Greens cooked with "popped" mustard seeds take on a slightly smoky aroma and a discernible nutty flavor. The burst of lemon juice at the end brings a bright zing to the greens, as well as adding vitamin C to help your body absorb the calcium in greens. Any cooking green—chard, escarole, kale, and collard, mustard, and turnip greens—will work in this recipe.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. vegetable or canola oil
- 1 Tbsp. yellow or brown mustard seeds
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp. red chile flakes (optional)
- 2 bunches greens (about 1 1/2 lbs. total), cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 wedge (about 1/4) lemon
Preparation:
- Heat oil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add mustard seeds, cover, and cook until seeds "pop" (you'll hear them), about 30 seconds. Remove cover and reduce heat to medium-high. Add garlic and red chile flakes, if using. Cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds.
- Add greens, water, and salt. Stir several times to coat greens with oil and seasonings. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Squeeze juice from lemon wedge over greens and serve, hot or warm.
Makes 4 servings Greens With Mustard Seeds.
