Asian Greens Recipes

ASIAN GREENS

Steps:

• Whisk the oil and oyster sauce with 1 tbsp water in a saucepan. Cook for 2-3 mins until glossy, then set aside.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the greens, turn down the heat and cook for 2 mins, or until just wilted, then drain.
• To serve: cut any large bulbs in half and put on a plate. Drizzle the sauce over and serve immediately.

STEAMED ASIAN GREENS WITH HONEY SOY SESAME DRESSING

Steps:

• Pour about 1-inch of water into a wok and bring it to a boil over high heat. Put the greens into a bamboo steamer and cover. Put the steamer into the wok and steam the vegetables for about 5 minutes or until they are just tender. Meanwhile make the dressing by combining the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, oil, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds in a small bowl. Put the cooked greens onto a serving platter, drizzle the dressing over them, and toss well to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

ASIAN-INSPIRED MUSTARD GREENS

Steps:

• Place the sesame seeds into a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir constantly until the seeds are toasted a golden brown and make a continuous crackling noise, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds immediately to a bowl to stop the cooking process. Set seeds aside.
• Place sesame oil in the hot skillet, and heat until it just begins to smoke (this should happen very fast). Place mustard greens into the hot oil, and pour in water. With a spatula, gently toss the greens until they are wilted and reduced in quantity, about 2 minutes. Mix in garlic, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sake, and sugar.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, stir until sugar has dissolved, and cover the skillet. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the greens are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. If a thicker sauce is desired, remove greens with a slotted spoon, and cook the liquid down to desired thickness; return greens to the skillet, toss in the pan juices, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

ASIAN GREENS WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions in hot oil until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Place chicken in skillet and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until chicken is browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn chicken and season with garlic salt and black pepper on the other side. Transfer chicken and onions to a cutting board and chop chicken.
• Stir bok choy into the same skillet, reduce heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook until greens are slightly tender, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Bring water to a boil in a saucepan; remove from heat. Stir couscous spice packet contents and 1 tablespoon olive oil into water; add couscous. Cover saucepan and let stand until water is absorbed completely, about 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork.
• Spoon couscous onto plates, top with greens, onions, and chicken, respectively, and sprinkle tomatoes and Mizithra cheese over the top.

STIR-FRIED ASIAN GREENS WITH CHILES AND GARLIC

Steps:

• 1. Carefully inspect the greens, discarding or trimming off any spoiled stems or leaves. Trim the bottom ends off and discard. Wash the greens in several changes of the coldest possible water; tepid water might cause them to wilt, and you want them to stay as alert and perky as possible before being cooked. (Note: Because bok choi and baby bok choi tend to have pockets full of sand in the nooks where the leaves meet the center stem, be certain to pull the leaves back slightly away from the stem when you're cleaning them. There are few things worse than a mouthful of sand when you want a mouthful of greens.)
• 2. Cut the cleaned greens into pieces 2-1/2 to 3 inches long. If any of the stems are particularly wide - say, more than 1 inch - or are tough or sinewy-looking, cut them in half lengthwise. If you're using baby bok choi or baby Shanghai choi, you can either leave the heads whole or cut them in half lengthwise - it's up to you. Spin the greens dry in a salad dryer or set them aside to air-dry on a kitchen towel or paper towels; they needn't be bone dry - a little dampness won't matter.
• 3. In a wok, 12-inch skillet, Dutch oven, or soup pot (any pot large and wide enough to comfortably hold the greens will do), heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it's hot but not smoking - it should appear shimmery - add the garlic, the salt, and, if using, the chiles. Sauté, stirring until the garlic just begins to lose its rawness, about 1 minute. (Try not to let the garlic turn golden or golden brown, which would give this dish an inappropriate roasted taste.)
• 4. Add the greens. Raise the heat slightly and immediately begin to vigorously stir-fry the greens around the pot. Continue to vigorously stir-fry the greens until they just begin to go limp but the leaves remain a spring-green color and the stems are still crunchy-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the type of greens. Taste for salt, adding only a pinch more if necessary (a little salt goes a long way with greens).
• 5. Transfer the cooked greens to a large serving platter and serve promptly. Be careful not to pile the greens in a small bowl; since the greens will continue to cook for a minute or two after they're removed from the heat, a serving bowl that crowds them may cause them to overcook and become mushy.

WILTED ASIAN GREENS

Steps:

• Heat vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and sesame oil in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved (do not let boil). Pour hot dressing over greens in a large bowl and toss well. Serve immediately.