Winter Blues? Try Some Winter Greens

It wasn't until a recent outing to Harlem in search of some soul food that I discovered I really (really) like greens. Next time you find yourself in the produce isle at the store with winter greens-a-plenty, save your routine veggie for next time and reach for the green stuff. Place a big leafy bunch in your grocery cart and strut towards the checkout, practicing your vocals for amateur night at The Apollo.

At home I tried some swiss chard instead of collard greens, and the quick and simple sauté made a nice side dish.

Recipe for Swiss Chard Sautéed with Garlic:

• One big bunch of swiss chard, washed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic, cut in half
• One small squeeze of lemon juice (or more specifically, about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp)
• Salt and pepper to taste

First, prepare your greens. Wash thoroughly and cut off the base of the stem. You want to have some stem, but not the very bottom. That part is too stringy. If you are cutting through the base and it's stringy, keep moving your knife up until it goes through easily. That's the part of the stem you want to keep and eat. To separate the stem from the leafy part, fold it in half and slice out the stem from top to bottom. Coarsely chop both, keeping them separate. Meanwhile, place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil and garlic. Push around once or twice - you don't want the garlic to burn. Cook for a few minutes. Next, add the stems and cook for 3-5 minutes, pushing around a few times. Finally, add the leaves and cook for about 2 minutes until soft (again, pushing around a little bit for even cooking). Finish with a small squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper, and serve!