From another thread:

Quoted from paulssandy@adelphia.net

We have been living off of Highly beneficials and beneficials for the past 3 weeks.  After week 4 I think we will venture into the neutral allowed freqenty list.  So, consiquently we have been eating LOTS of boroccoli, spinach, romain lettuce.  Tried the collard and kale   no one liked them.  I looked up a few recipes, but they are all basically the same.  I know I can add them to soups in the winter, along with spinach.  But to eat just like a side veggie, we just don't like them.  I hope that is enough for now.   ...
Sandy O

How did you cook your collards?

I cook 3-4 quarts of collard greens every week or two and what I discovered along the way the past 4 years is that they taste better/sweeter, to my family, if they are only cooked in water and cooked a long time. I serve them with olive oil.

I used to add all sorts of stuff to collard greens while cooking, but slowly but surely I started leaving ingredients out until I just got down to water. I was really surprised at the amount of difference it made in the taste of the collard greens. My older teenage son remarked about it too the first time I had him try some cooked that way.

There are a lot more Type O secretor beneficial vegetables besides just broccoli, spinach, and romaine lettuce!

Type O Secretor Beneficial Vegetables
Beet Greens
Chicory
Collard Greens
Dandelion
Ginger
Horseradish
Kelp/Seaweed
Onion (Red/Spanish/Yellow/White)(Green)
Spinach/Spinach Juice
Artichoke (globe/Jerusalem)
Broccoli
Escarole
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce (Romaine)
Okra
Parsley
Parsnip
Pepper (Red/Cayenne)
Potato (Sweet)
Pumpkin
Swiss Chard
Turnip

I typically eat all but maybe 4-5 of those just about every week. I don't eat those 4 or 5 items because I haven't found them locally, or at least not regularly.

I have found that I actually like bitter veg...in particular kale    It might be a case of educating your pallate a bit - most people are not born liking bitter tasting food or drinks - they are all acquired tastes.  

I am still trying to make friends with many of these vegetables. Sometimes they actually taste good and other times it is still force feeding, but I do find that my tastes are changing after only a few months. If I find that I have avoided any in particular I try to put it into a juicer and mix it with something yummy like carrots or spinich.
I love horseradish but have no idea how to prepare it without all of the avoids that come in the bottle with it. I also found some artichoke flour for this winter, does anyone use this as a supplement or an ingredient in their cooking? It seems to have so many benefits...

Hi Dewdrop,

About horseradish, I buy it fresh and then grate it, add lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Makes a great side dish.

Also you can prepare a walnut- garlic sauce by using a mortar&pestle, or a blender, then add lemon juice and a little water and mix it with grated horseradish.

Cheers,
Yaman

Mmm, thanks for the ideas about horseradish, Yaman.  I was in the same boat with Dewdrop... I used to love store-bought horseradish condiments, but too many avoids.  I'll have to try out your recipes!

As for kale, chard, and some of the other bitter greens... I had always hated these growing up and as an adult.  When I started the BTD, it was an act of faith to try cooking with them.  I have found that the best way to eat bitter/strong greens for me is to sautee' some onions, garlic, fresh ginger, & a generous  dash of curry powder in olive oil with a lamb sausage.  I break up the lamb into bite-sized bits while it's cooking and then shortly before the lamb is done, add a copious amount of shredded greens.  (I like to eat them mixed for variety)  Usually about 4-5 cups, as they shrink down so much when cooked.

Mix together and cook until the greens wilt & this is enough to serve two people a good amount of veggies and a small (BTD portion sized) amount of meat.  

I'll have to try cooking greens just in water too.  MoDon, do you just steam them?  Do you worry about cooking off all the vitamins?  

I can always use more advice on how to pack in more beneficials in a tasty way... our O beneficials are not the most inviting of all vegetables... but they are sure nourishing.  

And thank you Santosha for the bitter greens recipe. I'll try it immediately..

I liked your signature too. Here's how Rumi defines life in three words:

Raw, cooked (matured), burnt

Cheers,
Yaman

Quoted from santosha

I'll have to try cooking greens just in water too.  MoDon, do you just steam them?  Do you worry about cooking off all the vitamins?

I cook the greens in a big pot and add just enough water so that it won't dry out during the cooking process. I stir the collards about every 10 to 20 minutes until the stems are completely tender. At that point the greens do taste sweeter.

I don't waste whatever water/juice is at the bottom of the pot when done cooking. I eventually drink every drop of it. In the south the juice is called "potlicker" and I agree it is potlicking good!

Quoted from koahiatamadl

I have found that I actually like bitter veg...in particular kale    It might be a case of educating your pallate a bit - most people are not born liking bitter tasting food or drinks - they are all acquired tastes.  

I once learnt that bitter taste is good for the heart, and that there's a saying: "When bitter in the mouth, the heart rejoices", a reason why people love coffee so much.

MoDon, Do you have any suggestions for Jerusalem artichokes?  I planted some two years ago when I read they were good for a low-carb diet (on Atkins at the time).  They have made a nice stand and I will harvest my first crop this fall.  I'm so glad they are beneficial and won't go to waste!

When I can get them I use Jerusalem artichokes chopped up raw on my salads.

I don't think I have ever tried them cooked.

Quoted from Mare_eo

MoDon, Do you have any suggestions for Jerusalem artichokes?  I planted some two years ago when I read they were good for a low-carb diet (on Atkins at the time).  They have made a nice stand and I will harvest my first crop this fall.  I'm so glad they are beneficial and won't go to waste!

I love jerusalem artichokes. There is a deelish recipe in the ReciBase for JA soup. Yummm. I also slice them up and cook them like country potatoes. In fact, they can be used in place of potatoes in most dishes. They really thicken a dish, too. I'd love to plant some now that I have space, just not sure that our growing season is long enough. I'll research that one.

Drea, I live in N. Central Illinois.  Zone 5.  Mine have done very well here.

Quoted from koahiatamadl

I have found that I actually like bitter veg...in particular kale    It might be a case of educating your pallate a bit - most people are not born liking bitter tasting food or drinks - they are all acquired tastes.  

Here's another kale recipe that I like (I omit the avoids), but I also love kale when it's raw.

great link and recipes, thanks Drea!

Jerusalem artichokes are much nicer raw, sliced in salads, than cooked. They can develop a muddy taste, quite nasty, when cooked. They're good for blood sugar problems because of their inulen content, I have heard.

WOW, MoDon, just realized that my post didn't make it into the thread.  It was a fairly long one that I rushed to hit "post" button because the president was starting his speech.  I must have hit something else.  Reading some of the new posts, I was like....where did it go I'll have to read them all and re-reply   so weird.  
Sandy O

, and now I post this twice   better start paying attention to what I am doing

Quoted from ironwood55

From another thread:


How did you cook your collards?

I cook 3-4 quarts of collard greens every week or two and what I discovered along the way the past 4 years is that they taste better/sweeter, to my family, if they are only cooked in water and cooked a long time. I serve them with olive oil.

I used to add all sorts of stuff to collard greens while cooking, but slowly but surely I started leaving ingredients out until I just got down to water. I was really surprised at the amount of difference it made in the taste of the collard greens. My older teenage son remarked about it too the first time I had him try some cooked that way.

There are a lot more Type O secretor beneficial vegetables besides just broccoli, spinach, and romaine lettuce!

Type O Secretor Beneficial Vegetables
Beet Greens
Chicory
Collard Greens
Dandelion
Ginger
Horseradish
Kelp/Seaweed
Onion (Red/Spanish/Yellow/White)(Green)
Spinach/Spinach Juice
Artichoke (globe/Jerusalem)
Broccoli
Escarole
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce (Romaine)
Okra
Parsley
Parsnip
Pepper (Red/Cayenne)
Potato (Sweet)
Pumpkin
Swiss Chard
Turnip

I typically eat all but maybe 4-5 of those just about every week. I don't eat those 4 or 5 items because I haven't found them locally, or at least not regularly.

OK, I am going to try and recreate my lost post

We have been focusing on the "highly beneficials" from the arthritis book.  They are Broccoli, Collards, Kale, Garlic, Onion, Sweet Potato, Seaweed and Spinach.  Sadly I do not like onion or garlic either.  We do eat sweet potatoes at one meal every day in place of other starchy sides like rice, pasta or white potatoes.  I have been using a Kelp powder salt substitute since I tried the seaweed other ways and well....  In the winter I know I can chop the kale, collard and kelp and add to soups.  The one time I made Kale and Collards, I steamed one and boiled the other, not really sure whcih was which.  I only cooked them until they were tender added olive oil, some lemon juice, salt and pepper. That was it.  Maybe I did not cook them long enough?

There are some "beneficials" in the book also, Artichoke, Beet Greens, Chicory, Escarole, Horse Radish, Kohlrabi, Romaine Lettuce (I have been using this in all my salads), some Mushrooms, Okra, Parsnip, Pumkin, Swiss Chard and Turnip.  Of this list the only ones I have had or heard of are artichoke, romaine, mushrooms, parsnip, pumkin and turnip.  I think I had okra once and did not like it (at the cracker barrel restraunt when it first opened here in the north).  So this really is a new cooking experience for us.  I did not even know horse radish could be eaten any other way than in the spread that you can purchase.  Seeing it in the produce isle, I just thought folks made their own spread with it. I have only bought artichoke hearts in cans to cut up in salads, and have no idea what to do with one from the produce department, though I really love the canned hearts. This makes me look quite picky   ,which I never thought I was, and I am not afraid to try new things.  So it will be an interesting next few months.

Any ideas, recipes (I have copied several from the recipe database already to try...hope that is OK to copy), tips would be so very helpful. The more the merrier the heart will be,  

Sandy O

Sandy,
you can copy any recipe you want from this site!

Sandy, Have fun try new things and old things in new ways!

I suspect you did not cook the collard greens long enough. I think they are best if cooked a fairly long time.

I use canned artichokes on my daily salad too. I haven't figured out how to properly cook the fresh ones either.  

I like sauteed okra and onions with ghee, but I know you said you don't like onions. I also add okra to various skillet meals and soups.

I steamed some artichokes a few days ago.....
they took around two and a half hours (6 pieces total).......check the water content every hour, and add more boiling water if needed.

Quoted from ironwood55

I use canned artichokes on my daily salad too. I haven't figured out how to properly cook the fresh ones either.  

Artichokes cooked in the pressure cooker take 10 minutes or so. The pressure cooker is a fantabulous invention!

What do y'all do with turnips and kohlrabi?

I like turnips but have only used them in soups and with a pot roast or corned beef. I saw kohlrabi today and bought some, but I've never cooked (or eaten it afaik) it.

Thanks!

Laura

relish or slaw

or steamed with ghee and salt added once cooked.

root veggie oven dishes.

take a look in recibase
http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor.cgi?602

Quoted from semmens

What do y'all do with turnips and kohlrabi?

Gosh, I like turnip raw - thin sliced. Takes care of my crunchies, and I like the taste. Have yet to try kohlrabi. It just isn't stocked where I shop.

I think Kohlrabi has a great taste and nice color.  I scrub well if it's young, and peel if it's a gnarley looking one, cube it and add to green vegetables before I cook them.  It adds good contrast and flavor variations.