Dandelion Greens

This is my new favorite dish. I have it usually twice a week because the bunches of greens I buy are big enough for me to split into two and still have generous portions. It's really delicious as a side dish or mixed in with some penne or spiral shaped pasta for a whole meal. Also it takes about 10 minutes to cook and you can cook the pasta at the same time for a super quick dinner. Depending on the size of the leaves it can be a little bitter, which I love, but I'm sure the recipe would work with other types of greens. Try it and lemme know what you think!

You'll Need:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5-6 cloves of thinly sliced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional or to taste - (I use a little ground cayenne instead which also works)
1 pound dandelion greens with stems, well washed and roughly chopped
1 cup stock (the flavor of the stock doesn't really matter, water works too)

In a large deep skillet or sauce pan with a lid heat the oil over med-high and add the garlic, salt and pepper, and pepper flakes or cayenne if using. Cook for about 1 minute.

Add the greens and stock. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until the greens are wilted but just tender but still a little firm.

Uncover the pan and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring a bit, until the greens are pretty tender and the liquid has almost evaporated completely. During the last minute of cooking add the minced ginger.

If they look a little too oily you can drain them a bit before serving. If I'm mixing it with pasta I usually leave the extra oil and sometimes shred some fresh Parmesan on top. Also, if you don't have ginger you can also add another teaspoon of minced garlic at the end.