Mushrooms and Mustard Greens

I was hungry, peeked in the refrigerator, and there they were again...

I might have gone a little overboard buying mushrooms the other day. I don't say that because of how I walked out of Whole Foods with three large bags of them, or because I've had so many meals with them in the past week that I'm turning INTO a mushroom! But because somehow, after all of that, there were still enough fungi in my crisper to set up camp and throw a party. Martha Stewart would've probably turned these bad boys into a suspicious decorative throw pillow by now; however, I am not so crafty and have to stick with what I know. But, before you get excited about the mushrooms, you should know that they are only the inspiration and supporting cast of this story. I am on a greens mission here!

Wait...keep reading! In my last post I talked about collard greens and promised to deliver a tasty mustard green recipe next. Maybe some of you have not have been hanging off the edge of your chair waiting for this, and yes, I've been in your shoes. But here is my sales pitch: Eat more greens and you will feel better, have more energy and help your body to detoxify! Why mustard greens? Well, for one thing, it's because variety is the spice of life and sometimes you just need to switch it up! But if that's not enough of a reason for you, then I should mention that some dark leafies like spinach, swiss chard and beet greens contain significant amounts of oxalic acid which can interfere with mineral absorption. This is not to say you shouldn't eat those greens, but it's another good reason to include more of a variety in your diet. Let's go wild! Oh and also, this recipe only takes 15 minutes to throw together. Bonus!

Sauteed Mustard Greens
Serves 4 as a side

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lg shallot, diced small
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of red cabbage, chopped small
3 cups of shiitake or portabello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
Approx 3 cups of mustard greens (washed, large stems removed and torn into small pieces)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp garlic gamasio - Gamasio is a mixture of dry roasted sesame seeds, garlic & sea salt. It can be found in most large grocery stores in the Japanese section. You can substitute with sesame seeds and add a bit more salt if needed.

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over med/low heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add cabbage, season with salt, and cook for another few minutes or until cabbage starts to soften.
3. Add mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes until they start to brown.
4. Add the mustard greens, reduce heat to low and consistently stir around for a few more minutes until greens are soft but not mushy.
5. Mix in the cider vinegar and gamasio just before serving.