Post #186 Chaya and Hibiscus Greens Recipe
Blog Description: Recipe for Chaya (Cnidoscolus chayamansa) and Hibiscus greens, Zone 10 south Florida gardening for food, subtropical, permaculture, forest gardening, sustainable gardening, perennial, edible plant
Chaya greens are some of the most nutritious greens you can eat, but they must be cooked submerged for 5 minutes first. DO NOT EAT RAW CHAYA LEAVES!
That first step is not a big deal because it takes 10-15 minutes to soften them anyway, as it does for hibiscus greens as well. So they are good combined.
Neither green has much flavor on its own, making them very versatile. They will take on the flavor of whatever you cook them with. Regular green hibiscus leaves are perfect, but a few cranberry hibiscus leaves thrown in will give a little pleasantly sour flavor if desired – a lot like sorrel.
After cooking and draining the greens, you can freeze them for later use just like spinach greens. Add them to any dish to bump up the nutrition.
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
1 quart chaya leaves, chopped
1 quart hibiscus leaves
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp Cuban oregano leaves, finely chopped
1 Tbs coconut or olive oil (or any fat: butter, pan drippings…)
1 Tbs red wine or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Chicken Stock or Bone Broth
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Step 1: Wash and chop the leaves. It is helpful to make stacks, like these chaya leaves:
Then roll each stack up tight like a burrito and slice it. Here is the result:
From there, you can slice them again cross-wise for easy to eat pieces. Do the same with the hibiscus leaves.
Step 2: In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add the greens and boil for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Use the next 10 minutes to prepare the rest of your ingredients, or just start the next step 10 minutes after your greens begin to boil.
In a large pot or pan, heat the fat and herbs. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Drain the boiled greens and add them to the pan with the onions and herbs. Stir well to coat with the sautéed mixture. Add broth and vinegar and stir well to mix. You can save the drained water to drink or to water your plants with.
Step 5: Put the lid on, then turn down the heat to medium-low. Wait 5 minutes.
Step 6: Stir well and test for texture. If you want them softer, put the lid back on and cook 5 minutes more.
Step 7: Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Give this dish a taste and let me know what you think!
Mary