sautéed mixed Greens,

moroccan style

I love greens. Any greens. All greens. Foraged greens are popular as a side or salad in Morocco. Although foraging sounds like an exciting outing to me, I’m afraid my foraging is done in my local markets. In Morocco, this dish would be made with mallow greens. If you can find them, great. I can’t. I’m using a mixture of greens that I can easily find in the stores this time of year—baby spinach, baby kale, mustard greens, chard, and dandelion greens—focusing on soft greens that cook quickly and turn silky and sultry when braised. The addition of green olives here adds a piquant twist.

Sautéed Greens, Moroccan Style.

Serves 4—6

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2-3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced, to taste

  • Kosher salt to taste

  • Pinch each of ground cumin and coriander (Freshly ground is best, but from the jar will be fine.)

  • A hearty shake of sweet paprika from the spice jar

  • 1 lb mixed greens, including mallow greens if available

  • (Baby spinach, chard, mustard, dandelion, and baby kale work well—go for tender, quick-cooking greens.)

  • ½ cup sliced or coarsely chopped green olives.

  • Optional: red pepper flakes for a touch of heat

  • Also Optional: a little finely grated lemon rind, for garnish

    Note: When using the rind, I prefer to use organic lemons

Method:

  • Wash all the greens well to remove any sand.

  • Warm the oil in a skillet or pot large enough to hold all the greens.

  • Add the garlic and the spices and stir for about a minute.

  • Then add the greens and give them a little sprinkling of salt. Using tongs, toss them so that they’re evenly coated with the oil. Add a touch of red pepper flakes if you’d like a touch of heat in the dish.

  • Greens are made up mostly of water. They’ll need a lot of room when you first add them to the pot—you may think you have way too much—but they’ll quickly cook down to what will seem and unimpressive amount. Have no fear; a little goes a long way.

  • When the greens have cooked down, add in the chopped olives. Stir to combine and continue to cook until the greens are silky and cooked down to your liking. Don’t cover the pan or your bright greens will turn grey-ish.

  • Transfer to a serving bowl.

  • A little finely grated lemon rind over the top adds a nice zing.