Gather

olive oil or avocado oil, for cooking

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 yellow onion, diced

1 pinch chili flakes

1-2 teaspoons dried herbs of choice,

such as oregano, basil, marjoram

1 pinch sea salt

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

zest and juice from 1 lemon, divided

2 15-ounce cans (3 cups) cooked white beans

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups vegetable broth or water

1 large bunch dandelion greens, thick bottom

stems trimmed, leaves chopped

1½ cups plain oat milk or other creamy

dairy-free milk

To Make

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Add the fennel seeds and stir them around until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the onion, chili flakes, dried herbs, if using, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for

7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic and lemon zest, stir for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the beans, plenty of black pepper, and vegetable broth/water. Bring to a boil, establish a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes, partially covered, until the liquid is reduced slightly.

Add the dandelion greens and oat milk, bring back to a boil, and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the greens are wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Serve the creamy dandelion greens and beans right away, drizzled with olive oil.

Dandelion Greens

Cultivated dandelion greens tend to be quite a bit larger than their foraged counterparts, but both are on the bitter side. Dandelion greens can be eaten cooked or raw and serve as an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K. These greens are also pumped with a substantial amount of minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Gather

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1½ teaspoons tamari avocado oil or olive oil, for cooking

8 ounces tempeh, crumbled

1 pinch sea salt

1 bunch broccoli rabe, thick bottom stems trimmed

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 pinch chili flakes

To Make

In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and tamari. Mix until smooth and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the tempeh, stir to coat in the oil, and spread it out in a single layer. Let cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the undersides are golden. Stir the tempeh and let brown on the other side for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Add the smoked paprika mixture, stir to coat, and cook until the sauce is absorbed, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the tempeh to a plate and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and bright green. Drain the broccoli rabe in a colander and rinse briefly with cold water. Squeeze out any excess water with your hands.

Heat the same skillet that was used for the tempeh over medium heat and add more oil to generously coat the bottom. Add the garlic and chili flakes, and sauté the garlic until golden, about 2 minutes.

Add the broccoli rabe, stir to coat with the garlicky oil, and cook for another 2 minutes, until very soft.

Add the tempeh to the skillet and stir to warm through.

Serve the broccoli rabe and tempeh right away, as is or with grains of choice.

Broccoli Rabe Also known as rapini, broccoli rabe looks like a marriage between spinach and broccoli. The plant has long been a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It has long stiff stalks and dark, tender leaves with small florets. It can have a sharp, bitter flavor that is subdued by blanching. It packs vitamins A, C, and K, folate, and as much protein as spinach

Gather

1½ tablespoons tamari

1½ tablespoons avocado oil

1½ teaspoons maple syrup

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

2 large bunches Lacinato kale, stemmed, leaves torn

1 15-ounce cans (1½ cups) cooked chickpeas

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons Sriracha

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¾ cup purified water

sea salt

To Make

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare 2 large, parchment-covered baking sheets.

In a large bowl, whisk together the tamari, oil, maple syrup, and garlic until smooth. Add the kale greens and chickpeas to the bowl. Use your hands to mix and coat the kale and chickpeas in the sauce.

Divide the kale and chickpeas between the prepared baking sheets, distributing them in a single layer. Roast for 5 minutes. Stir the kale and chickpeas and rotate the trays. Roast for another 5-7 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and crispy in parts.

Meanwhile, make the cashew sauce. Drain and rinse the cashews. In a high-speed upright blender, combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, Sriracha, apple cider vinegar, water, and a pinch of salt, blend until smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.

Serve the roasted kale and chickpeas over rice or other grains of choice, drizzled generously with the spicy cashew sauce.

Kale

Turn to this nutrition superstar for vitamins A, C, and K, lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids which may help to protect against age-related macular degeneration and possibly cataracts), and cancer-fighting glucosinolates. While raw kale can be a bit too bitter and fibrous for some, this member of the cabbage family readily takes on delicious flavors when cooked.

Gather

12-inch piece ginger, grated or minced

3 garlic cloves, grated or minced

2 tablespoons tamari

1½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons Sriracha

juice from 1 lime

avocado oil

1 15-ounce block extra firm tofu, pressed, cut into ½-inch slabs, then into squares

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1½ pounds baby bok choy, halved or quartered, with core intact

toasted sesame seeds, for garnishing (optional)

To Make

In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, tamari, sesame oil, maple syrup, Sriracha, and lime juice, mix until smooth.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the tofu and fry for about 4 minutes, or until the undersides are golden. Flip and fry for another 4 minutes, until golden. Transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add another splash of oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms, stir once to coat them in the oil, then leave to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes, or until browned. Transfer the mushrooms to the plate with the tofu and set aside.

Increase the heat to a medium high and add more oil to the skillet. Add the bok choy and cook on one side until golden and soft, then flip and cook on the other side until cooked through fully, about 5 to 7 minutes total.

Add the tofu, mushrooms, and the sauce to the skillet. Stir to coat everything in the sauce and cook for a few more minutes, until the sauce is mostly absorbed.

Serve the bok choy, tofu, and mushrooms right away as is or over rice or other grains of choice, sprinkled with sesame seeds, if using.

Bok Choy A type of Chinese cabbage, this cooking green is rich in calcium, fiber, folate, and the antioxidant carotenoids beta carotene and lutein. It adds a crisp texture to dishes, and its fresh, grassy flavor takes on more nuttiness when you cook it.

Gather

olive oil or avocado oil, for cooking

1 yellow onion, diced

1 large or 2 small bunches Swiss or rainbow chard, stemmed, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn

sea salt

pinch chili flakes

1-2 teaspoons dried herbs, such as oregano, thyme, basil, marjoram (optional)

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

4-6 cups hot vegetable broth, plus more if needed

freshly ground black pepper

grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast, for garnishing (optional)

Make It

Heat a large pot or skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to generously coat the bottom.

Add the onion, chard stems, a large pinch of salt, chili flakes, and dried herbs, if using. Sauté for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onion is translucent, and the chard stems are soft.

Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice and mix well to coat it with the oil. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice grains are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the wine, bring it up to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Start adding the hot broth in 1-cup increments. Bring the broth to a simmer and let it absorb, stirring often, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves at about the fourth cup of broth, stir to wilt. Keep adding the broth and stirring the risotto frequently, until the rice is creamy and al dente. This should take 25 to 30 minutes total from the first addition of broth.

Taste the risotto for salt and adjust if needed. Add plenty of black pepper, and mix it in. Serve the risotto right away, garnished with grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast, if using.

Swiss Chard Swiss chard’s leafy green leaves are tender with a slightly bitter taste when eaten raw. Once cooked, the bite lessens, turning into a mild, sweet taste similar to spinach. A cooked cup of this green gives you all the vitamin K that you need per day, plus vitamins A and C and antioxidants carotenoids and flavonoids.

Gather

avocado oil, for cooking

1 large shallot, diced

1 large bunch mustard greens, stemmed, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn

pinch chili flakes

1 tablespoon tamari, plus more if needed

5 garlic cloves, minced

12-inch piece ginger, grated or minced

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

juice from 1 large lime, divided

1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk

½ cup vegetable broth or purified water

10 ounces rice noodles, soba noodles, or other noodles of choice

toasted cashews and/or coconut flakes, for garnishing (optional)

To Make

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the shallot, mustard stems, chili flakes, and tamari. Sauté for 10 minutes, until the mustard stems are soft.

Add the garlic and ginger, cook for another 3 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the coconut sugar and half of the lime juice, stir until the juice is absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add the coconut milk and broth/water, bring to a boil. Add the mustard greens, stir to wilt, cover the skillet, and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the greens are soft.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Add the cooked noodles to the pan with the coconut mustard greens, toss to coat. Drizzle the noodles with the remaining lime juice. Taste for salt and add more tamari if needed.

Serve the coconut noodles right away, sprinkled with toasted cashews and/or coconut flakes, if using.

Mustard Greens

Mustard greens are rich in important plant compounds and micronutrients, specifically vitamins A, C, and K. Munch on more of them to benefit eye and heart health, as well as anti-cancer and immune-boosting properties. They have a straightforward, spicy flavor, and can be a bit bitter. Temper their bitterness with a dose of salt or balance it with citrus.