Dark Leafy Greens with Caramelized Onions, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
ingredients
- 6 cups kale or Swiss chard, stemmed, and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, cut into quarter moons (about 1 cup)
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup raisins or currants
- 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts (optional)
Most people I know are intimidated by dark leafy greens. They buy them because they should, yet the greens always seem to end up either in a vase as a bouquet or permanently exiled to the hinterlands of the fridge. Here's a better solution: adding a few raisins and caramelized onions cuts the bitterness of the greens by introducing some sweetness. My friend said her four-year-old ate these greens and said they tasted like candy. That's a kid with a bright future.
preparations
Cover the kale with cold water and set aside until ready to use. In a large, deep sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to low and cook slowly until the onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, just until aromatic. Add the raisins and stir for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of water to loosen all the flavorful bits from the bottom. Begin adding the greens to the pan with a pinch of salt, continuing to add as many greens as will fit in the pan. The water that adheres to the greens will be enough liquid to wilt the greens. Taste the greens, add an additional tablespoon of water, if needed, cover the pan, and cook the greens until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste again, adding of pinch of salt or a drop or two of maple syrup, if necessary. Arrange the greens on a plate and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Serve hot. Don't forget to pour the cooking juices over the greens before you add the nuts—more nutrients!
Prep Time: 15 minutes · Cook Time: 15 minutes · SERVES 6
Storage: Store for two days in the fridge in an airtight container
Per Serving Calories: 109; Total Fat: 5 g (1 g saturated, 3 g monounsaturated);
Carbohydrates:15 g; Protein: 3 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sodium: 129 mg
One trick to preparing greens is ripping them off their tough spines. This makes them easier to eat and digest. Once you've stemmed your greens (a great job for the little ones), chop them (the greens, not the kids) into bite-size pieces with your sharp chef's knife. When you add your greens to the pan, they will resemble Mount Vesuvius, but you'll be surprised how quickly that volcano of greens shrinks into a small mound. Another trick for preparing greens is to put them in a bowl of cold water for a bath; this allows dirt and sand to fall to the bottom. Remove the greens from the water, roll the leaves in bunches, cut them into thin ribbons, and then cut lengthwise into small bite-size pieces.
In her top-selling cookbook, One Bite at a Time, Rebecca shares more than 85 delicious, immune-boosting recipes for people living with cancer and their loved ones. READ MORE...
