A generation of green bean casseroles, candied carrots, stewed tomatoes and creamed corn left me unprepared to appreciate the joys of leafy greens—well, some of them anyway. Take raw spinach. None for me thanks—even though I knew full well how healthy it was.
Then I discovered, from watching someone’s Italian Grandmother, that aside from raw, and dripping out of a can, there was another version of spinach! Looked good, smelled good, and much to my surprise, tasted as good as it looked.
• One bag of washed spinach
• Olive oil and a few drops of garlic oil (from Asian markets—you’ll never burn the garlic again!)—or use chopped garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon juice
Heat olive oil/garlic oil over medium high heat—put in whole bag of spinach.
Toss with 2 forks or chopsticks until leaves begin to soften.
Add salt/pepper and toss again.
Remove from heat and splash with lemon juice—toss again.
This also works for well-washed and dried, chopped bok choy. For an Asian flavor, omit salt and finish greens with a splash of soy sauce and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
The Kitchen Hive