Asian Greens ♥ (How to Cook Fresh Greens with Asian-Style Taste)

An easy way to cook fresh greens (such as kohlrabi leaves, beet greens, chard, and other greens) and then season with Asian-style flavors. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 points.

So maybe I should set up a challenge, "Never again throw away fresh greens".

We all know the drill, right? We love the fresh beets from the farmers market. We're enchanted by the perfect globes of kohlrabi in our CSA box. But the greens? The beet tops? The kohlrabi leaves? Not so much.

Last week, after making a big batch of Roasted Kohlrabi, I started to throw away the kohlrabi leaves -- and then stopped myself, knowing that it was wasteful, financially and nutritionally. But what to make with kohlrabi leaves? I considered the technique from Greek Greens, my favorite way to cook greens when they're fresh, to hold for a day or two, then took inspiration from a recipe by Ivy Manning published on Culinate.

Yay - an Asian twist to cooking fresh greens! In fact, while I used the recipe for cooking kohlrabi leaves, I would recommend this simple technique for the many greens found in Asian markets.

ASIAN GREENS

Hands-on time: 15 minutes (see TIPS)
Time to table: 30 minutes (see TIPS)
Serves 4

Big pot of well-salted water
1 bunch fresh greens - kohlrabi leaves, beet greens, chard, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, etc.

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Red pepper flakes (see TIPS)

WATER Bring the water to a boil, be generous with the salt. Use a pot that's big enough for water and the greens, you don't want to 'pack' the greens into the pot, they need room to cook, plenty of space to swirl around in the boiling water. If need be, you can cook the greens in batches.

WASH Meanwhile, wash the greens well under running water. If the greens are clean, a quick rinse will do. If they're just dusty, wash under running water, rubbing the surface of the greens with your fingers to clean. If the greens are extra dusty or dirty, soak them in cold standing water for several minutes to soften and loosen the dirt, then rinse under running water. As you wash the greens, throw away any greens that are extra tough looking or blemished.

PREP With a knife, remove the stems and ribs. If you like, these can be chopped up and sautéed separately. Stack several leaves on top of one another, roll up into a 'cigar' shape, then cut cross-wise into ribbons.

COOK Drop the greens into the boiling water a handful at a time until the pot is full but not packed. Chances are, you'll be able to add still more after a minute or two, as the greens begin to collapse in the heat. Cover and let cook until done but still bright green -- the timing will vary based on the variety, age and thickness of the greens but will range from a couple of minutes to 20 minutes or so. I keep a fork nearby to pull out a ribbon of greens for a quick taste-test. Drain well in a colander, squeezing out the excess water if need be. If you like, chop the greens a bit more for bite-size pieces.

SEASON Toss the greens with the sesame oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

SERVE Serve hot if you like but I found it surprisingly good at room temperature. I would also make these ahead of time and then serve for a couple of days, stirring into salads, slipping into a sandwich, etc.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving (How many calories in Asian Greens? How many Weight Watchers points in Asian Greens?): 43 Calories; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 255mg Sodium; 6g Carb; 4g Fiber; 0g Sugar; 4g Protein; Weight Watchers 0 points

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
Time-wise, prepping and cooking greens can vary by a lot. If the greens are so dirty that they need soaking and careful washing, allow extra time. If the greens are less than perfectly fresh, or quite thick, allow extra time for cooking too.
The inspiring recipe from Culinate used a spice mix called 'shichimi' which I managed to find but might be difficult for many. It's a mix of red pepper, roasted orange peel, yellow and black sesame seeds, Japanese pepper, seaweed and ginger. I liked it a lot, but it's the 'heat' of the red pepper that makes it useful in the greens.

This recipe is so quick and easy that I'm adding it to a growing collection of easy summer recipes published all summer long in 2009 at Kitchen Parade, my food column, and now again in 2010. With a free Kitchen Parade e-mail subscription, you'll never miss a one!

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MORE FAVORITE RECIPES for LEAFY GREENS
~ Greek Greens ~
~ Greens 'n' All Beet Soup ~
~ Gratin of Greens ~
~ Quick 'Massaged' Kale Salad ~
~ more recipes for leafy greens ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Ontario Greens with Sour Cream ~
~ Asian Chicken Salad ~
~ Shrimp with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta ~
~ more leafy green recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

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