Purple power

Broccoli is definitely part of the 'in' crowd when it comes to superfood veg. Once only served as over-cooked mush (and sadly still is in some establishments), broccoli comes into its own when prepared and served with a little thought and attention. As much as I love those bright green tight florets, and eat them whenever I can, there's a purple sibling that, in my mind, trumps green every time - the beautiful, delicate and seasonal purple sprouting broccoli (PSB).

Green broccoli by itself is pretty amazing, packed full of healthy nutrients like vitamins A, C and some B vitamins, as well as manganese, iron, various phytonutrients and of course fibre. The phytonutrients in broccoli are amazing at helping to support the body's detoxification and one in particular helps eliminates the nasty leftovers out of the body. So it's great ingredient to use for a body spring clean.
So what's so good about the purple stuff? Simply put, it just is! PSB has all of the benefits of green - and more. A higher amount of nutrients like zinc and iron, more B vitamins and more fibre, as the stems and leaves are eaten as well as the florets. And it's purple, and purple food is good!
Even with normal broccoli, I always eat as much of the stem as possible, saving the thick stalk to use in soups or stir fries. The stem is packed with fibre and nutrients so is just as important as the florets. And because the stems of PSB are so much thinner, they're easier to eat. And the leaves of PSB - now they really are a winner as they are packed full of calcium, potassium and vitamin C, so great for your bones and immune system. In fact, PSB just has more antioxidants than it's green counterpart, but needs care as they are also more readily lost in the cooking process.
It's rare to find PSB in supermarkets, although I have noticed it a couple of times. I've tried to grow my own as it's one of those veg that is so gorgeous picked and eaten within a short period of time, but the slugs love them too and my crop is woeful to say the least! Veg boxes are your best bet for fresh, good quality PSB.
We had a gorgeous bagful this week in our Riverford veg box and I couldn't wait to dive in and munch it all up. I find the best way to prepare it to retain as many as the nutrient goodies as possible is to give it a quick wash, trim off the woody end and then slice up the the stalk so it's thinner, then steam briefly or stir fry quickly. It's beautiful deep flavour and colour is retained that way, along with the goodness.
I made this simple pasta dish and it was wolfed down - even the teenage boy who suddenly declared he doesn't like broccoli (!) tucked in with gusto, so it's confirmed teenage friendly. Keeping the PSB lightly cooked gives texture and flavour. If you can't get your hands on any PSB, then of course use green - it's still fabulous, even without the purple power!
Purples sprouting and walnut spaghetti

250g purple sprouting broccoli
1 onion, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
50g walnuts, lightly toasted
extra virgin olive oil
spaghetti - wholewheat or gluten free
Start cooking your spaghetti as this will takes the longest. Once this is up and bubbling, prepare the PSB. Rinse under a running tap, trim any woody ends then slice the stalks up the centre to make thinner. Place in a steamer and steam for a couple of minutes - do not over cook as you'll loose the nutrients. Meanwhile, sauté the onion for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic and steamed PSB and stir fry on a low heat for a few more minutes - add a little of the steaming water if the pan gets a bit dry so the garlic doesn't burn. Season with salt and pepper. Add the PSB mix to the cooked spaghetti, and serve topped with the walnuts and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Original kedgeree

Every now and then my husband gets the urge to have a session in the kitchen. Apart from the inevitable mess, I love it when he's inspired to try out something different - not only does it give me the night off, but it's usually something he's been thinking about for a while and researched within an inch of it's life. Big contrast to my sudden inspiration, throwing things together to see what happens approach!

He's been mainly plant based for over a year and a half now which is quite a surprise to both of us! Having gone for it, he's quite happy not to go back eating to meat and dairy for now as it stops him from pigging out on pastries and burgers. There are a few things he misses though (thankfully beer is plant based). Oddly, one is kedgeree, something we rarely ate but obviously on his list of 'foods I love'. So he decided to get researching to make a completely plant based version.
It didn't take him long to discover the original version of kedgeree - kichiri, a simple Indian comfort food, traditionally given to those under the weather. Legend has it that kedgeree, which includes milk, fish and egg, was devised by Colonial Brits in India, then brought back to England, although according to Wikipedia, there is some contention that it appeared in Scotland in the 1700's; the India connection remains intact though. When exactly a fish, rice and egg combo became a breakfast dish, I'm not so sure.
Kichiri is the perfectly balanced plant based dish. A mixture of rice, lentils and some super spices, it's tasty, satisfying and remarkably moreish despite the simplicity. The lentils give it a little bit of texture and it's aromatic rather than spiciness, so gentler on the palate.
Rice and lentils create the perfect plant based protein - both these lovelies contain the full range of essential amino acids. Even though it's one of the top arguments detractors will come up with when you decide to go plant based, there's no fear about missing out on protein as long as you eat a wide range of products. And of course wholegrain is best as more nutrients are retained. And lentils give you much more than just protein - they also have a wonderful dollop of fibre, manganese, iron and B vitamins amongst others.
A cucumber raita completes this dish perfectly - using dairy free yoghurt of course! You could get flashy and add make a little spicy tempering to go on the top - toasted cumin and mustard seeds with a couple of dried red chillis and some fresh curry leaves to finish. Lovely.
So why not give this a go and see what you think - is definitely different to kedgeree but still comfortably familiar!
Kichiri (serves 4)

160g green lentils
270g wholegrain basmati rice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 onion, diced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of salt
1 litre water
couple of handfuls fresh coriander
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the cumin and black mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add the onion and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn. Add the carrot and red pepper and cook for another minute or so, then add the garlic, rice and lentils as well as the ground coriander, turmeric and salt and cook on a low heat stirring all the time. After a minute or so, carefully pour in the water, bring to the boil and pop on the lid. Turn the heat down low and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the lentils are tender. Turn off the heat, and leave to steam for a couple of minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fresh coriander over the top to serve. Enjoy!

Beautiful broad beans with olive tapenade

In my mind, broad beans are forever connected with my dad. When I was very young, the house we lived in had a big garden. We had the obligatory swing and slide, a cute little wooden wendy house for us to play in and a purpose built sand pit that the local cats just loved to use as their toilet of choice!
Dad claimed the top right hand corner for himself, and create three large strips for growing vegetables. I'm sure he grew many different types of produce, but the only one I remember is broad beans. His beans grew in abundance, and it seemed we had them as a vegetable every day. The problem was, I hated them! I tried to like them - after all, they were fresh and my dad had put a lot of effort into growing them, but they were just too bitter and unpalatable to an unappreciative six year old. So I chased them round the plate, tried to hide them in my lap and generally just whinged and moaned so much, my parents gave up. We moved the following year to a house with a smaller garden, so no more vegetable patch for dad, and no more broad beans for us.
It took years before I would eat the dreaded broad beans again. When I realised how beautiful and sweet they tasted once the tough outer layer was removed, I felt sad that we missed out enjoying the fruits of dad's labour. And now I grow a few of my own veg, I also realise how much our moaning and complaining must have annoyed him!
Broad beans (otherwise known as fava beans) are packed full of flavour and fabulous nutrients, so they really are worth a try. For a start, they have loads of fibre that will keep your gut happy and healthy. They are also full of B vitamins, including folate which is an essential vitamin for cell growth and development, so perfect if you are pregnant, or planning to be. Along with the B's, broad beans also have good amounts of minerals such as manganese, iron and magnesium and a fabulous dose of potassium. Broad beans are a good source of plant based protein too, so will help keep you full for longer.
Whilst you can buy them frozen, fresh beans are best, and although they are a little time consuming to prepare, it's worth it. Buy juicy pods that are not too large and break them open to release the beans inside. Tiny ones don't need the next layer removing, but in general pop your beans into a pan of boiling water to blanche for a minute or two, then drain and leave for a couple of minutes until they have cooled enough to be handled. Pinch off the outer skin to reveal the brilliant green pod within.
We had guests recently, and I served broad beans with olive tapenade as part of a tapas style meal. The strong, sharp flavours of the tapenade complements the gorgeous fragrant beans. It's incredibly moreish, but unlike normal tapenade, this one has no added oil so is super healthy and guilt free, so you can eat it until your heart, and stomach, is content.
Why not give this a go one summer's evening, along with some crunchy flat bread and a glass of something crisp and fresh? Cheers, dad!
Broad bean and olive tapenade (serves 4)

400g broad beans (shelled weight)
3 tablespoons pitted black olives
1 tablespoon capers
handful of chopped flat leafed parsley
handful of mint leaves, chopped
a few chives, chopped
1 small clove garlic, crushed
juice and zest of a lemon
Prepare the broad beans as mentioned above. Pop all the tapenade ingredients into a small blender and blitz for about 30 seconds - don't over blend as you want texture, not mush. Season with some black pepper if required. Drop tapenade over the broad beans whilst they're still warm to infuse the flavour. Can be served still warm, or cold.

Home-made almond butter

Eating a dairy free, whole food plant based diet is becoming less labour intensive as more products become available in the shops. This is great for convenience, but does carry a pretty hefty price tag, especially if that tag is headed 'free from'! And because of the need for an extended shelf life, products may not be as whole as they should be, with added extras - sugar, salt and oil are added to not only improve flavour as the natural taste fades over time, but also to act as preservatives. There are many other natural preservatives, and colours, many of which are now grown on yeasts, so are a no no for someone with a yeast intolerance.

My daughter has recently developed a passion for almond butter. Always declaring an innate dislike of peanut butter (despite never tasting it!!), I bought a jar of almond butter one day which she tried under protest. To her surprise, she loved it and has be adding it to her food in imaginative ways ever since (baked sweet potato with almond butter topping?). The jars found at the supermarket are pretty small and don't last long. They are also not cheap. I tried to make it myself, my ever reliable food processor working hard, but just ended up with a dry powder. I could have added oil, but then it wouldn't be a whole food, so never tried again.

Until recently that is. Browsing on the internet one day, I ended up on a discussion forum about making almond butter (it continues to amaze me what you can stumble upon on the web). According to this chat, almond butter was easy to make, only requiring whole almonds but needed one vital ingredient - patience!

I realised the dry powder I had created was only the middle stage of the butter making process. If I have let my processor continue for another five minutes or so, the nuts would have broken down enough to start releasing the natural oils which change the ground nuts from a dry paste into a beautifully rich, moist spread. And not only is the flavour remarkable, you know exactly what is in your almond butter. If you roast the nuts before hand, you don't even need to store it in the fridge, although I do, although more out of habit than necessity, because to be honest, it gets eaten up pretty quickly.

Almonds are amazingly healthy. They do contain lots of fat, but it's healthy monounsaturated, the type which has been proven to help lower the 'bad' cholesterol in your body and improve heart health. They also contain fabulous amounts of vitamin E, and anti-oxidant that helps in heart health, but also in your whole health, and is great for your skin and helps slow the ageing process. Almonds also have a shed load of fibre, a good amount of magnesium, which is also essential for heart and general health, B vitamins and phytonutrients essential for overall health, so what's not to like?

And of course, this process is applicable to any nut or seed. So I've made my own tahini, which is way more tasty and powerful than anything in a jar, plus the oil doesn't separate from the solids, which always seems to happen with shop bought. I also made peanut butter, which is seriously intense! So if you have a few spare minutes and fancy experimenting, give this a go and revel in the extraordinary flavours you'll create.

Almond Butter

1 1/2 cups almonds 

a food processor

patience

a small jar, cleaned and rinsed with boiling water

Heat your oven to 180oC. Place the almonds on a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes. Take them out the oven, check they're not getting burnt and pop them back for another couple of minutes. You don't want to over roast them otherwise they become too dry and you won't get a good butter. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Once cool, pop in your food processor and blitz on a medium speed until the nuts are broken down and stuck up the side of the bowl. Stop, get a spatula and scrap down to the bottom again. Resume processing. Repeat this process until the nuts eventually start  releasing their oil and stay at the bottom of the bowl. Increase the speed slightly and leave on until a beautifully unctuous butter is created. This will take about 10 minutes in total. Stop the processor and check the texture - continue until you get a smooth texture. Then spoon out into the clean jar and enjoy!

Asparagood!

Seasonal food is a hot topic; should we only buy what's available locally to reduce the environmental impact of transporting food around the world? Or should we buy whatever we want at any time of the year, something the big supermarkets are keen for us to do (they can charge more out of season!)? Then there's the argument that purchasing beans from Kenya, for example, boosts the local economy and helps relieve poverty and raise living standards.
It's a complex issue that can be debated for a long time. There are some foods that I really can't manage without all year - apples and bananas for example, although once the stored UK apples have finished, I do try to buy apples from Europe that are transported by land rather than air. And then there are some foods that, although you can buy throughout the year, should only be eaten during their short local season. For me, that's strawberries (British strawberries are just sublime!!) and asparagus.

There is something just wonderfully luxurious about fresh asparagus stalks; juicy and succulent, their strong pungent flavour bursts in your mouth, juices dripping down your chin, texture firm and crunchy (or that's how I like them any way). So beautiful they need little adornment other than a light seasoning of salt and pepper; I used to love then coated in frothy butter, but that's not possible on a dairy free diet (and sunflower spread just doesn't do it!).
Traditionally, the UK asparagus season is only 8 weeks long, from the end of April through to the end of June; it may last a little longer this year due to the cold spring. So now is the time to go grab your bunches of asparagus and indulge in some delectable dining. And your body will love you for it to, because each spear is packed with powerful nutrients. Asparagus is a fabulous source of folic acid, vitamin K, fibre, vitamin B6, thiamin, vitamin A and C. It also contains some interesting phytonutrients which work some amazing tricks inside the body!
Asparagus contains saponins and flavonoids as well as other anti-oxidants which have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Research shows that saponins can help relieve some chronic degenerative neurological conditions. The anti-oxidants, B vitamins and fibre can help improve heart health and reduce diabetes.
Asparagus also contains inulin, a carbohydrate that has a beneficially effect on the digestive system, or rather on the 'friendly bacteria' contained within. Much of our modern diet and way of living takes it's toll on the delicate eco-system in our guts. The inulin in asparagus isn't digested in the upper digestive tract, and provides a wonderful food source for the friendly bacteria lower down to feed on and grow, helping to heal a damaged gut lining and promote overall health. This is particularly relevant to people with food intolerance or allergies; re-establishing a colony of healthy bacteria is a good place to start the healing process.
Unfortunately for some, eating asparagus may bring many benefits, but there is one massive side effect - smelly wee!  Apparently, the pungent post-asparagus wee smell is formed after the break down of asparagusic acid, a concentrated sulphur containing compound. Up to 50% of asparagus eaters suffer from this phenomena to a greater or lesser extent. It really bothers some people, but if you don't mind, or don't suffer from this slightly embarrassing condition, then munch on those glorious stems whilst the going is good - your body will love you for it, even if your nose doesn't!

Two soups, dairy free!

Soup really is a "souper" food (just couldn't' resist!). It's warming, comforting, tasty and convenient and can be packed full of nutrients and goodies as all the veg and cooking fluid gets mixed up in one, ensuring many of the vitamins and minerals leached out during cooking are available for consumption.
What really annoys me about soup, though, is the amount of dairy products recipes or ready made soups contain. Often the most innocuous, simple soups found on shelves contain some form of dairy, even if it's just dried milk powder. Even my favourite Cranks recipe book includes milk and butter as a standard in many of their recipes. Of course if you're making it yourself, it's easy enough to substitute oil for butter etc but it's really not necessary in the first place.  Soup is definitely healthier, and I think yummier, without it.

Take for example the humble leek and potato soup - tasty and sumptuous in it's simplicity. The potato content creates the thick, creamy texture, seasoning enhances the underlying leekiness. So why do so many recipes include milk as a key ingredient? If cooked and blended correctly, this soup has a lovely smooth creaminess about it whilst being dairy free.
The same goes for watercress soup, another one of my favourite yummy lunches. Packed full of flavour and a serious amount of vitamin and mineral goodness, watercress soup, made with a little potato and some good veg stock, has a fabulous deep, creamy texture without needing a drop of cream or milk.
Of course, making a 'cream of' soup without any dairy can be a little more challenging: soya cream can be used but it carries quite a strong, sweet flavour that changes the overall taste. An alternative is cashew nut; a couple of handfuls can be cooked in the soup with the rest of the ingredients and blended in at the end. This creates a real thick richness to the soup, but also increases the fat content and cost, which is why I tend to stick to the humble spud!
Enough of the soap box and on with the recipes - here are two soups, dairy free and simply yummy to the core. Enjoy!
Leek and potato soup
1 small onion finely chopped
2-3 leeks (depending on size), well washed and chopped
1 carrot diced
1 medium potato
1 tsp vegetable oil
veg stock
salt and pepper
Heat the oil gently in that pan and add the onion and leek, stirring often to make sure it doesn't burn. Add a little of the veg stock if things start sticking. After a few minutes, add the carrot and potato, lower the heat and put on the lid, leaving it to simmer for 5 minutes or so to allow the veg to soften. Check once or twice for burning/sticky. Pour in the stock, enough to cover the veg and bring to the boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat again, pop on the lid and leave to simmer until everything is soft. Season and blitz until smooth, adding more veg stock to get the thickness you desire. Reheat to simmer, season again if necessary and serve.
Yummy watercress soup
My family love this soup, and their friends too, even though it's green! If you want extra green and hearty soup, include a few chard leaves as well. It becomes even richer and earthy!
1 small onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium potato, diced
1 teaspoon veg oil
veg stock
few chard leaves chopped (optional)
1 bag/large bunch watercress, rinsed
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the onion for a few minutes making sure it doesn't brown. Add the garlic and potato and continue to saute, stirring all the time. Add the veg stock to cover the potatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or so until the potato is cooked. If using the chard, chop the stems and add to the pan, simmering for a few minutes, then add the chopped chard leaves and watercress. Pour in some more stock to just cover the greenery, mix well and simmer for a few minutes until the leaves have wilted. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes, then blitz until smooth, seasoning to taste as you go. Enjoy!

Dal or lentil - it's a name thing

Before I came to India, I thought lentils were either red, puy and occasionally green, and that dal was a soupy kind of spicy dish. Then I went shopping in the local supermarket and discovered a whole array of "dal" with different names, some of those being the same product but hailing from a different part of India and called by the local name.

Just to make it even more confusing, whole lentils tend to be called "gram", a generic name for pulses, so includes chickpeas and other dried peas I hadn't come across before - cow pea and horse gram, both of which are really tasty (I have a great little easy cow pea dish I'll share with you soon). Once the pulse is split, and it's outer coating shed, the gram becomes a dal, or a lentil, in the right form for cooking dal. Confused? Me too!
I've worked out there are four main 'dals':
yellow dal, or yellow split peas as I knew them in the UK, or toor/tuvar dal in Hindi. This is split pigeon pea and used most commonly for your standard dal
mung dal which comes from the mung bean, a pale green lentil that has a real earthy look to it. Mung beans are a deep green when whole but paler and flecked with white when split
masoor dal, or red split lentils, the one I am most familiar with
urad dal, which comes from black gram, but is white when split. This is most common in South India and usually soaked and ground to make dosas and idlis, iconic breakfast items.
Whatever the name or colour, dals are really healthy, a tiny powerhouse of nutritious goodies, packed with protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and a whole array of B vitamins. Dal is made up of 20-30% protein, better than most meat products but without the saturated fat and cholesterol. It is not, however, a complete protein in the same way as meat. Pulses are low in the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) methionine and cysteine. So they should be eaten with another food which is high in these missing amino acids. Traditionally, dal is eaten with rice or some form of bread - chapati, roti etc. Whole rice and whole wheat are high in both methionine and cysteine, but low in lysine, another essential amino acid. Pulses just happen to be teaming with lysine and so dal and rice or chapati is the perfect dish!
Due to their high dietary fibre content, dal/lentils are very good for your bowels, but do have a reputation for creating rather a lot of wind - urad dal is the worst offender apparently, and mung the least and is often given to convalescents as it's easy on the digestion.  I always buy organic dals which are really widely available here, and only a few rupees more than the non-organic version.
The key to a good tasty dal is the tempering - the seeds and spices that are fried separately and then added at the end. If you want a low fat dish, go easy on the oil otherwise it will become loaded with fat. Ghee is often used for the tempering, which gives it a distinctive flavour but is pretty high in fat. Theoretically, ghee is non-dairy, but I'm not convinced so avoid using it at home. I've tried various different recipes since I've been in India, some more successful than others (dal and the pressure cooker just don't seem to work for me!). This is my favourite - big fat juicy tomatoes are the key to this dish!

Dal fry/Tarka Dal
1 cup of red split lentils, rinsed well and drained
1 finely chopped onion
2 x juicy tomatoes
1 -2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp tumeric
salt
oil
salt
(lemon juice)
For the tempering:
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 dried red chilli or 1 fresh green chilli
2 inch piece ginger, julienned
pinch of hing (asafoetida)
handful curry leaves
fresh coriander for garnishing
First, heat the oil and fry the onion and salt for a few minutes then add the garlic and keep stirring until it's lightly brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lentils and turmeric, heat through and add 3 cups (ish) of water - if you want a thicker dal, add less than 3. Cook on a low heat for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are soft and mushy. In a separate pan, heat a little more oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once they start to pop, add all the other ingredients except the coriander and cook for a few minutes. Tip the tempering into the cooked lentils, mix together and simmer for a couple of minutes, adding a squeeze of lemon juice to help make the proteins more available, garnish with the coriander and serve with cooked brown rice or some whole wheat chapatis.

Green gunge - but it's good for you!!!

One of my dear friends recently lost loads of weight by following a juicing diet. I was sceptical at first -  how couldjust drinking juice be good for you. It may be full of vitamins and minerals, but what about the fibre and surely you get too hungry (I like my food fairly solid!) and end up bingeing? But she practically glowed with good health as she dropped 2 dress sizes, so there must be something to it.

Hak growing by the roadside

Health, whether good or bad, comes from the food we put in to our bodies. Juicing provides extra shots of vital goodies to help our bodies deal with the constant stresses and toxins we are exposed to, both external and internal, although I believe in the long run it's best to eat the whole food rather than just the juicy parts.
Our bodies know what we need if we learn to listen to it. Since living in India, I have craved green leaves which must mean I'm low in B vitamins, iron or calcium (not sure which) and have even been known to stir fry cauliflower leaves that are usually discarded just because green leaves are hard to come by. On my recent trip to Kashmir, I came across hak which is grown locally in Srinigar. It's similar to kale and I couldn't get enough of it and begged the hotel to serve it to me at every meal, it was so gorgeous. It was sautéed in water along with mustard oil, Kashmiri red chilli, salt and a little local masala, or seasoning. Occasionally a little spicy, it's deep rich green flavours were just divine!
After attending a healthy eating cooking seminar a few months ago, I discovered green smoothies. Made up of 60% fruit and 40% green leaves, they really are quite delicious and leave you feeling revitalised and full of energy - that's after you've managed to get your head around the fact that the green gunge in the glass is actually something you want to ingest! Spinach is pretty easy to come by here; the little organic grocers stocks some beautifully green bunches, leaves not too big. It tastes pretty strong, much more so than the lovely baby leaves you can by in the supermarkets in the UK, so it's green hard core from the off. Called palak, it's not traditionally eaten raw here - my maid was horrified to find out I ate uncooked leaves, and surprised to find out I lived to tell the tale!
Green smoothies can be made with any green leaf as it's base - spinach, celery or beetroot tops even mint. The key is to vary your intake and not have them every day - raw green leaves contain oxalic acid. Consuming large amounts of oxalic acid can be toxic (you would need a lot of greens every day for this to happen). It binds to metals, such as iron, making it unavailable for absorption in to the body. This therefore means that spinach isn't a great source of iron in the diet, despite what Popeye might say. However, vitamin C enhances iron absorption, so matching spinach with lemon for example counteracts the negative effects of oxalic acid. And green leaves are an amazing source of vitamin B, calcium and magnesium to name a few.
I've featured my favourite green smoothie combination, but you can make up whatever you like. Grind the green leaves in the blender first before adding the other ingredients as the cellulose in the cell walls takes some time to break down.
Spinach, watermelon and banana smoothie

Handful of spinach leaves, thoroughly washed
Big chunk of watermelon
2 small ripe bananas or 1 medium
juice of sweet lime
flaxseed powder (if you want an omega 3 shot).
Place the spinach in the blender and blast on full power until the leaves are broken and mushy. Add in the fruit and juice and blast again until everything is incorporated and fluid - this may take up to 2 minutes depending on the speed of your blender. Sprinkle in flaxseed powder if you are using it and whizz again for a moment. Poor into a glass, close your eyes and deceive your brain as you knock it back. I managed to get my son to try it despite his dubious face - he actually admitted it tasted good but preferred his fresh pineapple juice as it looked more normal!