Braising for Beginners
Nom de plume of Francine Wolfe Schwartz
When I was picking up my farm share last week I overheard someone asking about braising mix. She looked a little befuddled and my guess is the term “braising” was unfamiliar to her when talking about cooking vegetables rather than less tender cuts of meat.
Hardy greens – collards, mustard, turnip or kale with their deep green color and sturdy stems are often called braising greens. The cooking method is the same as with meats. First sauté hardy greens in a small of butter or oil and finish cooking by adding a small amount of liquid (juice, stock or water) then cover tightly with a lid and cook until just tender.
These hardy greens have tender cousins – komatsuna, spinach,tatsoi, beet greens and watercress. Cook tender greens with a quick sauté adding little or no liquid.
Storing
Wrap unwashed greens in a clean cotton dish towel or paper toweling in a sealed plastic bag. Eat tender greens within 3-5 days and the hardier greens a week-10 days.
Preparing
Fill a sink or bowl with water. Swish greens allowing any sand to fall to the bottom.
Scoop out the greens, change the water and rinse again. Taste a leaf to make sure all the sand has been washed away. It’s fine to leave stems on tender greens but you’ll want to make sure to remove tough stems from hardy greens. Otherwise the leaves will cook to mush while the stems remain tough.
Remove stems easily by stripping away the leaves or fold leaf in half and cut away the stems. Stack a few leaves at a time; roll into a cigar shape then cut into 1-inch ribbons.
Recipes often call for cups of “loosely” packed greens. To avoid adding more than the recipe calls for drop handfuls of greens into a measuring cup then gently push the greens in the cup.
Greens can be added to soups, combined with pasta dishes and fill enchiladas, quesadillas, lasagna or in macaroni and cheese. Greens are perfectly matched with egg dishes served for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
Brunch Strata with Greens, Swiss and Sausage
Perfect for entertaining prepare this egg casserole the day before and it’s ready to pop in the oven while coffee is brewing and the juice is poured.
1 large bunch of dark leafy greens (such as komatsuna, spinach collards, chard, or kale)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread ( a one-pound loaf)
1 lb. sweet pork or turkey Italian sausage, removed from casings (optional)
6 oz coarsely grated Swiss cheese (2 cups)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Directions
Butter a 3-quart gratin dish or other large ceramic baking dish. Set aside.
Wash and finely chop greens. Set aside.
Sauté onion in the butter or olive oil in a large saucepan for 3-4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Add the greens and cook until just wilted and tender. Remove from the heat.
Spread 1/3 of the bread cubes in the bottom of the dish, top with 1/3 of the spinach mixture, then with 1/3 of both of the cheeses. Repeat the layering 2 more times, ending with the cheeses.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, mustard, and the salt, pepper and ground nutmeg. Pour evenly over the strata and cover with plastic wrap. Chill overnight in the refrigerator, or at least 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Allow strata to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap and bake strata in middle of oven until puffed and golden brown, 45-55 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
6-8 servings
Adapted from epicurious.com
Spinach with Chickpeas
Enjoy this vegetable-rich nibble as they do in Spain, spooned onto small rounds of fresh or lightly toasted bread.
1 pounds baby spinach (about 6 cups loosely packed)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4cup golden raisins
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
Rinse spinach and let drain in a colander. With water still clinging to leaves, place half the spinach in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook, tossing with tongs and adding the remaining spinach by the handful until all is added and wilted, 3-4 minutes. Drain in the colander. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
Carefully wipe out the pan, then heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is tender and lightly browned, 5-6 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt and paprika. Using a potato masher, mash some of the chickpeas, then cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in raisins and broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add the chopped spinach and stir gently to combine. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil just before serving.
6 servings, about 1/2 cup each
Source: eatingwell.com
