Collard Greens with Almonds and Raisins

I’ve had collard greens once. I was a little wary of them, so I covered them in butter and cream. Does that negate all of their nutritional value? Probably. But we did eat them all! I told myself I would try them again, but it never actually happened.

For some reason, I impulsively grabbed a big bunch of collard greens at the grocery store last weekend. I have no idea what possessed me to do that, a full year after my first attempt at collard greens. I mean, I love kale, which was right next to the collard greens; why didn’t I pick up a bunch of that instead? Whatever the reason, I’m glad I did. I need to mix up my winter greens a bit, or I’m going to get bored fast!

And this time, I promised myself to make a more flavorful and healthy dish out of the greens. The first bite or two threw me a bit, but I think I got a big bite of the lemon juice that hadn’t mixed in properly. After that, I hardly noticed the bitterness that comes with collard greens at all, partly because they were cooked and wilted and partly because it was overpowered by sweet and juicy raisins and slightly-sweet almonds.

I have a feeling this dish will be a part of the regular dinner rotation this winter. It may even end up on my Thanksgiving table!

Print

Collard Greens with Almonds and Raisins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 2-4

I love the combination of slightly-bitter wilted greens, sweet raisins and crunchy almonds. If you don't like collard greens or don't have them on hand, you could also use a big bunch of kale as a substitute.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch collard greens
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

Instructions

1. Wash the greens and pat dry. Cut off the stems, then slice the leaves in half lengthwise. Chop the halved leaves into 2 inch pieces. As the greens cook, they will wilt and these large pieces will become bite-sized. Toss the greens with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice.
2. Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the raisins, almonds and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the almonds are toasted and browned, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the raisins, almonds and garlic to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the greens to the skillet and decrease the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until the greens are wilted and just beginning to brown. Transfer the greens to the bowl with the almonds and toss to distribute the raisins and almonds.

3.1

http://www.savvyeat.com/collard-greens-with-almonds-and-raisins/

Copyrighted by Julie Grice and Savvy Eats