Going green via your vegetable intake

As Kermit the Frog's wistful rendition of It's Not Easy Being Green will tell you, green hasn't always been easy to do, but it's fair to say that green is definitely having its moment.

Spinach, kale, cabbage and everything in between, from broad beans to broccoli … greens are everywhere, but can be a tough sell sometimes, particularly to children.

Some experts believe this is to do with an in-built safety mechanism – ingrained in their stubborn psyche – for when Mum and Dad were out hunting and gathering. We might have been left to inadvertently consume poisonous berries or leaves that no amount of juju could save us from.

This reluctance to eat unknown “green things” may well have saved our junior predecessors, but now, the pressure to eat our greens is everywhere.

And let’s face it: processed foods have been engineered to be as pleasing as possible to our palates. Vegetables – especially things like sprouts and cabbage – have to grow on us. But, a bit like Kermit, I’m always happy for green to take its place in the limelight.

Green foods are overflowing with nutrients that protect your heart, nourish your digestion and give the kind of glow to your skin that 20-year-olds bursting with collagen enjoy.

The trick, then, is to make sure that when it comes to cooking greens, you give them the respect they deserve. Do not overcook them, or you get the kind of grey, flacid veg which can cause your tastebuds to shudder. And remember that even off the heat they’re still cooking, so err on the side of caution.

Once this basic rule is observed, you can loosen things up a bit. Most people boil or steam greens as a side dish, and while this is lovely, and healthy too, other cooking methods and recipes offer more interesting options.

Spinach and courgettes are natural partners for eggs, whether in frittatas or in omelettes, while kale makes great crisps, sprinkled with a little oil and some spice and baked in the oven.

In this week’s recipe, kale turns up in an unusual place – a dip. Not just any dip, perfect for carrot or celery sticks or even used as a spread on brown bread for school lunch boxes, but one that doubles as a stuffing for chicken.

The kale is cooked briefly, then blitzed with cheese, capers and garlic to create a moreish stuffing that when baked, becomes a golden, bubbling pool of flavour. I’ve tried this with a bit of chorizo too, and it works brilliantly.

Maybe it’s easy to be green after all.

dkemp@irishtimes.com