and onion with lemon juice. Add oil and toss again to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide greens equally among serving dishes.
2. In a small bowl, toss strawberries with vinegar, sugar and additional salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over greens. Scatter almonds overtop and serve immediately.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Vegan Friendly

Tips
Sweet onions are mild. The best-known variety is Vidalia. If desired, substitute red onion.

Cane sugar is likely to be filtered through bone char, while beet sugar is not. Most labels don’t indicate the source of the sugar. If you are following a vegan diet, use unbleached organic sugar that has not been filtered through bone char, or a sweetener such as agave syrup.

To toast almonds, cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and aromatic.

I also love the section dedicated to drinks! There are so many delicious, satisfying ways to pack in your greens’ nutrients into a smoothie or shake! This weekend my eldest nephew was staying with us and I made the S’Pina Colada {it’s a virgin drink} and served it with our lunch. He looked at me with a raised brow and I just smiled. He took his first sip cautiously… It’s a green drink, afterall. But he was impressed and drank all of it! If a green drink can win over a 17 year old… that tells you something about the flavor!

Buy:

Pick up a copy of The Complete Leafy Greens Cookbook at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Retail price is $27.95, but I see it on Amazon Prime for $18.76!

Connect:

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^{* [Erin received the mentioned product{s}, free of charge, to facilitate her review. All opinions are those of the reviewer only. Review product provided by Robert Rose.↩}
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