Greens With Garlic And Chiles Recipes

THAI SAUTEED GREENS WITH CHILI AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add a few handfuls of the greens, allow them to wilt slightly, then add more greens in the same manner. Toss well to coat with oil.
• Add the soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar; toss to combine.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and cook until the water released by the greens mostly evaporates, about 5 minutes. The greens are done when a little liquid still clings to the leaves and the stems are tender. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, sprinkle with chilies and serve.

SAUTéED GREENS WITH CHILES, GARLIC AND LEMON

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat. Add 4 each crushed garlic cloves, chopped Calabrian chiles in oil and wide strips of lemon zest; cook until softened, 2 minutes. Gradually add 1 large bunch chopped Tuscan kale, stirring to wilt, then add a 5-ounce package baby spinach. Increase the heat to medium, stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and cook until dry, 3 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

SAUTEED COLLARD GREENS WITH GARLIC, PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Remove and discard all but 1 inch of the collard stems. Cut the remaining stems out of the leaves, separating the leaves and stems. Cut the leaves into 2-inch squares. Slice the stems into thin slices.
• Wash the leaves in a big basin of water. Leave the water in the basin or sink and use a strainer to dip the leaves out of the water. Don't wash the leaves inside a colander or pour the water off the container with the leaves inside; this would allow any sand to stay with the greens. Wash the stems separately in the same basin of water, using the same method as the leaves.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Have a colander ready in the sink to drain the greens and a bowl of water with ice cubes in it to chill the greens.
• Cook the stems for 1 minute. Add the leaves, and once they turn bright green, fish out a small leaf to taste it. The greens are done when they taste tender. You can't really tell whether the greens are done without tasting them.
• Pour the cooked greens into the colander to drain. Once the hot water has drained off, carefully put the hot greens into the ice water. Once the greens feel cool to the touch, drain them in a colander again. Drain for about 10 to 15 minutes so that they are quite dry. (At this point, the greens may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
• Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions gently in the oil. Raise the heat and add the peppers, and then the garlic. Add the blanched greens and saute until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

GREENS WITH GARLIC AND CHILES

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add kale and 2 tablespoons water. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Season with salt. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, about 15 minutes more.
• Clear a space in center of skillet, and add remaining tablespoon oil, the garlic, and chile. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

SAUTéED GREENS WITH FRESNO CHILES

Steps:

• Tear the leaves from 1 small bunch each escarole, Swiss chard and Tuscan kale; chop the stems. Rinse and blot dry. Sauté the chopped stems, 3 smashed garlic cloves and 1 chopped seeded Fresno chile in 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over high heat until the garlic is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the leaves in two batches and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

STIR-FRIED ASIAN GREENS WITH CHILES AND GARLIC

Steps:

• 1. Carefully inspect the greens, discarding or trimming off any spoiled stems or leaves. Trim the bottom ends off and discard. Wash the greens in several changes of the coldest possible water; tepid water might cause them to wilt, and you want them to stay as alert and perky as possible before being cooked. (Note: Because bok choi and baby bok choi tend to have pockets full of sand in the nooks where the leaves meet the center stem, be certain to pull the leaves back slightly away from the stem when you're cleaning them. There are few things worse than a mouthful of sand when you want a mouthful of greens.)
• 2. Cut the cleaned greens into pieces 2-1/2 to 3 inches long. If any of the stems are particularly wide - say, more than 1 inch - or are tough or sinewy-looking, cut them in half lengthwise. If you're using baby bok choi or baby Shanghai choi, you can either leave the heads whole or cut them in half lengthwise - it's up to you. Spin the greens dry in a salad dryer or set them aside to air-dry on a kitchen towel or paper towels; they needn't be bone dry - a little dampness won't matter.
• 3. In a wok, 12-inch skillet, Dutch oven, or soup pot (any pot large and wide enough to comfortably hold the greens will do), heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it's hot but not smoking - it should appear shimmery - add the garlic, the salt, and, if using, the chiles. Sauté, stirring until the garlic just begins to lose its rawness, about 1 minute. (Try not to let the garlic turn golden or golden brown, which would give this dish an inappropriate roasted taste.)
• 4. Add the greens. Raise the heat slightly and immediately begin to vigorously stir-fry the greens around the pot. Continue to vigorously stir-fry the greens until they just begin to go limp but the leaves remain a spring-green color and the stems are still crunchy-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the type of greens. Taste for salt, adding only a pinch more if necessary (a little salt goes a long way with greens).
• 5. Transfer the cooked greens to a large serving platter and serve promptly. Be careful not to pile the greens in a small bowl; since the greens will continue to cook for a minute or two after they're removed from the heat, a serving bowl that crowds them may cause them to overcook and become mushy.

SLOW-COOKED GARLICKY GREENS

Steps:

• Working in batches, cook greens in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain; let cool, then squeeze out excess water with your hands. Coarsely chop; set aside.
• Heat a clean large pot over medium. Cook garlic and 1/2 cup oil, smashing down on garlic with a wooden spoon, until golden and soft, about 4 minutes. Add chiles de árbol and cook 30 seconds to infuse the oil with chile. Reduce heat to medium-low; add reserved greens. Cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, until greens are deep green and tender, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer greens to a platter and drizzle with more oil.