Recipe SWAT Team: Healthy Greens

Each week our editorial team tackles a new ingredient or dish with one goal in mind: creating easy and delicious meals. Check here on Monday for the weekly ingredient and look for our recipes on Thursday. Feel free to join us in our endeavor; we look forward to seeing what fantastic meals you come up with. This Week: Healthy Greens

Your mother told you to eat your greens for a reason: They are packed full of vitamins and nutrients. Spinach, for example, is a good source of iron and Vitamins A and C, while kale, in addition to Vitamins A and C, also provides folic acid, calcium, and iron. Many of the types of greens in the recipes below — spinach, kale, escarole — can be used in a variety of ways: raw in salads, sautéed, or in soups.

In general, look for bright, crisp leaves and avoid ones that are limp, damaged, or discolored. Make sure to wash them well before use to get rid of any remaining dirt. Also, if you are blanching or boiling greens like Swiss chard, remember that this usually causes many of the nutrients to leek out of the vegetables unless the water is well salted (and even then, some still creep out). However, you can always save the leftover water and use it for making stocks. 

Molly Aronica: Arugula and Olive Sauce

Allison Beck: Spinach with Halloumi, Pears, and Pine Nuts

Arthur Bovino: Escarole and White Bean Soup

Maryse Chevriere: Arugula Salad with Coppa and Pecorino

Yasmin Fahr: Bibb Lettuce and Watercress with Lemon-Mint Dressing

Jess Kapadia: Palak Paneer

Valaer Murray: Kale Salad with Bacon and Almonds