Monday's Greek Recipe - Louvia me Lahano

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilo (1lbs 2oz) louvia also known as fasolia mavromatika (blackeyed beans)
• 1 onion chopped in fine rings (optional)
• 1 bunch of lahano (seskoula) - silverbeet 
• About 1 litre water - just enough to cover the louvia
• salt and pepper
• olive oil and fresh lemon juice

 
Lahano (in Cyprus), seskoula (in Greece) - silverbeet

Photo by

Serve with virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice
   

Directions

• Wash the louvia thoroughly in cold water.
• Put them in a pot with about 1 litre water and let boil over medium fire for about 25-30 minutes.
• In the meanwhile, wash the seskoula (silverbeet) and tear it in pieces.
• Add it to the boiling louvia when they're still half-cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Let boil over low fire (1 to 0 ) for another ten minutes.
• Drain the louvia with the lahano (seskoula ) and serve with onion rings(optional), olive oil and  fresh lemon juice.

Kali Orexi ! - Enjoy your meal.

Diet Nutrition & Black-Eyed Beans:

Black-eyed beans have a smooth texture, pealike flavour and are good when mixed with other vegetables. Like most beans, black-eyed beans are rich in the best sort of fiber - soluble fiber - which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. They are a good source of folate, potassium, copper, phosphorous and manganese. As a high-potassium, low-sodium food they help reduce blood pressure. Not only are they low in fat, but when combined with grains, beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein. Beans also contain protease inhibitors which frustrate the development of cancerous cells.

Comments

[Tina]

This looks so delicious and healthy! I am not quite sure what "silverbeet" is, though? Similar to endive..or kale?

[Stefania]

This is my favourite dish! I cook them at least once a week but I use courgettes instead of lahano. The boys didn't use to like them much but now they are beginning to really enjoy pulses - especially louvia and lentils with rice.

[Andreas]

Living away from home for so many years, thats is the kind of food I really miss. And yes, it's absolutely true that black-eyed beans not only frustrate many cancerous cells but they also are a great source of fiber. With all those greens that's even better.

[John]

It's about time I changed my rather unhealthy eating pattern. This sounds great to begin with.

[Anastasia]

I think that silverbeet is similar to English spinach and it's also known by the names of swiss chard and spinach beet. It's a great source of folate and iron. In Cyprus it's a very common vegetable which we mostly boil with pulses - dried vegetables, especially blackeyed beans and faba beans (splited beans)

[Anastasia]

I also love them with courgettes but Alkis doesn't, so I usually cook them with lahano.

[Anastasia]

I've also heard that a serving of louvia with lahano can replace meat. One more reason why they're so healthy.

[Anastasia]

Absolutely, John! Try them, I'm sure you'll love them.

[Karolina]

This dish is not very common in Greece but it is so healthy that I will try it. I love cooking and trying new dishes.

[Tina]

Swiss Chard is something I can easily buy here so I am going to try this recipe soon. Thanks for letting me know what "silver beet" is, Anastasia. :-)

[Christina]

Karolina is right - not a very common dish here. But I love it and sounds easy to make. In Greece blackeyed beans are mostly used in salads. We boil them, drain them, wait till they are cold and use them in salads with various greens, black olives and feta cheese.

[Laura]

Ever since you started posting your Greek recipes, I've bookmarked the site and tried quite a few of them - especially the ones with aubergines! And my family loved them all! But to be honest, like Tina, I wasn't sure what silverbeet is! There's lots of English spinach in my area and I even grow some in my garden. Well, at least I'm trying to. Sunday lunch is going to be yet another culinary surprise for my family. Thank you, Anastasia.