Creamed Power Greens With Crisp & Toasty Toppings

Creamed Greens & Spaghetti Carbonara

I love to use assorted baby greens like kale, chard, beet/radish greens, spinach, etc for this very tasty and easy Creamed Power Greens With Crisp & Toasty Toppings; choose one type or a mixture. The cooked greens are so delicious, that they get gobbled up before getting creamed!

Creamed greens are naturally gluten/dairy-free.

Notes:

The recipe can be easily halved, doubled, etc; use 1/2 lb of the fresh greens per serving. After cooking, I use clean kitchen scissors to chop the greens a few times right in the pot, easy-peasy! 

The greens maybe prepared a day or two ahead and reserved in the fridge until ready to proceed with the rest of the recipe directions.

Roux Variation: a roux maybe used to make the cream: Roast 1 Tbsp brown rice flour until  lightly browned and fragrant. Stir in half the milk given in the recipe and cook stirring/whisking until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add cashew cream and proceed to finish following the recipe.

2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

1 lb Greens - Spinch or a combination of baby greens

1 pinch Turmeric

Kosher Salt to taste
1/4 cup Cashews, raw or roasted, soak in hot water for 1-2 hours
1-2 pinches (~1/8 tsp) freshly grated/ground Nutmeg
Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Non-dairy Milk

Optional Toppings

1/4 cup Toasted Nuts/Seeds, coarsely chopped or ground

1/4 cup Toasted (gluten-free) Breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

Method:

Heat a large pot with about 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Sprinkle turmeric and a big pinch of salt and add the greens. Keep the greens turning by moving the cooked ones to one side while pushing the unwilted ones to the bottom. 

When the greens are just wilted, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and drain into a colander set over a bowl to catch the delicious broth. The cooking broth maybe used in making the cashew cream, enjoyed in a soup or on its own.

While the greens are drraining, prepare cashew cream: drain and rinse soaked cashews. Place in a blender carafe with the nutmeg. Process using a little of the milk/broth from greens into a silky cream.

Heat the cashew cream (the pan for cooking the greens would be fine); swirl the blender with a little of the greens cooking broth or water and add to pot along with any remaining milk. Cook until slightly thickened.

Press the greens gently to remove excess fluids, chop coarsely, and add to the hot cream. Mix well and heat thrpough until steaming hot. Remove from heat.

Season the creamed greens with salt to taste (go easy on salt as greens already has a little from pre-cooking and do not usually need much anyway) and freshly ground pepper.

Serve hot with a spinkle of one or a mixture of the following: toasted nuts/seeds, breadcrumbs, and nutritional yeast. 

Enjoy!!

Creamed Greens & Spaghetti Carbonara