Winter Greens

It’s been awhile since I mentioned a pizza recipe. I don’t want you to think I have a one-track pizza mind. The truth is, among all the random recipes I try, pizza is on the menu almost every week. Yes, part of the reason is that, as previously mentioned, my husband often does half the work for me by pre- making dough. Then topping the pizza is so darn easy and good! Like soup, it is a wonderful vehicle for using up what is in the fridge.

This recipe is unusual for its unusual toppings: earthy greens, raisins, and anchovy fillets. It’s not the gooey tomato-saucy crunchy Neapolitan pizza you (or I) fantasize about. Don’t turn up your nose, though, because it provides a rather healthy concentration of vitamins and nutrients in one tasty package!

Winter Greens, Asiago, and Anchovy Pizza
Barely modified from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com

Cooking spray
1 Cup red onion, sliced
3 Tablespoons raisins
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 canned anchovy fillets, minced
3 Cups loosely packed tender greens, such as spinach, chopped if large (about 3 ounces)
3 Cups chopped turnip, beet or other winter greens (about 5 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 thin pizza crust, either your own, with some pre-baking, or a Boboli Italian-flavored crust
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese

I had anchovies on hand because I have I have a giant parsley plant out front, and my related recipe searches keep leading me to pasta Puttanesca. I have yet to make said pasta, but the rest of the can of anchovies awaits!

For my greens, I used mostly the CSA swiss chard and a combination of spinach and arugula.

Preheat oven to 400°. This was when I was still oven-less (it’s fixed now, hooray! What a new motherboard can do…). I heated up the grill instead.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add red onion, and cook for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add 3 tablespoons raisins, garlic, and anchovies; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, as the anchovy melts into the mixture.

Add greens; cover and cook for 4 minutes or until they wilt. Uncover and cook for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cool slightly.