Sweet Braised Winter Greens

J'nene Wade makes two versions of this cool-weather side dish - one with Swiss chard, dried sour cherries, and pecans and this one, with collard greens, raisins, and pine nuts.

• 2 pounds collard greens
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion (about 8 oz.) peeled, halved, and thinly slivered lengthwise
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• Salt and pepper

1. Rinse collard greens and tear leaves from center ribs; discard center ribs and stems.

2. Pour oil into a 12- to 14-inch frying pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add onion and garlic and stir frequently until onion is limp, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, pine nuts, and collard greens. Stir frequently until greens are slightly wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until greens are very wilted and tender to bite, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; serve at once.

Yield: Makes 6 side-dish servings

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 144(54% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 1.2g); PROTEIN 3.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; SODIUM 24mg; FIBER 4.2g; CARBOHYDRATE 16g

J'nene Wade, Sandpoint, Idaho , Sunset, NOVEMBER 2002

Italian Wedding Soup

• 3/4 lb Meatball Mix for Spaghetti and Meatballs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 3/4 cup chopped white onion
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 small can whole tomatoes, drained and halved
• 1 can white beans
• 1 cup orzo
• 2 cups shredded kale or spinach
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Prepare Meatball Mix according to recipe. With damp hands, shape into small balls. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper and cook until translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, water and tomatoes. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat or until soup comes to a boil.

Add meatballs, beans and orzo to the boiling soup and stir to make sure they are fully submerged. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes over medium heat. Stir in kale or spinach. Test a meatball and a piece of orzo to ensure that they are fully cooked. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan, if desired.

Combined recipes from Food Network, Whole Foods, and Epicurious, 3/08.