Wild Greens with Celery-Mint Tomato Sauce - Greek Tsigareli - 5 pts

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Wild Greens with Celery-Mint Tomato Sauce - Greek

Tsigareli - 5 pts

 

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Veggie WW

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation

Method

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Greens:

4 cups blanched chopped greens -- 4

bunches of various greens (kale, spinach, Swiss chard,

escarole, mixed wild greens) to equal

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Sauce:

4 cups diced onions -- 1/4” dice

3/4 cup finely sliced stalks from leaf

celery -- (or 3/4 cups diced celery, 1/4” dice)

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. Aleppo pepper -- 1 to 2 tsp.

to taste, or 1/2 – 1 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 can crushed tomatoes --

(14.5-ounce)

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup water

3/4 cup finely shredded leaves from

leaf celery -- (or 3/4 cup minced parsley)

3 Tbsp. minced mint

 

 

Prepare the Greens: Wash the greens and remove any

damaged portions. If using greens with sturdy but

edible stems, like beet greens or chard, cut off the

stems and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Tough

stems, like those on kale, should be discarded.

 

Blanch the stems and greens in boiling, salted water,

adding the stems first, then sturdy greens like beets

or kale, and finally tender greens like spinach or

escarole. As soon as the tender greens wilt, pour the

greens into a colander to drain and cool. Roughly chop

the greens when they are cool enough to handle.

 

Make the Tomato Sauce: Sauté the onions and celery

stalks in olive oil, lightly seasoned with salt and

freshly ground black pepper, until the onion starts to

turn golden. Stir in the Aleppo pepper and garlic and

cook for one minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes,

wine, and water and bring to a boil. Cook rapidly for

five minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat

to medium, stir in the celery leaves (or parsley) and

mint, and simmer for 15 minutes.

 

Finish the Tsigareli: Add the drained, chopped greens

to the tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or

until the sauce is the thickness you desire and no

longer watery. Taste and add salt and freshly ground

black pepper, if needed.

 

Serve with crusty bread and Kalamata olives.

 

Serves 4 - 6.

 

 

AuthorNote: On Corfu, one of Greece's Ionian Islands,

residents enjoy wild greens cooked with hot peppers.

The spicy greens are called Tsigareli and are served

hot (in Greece, many dishes using wild greens are

served at room temperature). The dish is so beloved

that Corfiot restaurants attract customers by bragging

about their Tsigareli.

 

Located off the southwestern coast of Albania, Corfu

was for many years a Venetian colony, and a stop on

Venetian trade routes from the Middle East. That

heritage is reflected in Corfu’s traditional dishes,

including Tsigareli.

 

Most peasant dishes are made without formal recipes.

As a result, a single, correct way to make them

doesn't exist. So it is with Tsigareli, whose name

comes from the Greek verb “tsigarizo” meaning to sauté

or brown.

 

Today in Corfu, Tsigareli is usually made with a

selection of blanched wild greens and spicy tomato

sauce. Traditionally, tomatoes were not used, and the

dish got its color from dried red peppers. Some

recipes for Tsigareli include ground meat, some ignore

tomato sauce and use potatoes and cayenne pepper for

flavor, and still others sweeten the tomato sauce with

carrots.

 

In all recipes, the major components of Tsigareli are

mixed greens, hot spices, and abundant herbs. These

ingredients can be adjusted with the seasons, or to

suit personal tastes. The dish can be served as an

appetizer, a side dish, or an entree. Tsigareli is

best made with wild greens, but when they aren’t

available, it is delicious made with supermarket

greens.

 

For a tasty vegan main course, follow Aglaia Kremezi’s

recommendation and serve Tsigareli with a starch like

rice or polenta.

 

Leaf (Chinese) celery enhances Tsigareli, and I add it

in two stages to better accentuate its flavor.

Ordinary supermarket celery is fine for this dish,

although it has a milder taste than leaf celery.

 

Aleppo pepper is a fruity and moderately spicy red

chili pepper sold in crushed flakes. It originally

came from Syria, but now may be imported into the

United States from Turkey. Supermarket crushed red

pepper is a spicier and less flavorful substitute for

Aleppo pepper; one-half teaspoon of crushed red pepper

substitutes for one teaspoon Aleppo pepper. Aleppo

pepper is available from Penzey’s, The Spice House,

and World Spice Merchants.

 

Description:

" 5 pts "

Source:

" Tastes Like Home by Laurie Constantino "

S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):

" 12.28.07 "

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 228 Calories;

15g Fat (61.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 17g

Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 57mg

Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Vegetable; 3 Fat.

 

NOTES : Tsigareli tastes best when made with a mixture

of different kinds of greens. Use the larger amounts

of Aleppo or crushed red pepper only if you enjoy

spicy food. The tomato sauce used in this recipe is

excellent when served over ravioli or other stuffed

pasta, instead of with greens.

 

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 3600 0 0 0 0 2516 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1036 903384 0

 

 

 

 

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