Ingredient of the Week: Mustard Greens


Have you tried mustard greens?

I did only just. Here's how that went down.

So on my baby weight shakin' quest, of dairy and gluten free fame, I've also replaced breakfast with so-called "green shakes".

The basic idea is you fill a blender up with greens, spinach or broccoli or summat, and top it off with fruit and maybe some flax seed powder or something, and blend, blend, blend.

The outcome is usually pretty good, actually. Especially with a sweet green like spinach. Spinach and frozen mangoes is my favorite, I could drink that ish every day.


But I've been trying to shake it up a little. Spinach isn't the only thing that's good for you, you know?

So I went to the store, stood in front of the wall of greens for a good thirty minutes, and bought some mustard greens.

And I made them into a smoothie.

Don't. Can I just say? Don't...do that.

Here's why. Mustard greens are no spinach! They are fiery, spicy little beasts! Drinking a smoothie made with mustard greens was like drinking a cup full of raspberries, grass, and cayenne pepper all mixed together.


So...that was awful. But nevertheless, and call it masochistic, but I am intrigued. I always thought greens were somewhat interchangeable. I didn't expect a humble leaf to have such, what. Personality? Attitude?

And they're such a rich, emerald green I just know they must be really great for you.

So here's my question. Fruity healthy smoothies were obviously the wrong venue for these puppies. So where do they go? Have you used them before, in cooking or eating raw? What are your favorites? I'd love to know.

5 comments:

Ana Regalado said...

I've tried the pickled mustard but not the fresh one :P :D Few weeks ago there are loads of that at the wet market but as I'm too lazy to browsed the Chinese cookbook section at the lib so no go tsk ! Spicy huh ! Maybe it's only good for cooking or for pickling , let me google it later hahaha Anyway , at least you've tried it fresh ;D

Zoe said...

Honestly, I have tried cooking mustard greens before and wouldn't be brave to try eating them raw :P

I would love to learn how to cook them :D

amlamonte said...

ha hmmm everyone seems to agree they should be cooked, in either an asian or southern US fashion. my mistake! oh well, live and learn i guess :)

Cakebrain said...

oh my...i can just imagine what that must have tasted like! personally i love mustard greens, but i've never blended them up in a drink! :P
I've had pickled mustard greens, preserved mustard greens, and fresh stir-fried with tons of garlic (the best!). I highly recommend mustard greens, but I think i have to avoid them because they are goitrogenic. too bad...but i do eat them occasionally now; but not as much as i used to before hashi's.
Grab a few slices ginger, some crushed fresh garlic and heat it up in oil 'til sizzling. Toss in those mustard greens and stir fry them! so yum! my mom makes it in soup too. but i think it's kind of blah that way.

Aimee said...

I just used mustard greens in place of kale in our daily juice and I have to say, it is quite delicious. I used about a half of a large bunch of mustard greens with 3 beets, 6 apples a smaller bag of carrots and a half stalk of celery. It was really very good.