Monday, February 2, 2009

We go together like greens and bacon.


Is it a sin to make leafy greens taste like bacon? The only way my sister will eat greens, is if my dad cooks them with bacon. I would think it would taint the "nutritional value" to cook it with bacon!

Eating greens with bacon is one of the most traditional ways to flavor them. You know why? Because no one likes plain old greens. I don't care what kind of health nut you are: if you like eating raw kale or collard greens, you're a lying liar. Your pants are on fire right now, and I smell burning.
Most collard green recipes are prepared with ham hocks or other smoked meats. Its very southern, and you're right: not the most nutritional way to prepare them. Using bacon doesn't necessarily taint the nutritional value of the greens, it just adds extra fat and calories. Anytime you're cooking greens for a substantial length of time or using a lot of heat (which most greens recipes require you to do), you're going to deplete the vitamins and minerals. It would keep more of the nutritional value in the greens if you quickly steamed them or ate them raw. That's why some people follow a raw-foods lifestyle. They believe that eating food in its rawest state means it still has all of its vitamin and mineral content. Good for them, but I know from experience that they also fart a lot.
If you want to eat greens flavored with bacon, I say go ahead. As long as you're getting the good stuff in your body, why not make it taste like better? For a healthier option, you could try some turkey bacon, or just go meat-free and use lots of garlic and onions.

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