Rustic Cabbage Soup

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), we are saying goodbye to Heidi Swanson. We have cooked from her recipes for the  past six months, and it is time we move on to another chosen chef. I have not been cooking with Heidi's recipes as much as I wanted to, but I can always cook with her on our Potluck weeks. To say "Bon Voyage Heidi!", I've made her Rustic Cabbage Soup.

This soup is very easy to cook and do not take much time at all. Shredded cabbage, potatoes, white beans, onions and garlic are the ingredients used for this soup. For the stock, I've used Rapunzel vegetable stock bouillon. I've used canned butter beans. Heidi serves the soup with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese as the topping, of which I've omitted, preferring to eat it just as it is.

I made this soup for lunch, and it was a satisfying and lovely lunch. It is not often I had soup for lunch, and I would not mind making this again. 

Rustic Cabbage Soup
(source from 101cookbooks.com)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
a big pinch of salt
1/2 pound potatoes, skin on, cut 1/4-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 cups stock
1-1/2 cup white beans, precooked or canned (drained)
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons

more good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Warm the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes - it's o.k to uncover to stir a couple times. Stir in the garlic and onions and cook for another minute or two. Add the stock and the beans and bring the pot to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes, until the cabbage softens up a bit. Now adjust the seasoning - getting the seasoning right is important or your soup will taste flat and uninteresting. Taste and add more salt if needed, the amount of salt you will need to add will depend on how salty your stock is.

Serve drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a generous dusting of cheese.

********

Out of the nine Heidi recipes which I've made, the most favourite has got to be this Kale Rice Bowl.

I love everything in this bowl!

To see what the other lovely ladies have made  to say Bon Voyage Heidi! please stop by IHCC. Starting from April, our new featured chef will be Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. You are welcome to join us! 

Baked Eggs

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), it is about Food We Love. We are to select a recipe from Heidi Swanson to showcase our favourite ingredients. I've chosen to make Baked Eggs, which has all of our favourite ingredients ; eggs, cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices. 

Heidi's recipe uses pita bread which is cut into quarters and use to line muffin cups. I have some leftover tortilla wrap so that was what I've used instead. For the filling, Heidi has used spring onions, but she has given the option of using regular onions, so I've used red onions. To cook the filling, heat a little oil, saute chopped onions, chopped garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, and season with some salt. Go easy with the salt, I used one pinch of salt and it was enough (Heidi says to use two big pinches, and I've noticed that Heidi uses a lot of salt in most of her dishes). I cooked the onions about 4 to 5 minutes, and add the cherry tomatoes. Cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes until the tomatoes have softened. 

The tomato filling is delicious. I like the blend of the spices. It would be lovely made into mini tarts, topped with some cheese before baking. For meat lovers, some bacon or ham mixed into the filling would be delicious! This would be great on some toasted baguettes too! 

To make the Baked Eggs, line the muffin pan with torn pita bread, or with tortilla wrap, which I have used, then fill with some of the tomato filling. Crack an egg in the centre. You may find some of the whites could not fit into the cup if the egg used is large. I find it easier to crack an egg in a small bowl, scoop out the yolk with a spoon and place on the filling, then pour the egg whites over until it comes to the level of the muffin cup. The eggs I've used are large, so there are some egg whites leftover. Bake until the whites are set, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately while still hot, sprinkled with some chopped coriander and more chili flakes if desired. 

Baked Eggs
(adapted from : 101cookbooks, Heidi Swanson)
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 big pinches ground cumin
2 big pinches chili flakes
2 big pinches smoked paprika
2 big pinches fine sea salt
1 cup spring (or regular) onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
2 pieces of pita breads, cut into quarters (I use wholemeal tortilla wrap)
6 large organic eggs
Garnish : finely chopped tomatoes, chili flakes, cilantro (optional)
Special equipment : standard 12 muffin tin

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the cumin, chili flakes, paprika, salt, onion and garlic. Cook until onions soften, just a minute or two. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes soften up a bit, another two to three minutes. Set aside.

Take six pieces (quarters) of the pita bread, gently open each of them and tuck them into the muffin tin - every other slot. If the the pita splits, no worries, just criss-cross the bread into a nest or tart shell of sorts so there is coverage across the bottom so the egg and filling won't run out.

Spoon a bit of the tomato filling into each pita cup, dividing it amongst the six cups. Now crack a single egg into each pita cup. You don't want the cups to overflow, hold back a bit of the egg white if you need to. Also, you don't want the egg yolk to jet up toward the sky, try to ensure it is level with the whites or the yolks can dry out while baking.

Carefully place in the oven (racks in the centre) and bake for another 15 minutes, until the whiles have set and become opaque. Serve hot garnished with a sprinkling of chopped tomatoes, chili flakes and/or a bit cilantro.

Makes six egg cups.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

Food We Love

Ribolitta

This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) is "Foodgoals!". Having missed a few weeks of cooking with IHCC, I hope to get back on track as the new year starts. For this week, I've made Heidi Swanson's, Ribolitta, a thick Tuscan vegetable stew, in line with my foodgoals for the year, more healthy grains, beans and vegetables, and less of meat.

I've used dried haricot beans which I've soaked overnight and boil till tender the next morning before using them for the recipe. And some fresh kale leaves from my garden pot. For the stock, I've used Rapunzel vegetable stock bouillon, and later read that it is one of Heidi's favourite vegetable stock to use. I have some homemade leftover bread in the freezer, and it is a great way of using up the leftovers, just a small amount is needed to to thicken the stew.

To serve the stew, topped with some chopped oily black olives. I did not have oily black olives, so I have used black olives soaked in brine. And have omitted the drizzling of olive oil. 

I find that this is quite delicious. The recipe makes quite a lot, so I've made only about a third of the recipe. This stew freezes well. I thawed the frozen leftover, reheat over low heat with a few tablespoons of warm water, and it was just as good.

Ribollita
(adapted from 101cookbooks.com, Heidi Swanson)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium carrots or equiv. winter squash, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 14-ounce/400ml can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound/450gm cavolo nero (lacinato kale, Tuscan Kale), stems trimmed off and leaves well chopped
4 cups (620gm) cooked white beans
1/2 pound (225gm) crustless loaf of bread
1-1/2+ teaspoons fine grain sea salt
zest of one lemon
lots of well-chopped oily black olives

In your largest thick-bottomed pot over medium heat combine the olive oil, celery, garlic, carrot and red onion. Cook for 10-15 minutes sweating the vegetables, but avoid any browing. Stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, long enough for the tomatoes to thicken up a bit. Stir in the cavolo nero,  3 cups of the beans, and 8 cups/2 liters water (I use vegetable stock). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mash or puree the remaining beans with a generous splash of water - until smooth. Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks. Stir both the beans and bread into the soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the bread breaks down and the soup thickens, 20-30 minutes. Stir in the salt, taste and add more if needed. Stir in the lemon zest.

Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Serve reheated, or "ribolitta" meaning reboiled, the next day ladled into bowls. Finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and some chopped olives.

Makes a large pot of soup - enough for 10 servings.

Prep time : 20 min  -  Cook time: 60 min

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

Foodgoals!

and Souper Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen

Millet Muffins

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), it is "Expand Your Pantry!" theme. I've made Heidi Swanson's, Millet Muffins. Millet is a new ingredient in my kitchen, I have never cooked with it before, so I thought that using it in a muffin recipe would be a good start. 

I've made half a recipe and yield only 5 muffins. I've used all-purpose flour instead of pastry flour. There's no sugar used in these muffins, sweetened by honey instead. There's lemon zest, lemon juice, yoghurt and barely melted butter. 

These Millet Muffins bakes up really nice with wonderful rise and golden top.

Lovely muffins. The crumbs are tender and soft. Not too sweet, with just the right sweetness from the honey, and crunch from the millet with a hint of the citrusy lemon. These are great with a cup of warm unsweetened tea. 

Millet Muffins
(Super Natural Everyday, Heidi Swanson or here)
2-11/4 cups (40gm) whole-wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup (60 gm) raw millet
1 teaspoon aluminium free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 cup (225gm) plain yoghurt
2 large eggs, lighty beaten
1/2 cup (120ml) barely melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120ml) honey
grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from one lemon

Preheat the oven to 400F/2015C with a rack in the top third of the oven. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, eggs, butter, honey, and lemon zest and juice until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the flour is just incorporated. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, spooning a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each one, filling it a bit below the rim. 

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the muffin tops are browned and just barely beginning to crack. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the muffins out of the pan to cool completely on the rack.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

Expand Your Pantry!

Kale Rice Bowl

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs, we are making Buddha Bowls!. Heidi Swanson-Inspired Buddha Bowls, a one bowl meal with several added components like grains, beans, veggies, nuts, etc... I've made her Kale Rice Bowl, to use some kale which I've harvested from my garden pot. 

Kale Rice Bowl is a one bowl meal which is really some cooked rice stir-fry with sauteed kale, and is topped with several toppings as recommended by Heidi Swanson. I have made some slight changes.

Firstly, instead of brown rice, I have used some leftover jasmine rice. The recipe did not use any garlic, but I have used three large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped, fry in a little oil until light brown, then add in the shredded kale. Stir-fry for a minute or two until wilted, add some salt and stir in the cooked cold rice. Fry for a few minutes until the rice is heated through and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Scoop into a bowl and top with the suggested toppings.

The toppings I've used are, capers which are pan-fried in butter until blistered. I love this! Instead of a poached egg, I made soft hard-boiled eggs. I've made some caramelized onions seasoned lightly with a pinch of salt.  There's toasted sesame seeds and zaatar, a wonderful Middle Eastern spice blend, to sprinkle over. I've however, omitted the yoghurt, simply because I had none left.

This is delicious. I love everything in this bowl! The capers are really nice fried until blistered in butter, yum! Caramelized onions, I'm so glad that I've made these, as I love caramelized onions! The soft hard-boiled eggs are perfect for this rice meal, the sesame seeds added some light nutty crunch but I would not miss it if it's not there. But the star of this one bowl meal has got to be the spice blend, Zaatar! No wonder Heidi recommends to use lots of Zaatar! It really adds a delicious flavour to the rice meal. I sprinkled more zaatar in my bowl as I was eating the rice. Same goes with my son! I kept a bowl of this rice meal for my daughter who wasn't in, but she came back late, hours later. So I reheated it by stir-frying everything together with some zaatar added in, and she said this is a delicious "fried rice", yum! 

I'll be cooking this again. A very versatile rice meal, you can use any other veggie you like and try with a different spice blend as suggested by Heidi. One thing I must put on my grocery list, a new jar of Zaatar!

(my changes, listed in blue)
Kale Rice Bowl
(source from Heidi Swanson's blog, 101cookbooks.com)
serves 2-3
olive oil or clarified butter
1 bunch of keale, destemmed, chopped/shredded
3 cups cooked brown rice (jasmine rice)
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced

To serve :
capers, rinsed, dried, and pan-fried until blistered in butter
a poached egg (soft hard-boiled eggs)
a dollop of salted greek yoghurt (omitted)
a big drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil (omitted)
lots of zaatar
toasted sesame seeds
caramelized onions

In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the kale and a couple pinches of salt. Saute until the kale softens a bit and brightens, just a minute or so. Stir in the rice, and cook until the rice is hot. If your rice is on the dry side, you might have to add a small splash of water.

Serve the kale rice topped with (preferably) all of the following : the capers, poached egg, yoghurt drizzled with olive oil, and plenty of zaatar.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

Buddha Bowl!

Summer Squash Soup

This week's theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) is "Monthly Featured Ingredient : Squash!". We can make any squash recipe using the recipes from any of our featured chefs, past or present. I've made Summer Squash Soup, recipe from our current featured chef at IHCC, Heidi Swanson.

I've used green and yellow squash for this mild curry dish.

This curry dish uses Thai red curry paste, adjusting the amount to your taste. I've used about four full tablespoons. Firm tofu are cut into cubes, then pan-fried in a skillet with a little oil until golden brown to make tofu croutons, which is then used as a garnish before serving.

I've added some rice vermicelli to make a one bowl meal. Garnish with some chopped red chillies and chopped coriander with a calamansi lime from my garden pot. The lime is squeezed over the noodle soup before digging in!

Summer Squash Soup
(source from kitchn, recipe by Heidi Swanson)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Fine-grain sea salt
1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste, plus more if needed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the tofu croutons
3 large shallots, chopped
1 1/2 pounds yellow summer squash or zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
12 ounces potatoes, unpeeled, cut into tiny cubes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups lightly flavored vegetable broth or water
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

Season the tofu with a pinch of salt, toss with a small amount of oil, and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, and continue cooking until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy, 3 to 4 more minutes. Set aside.

Mash the curry paste into the coconut oil until the paste is well-incorporated. Heat this paste in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the shallots and a couple of pinches of salt and sauté until the shallots are tender, another couple of minutes. Stir in the squash and potatoes and cook until the squash starts to get tender, a few minutes. Stir in the garlic, then add the broth and coconut milk. Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or curry paste, if needed. Serve each bowl topped with some of the tofu croutons.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week is

Monthly Featured Ingredient : Squash

and 

Souper Sundays @ Kahakai Kitchen

Fruit Salad with Thai Herbs

We are getting colourful at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), with this week's theme, "A Colorful Plate!".  Heidi Swanson's recipes are not short on colours! I've made her colourful fruit salad, with honey lemon grass dressing and some mint leaves for that lovely minty flavour.

The salad dressing ; minced lemon grass, honey, lemon juice, vanilla extract, pinch of salt

I have used our tropical fruits, dragon fruits, crispy guava, mango and papaya. Drizzle with the fruit salad dressing, and sprinkle some mint leaves on top. Serve immediately. Very refreshing and yum!

Fruit Salad with Thai Herbs
(source from 101cookbooks.com , Heidi Swanson)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon
2 tablespoons honey
1 pinch of salt
the tender interior of a stalk of lemongrass, minced
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5-6 cups of seasonal fruit, sliced
20 mint leaves, chiffonade
to serve : any of all of the following, toasted coconut, dollops of  creme fraiche or yogurt, toasted walnuts

Whisk together the citrus juice, honey, salt, lemongrass and vanilla. Set aside.

Arrange the fruit in a large bowl or on a platter, and drizzle with about half of the dressing. Taste, and decide if you'd like to add more dressing. Then add the coconut, nuts, and creme fraiche, and serve.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

A Colorful Plate!

Fig Leaf Coconut Rice

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), the theme is "Ingredients That Inspire". We are cooking with our current featured chef, Heidi Swanson and many of her recipes has ingredients that I have never cooked or used before, so I am inspired by the varieties of ingredients in her recipes. But one ingredient that stands very clearly above the rest is, the usage of fig leaf. I have one fig plant for the past 2-1/2 years, and I have never thought of using the leaves for cooking, other than to look forward to the fruits and admire the pretty shaped leaves.

Heidi has a photo of the reverse side of the fig leaf on her blog post. I was thinking why does she photographed the leaf on the reverse and not the front. Now I know. The reverse side is much more attractive and pretty to look at, with the white veins clearly stands out against the green of the leaf, the contrast is rather attractive.

I plucked one more leaf and took a sniff, but could not get get any aroma or smell anything from it. I then tear it and could get a faint lovely scent. Now, I am really curious to use it in cooking.

Heidi got her inspiration to use fig leaf from one lady called Claudia Schwartz, whom she meets nearly each week. You can read about it from her blog. Heidi uses the fig leaf, on top of simmering coconut rice. You would want to use unsprayed leaf. With homegrown ones, you need not worry!

Brown rice is mixed with coconut milk, water and salt. I cooked the rice using the rice cooker. When the rice has come to a boil, place the fig leaf on top of the rice, cover the pot and continue to cook until the rice is done. If you are cooking the rice over the stove top, be sure to check on the rice regularly to ensure that the bottom does not burn. 

Brown rice needs a little extra water than the regular jasmine rice. I've cooked one cup of rice and used about 1/2 cup coconut milk plus 1-1/3 cups water. 

Heidi has served her rice with pan-fried tofu, sliced scallions, sliced dried figs and toasted pepitas. I pan-fried the tofu with some chopped garlic and a generous pinch of coarse pepper flakes with a pinch of salt. The chopped scallions remain but I've omitted the sliced dried figs (did not have any!) and the toasted pepitas. I have however added lots of crispy fried shallots, and half an egg. Now this is not the regular hard-boiled egg, this is my homemade Salted Egg, which is a very Asian ingredient. Whole duck eggs, still with the shell, are soaked in salty water brine with some Chinese wine added in, and left to preserve for 21 days. Remove the eggs from the salty brine, rinse the eggs and boil them as you would for hard-boiled eggs. We usually eat it with rice and congee, and as an ingredient in cooking. 

The fig leaf infused rice, smells very nice. I have always use pandanus leaf to cook coconut rice, which is common, but this is entirely a new way with the usage of fig leaf. While pandanus leaf have a stronger fragrant aroma, the fragrance of the fig leaf is light and lovely in its own way.

Heidi describes it as "Added to a pot of simmering grains, the fig leaf imparts a subtle flavor and perfume to the entire pot. The best way I can describe it - a bit green, and a bit nutty. But more like raw pepitas than walnuts. And coconut, but green coconut. There are some of those notes as well".

Coconut rice is a popular food over here, which we call "Nasi Lemak", and is eaten served with spicy sambal, crispy fried anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber and crunchy peanuts. So this take with the fig leaf infused coconut brown rice, eaten with the tofu and all the rest of the topping is something that is very different for me. And I got to say that I've enjoyed this meal very much! Everything complements each other in a delicious way!

Now instead of looking out for only the fig fruits, I'm looking at the leaves in a totally new way! Heidi has some other suggestions on how to use the fig leaves, by infusing them in the cream when making ice cream or gelato or use it to infuse some vodka to make fig leaf vodka tonics. I think I'll be trying it on ice cream next.

Fig Leaf Coconut Rice

(adapted from 101cookbooks.com , Heidi Swanson)

2 cups uncooked brown rice

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

1-1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 fresh fig leaf, unsprayed

to serve : lots and lots of shredded scallions, toasted pepitas, sliced dried figs, and pan-fried tofu

Start by rinsing the rice. You can do this by putting the rice in the thick-bottomed pan it is going to cook in. Fill the pot halfway with water, swish the rice around (the water will get cloudy), and pour out the cloudy water. Repeat a few times.

To the rinsed (and drained) rice add the coconut milk, water, and salt. Stir to combine. Place the pot over medium high heat and bring the liquid to a boil (uncovered). Stir once or twice to prevent the rice from scorching down at the bottom of the pot. Once the liquid comes to a boil reduce the heat to a low, low simmer, place the fig leaf on top of the simmering rice, and cover the pot tightly with a lid. Simmer until the grains are tender, the timing will differ based on your rice, but typically 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from heat, and allow to sit for ten minutes or so. Fluff with a fork, and your rice is ready to serve.

Serve topped with any or all of the following : lots and lots of shredded scallions, toasted pepitas, sliced dried figs and pan-fried tofu.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

Ingredients That Inspire!

Garlicky Greens

I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC) is cooking with a new selected chef, Heidi Swanson starting this week, for the next six months. Heidi Swanson is a cookbook author, who focuses on whole, natural food using fresh produce that are seasonal and minimally processed. To know more about Heidi Swanson, you may visit her lovely website at 101 cookbooks and also to view her delicious vegetarian recipes. Come join us! More details here.

Welcome Heidi Swanson!

This week, we are free to cook any of Heidi Swanson's recipes, to welcome her to our kitchen. I have some homegrown kale that is right for harvest, and found just the right recipe from Heidi's blog, Garlicky Greens. 

Some of the harvests from my container garden. I'm sure Heidi would approve of these fresh kale from my garden pot! :)

Fresh from the garden, into the cooking wok half an hour later. The leaves are shred to bite-sized pieces.

This is a quick stir-fry dish. Best prepare just before serving. Heat some olive oil in a skillet (I've used a wok), add the salt and kale leaves, stir for 2 to 3 minutes, then add in lots of chopped garlic. Stir for 30 seconds or so, remove from heat, and stir in a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. There's an optional ingredient, Parmesan, which is to be stirred in at this point. But I have omitted the Parmesan, preferring to eat the Kale with its fresh flavours.

Simply and garlicky delicious! 

I had the Garlicky Greens with some leftover couscous, top with a fried egg, for a light and satisfying lunch. I'm really looking forward to cook with Heidi Swanson for the next six months!

Garlicky Greens
(adapted from 101 cookbooks, Heidi Swanson)
1 large bunch of kale, chard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
5 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
crushed red pepper flakes

To de-stem each leaf of chard/kale, grab the main stalk in one hand and strip the leaf from the stem all the way up with the other. I then tear the big leaves into bite-sized pieces, but you can use a knife for this task if you prefer. Wash the greens in a big bowl (or sink) full of clean water, rinsing and swishing to rinse away any stubborn grit and dirt. Drain, rinse again, and set aside.

Hold off cooking the greens until just before eating. Then, in a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add a couple of big pinches of salt and the greens. They should hiss and spit a bit when they hit the pan. Stir continuously until their colour gets bright green, and they just barely start to collapse - two, three, maybe four minutes, depending on how hot your pan is and how much structure your greens have. Then, just thirty seconds before you anticipate pulling the skillet off the heat, stir in the garlic. Saute a bit, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan, and add a big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Taste, add a bit of salt if needed, and serve immediately if not sooner.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

Hello Heidi!