Braised chard or spinach

We were once in a rustic trattoria in Puglia where there was no menu.  The owner just came out of the kitchen and told you what they were going to feed you.  One of the courses was local greens (cima di rape) braised with olive oil and garlic and liberally sprinkled with Parmesan.  It was incredibly good.  Since that holiday we often cook greens by braising them with olive oil and garlic, rather then steaming.  Serve as a side to a piece of meat or fish, or maybe an omelette or a simple piece of smoked mackerel or trout.

1 x 500g bag chard or organic* spinach leaves
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped into quarters
3 spring onions (optional) cut into 2cm lengths
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional (avoid for dairy-free diet): 1 tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

1. Put a frying pan (ideally a heavy-bottomed one) on a medium heat, add the garlic and white parts of the spring onion and 1 tbs olive oil.  Cover with a lid or plate and cook until softened and slightly translucent.
2. Meanwhile wash the chard/spinach, shake the excess moisture off the leafy greens (don’t dry them completely or they will burn).  If the leaves are large, cut into approximately 5cm lengths (across the thick stalks) and add to the pan along with the green parts of the spring onions. Cover and cook gently until wilted.  If you use baby spinach or chard this will only take a couple of minutes.   If you use larger leaves it can take 10-15 minutes.
3. Eat hot or lukewarm – they will keep warm, off the heat, in the covered pan for quite a while.

Why this is good for you:
First of all why do I stress “organic” spinach leaves?  Because spinach is in the top 3 most agri-chamical-contaminated produce.  Agri-chemicals like herbicides disrupt both our gut bacteria and our hormonal systems.  Our hormonal systems need to work well for energy, motivation, mood, proper thyroid function, freedom from hormone-related diseases and much more.   Chard and spinach, because they are dark green leafy veg, are very high in magnesium and folic acid.   If you have digestive disorders, acne, psoriasis, or eczema, or if you are stressed, you could need more of these nutrients.  Folic acid and magnesium are essential for liver function and mental health.  Most Irish people are deficient in magnesium because don’t eat enough magnesium foods and we eat and drink things that deplete it from your body – coffee, sugar, refined foods, for example.  Stress also depletes your nutrients.  Celtic people also often have  altered folic acid metabolism.  This genetic issue may predispose us to alcoholism and depression.