Grandmas Greens Catalan Style With Toasted Pine Nuts And Raisins Recipes

SPINACH WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS RECIPE - ESPINACAS A LA CATALANA

Steps:

• Place all of the raisins in a small bowl and cover with water. Put to one side and leave them to rehydrate.
• To prepare the spinach, wash any dirt or soil off of the leaves, and trim the stalks (not necessary if using baby spinach). Once clean, place in a large pot with the salt and water over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
• Strain through a colander and gently squeeze with your hands to remove any excess water. Leave in a colander over a bowl to continue draining.
• Place a large skillet or frying pan over medium-low heat and add the pine nuts. Toast the pine nuts until they are lightly golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Shake the pan quite a bit to move the nuts around and toast evenly on all sides. Remove the nuts from the pan and place on a plate to one side.
• Put the pan back on the heat. Add the olive oil and increase the heat to medium. When the olive oil is hot, add the garlic and begin to fry until lightly golden (about 1-2 minutes).
• Drain the raisins and add them to the pan. Also add the spinach, stirring to mix together with the raisins and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until any excess water has evaporated completely.
• Add the pine nuts back into the pan and stir to combine everything.
• Remove the pan from heat and serve immediately. Season with salt, pepper, and more olive oil.

OLIVE-OIL TOASTS WITH GREENS, PINE NUTS, AND RAISINS

Steps:

• For the toasts:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 1 tablespoon oil evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange bread slices on top; brush them with remaining tablespoon oil and season with salt. Place baking sheet in oven and toast for 6 minutes. Rotate the pan front to back and bake the toasts until golden brown all over with no pale patches, a few minutes more. (The toasts will probably not all be done at the same time, so remove the ones that are, and keep toasting). Remove toasts from the baking sheet to a separate container and let cool to room temperature.
• For the topping:
• To wash the chard leaves, throw them into a big bowl of water and swish around with conviction to get rid of any dirt. Lift out the greens (don't pour them out or the dirt will just go right back on), and transfer to a colander to drain. Don't spin the greens dry-it's good to have some water clinging to the leaves to help them steamily cook.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and just slightly colored, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant, but not browned, about 2 minutes.
• Add the chard leaves with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let them begin to wilt. Toss and flip with tongs, adding salt, oil, or water as needed so the garlic does not burn, until chard is tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the pine nuts and raisins and then spoon the mixture onto a cutting board to cool for a couple of minutes. Chop the chard, then scoop into a medium bowl and mix in the cheese and the remaining tablespoon of oil. Top toasts with chard mixture and serve warm or at room temperature.

SPINACH WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS (ESPINACS A LA CATALANA)

Steps:

• Place the raisins in a small bowl, add very hot water to cover, and soak until plump, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels, then set aside.
• Rinse, but do not drain the spinach. Place the spinach in a large saucepan over medium heat and cover the pan. Cook the spinach in the water that clings to its leaves until just wilted, 4-5 minutes, stirring a few times.
• Transfer the spinach to a colander and squeeze out the excess moisture by pressing on the spinach with the back of a spoon. Chop the spinach coarsely. (The spinach can be prepared a few hours ahead up to this point).
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over low heat. Add the garlic, pine nuts, and soaked raisins and cook until the nuts and garlic are light golden, 3-5 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium, add the chopped spinach and cook for about 1 minute, stirring to combine evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a serving bowl and serve.