Tag Archives: Greens

Smoky Mustard Greens Soup

Posted on by
  • ½ lb. sweet Italian sausage
  • ¼ lb. smoky Canadian bacon, diced
  • 2 cups diced onions (or leeks)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups thick tomato puree
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 8 cups finely chopped mustard greens
  • salt and pepper

Remove the casings and brown the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon.  Remove the sausage from the pan and drain off all but 1 Tbs. of fat (if using chicken sausage, you may need to add some olive oil).  Sauté the bacon, onions, and garlic in the fat until the onions are limp, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomato puree, chicken broth, and sausage.  Simmer the soup for 10 minutes.  Add the chopped mustard greens and simmer the soup long enough to wilt the greens; they should be bright green and tender in about 3-5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.

Serves 6.

From Joy of Gardening Cookbook by Janet Ballantyne.

Smoky Greens Sauté

Posted on by
  • 1 ¾ lb. greens
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup drained canned diced tomatoes
  • ½ tsp. smoked Spanish paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)
  • Pinch of fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper

Chop greens, dicing stems and chopping leaves coarsely.  In a large, deep skillet, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Add leaves and stems of greens an cook over high heat until just tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain in a colander, pressing to extract extra liquid.  Wipe out skillet.  Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering.  Add the garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until just beginning to color.  Add the tomatoes and paprika and cook until slightly thickened, a few minutes.  Add cooked greens, fennel seeds and a couple of tablespoons of water, if needed.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Stir in white wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately. From Food and Wine February 2005.   NOTE:  I didn’t have smoked paprika, so I started the sauté by cooking ¼ lb. of bacon, cut into small pieces.  I added the garlic after that and continued with the recipe, using regular paprika in place of smoked.

Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce

Posted on by
  • 4 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs grated ginger
  • 4 Tbs soy sauce
  • 3 Tbs rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup veg. or sesame oil
  • hot pepper oil (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sesame seeds, and hot pepper to taste.  Pour over stir-fry when all ingredients are cooked and mix well.

Scallops with Raab

Posted on by

For the lentils

  • 4 tbsp lentils
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tsp chopped sage

For the cima di rapa

  • 1.5 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 dried chilli
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 400g cima di rapa, leaves removed from stalks, thick parts of the stalks sliced at the bottom

For the scallops

  • 12-16 scallops, in their shells (or buy the scallops out of their shells and ask your fishmonger for 4 cleaned shells)
  • olive oil

To garnish

  • 2 tsp chopped parsley
  • 2 tsp capers, drained

For the lentils: place the lentils, chopped garlic and sage in a small saucepan with enough water to cover them to twice their depth. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain if necessary and set aside.   Crush the fennel and chilli together in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-based frying pan and lightly fry the fennel seeds, chilli and garlic for 1-2 minutes.  Meanwhile, blanch the cima di rapa stalks in a pan of boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then add the leaves and cook for a futher 2 minutes. Once the cima di rapa is cooked, drain and add to the frying pan with the fennel seeds, chilli and garlic. Lightly fry for a few more minutes.  Remove the cima di rapa mixture from the pan and chop finely. Put it back in the pan along with the lentils and heat through with a splash of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For the scallops: if using scallops in their shells, remove from the shells, trim the scallops and reserve 4 cleaned shells for serving. Rub the scallops with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan and fry the scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side until slightly caramelised and just cooked. To serve, pile the cima di rapa into the cleaned scallop shells, spoon over a few lentils and top with the scallops. Garnish with the parsley and capers.

Savory Bread Pudding

Posted on by
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
  • 4 cups whole grain bread cut into 1” cubes
  • 5 cups chopped greens, wilted
  • 1 cup diced ham
  • ¾ cup shredded Gruyere

To wilt the greens rinse thoroughly in cold water.  Transfer into a large microwaveable bowl with a cover.  Microwave on high 2-3 minutes until greens are wilted.  Squeeze out any excess moisture before using greens in recipe.

Preheat oven to 375°.  Grease an 11 x 8 inch baking dish or 2 qt. casserole.  Whisk together egg whites, eggs and milk in a medium bowl.  Add mustard, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss bread cubes, ham and wilted greens together in a large bowl, add egg mixture and stir well to coat the bread.  Transfer to baking dish and push down to compact.  Cover with foil.  Bake until custard has set; 40-45 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with Gruyere and continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top; 15-20 minutes.

Adapted from Eating Well April/May 2006.

Sauteed Daikon Radish on a Bed of Wilted Greens

Posted on by
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. garlic, peeled & finely minced (about 3 large garlic cloves)
  • 1 Tbsp. shallot, peeled & finely minced (about 1 large shallot)
  • 1 c. daikon radish, peeled & sliced crosswise into paper-thin rounds (about 1 large radish)
  • 2 c. daikon greens, finely chopped crosswise into narrow strips
  • 1/4 c. fresh sorrel, finely minced
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped crosswise into narrow strips
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (about 10 sprigs)
  • 1 c. water
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tbsp. low-fat sour cream
  • Parmesan cheese, grated (for garnish)

Saute garlic & shallot in olive oil on low heat, & cook until tender (about 30 seconds). Add all other ingredients, except the sour cream & Parmesan cheese, and cook until liquid has almost completely evaporated. Be sure to cook the ingredients on low-heat, as you want to blanch the greens, so that they retain their bright green color. Taste-test a radish (allow it to cool first so you don’t burn your mouth!); it should be pliable but still retain a bit of its crunch. When ready, remove from heat. Allow to cool a bit, mix in sour cream, stir thoroughly, garnish with Parmesan cheese, & serve. From Cookingwithcorey.info

Radish Top Soup

Posted on by
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup chopped onions or leek
  • 8 cups loose packed radish leaves
  • 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
  • 6 cups water or stock
  • salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approx. 5 minutes.  Stir in radish tops and cover pan.  Cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in stock along with 1 tsp. salt.  Combine with radish tops and cook, covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors.  Puree finely in food processor or food mill.  Add heavy cream if desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot or cold.  Note: less butter can be used and cream is unnecessary.  We add whole radishes to the potatoes for more radish flavor.

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.

Pasta Shells with Greens

Posted on by
  • 1 -1/2 Lbs mixed greens
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • small pasta shells for 4 people
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 chopped canned tomatoes
  • hard cheese

Heat a large pan of water for the pasta.  Chop greens finely, discarding any tough stem ends.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the greens with the garlic stirring often.  The greens will reduce in volume.  When the greens are soft but still a vibrant green, season with salt and pepper and add the tomatoes.  Continue cooking to reduce the juice from the tomatoes.  When the pasta has cooked, drain and divide into serving bowls.  Top with the mixed greens and tomatoes, then sprinkle on some hard cheese such as asiago, pecorino or parmesan.   Serve immediately.

Oriental Noodle Salad

Posted on by
  • 4 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs grated ginger
  • 4 Tbs soy sauce
  • 3 Tbs rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup veg. or sesame oil
  • hot pepper oil (optional)
  • 1/2 onion or 6 scallions, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups shrimp (optional)
  • 2-3 handfuls of chopped arugula
  • 6 oz soba noodles

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and hot pepper to taste.  Stir in onions, sesame seeds and meat.  Chicken, turkey or marinated tofu can be substituted for shrimp.  Set aside and allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes.  Boil soba noodles according to directions on package.  Rinse in cold water, drain and mix in.  Trim any fibrous stem ends from pea greens, steam til bright green.  Drain and add to salad.  Adjust seasonings, toss and serve.

Nonna’s Sneaky Greens Soup

Posted on by

This was how my Tuscan grandmother got me to eat the greens I detested. They said I was a bright child, but I didn’t catch up to what she was doing until I was well into my teens.

  • 8 cups chicken broth (homemade if possible)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup whole canned tomatoes, crushed with your hands (do not use canned crushed tomatoes)
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium to large onion, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 large handfuls escarole or curly endive leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/3 tight-packed cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 cup tiny pasta (anice, orzo, stars or alphabets)
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup or more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Working Ahead: Soup can be done a day ahead up to point of adding the pasta.

1. In a 6 quart pot combine the broth, wine and tomatoes. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, chickpeas, greens and basil. Simmer partially covered 20 minutes.

2. Stir in the pasta and simmer, partially covered, 8 minutes or until pasta is tender. Taste soup for seasoning. Serve hot, passing the cheese to be sprinkled on the soup as its final seasoning.   Serves 6 to 8 as a first course; 4 to 6 as a light main dish.

Copyright 2004 Lynne Rossetto Kasper.