Wife wanted fajitas so I bought some skirt steak, covered it with chile powder and threw it into the crock pot for a few hours. The meat came out tasty and spicy. I decided that I wanted to have a beef sandwich instead of the fajitas. I also wanted to have some "Italian greens". It is a delicacy in the area of upstate New York where I was raised (Rome, NY). It is also called "Utica Greens" although the best place to get them is a little restaurant called the Franklin Hotel in Rome.
Anyway, you are supposed to make it with escarole but the markets around here don't carry it so I figured I would try it with spinach.
Took 4 bags of spinach, put some EVOO in a pan, covered and cooked until the spinach was "wilty", stirring now and then. Meanwhile I took some cut up onion, bell peppers, green onions and sauted them. (I used about 1/4 cup each, probably a bit less.) I then added 4 thin slices of proscuitto ham sliced into small pieces. I then cut up about 10 small smoked, roasted yellow potatoes that I had left over from the other day. These are mini potatoes about 1/4 inch in diameter, many a little bit larger, but not much.
Mixed all these together added a cup of chicken broth, some black pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper and let simmer until the liquid was pretty much gone.
Then put the mixture in a glass baking pan, and added a couple hands full of shedded romano cheese, stir, add bread crumbs to the top and throw in the oven for about 8 minutes at 375.
Mixture in the pan simmering:
(http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b476/gusrobin/IMG_0300.jpg)
I made a sandwhich with a roll, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and the shredded skirt steak, added some of the greens, and cole slaw:
(http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b476/gusrobin/IMG_0301.jpg)
I was pleased with the greens and will make them some more, substituing spinach in lieu of escarole.
Not to drag out this thread but here is a version of the true utica green recipe. This is one version with many others floating around.
____________________________________________
Utica Greens
1 cup Yukon Gold potatoes cut in 1? cubes
½ t. dried parsley
½ t. ea. Onion & garlic powder
½ t. paprika
1/2 chopped Vidalia onion
2 heads escarole
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
8oz. chicken broth
4 oz. thinly sliced hard salami
½ cup bread crumbs
6 minced garlic cloves
½ cup Romano cheese
freshly chopped parsley
1. Potatoes: Toss in a zip lock bag with ¼ cup olive oil, dried parsley, garlic and onion powder and paprika. Roast for ½ hour at 350. Set aside.
2. Greens: Sauté garlic and onion in 1 T olive oil; add chopped escarole and cook through. Add chicken broth, julienned salami, crushed red pepper and potatoes. Simmer till stock reduced (about 45 min).
3. Combine bread crumbs with 2 T oil. Toast until brown. Mix half with greens
4. Add Romano cheese and place in greased baking pan.
5. Top with remaining half of crumbs
6. Bake in oven at 350 for 15 min.
7. Garnish with parsley
_________________________________
I'd Pound a Plate of that!!!!
Yes Sir !!! you got me with the spinach, lookin good my friend....well done.
I've never seen that escarole/potato mixture before (married into an Italian clan - mostly Calabrian, my Army brat wife was born in Pisa), but you have my attention!
I'll leave the spinach to Popeye, but the sammie and slaw work for me.