I have a confession….

Yep, it’s time for me to fess up! Here it goes…..I have never been a big fan of greens.  I could handle green beans and broccoli but when it came to the leafy greens, they just weren’t for me!

I also have to confess that they are probably the most nutrient packed veggies you can consume.  If you are dealing with inflammation issues like I was these little gems are superstars when it comes to slashing it in your body.  They are loaded with Vitamin K which helps to keep your bones strong and they also have lots of potassium and Vitamin A.  Vitamin A is very beneficial for the hair, skin and eyes.  If you’re having issues with low iron these are a GREAT source of iron, so load up on them!

But what if you don’t like them?

My husband and I both didn’t like them and I thought it was something I had to “learn” to like for the benefit of my health so we ate them but lets just say it wasn’t with the usual “gusto” that we eat other things! I kept playing around with them trying to make them more palatable and little by little they were more tolerable as I tweaked recipes, until we found this wonderful ally that was a GAME CHANGER for both of us!

Where have you been all of life?

I went to a cooking class with the awesome Mee McCormick and she showed us how to make a variety of different things. She introduced several new ingredients that I wasn’t familiar with up to that point.  She steamed some collard greens and they were part of the meal we were able to try after the class.  Out rolled the collards and I was “preparing” myself for the taste but there was something really……GOOD….about these to me! In fact, I will go so far as to say they were my favorite part of the meal and I would have eaten seconds and maybe thirds!! Wait….What?  So what was the “Star”  ingredient? Ume plum vinegar!  Umeboshi plum vinegar is a salty, sour and sweet sprinkle of heaven on your greens and they are a super food to boot! The medicinal qualities are outstanding as well! The vinegar comes from the processing of the umeboshi plum which is actually more closely related to the apricot rather than  the plum.  The plums are placed in a brine to ferment and then the brine is removed and this is the ume vinegar. The vinegar actually has an alkalizing effect on the body, stimulates digestion and is great for fatigue. It also promotes the elimination of toxins.  The Japanese regard one umeboshi plum as a potent medicine to take each day for health and vitality.

With my new ally in hand, I promptly ordered some and made some greens for my husband, and fortunately for us both it was a game changer for him too! So now this recipe is a regular dish in our home and we are both ENJOYING our greens now.  Thanks so much Mee and I hope you enjoy!

Shiitake greens with a kick

Ingredients:

5 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 sweet white onion, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

Himalayan salt to taste

Umeboshi vinegar

1 large bunch of greens (collards or spinach)

What you do:

If collards are large remove middle stem before dicing or the greens will be tough.  Dice up greens and set aside. Saute garlic, onion and mushrooms in olive oil until onions are translucent.  When nearly done add greens and cook until tender but not overdone.  Sprinkle each serving with ume vinegar and a little  salt. (Note: Ume vinegar has a salty, tangy taste to it so tread lightly with the vinegar and salt if you don’t like things to salty.)

Note: While doing my research on which is the best brand to use I found that the  Eden brand was the better one because they don’t add any dyes to their vinegar like some of the others do. You may be able to find this at specialty Asian stores if you have one near you.