Cream And Greens Food

CREAMED MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, add the spinach, chard leaves and kale and cook just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove with tongs and transfer to a colander set over a bowl to drain and cool. When cool enough to handle, transfer to a kitchen towel in batches and squeeze out the excess liquid. Chop the greens.
• Finely chop the chard stems. Heat the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chard stems, shallot and thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and continue to cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Return to medium heat; add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce and cook until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Discard the thyme and stir the greens into the pot. Cook, stirring, until heated through and coated, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche.

PITA AND GREENS BENEDICT WITH FETA CREAM

Steps:

• Combine the feta, yogurt, Aleppo or paprika, a few turns of pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a high-speed blender and blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (this can be made a day or two in advance).
• Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the spinach, a few pinches of salt and 2 tablespoons water and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and wilted, about 4 minutes. (You may need to add the spinach in batches if it's too much to fit in all at once.) Season with pepper and squeeze in the lemon juice. Turn the heat down to low just to keep this warm while you poach the eggs.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small bowl, then carefully lower the eggs into the boiling water. Cook until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to dry off any excess moisture.
• Toast or grill the pitas. Drizzle with a little olive oil and top with the spinach and eggs. Spoon on the feta cream and sprinkle with fresh black pepper and a pinch of Aleppo or paprika. Enjoy!
• Mix together the warm water, yeast and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running on low speed, add the salt and oil, then gradually add the flour. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix, adding just enough additional flour so that the dough no longer sticks to the bowl, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, 7 to 10 minutes. (Do not add too much flour.) Lightly coat a clean large bowl with oil or cooking spray, then place the dough in the bowl and turn it once or twice to coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
• Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and divide it into 24 equal pieces. Mold each piece into a ball by stretching the top and tucking the edges under. Place the balls 1 inch apart on a piece of parchment paper, then cover them with plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• With a rolling pin, roll out the balls of dough into 3-inch circles, dusting with flour as needed. Place them on the lined baking sheets and bake until they're puffy and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes.

PEPPERY, CREAMY GREENS WITH EGGS

Steps:

• Using a fork, mix cream and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl or a 2-cup measuring glass until salt is dissolved, then stir in broth. Set aside.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium. Add onion, garlic, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir in the salt well with a wooden spoon (this will help onion release it's moisture, making sure it cooks but doesn't brown). Cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add 1 Tbsp. water to pan followed by half of greens, stirring well (you want to get some of the greens in direct contact with the bottom of the pan). Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Mix in remaining greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and pour half of reserved cream mixture over greens mixture. Using wooden spoon, make 4 wells in greens mixture, spacing evenly apart. Crack an egg into each well and pour remaining cream mix over eggs. Cover pan with lid and increase heat to medium-low. Cook until eggs whites are almost entirely opaque but yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let sit, still covered, until whites are completely cooked, about 2 minutes. (If the bottoms of the eggs seem to be cooking faster than the tops, just turn off the heat, keep the lid on, and cook the tops with the residual heat. If you want more firm egg yolks, just simmer or keep the lid on for a little longer.)
• Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and drizzle generously with oil over the top. Serve with toast.

CREAMED COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Fill a very large pot three-quarters full with water and bring to a boil. Add the collard greens to the water and make sure they are all well submerged. Return the water to a boil and simmer until the greens are tender and bright green, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the greens and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the greens well, squeezing out excess water with your hands or by placing in a kitchen towel and squeezing. Chop the greens finely and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a skillet or Dutch oven large enough to hold all of the greens. Add the garlic and shallots and cook over medium heat until softened but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until reduced by half, about 25 minutes - watch carefully as the cream can quickly boil over! Add the greens and toss until warmed through. Season generously with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add to a serving dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

STEAK AND CREAMED GREENS PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the butter, along with the olive oil. Sprinkle the steaks all over with salt and pepper. When the butter has melted and the oil is hot, place the steaks in the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove the steaks to a cutting board to rest.
• Add the onion, garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes to the skillet, then quickly stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and allow to reduce for 30 to 60 seconds, then add the cream. Stir, then add the collards, kale and spinach. Stir and allow the greens to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pasta, reserved pasta water and cheese. Toss until everything is coated and the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Slice the steak and shingle the slices over the pasta. Drizzle over the steak sauce and sprinkle over the curly parsley. Serve straight from the skillet.

CREAMY BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add water and beet greens; cook until greens have wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add garlic and cream and simmer until cream has thickened, about 5 more minutes.

CREAMY FENNEL AND GREENS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides. Add fennel, onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add leafy greens (but not spinach) and water to pot and simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook, uncovered, just until wilted, about 1 minute.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth, then return to pot. Stir in cream and lemon juice and reheat over low heat. Season with salt.
• Cooks' note:
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Reheat or serve cold.

SLOW COOKER CHEESY CREAMED GREENS

Steps:

• Heat the slow cooker to low. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 5 mins over a low heat until softened and translucent. Add the cavolo nero to the pan and fry for 5 mins or until beginning to wilt. Tip into the slow cooker along with the leeks, stock and 300ml of the cream. Cook with the lid on for 3 hrs, stirring occasionally.
• Stir through the remaining cream, the mustard, nutmeg and cheese, as well as some seasoning just before serving. Will keep, covered, in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the slow cooker on medium for 45 mins-1 hr.

PASTA WITH CREAMY GREENS & LEMON

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a very large pan following the pack instructions, adding broccoli florets, frozen soya beans, frozen peas and mange tout for the final 3 mins of cooking time.
• Drain, saving a ladleful of the cooking water first, then tip everything back into the pan. Stir in mascarpone or soft cheese, zest and juice 1 lemon, grated Parmesan, a handful basil leaves, some seasoning and a splash of cooking water.