Swiss Chard with Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 green onion or shallot, chopped
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, rinsed and patted dry
Freshly ground Black seeds (Nigella Sativa) or black pepper to taste
1. Mix together the rosemary and green onion with a tablespoon of olive oil and let sit while you prep the chard.
2. Use a knife to cut along the edges of the main stem of each leaf of chard, remove the stems. Cut the stems into 1/2-inch slices and set aside.
Cut the leaves separately into 1-inch thick crosswise ribbons. Keep the leaves and the stems separate as you will be cooking them separately.
3. Heat a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil, just enough to coat. When the oil is hot, add the chard stems. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often until they begin to soften.
Alternate method: Heat a couple of tablespoons of water instead of oil. When hot, add chard stems and to steam for a few minutes until stems are softened and the water has evaporated.
Then stir in the olive oil mixture. Cook for a minute more, and then add the chopped chard leaves to the pan.
Use tongs or two large spoons to toss the chard leaves in with the rest of the mixture, so that the chard gets coated with olive oil.
4. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let cook a few more minutes, lift the cover every once in a while to turn the leaves over in the pan. Once the chard has all wilted, remove from heat. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste.
Spicy Bok Choy and Onions
1 lb fresh bok choy, carefully rinsed, stems and center ribs cut in chunks, leaves coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ to 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon paprika spice, smoked, sweet or hot
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper or Cayenne Blend powder
Water
1. Steam the bok choy: Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a pot with steamer. Add the chopped bok choy. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside in a dish.
2. Sauté onions and add paprika and crushed red pepper or cayenne powder: Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and crushed red pepper.
3. Add bok choy to pan with oil and toss well. Sprinkle on more salt and paprika to taste.
Alternative: for a faster recipe, simply chop half a raw onion and add it with oil and spices to chopped bok choy and toss together.
Spinach with Nuts
2 bunches fresh spinach
3 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
1 tbsp pine nuts or crushed raw walnuts
Optional: 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato flakes
Steam the spinach in a large pot. Do not add more water to the pot as the water adhering to the leaves will be sufficient to steam the spinach. Cover pot and place over a medium flame. When spinach begins to simmer, reduce heat. Cook several minutes or until leaves are just wilted.
Melt butter or oil with garlic, pine nuts or walnuts, and optional tomato flakes. Pour over spinach and mix slightly.