Some of my favorite add-in combos are:

garlic, bacon, balsamic, and shaved Parmesan
currants, pine nuts, and balsamic
cranberries, toasted walnuts, and Asiago
pecans and cherries

Ingredients for sauteed greens. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

Recipe: Sauteed Greens with Add-ins

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 bunches winter greens, such as chard, kale, or collards
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Add-ins:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dried fruit such as currants, cranberries, or chopped cherries
1/4 cup chopped toasted nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, or pine nuts
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped bacon or pancetta, cooked until crisp
A splash of balsamic vinegar (the better quality, the better) or sherry vinegar
1/3 cup shaved hard cheese such as Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano

Instructions:
Trim off the bottom inch (or two) from your greens. Wash and dry the leaves, then separate the leaves from the ribs. Finely chop the ribs and set aside. Roughly chop the leaves and set aside separately.

In a large sauté pan, warm a few glugs of olive oil. Add the chopped ribs and sauté for 2–4 minutes, depending upon their toughness; they should be slightly tender. Add the leaves and sauté until tender and wilted, from 4-10 minutes depending upon the type of greens you are cooking (spinach cooks fastest, then chard, then kale, then collards). You want them to be tender but not mushy, and still retain a little bit of a bite.

Season with salt and stir in any your add-ins for about the last 30–60 seconds of cooking. Serve warm.

deconstructed turkey greensdeconstructed turkey greens

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