Gingered Braised Greens Recipes

New Orleans - home to beignets, gumbo and jambalaya - is not exactly a mecca of healthy eating. Lifelong resident Courtney Clark grew up in the Lower Ninth Ward watching friends and family cook dishes that were loaded with salt and fat, and then tragedy struck: By age 35, she had lost her mom and her husband to heart disease. She was desperate to save others from a similar fate. Enter Backyard Gardeners Network, a nonprofit that maintains community gardens and teaches locals how to think differently about their diets. Courtney joined the team five years ago, and now she runs a 10-week course called Food as Medicine. In the class she teaches participants how to read nutrition labels, eat more plant-based foods and adjust their cooking (like making their own low-sodium Creole seasoning). Many of her students have lost weight, lessened or stopped medications and shifted their way of eating entirely. "It's hard trying to change the minds of people who have been cooking one way for all of their lives," she admits. "But to hear a lady in her late 60s say, 'This is the first time I'm tasting an avocado, and I love it,'...that's what I live for. We're gathering people around good, fresh food that's not going to give them a heart attack," she says. Here's Courtney's healthy take on a classic Southern side.

Provided by Food Network

Categories     side-dish

Time 45m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

• Ingredients

Provided by Elana

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 5

• Ingredients

Chicken stock, white wine and red pepper flakes add flavor to this side dish that can be made with whatever hearty green is in season.

Provided by Marian Burros

Categories     weekday, side dish

Time 15m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 6

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 105, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 6 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 535 milligrams, Sugar 4 grams