Im a lifelong sailor, and down at the beach we say, Rig big or stay home. Back home in the kitchen, that means if you cook some greens, you might as well cook a lot of greens! Heres an easy way to get a whole lot of healthy, hearty green flavor together using the time-honored method of steaming, this time with lots of browned butter to elevate the works. Serves 4 to 6, with leftovers, or a party of 8 or 10.
From Family Meals: 100 Easy Everyday Recipes by Michael Smith. Copyright Michael Smith, 2014. Reprinted by permission of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Photography credit: Ryan Szulc.
Directions for: Green Stew
Ingredients
cup (60 mL) butter
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
cup (125 mL) water
1 bunch broccoli, broken into small florets
1 bunch asparagus, tough bottoms trimmed away, stalks cut into 3 pieces
1 bunch kale, trimmed and thinly sliced (or 8 cups/2 L baby spinach - about a 5 oz/142 g bag)
2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen green peas
2 cups (500 mL) frozen green beans, or a big handful or fresh ones cut in half
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat and toss in the butter. Swirl gently as the butter melts.
2. As the water evaporates, tasty sediment will form and begin lightly browning toward golden and beyond. As soon as the bits are deliciously brown and nutty-smelling, stop the browning cold in its tracks by tossing in the garlic and a few splashes of the water. Saut the garlic until its softening but not browning, a minute or so.
3. Pour in the remaining water. Toss in all the vegetables and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Stir just enough to combine.
4. Cover tightly and steam the works, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3 or 4 minutes. Serve and share!
See more: Comfort Food, Dinner, Lunch, Vegetables, Vegetarian