> liz butek  said this:
>I came across collard greens, which i've seen on just about every low carb
>food list. Does anyone have any suggestions for them?
>Are they eaten like raw salad, or can they be cooked? Are
>they paleo?
>
>They are very bitter when raw and less digstible and less nutritious, unless
>you were to get baby size leaves that are tiny and immature.  Collards are
>best cooked very thorougly, that breaks down antinutrients they contain, any
>goitrogens (found in cabbage family vegetables), removes the bitter flavor,
>and makes them more tender and digestible.  It also increases the
>betacaroten absorption.  Steaming won't do the trick, sauteing then
>simmering for about 20 minutes is best, or parboiling the leaves whole, in
>lightly salted, boiling water without a cover, then removing, rinsing,
>draining, and using as a wrapper for fillings (like cabbage leaves or grape
>leaves), or chopping and briefly sauteing). They become sweeter when well
>cooked and the stems can often be eaten if thoroughly cooked.


Boy, Rachel; you must be getting some really old, nasty collards! I could
eat them raw, and always just steam or stir-fry them for a couple of
minutes - just long enough to wilt. Occasionally I'll save the bottoms of
the stems for juice or to puree for my dog, but I don't have any trouble
eating them cooked with the leaves.

BTW, I can't imagine what might be more nutritious about cooking ANYTHING,
unless it makes it so you can eat more to make up for the losses in
cooking, but even then, the enzymes and other little buggers must be harmed
by the heat required... I would like to hear more about antinutritious
elements in cruciferae, as there are so many, and I eat them all rare or
raw. Thanks,

ginny and Tomo

All stunts performed without a net!