As soon as I
saw the recipe for “Spicy Sautéed Broccoli Rabe”, page 359, I balked. My limited
experiences (aka experiments) with broccoli rabe have not been favorable, or flavorful,
for that matter. I love greens of all kinds, even those most people seem to
eschew, so I was perplexed when I didn’t immediately warm up to rabe. It is
truly the most bitter green, bitter vegetable, I’ve ever tried. When I read in
the recipe notes that spinach, chard, or escarole could stand in for the
broccoli rabe, I breathed a huge sigh of relief! I opted to use spinach, and
was very pleased with the results.
This is a
simple combination of cooked greens, freshly minced garlic, red pepper flakes,
and salt and pepper to taste. The recipe also calls for olive oil, but I omitted
altogether, no substitutions required. I’ve been cooking and serving all
varieties of greens (except broccoli rabe!) oil free, for so long, that I don’t
even miss it. In fact, nowadays when I am served greens that have had oil added
to them, they taste very peculiar to me.
I can’t
imagine a more pleasing combination of flavors, or a better way to serve greens
than this!
Keeping it
“McDougall Friendly” check list:
- Omit the olive oil altogether; use a nonstick skillet and/or a teaspoon of water or broth to sauté the garlic. Most greens don’t require any extra moisture for sautéing, as they release their own liquid as they cook.
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