A bowl full of warm Asian greens is one of the healthiest things you can put on your table. It’s also one of the tastiest, especially if you simply steam the greens and toss them with a quick, warm sesame dressing.

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound or more any Asian greens
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark (roasted) sesame oil
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Procedure

Rinse the greens well in lots of cold running water. Shake them dry.

Splash a 1/2 inch (6 mm) or so of water into a saucepan. Add the garlic and bring the mixture to a simmer for a moment or two, just long enough to take some of the pungent strength out of the garlic but not long enough to remove its aroma.

Add the rinsed greens, cover with a tight-fitting lid and continue steaming for a few minutes longer until the greens are tender.

Meanwhile, toss the tahini, soy sauce, roasted sesame oil and lemon zest and juice into a salad bowl. Whisk them together and then add the just-steamed greens. Toss everything together and sprinkle on the sesame seeds.

Variation

There are many different Asian greens commonly available at your supermarket. Feel free to use any one of them or a mixture. Bok choy, yu choy, mizuna, tatsoi or pea shoots, even simple spinach, all work well.