Info
- Course: Side Dish
- Skill Level: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Favorited: 3 Times
Braised Greens with Walnuts and Sour Cherries
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Recipe
Tart fruit is a welcome surprise in savory dishes-especially this one, where the nicely pungent accent from the toasted walnuts rounds it all out. The result is surprisingly balanced and smooth.
To braise is to cook in liquid. It’s a process that’s similar to steaming, only the liquid is in contact with the food it is cooking, so it goes a little faster. Also, if the liquid is flavorful, that adds to the dish. For that reason, we strongly recommend using the vegetable broth option. The oil comes at the end, as a seasoning. Use a good, fruity, extra-virgin olive oil or an aromatic nut or seed oil (such as walnut oil or roasted pumpkinseed oil), which makes this dish absolutely delicious.
Yield :
3 servings (about ¾ cup per serving)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable broth or water (possibly more, as needed)
- 1 pound assorted fresh leafy greens, stemmed if necessary, and coarsely chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or a nut oil or seed oil
- ¼ cup dried sour cherries, cut into small pieces if large
- ¼ cup minced walnuts, lightly toasted
Directions
1. Heat the broth or water in a medium-large skillet with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Add the greens and sprinkle them very lightly with salt. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the greens wilt. (Check the level of broth or water after about 2 minutes, to be sure there’s enough liquid to prevent sticking or burning.)
3. Transfer to a serving dish, and toss with the oil and cherries. Serve hot or warm, topped with the walnuts.
Notes
A mixture of collards, mustard greens, and kale is particularly good, but you can also make this with spinach, escarole, beet greens, dandelion greens-just about any dark leaf
You can also use a “braising mix” sold in bulk in many produce departments, and also increasingly available packaged.
The amount of greens called for might seem enormous, but don’t forget they will cook down dramatically.
© 2007 Tante Malka, Inc., and Walter Willett, M.D.
Nutritional Information
Protein: 6 g / Saturated Fat: 1 g /
Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g /
Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g /
Dietary Fiber: 4 g / Calories: 174
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