Sautéed Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

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Sweet, savory, spicy and just a tad bitter, this dish is the perfect balance of flavors. Use whatever greens you would like (e.g., Swiss chard, kale, turnip greens, spinach, etc.)—just keep in mind that spinach and turnip greens lose a lot of volume when cooked so use a large amount. 

Experiment with different dried fruits (e.g., cranberries, currants, cherries) and nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, pecans—these can be toasted in a pan, in the oven, or tossed in raw).

Serves: 2  

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 tablespoons raisins

  • 1 large bunch of greens (about 1 pound)

  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced

  • Few pinches crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

  • Roughly 1/4-1/2 cup of water

  • Pinch of sea salt and black pepper to taste


Instructions:

  1. Soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes then drain
     

  2. Rinse greens well; tear or cut leaves away from stems and discard stems; coarsely chop*
     

  3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat
     

  4. Add the pine nuts; toast, stirring frequently, until they’re fragrant and begin to brown (pay attention as they burn easily); remove from pan
     

  5. Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around
     

  6. Add the garlic and optional red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds (be careful not to burn the garlic)
     

  7. Add the greens a few bunches at a time, tossing with tongs to evenly coat with oil
     

  8. Toss in pine nuts, raisins and salt
     

  9. Add a splash of water if needed; toss to combine and let the liquid boil away; remove from heat once the liquid boils off and the greens are wilted (about 2-4 minutes)
     

  10. Add salt and black pepper to taste 

*For kale, remove the tough, thick center stems.  For Swiss chard, chop the bottom stems and sauté for a few minutes before adding the leaves.