Green is Great

Braised Greens

I like to have something green on my plate whenever possible -- with the exception of breakfast, that is. Salads will suffice; and salads are a great way to start a restaurant meal to keep you from overeating later. (Just be sure not to have a fat- and calorie-laden salad!)
Here's a recipe for braised greens that's a delicious and super-healthful side dish with any meat or seafood you might be serving.
Substitute kale, Swiss chard, or even spinach for some of the greens in the recipe. Make it vegetarian by using veggie broth instead of chicken broth; also omit the cheese, and it's vegan. Or you can kick it up in flavor with 1/2 cup of diced ham and/or a dash of cayenne pepper.
The recipe makes a large amount, so there will be plenty for leftovers, or you can serve a big group first time around. The greens taste good hot, room temperature or even cold from the fridge. Looking for something healthy to bring along to a summer cookout? This could work!

Recipe: Braised Southern Greens
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 T olive or canola oil

2 cups finely chopped aromatic vegetables (a mix of onion, celery, carrots and bell peppers)

1-2 T minced garlic

1 10-12-ounce package sliced mushrooms

11/2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 lb. rinsed, chopped Southern greens (collard, mustard, turnip)

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 T toasted nuts (such as pine nuts, almonds or pumpkin seeds, or a mix)

Shredded mozzarella cheese, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large, deep bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and stir well. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until vegetables soften, about 3-4 minutes. Uncover and stir in garlic, then add mushrooms. Add a little broth if the pan seems too dry. Cover again and let mushrooms soften, about 3-4 minutes.

Increase heat to medium, uncover and add the rest of the broth and one-third of the greens along with salt and pepper. Keep adding greens a little at a time while their volume reduces. Once all the greens are in the pan, cover and cook on low for 25-30 minutes, until the greens are tender. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings as needed, and stir in vinegar.
Ladle into a serving bowl, sprinkle with nuts and (if using) cheese. 

Mixed Greens & Dinner

Last night I made this excellent side dish: mixed Southern greens sauteed with mushrooms, shallots and red pepper. The greens were in a convenient bag, pre-cut and pre-washed, a combo of mustard, turnip and collards.
To go with it (bottom photo) we had a small piece of artic char, black-eyed peas and a piece of whole grain garlic toast. And I finished off a bottle of cabernet sauvignon we'd had open for a couple of days.

Recipe: Mixed Greens Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 T canola oil
1 8-ounce package sliced mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, coarsely diced
2 shallots, minced
2 T minced garlic
1/2 of a 16-ounce package of precut greens, or Swiss chard
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth or stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash cayenne pepper, optional
3 T good quality balsamic vinegar, plus more at the table

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, pepper and shallots. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until the veggies start to brown. Stir in garlic and reduce heat to medium.
Add half of the greens and a half cup of broth. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until greens start to wilt. Uncover and add remaining greens and broth, plus seasonings (except vinegar).
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until greens are tender, about 5 more minutes.
Stir in vinegar and serve.

Mad for Rapini

This vegetable is still in season -- I got a lovely bunch at Bigg's just the other day.

If you think this Italian green is too bitter, the secret to making it less so is to blanch the chopped greens in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, drain, and then add to your saute pan with other ingredients.

The photos show: Raw bunch of rapini, with those darling little broccoli flowers; Chopped rapini in one bowl (before blanching) and chopped mushrooms, red pepper, garlic and onion in another; The dish combined in the pan; The finished product, sprinkled with cheddar and mozzarella cheese.

After draining the greens, add them to a large skillet in which you have sauteed whatever other veggies you would like to add. I didn't have any on hand, but chopped fennel would have been a delicious partner, and chopped leeks would be swell, too. Add some vegetable or chicken broth (about a cup), salt and pepper and a little crushed red pepper flakes. In addition to topping with cheese, you also can add toasted pine nuts or other nuts. I love this stuff!

Greens -- the dark, leafy kind

Dark greens are some of the superfoods, so chock-full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber that they deserve to be on our menus regularly. And now they're easier than ever to cook, thanks to prewashed, prebagged packaging at your corner supermarket.
Using a one-pound bag of Trader Joe's "Southern Greens" mix -- collards, kale, spinach and a couple of others -- I made some delicious greens with dinner.
The photo shows them served with slices of cranberry cornbread (from Whole Foods) and a small, pan-fried boneless pork chop.

Recipe: Mixed Greens Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 T canola or olive oil
1 cup chopped celery, carrots and/or onions
2 T minced garlic
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 16-ounce bag prewashed mixed greens, about 6 cups
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg

Instructions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots and onions; stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
Add broth and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to medium. Stir in greens, 2 cups at a time, covering pan and allowing each batch to wilt somewhat before adding the next two cups.
When all the greens are in, add seasonings and cover the pan again. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for another 5-10 minutes, depending on the level of doneness you prefer.
Use a slotted spoon to serve.