Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Sicilian Marmalade of Spring Greens

Monday, May 16, 2011

[MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Sicilian Marmalade of Spring Greens - 1g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

* Exported from MasterCook *

Sicilian Marmalade of Spring Greens

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 32 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Condiment LowCal (Less than 300 cals)
LowerCarbs Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds fresh spinach -- escarole, Swiss chard, etc. (see notes)
Salt
1 garlic clove -- peeled, and lightly crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 flat anchovy fillets -- drained and crushed with a fork
1 1/2 teaspoons capers -- preferably salted, rinsed, and drained
1/4 cup chopped pitted purple olives -- (7 or 8 Kalamatas)
1 1/2 tablespoons seedless raisins -- black or yellow raisins, soaked in warm water, drained dry and chopped
1/8 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes -- with few seeds, or more to taste
To serve: -- 32 rounds Italian bread or French bread, grilled or fried
To serve: -- 1/3 cup coarsely grated provolone or caciocavallo cheese, optional

1. Wash the greens until the water runs clear; remove the stems, stalks, and/or tough leaves, and drain. Cook the greens 10 minutes in boiling salted water; drain, refresh in cold water, drain, and squeeze thoroughly. Makes 1 cup (Or cook them in the microwave: place them in a covered dish with a few tablespoons of water and use full power until they are fully cooked. Drain thoroughly and squeeze dry.)

2. In a small skillet fry the garlic in olive oil until lightly browned; remove the garlic and discard. Add the greens and fry them for 1 minute, stirring. Add the anchovies and capers and cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer. Remove the mixture to a work surface, allow to cool, then chop fine (by hand or "pulse" in a food processor) with the olives, raisins, and pepper flakes. (The dish can be prepared several hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

3. Divide the mixture evenly and pile it onto bread rounds. Sprinkle them with cheese and run under the broiler to glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 32 bruschetta

Notes to the Cook: There are two approaches, you can mix your greens or just use one type. Avoid frozen spinach, which doesn't have enough taste. I prefer to cook greens by dropping them by the handfuls into lots of boiling salted water (about 1/2 tablespoon of salt per quart of water), then keeping the water at a full boil throughout. I use about 1/2 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. According to my friend Jacques Chibois, the greens do not absorb the salt, and the boiling "sears" the leaves so that the can hold all their nutrients.

In southern Sicily one finds tasty and rather thick, doughy impanatas filled with greens and a multitude of other things, including raisins, capers, anchovies, and cheese. When juicy black olives are also added, the result is luscious but much too heavy. I have remedied the heaviness of this dish by eliminating the doughy exterior and turning the mixture into a spread. You can present a plate of the lukewarm marmalade spread on thin rounds of bread, or you can sprinkle the covered rounds with cheese, run them under the broiler to glaze, then serve them hot.

ChupaNote: I use the little cocktail rounds of bread, rather than slicing a slim baguette. I always have them in the freezer. Thinned with some pasta water, this makes a great pasta sauce. Also good over rice or baked potatoes, or as a sandwich spread.

Cuisine:
"Italian"
Source:
"Paula Wolfert's Mostly Mediterranean, Revised Edition."
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"May 2011"
Yield:
"32 appetizers"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 21 Calories; 1g Fat (57.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 71mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 926004 0 926531 0 0 0 0