Grains and greens combine to chase away the cold. These pleasing culinary combinations are as comforting as a down-filled duvet, and packed with nutrients your body needs to get through winter.
Grains and greens are two cozy ingredients that need just a little culinary attention to make them completely satiating. They’re the perfect pair. Grains are available all year round, and certain greens are spectacular in winter. Vibrant, crisp, and colourful—just looking at the bright leaves, you know they’re full of nutrients we need in winter.
The following recipes focus on some winter favourites: kale, chard, mustard greens, and collards. But in reality, there are many more options. You can easily substitute broccoli leaves, Brussels sprout leaves, or spinach for the greens specified in each recipe. Just pay attention to cooking times, recognizing that coarse and fragile greens should be added to the dish at different times. For example, fragile greens are best folded in quickly at the end.
Depending on availability of ingredients and your taste preferences, you can also substitute a myriad of grains into these recipes with equally delicious results. Try using wild rice, amaranth, or quinoa as gluten-free substitutes.
Recipes
Irene McGuinness is a writer, recipe developer, food stylist for numerous magazines and corporations, and alumna of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University
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