Sweet and Sour Greens

I haven't posted here in a while because I've been busy managing my other blog, www.coveyscoast2coast.blogspot.com. That's where I documented our cross country road trip on US 50 from Sacramento CA to Ocean City MD. I didn't cook on that trip, but I sure did eat. Be sure to check out day 7 and day 8, which we spent in Kansas City. There's also some interesting information about the Steam Ship Arabia, which sunk in 1856, fully loaded with 200 tons of goods heading up the Missouri River. Part of their cargo included bottled fruit and pickles, and also the latest in food preservation technology - ceramic jars with reusable metal lids. One of the main features of these is that you could stack them in your pantry, unlike the bottles, which looked a lot like wine bottles.

"We ate like we were in Kansas City!" I'm hoping this phrase will catch on because KC deserves it. Meanwhile, we each gained about 5 lbs. in 16 days, so we're getting back to our healthy ways. It rained several days while we were gone, and my garden went crazy. I had a giant bunch of chard to cook and decided to make it tonight. We had this along side smoked spare ribs from Roxie Deli up the street. They sure know what they're doing with a smoker.

Dwayne never really liked greens until I made this for him. He loves raisins, and this dish mitigates any bitterness the greens might have.

Sweet and Sour Greens

10 cups cleaned and roughly chopped greens (I like chard or beet greens)

2 medium shallots, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Put the raisins in a small bowl and cover with the balsamic vinaigrette while you prep the veggies.

Once the greens and shallots are chopped, preheat a large sauce pan and add the raisin/balsamic mixture and the shallots. Allow to saute for a few minutes, then add the greens. Cover and saute for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Tougher greens may take the longer cooking time.)

Makes 4 servings as a side dish

150 calories per serving

Yum!!!!