Stinkerpants

Delicious Greens: It’s Possible.

February 24, 2009 in Cooking

 Image found here

I’ve been getting a little sick of collard greens and kale, I’m not going to lie.  Our CSA box has been teeming with these winter greens for weeks.  I’m not a huge fan of very bitter greens, so…yeah.  Kinda hate the radicchio, too.

This week, though, I gained a new appreciation for collard greens.  First off, they’re gorgeous.  I love how the water beads on the leaves.  Secondly, they’re fun to chop.  They’re tougher than most greens, so there’s a satisfying crunch when you cut into them.

But they’re still collard greens, right?  Wrong.  I tried out this recipe and was delighted by the results.  Try it.  I kid you not.

Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta and Collard Greens

Makes 8 to 10 servings

 Ingredients

• 1  (16-ounce) package rigatoni or penne pasta
• 1/4  cup  butter
• 1  medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  pound  collard greens, washed, drained, and chopped
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2  cups  milk
• 1  cup  shredded mozzarella
• 1  cup  ricotta cheese
• 2  teaspoons  sugar
• 2  teaspoons  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  teaspoon  red pepper flakes
• 1/2  cup  grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation1. Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

2. Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; sauté onion 5 minutes or until just brown. Add garlic, and cook about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add greens; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until greens are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Sprinkle greens with flour. Cook uncovered, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring well. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often, until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta, mozzarella, and next 5 ingredients. Place into prepared dish, and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan.

4. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes.

 I changed this recipe slightly by substituting the milk with No-Chicken broth and omitting the flour.  It was delicious!

 Image found here

I also found a recipe for kale that made me very happy.  Well, I’m not entirely sure you can even call this a recipe–it’s that easy:

Roasted Kale with Sea Salt

• 4 cups firmly-packed kale
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. good-quality sea salt, such as Maldon or Cyprus Flake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and trim the kale: Peel off the tough stems by folding the kale leaves in half like a book and stripping the stems off. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for five minutes. Turn kale over. Roast another 7 to 10 minutes until kale turns brown and becomes paper thin and brittle. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 186 calories, 14 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 4 g protein, 412% vitamin A, 268% vitamin C, 18% calcium, 13% iron

Despite my searching, I couldn’t find any of the fancy pants sea salt they mention in this recipe.  I just used regular old sea salt, and it was delectable.