Categories
Recipes

Sauteed Greens with Ginger & Sesame

recipe via Food and Wine

What a great recipe to use up those beet greens! It can easily be made the day prior and refrigerated.

Ingredients
2 pounds tender greens, such as watercress, spinach, dandelion greens, beet greens or escarole—leaves coarsely chopped, thick stems discarded
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Method
1. Heat a large pot. Add the greens and cook over high heat, tossing with tongs just until wilted. Transfer the greens to a colander and press out the excess liquid.

2. Wipe out the pot. Add the vegetable oil and heat until shimmering. Add the ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the greens, season with salt and cook over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the toasted sesame seeds, transfer the greens to a bowl and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Categories
Recipes

Horta Vrasta: Boiled Leafy Green Salad


recipe via About.com; photo via Greek-salad-recipes.com


This salad can be made with spinach, beet greens, as well as greens others might consider weeds, such as dandelion greens and nettles or any dark leafy green, such as mustard greens or broccoli rabe (raab, rapini). In rural Greece, horta, is the local green of choice.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of spinach
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons

Method
1. Wash the greens carefully, discarding thick stems and damaged leaves.

2. In a large pot, bring 1-2 inches of salted water to a boil, and add the greens. Boil for 4-15 minutes until softened and dark green, tasting to check for doneness (time depends on the greens used). Remove with tongs, squeezing out the water and drain in a colander.

3. Serve greens warm or at room temperature. Place on individual salad plates, add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice to taste.

Yield: serves 4