A Note From The Chef

Healthier eating is a common New Year's resolution. Yet, few Americans even eat the minimum USDA recommendations of three cups of dark green vegetables per week. If you change this, you’re off to a great new year.

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats and virtually no carbohydrates!

I received many favorably surprised comments about our use of escarole in the recent Soups class. Many people are not familiar with escarole. Escarole (a member of the chicory family) is a leafy green with a sweet-bitter taste. It's tender when cooked and can be used in braises, soups or stews. Look for it near other greens in the produce section. Herein is a good, easy and healthy recipe using escarole.

I am working on the Spring Cooking Class Schedule over the holidays. I will send you a copy with the February Newsletter.

Cheers!

Chef Tom Reinhart

Recipe Of The Month

Grilled Polenta with Shrimp & Escarole  
Grilled polenta tops sweet shrimp tossed with a spicy tomato and escarole sauce for supper with panache. You can grill the polenta indoors on a cast iron grill griddle to make the nice marks. If sodium is a concern, use the “no-salt added” tomatoes called for and skip the optional oil-cured olives.

Make it a meal by serving this dish with some crusty olive-studded bread, to soak up the sauce, and steamed green beans.

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for drizzling
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 2 cans (14-ounce) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp (31-35 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed if desired
• 6 cups thinly sliced escarole (about 1 small head; see Note) or spinach
• 1 tube (16-ounce) prepared plain polenta, sliced into 8 rounds
• 8 oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped (optional)

Method

1. Preheat grill to high.
2. Place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until juicy, about 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and escarole; cook, stirring until the escarole is wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
3. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill polenta slices until hot and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Divide the sauce among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Top with the polenta slices, sprinkle with olives (if using) and drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 Servings

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 293 calories; 8 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 229 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 32 g protein; 4 g fiber; 634 mg sodium; 552 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (60% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Folate (27% dv), Potassium (16% dv).

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (60% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Folate (27% dv), Potassium (16% dv)

1 Carbohydrate serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1-1/2 vegetable, 4 very lean meat, 1 fat

From EatingWell Magazine October/November 2006

Cooking Tips

Winter Greens
Trying to eat more vegetables? Grab some nutrient-packed dark leafy greens next time you’re in the produce section—they grow best in cooler weather, making them in season right now. You may have avoided these nutritious greens in the past because of their bitter reputations, but when you pair them with judicious amounts of intensely flavorful ingredients—like feta cheese, bacon and walnuts—it is easy to balance their bitterness. Now is the time to celebrate the dark side this winter and welcome these beautiful greens into your kitchen.

Shopping Tip
Most winter greens are sold in bunches—the exception is escarole, which grows in a lettuce-like head. Look for fresh, crisp, brightly colored greens; avoid those that are wilted or blemished.

Prep Tip
Wash greens well as dirt likes to hide in their nooks and crannies. Fill your sink with lots of cold water and let them soak for a bit, give them a swish, then dry them in a salad spinner. Though all of the stems are edible, I prefer to use only chard and beet stems, discarding the tough stems of collards, kale and mustard greens. If you do choose to use the stems, keep them separate when prepping and cook them for 3 to 5 minutes longer than the leaves.