Dinner 3/12 … recipes by request
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This follows up on last night’s post. My colleague requested recipes, so here you go.
First step is to get the rice started. I have a fantastic rice cooker; that’s my rice secret. I admit that I have no idea how to cook rice on a stove top. I used the Lundberg Sweet Brown Rice, a short grain sticky brown rice. Here is a link to the Lundberg Family Farms website that includes information on their sweet brown rice as well as cooking directions: http://www.lundberg.com/products/rice/bulk_rice/Organic_Brown_Sweet_Rice_-_25_lbs.aspx
I never use butter, as this recipe calls for, but it would probably taste very good.
Next, prepare the bacon. I use the Trader Joe’s Uncured Bacon Ends & Pieces, which sells for just $2.99 at TJs (http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=260). It is usually thick cut and (for bacon) pretty lean. Depending on the thickness and size of the bacon strip, I use 2 to 3 pieces for one bunch of greens. I trim off any extra fat and cut the lean parts into about 1/2-inch strips, then cook all of it in a large skillet (one large enough to cook the greens). I do cook the pieces of fat with the lean because I’ve found it just cooks better that way. I cook it, then drain it on paper towels. I separate out the pieces of fat and set them aside for a special four-legged friend of mine who occasionally gets a treat when his coach allows it. He’s a pretty athletic guy and needs to have some fat in his diet for his coat, but coach says not too much.
While the bacon is cooking, wash the greens and set them to drain on a towel. I used organic kale – a combination of your typical curly leafed kale and dino kale. You can also use the Trader Joe’s Souther Greens blend. It’s a ready-to-cook mix of mustard, turnip, and collard greens. You really can use whatever hearty, dark leafy greens you like for this recipe.
Then, cook the sausage. I used Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Sun-dried Tomato Basil (only 110 calories per sausage!). I placed the sausage in a non-stick saute pan with a bit of water, covered it, and cooked it on medium heat until the sausage was heated through and most of the water was gone. You could certainly serve the sausage whole, but I liked to slice it and brown it a little. If you want, you can add a little olive oil to the saute pan or spray the pan with a non-stick spray. Simply brown the sausage a little on each side. Keep it warm while you cook the greens.
While the sausage is cooking, cut the greens. I usually cut them into about 1 to 1/2-inch strips, depending on the size of the leaves. Use the bacon pan, but be sure to wipe out the excess bacon fat before cooking the greens. A little is OK, and a lot might taste good, but … it won’t make you feel very good to eat all of that. Add just a bit of olive oil to the skillet and heat it until hot, but NOT smoking. Add the greens, sprinkle the cooked bacon over top, and cover. Cook on medium-high heat until the greens just start to wilt. This will only take a few minutes. Then pour a bit of chicken stock over the greens and heat through. How much stock you use really depends on how much liquid you want. Sorry to be vague, but … I guess that’s just how I cook. Cook the greens until they are just tender. You really do not want to overcook greens because they can become bitter.
To serve, I used a large shallow bowl (or deep plate?), scooped a bit of rice on one side, greens on the other, arranged some sausage on top, then drizzled some of the liquid from the greens over the greens and rice. You can season to taste with salt and pepper, or you can drizzle some hot sauce on the dish. I like the Trader Joe’s Chili Pepper Sauce. For my tastes, it has a nice balance of heat and flavor.
Enjoy!