Celebrating Earth Day with Sauteed Greens and Pistachios

In honor of Earth Day, TRB has teamed up with Tamara Jacobi, holistic health coach of JungleGirlHealth, to bring you a “green” recipe. I met Tamara while working on an edition of “Well-Being” for BELLA NYC magazine, and asked if she would contribute some healthy tips for my TRB readers too. She graciously obliged. As a big fan of pistachios, I wanted Tamara to provide a recommendation for incorporating these healthy nuts into a quick and easy dish. Here’s her advice…

Green is truly a color to be grateful for. In the spring, leafy greens begin to sprout, offering contagious and uplifting energy. In moderation, pistachios are a wonderful food to add to your diet. A mosaic of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, these tasty little green guys are also rich in healthy fats. (Eating moderate amounts of healthy fats prevents your body from going into starvation mode and staves off the weight loss plateau). The healthy fats in pistachios can also support your body by reducing bad cholesterol. So celebrate Earth Day with a plate of diverse greens!  

Sauteed Greens and Pistachios
(Recipe from Tamara Jacobi, JungleGirlHealth.com)

1 bunch kale, chopped (organic preferred)
1 bunch spinach, chopped (organic preferred) 
1 clove chopped garlic
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shelled salted pistachios
sea salt and pepper, to taste
coconut milk (optional)

1. Heat just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

2. Add garlic. Saute lightly.

3. Add the greens. Stir them gently so they cook evenly.  The greens will begin to wilt and turn a brighter green color. This should take about 5-8 minutes.

4. If you like a creamier dish, once the greens are almost completely wilted, add the coconut milk.

5. Add the pistachios.

6. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Don’t forget to stop by Tamara’s website and show her some “love” (www.junglegirlhealth.com). She’s good people. You may want to take advantage of her nutritional counseling, especially if you love dessert as much as I do (just sayin’!). Thanks again to Tamara for contributing this post. 

Did you try this recipe? Post a comment below.