Greens With Garlic And Chiles Recipes

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.

STIR-FRIED GREEN BEANS WITH PORK AND CHILES

Steps:

• Heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add the oil and let heat for another 30 seconds - it should be hot but not smoking. Stir in pork and 3/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until browned and crisp, 6 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Return pan to heat and add more oil if it looks dry. Stir in green beans, cook until they are crisp, tender and bright green, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir in chiles, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.
• Return pork to skillet, along with chopped cilantro, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Stir briefly to combine, then scrape into a serving platter.
• Sprinkle more vinegar and soy sauce on top to taste, then top with more chopped cilantro. Serve with rice, and sliced tomato, if you like.

WARM TASTY GREENS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add kale; cook, covered, 10-15 minutes or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon; discard cooking liquid. , In same pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add kale, parsley and salt; heat through, stirring occasionally.

HEARTY GARLIC GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop hearty greens into water and blanch for 4 minutes. Immediately plunge blanched greens into a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking. Drain, squeeze dry, and set aside.
• Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until the garlic is golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove garlic from skillet; set aside.
• Raise heat to high. Add hearty greens and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add spinach; season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Cook until spinach wilts, stirring frequently (about a minute). Return garlic to pan and stir. The greens can be served immediately or at room temperature.

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.

GARLIC GREENS

Steps:

• Cook 1 sliced onion, 8 whole garlic cloves and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika in a large pot with 3 tablespoons olive oil, about 2 minutes. Add 1 bunch each chopped mustard greens and kale, 2 cups water and a pinch each of sugar and salt. Simmer, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Add hot sauce to taste.

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.

SAUTEED GREEN BEANS WITH SOY, SHALLOTS, GINGER, GARLIC AND CHILE

Steps:

• Prepare the scallion garnish: Finely slice the scallions on an angle and drop them into a large bowl with ice and water - this will make the scallion threads curl up nicely so they look like ribbons. Set aside.
• Wash green beans under cold running water. Cut off the root ends and discard. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the beans and blanch until bright green, about 2 minutes. Shock in ice water then drain in a colander.
• Heat a large wok over high heat. Add the peanut oil, then add the shallots, garlic, ginger and chile. Stir the mixture around so it fries in the oil and gets fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the green beans and toss a couple of times to coat everything evenly. Saute for a couple of minutes so the beans get a little caramelization. Add the soy sauce and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes; the beans should still be nice and crisp. Transfer to a large platter and garnish with drained scallion curls.