Once the holidays are over, this side dish is a perfect match to any lunch or dinner entree. My husband and I started making this when we began buying beets on a weekly basis and had the stems and leaves left over. This recipe is perfect for any green, whether it be spinach, collard greens, or swiss chard. After washing and chopping them, they are ready to go into the pan with a few spices and flavours.
Ingredients
● 2 bunches beet greens or 1 bunch Swiss chard (enough to fill a salad spinner bowl)
● 3 tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil (any cooking oil of your choice), plus another ½ tsp to drizzle during cooking
● 5 cloves of garlic, crushed
● ¾ tsp cumin
● ¾ tsp paprika
● 2 or 3 lemon wedges to taste
Directions:
● I typically rinse the two bunches of greens three times in a salad spinner to make sure the sand and dirt have washed away.
● Cut the stalks and leaves into about 3-4 inch pieces.
● In a large pan or pot, sauté the garlic in 3 tbsp olive oil for a couple of minutes until it starts to brown slightly.
● While the garlic is browning, mix the cumin and paprika together in a side dish.
● Place half the amount of greens in the pan on top of the oil and garlic, and sprinkle half of the spice mix all over. Layer the remaining greens on top, and sprinkle the remaining spice mix evenly.
● Place lid on pan and let simmer for 10 minutes.
● At this point, the greens are softer and easier to mix. Take tongs or a wooden spoon and carefully stir the greens to distribute the garlic and spices.
● Cook for another 10 minutes and stir occasionally.
● Repeat until the stems have softened to your liking.
● Squeeze the lemon wedges to taste, and mix again.
Joy Elkayam is a kindergarten teacher, and volunteer at Parvati.org. In her spare time, she likes to experiment with recipes and create meals and desserts without gluten, dairy and sugar.