Kale with Garlic and Cranberries

My friend Heather of Girlichef is hosting this weeks BSI (blogger secret ingredient). Heather chose greens; a much overlooked source of stupendous veggie power. I did my shopping for the week and totally spaced out on this one. I came home without any greens. Shame on me. I was lucky to find a package of chopped kale in my freezer, the next best thing to fresh. I don’t have many recipes for greens, aside from adding them to soups my go-to is a saute of garlic and olive oil. I did a search and found some really good ideas like this one with dried cranberries. One of my loves. The heat really worked in plumping them up to bring out their sweetness and along with a little drizzle of honey the kale lost any bitterness it might have had. Hints of garlic are offset by the juicy berries and salty Parmesan. I imagine this as a perfect side-dish for Thanksgiving. Or anytime!

Kale w/ Garlic and Cranberries
(loosely adapted from Epicurious)

Frozen chopped Kale, 16 oz.
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1-2 teaspoons honey
sea salt and fresh pepper
Parmesan or Romano cheese, fresh grated, for serving

Steam the kale in a steamer basket pan for 10-12 minutes until thawed out and tender. Let cool slightly and using a large spoon press the water out of the kale so that it drips through the basket into the pan.

In a large skillet saute the garlic in the olive oil over low-medium heat until the garlic begins to turn light brown. Add the cranberries, kale and honey to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until kale is reheated through and cranberries are plump and warm. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan.

Printable Recipe