This easy side dish is a great way to hike up the nutrient content of any meal without adding extra calories. You can also substitute other hearty greens such as collards, spinach, bok choi, or chard. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
2 large bunches kale (or other greens)
1 large white onion, medium dice
2-3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Wash the kale thoroughly, removing any sand. Then tear out the central thick stem from each leaf and discard (this woody stem does not soften when cooked). Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and pile them into a deep 14-16 inch, heavy-bottomed frying pan. Heat over medium-low heat and add a couple tablespoons of water to steam the greens. Sprinkle the onion on the top of the pile of greens to weigh them down. Cover the pan and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes.
Check the greens and if they have wilted enough, toss the greens with the onion (you may have to cover the greens again and cook for a few minutes until the pile has shrunk enough to allow you to stir). Continue to gently sauté the greens and onion for several minutes and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Pick out a leaf and taste to see if it is tender enough. When the kale is tender, remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the vinegar over the kale, then toss and taste again, adding more vinegar if you wish. DO NOT put the pan back on the heat as this will cook the vinegar and make it taste bitter.
NOTE
If using collard greens, remove the center stem as noted above. For spinach, bok choi, and chard just chop the stem into one inch pieces and cook with the leaves.
