Kale with Pine Nuts

This is the end of the pine nut binge. I promise. I find that pine nuts have a somewhat strong flavor, but the earthy flavor combines quite well here with the bitter, sour, and sweet notes of the kale and cranberries.

To toast pine nuts, I have tried dry roasting in a hot pan, and sauteing in olive oil. Each method provides satisfactory results, but both must be watched carefully. There is a certain point when pine nuts brown very rapidly and then start burning. This is one task I find it hard to multitask; if I'm toasting pine nuts, everything else has to wait. I learned this the hard way after dumping numerous pans of burned up nuts.

Kale with Pine Nuts

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale (1½ - 2 lbs)

1 T olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ c water

¼ c dried cranberries

pinch ground cinnamon

¼ c toasted pine nuts

¼ t salt

Steps

1. Rinse the kale and cut off stems and thick veins. Coarsely chop the leaves.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

3. Add the kale, water, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the kale is tender, about 7 minutes. Add more water if the mixture gets too dry.

4. Stir in pine nuts just before serving.