Asian greens.

Date: Sun, 19 May 1996 22:25:55 -0400
To: The Culinary Herbs & Spices List <HERBS.HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
From: "Mary E. Hall" <IOMA2.AOL.COM>
Subject: chinese greens

> I bought a bunch of Mizuna (a lacey oriental green) last night to mix in with other greens from the garden but the bunches were pre-packaged so it is much more than I can eat that way. Does anyone have recipes for using it in cooking?

I'd suggest your own favorite stir fry, but with fewer veggies than you would do otherwise. After the meat and veggies are almost done, add the greens and cook only until they're wilted. This works great with spinach...I learned it from someone who grew up in Singapore, but then I saw it on a Martha Stewart episode...but when I'm too tired to go to the grocery store, I've even done it with green-leaf lettuce.

The original suggestion from my spinach-loving Singaporan friend follows. I apologize in advance--I never got very good at estimating proportions!

Soi Tee Lee's Singaporan Spinach

Three or four cloves of garlic, minced or thin-slivered (more if you like.)
Two chinese-style smoked duck or smoked pork sausages, cut into thin slices.
*Note, I have substituted lean bacon for this, it lost something, but was surprisingly close.
Lots of spinach (or other greens) **and I do mean lots--half a grocery-store bag is my quantity.
Soy sauce & rice wine vinegar.

(One "oops" to avoid that I didn't: Don't do this in a cast-iron pan, or plan on re-seasoning)

Cook the sausage (or bacon) until it's nicely crispy. (Soi Tee says the smoked sausages are considered pre-cooked and that this is too much, but this soothes my sanitation fetish.) Don't have your wok too hot, because next you add the garlic. The sausage gives off enough oil for me, you might want to pour it off and add some veggie oil instead. After you cook the garlic (and I sometimes use ginger, too), add your spinach & some of the liquids, toss, and cover it until it wilts.

Serve immediately, or it keeps wilting too far. Don't forget to start the rice early...I did that once, too.

Happy spinach.
Emme