Dandelion Greens

I have never cooked dandelion greens before, but I saw Michael Colameco cook them on his show. It was the first time that I saw them at the local grocery store and they looked good, so I said why not. The greens are extremely bitter, so I was thinking a lot of leeks and carrots would help balance it out. They came out great. Dandelions are kinda like watercress but with a crunchier texture. The leeks and carrots added sweetness and texture which perfectly contrasted the bitter dandelions.

Ingredients
1 bunch Dandelion Greens (cleansed and cut into thirds)
2 carrots (peeled, 3/4 inch dice)
3 leeks (only white parts, cleansed, and sliced)
8 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and pepper

(serves 6 people)

1) Set large pan (I used a wok) over medium high heat. Add extra virgin olive oil.

2) Add carrots and saute until a little softened (still should be crunchy). Pinch of salt and pepper to carrots to speed up the time to soften. About 8 minutes.

3) Sautee leeks until it starts getting a little translucent. Maybe about 4 minutes.

4) Add garlic. Saute for 1 minute.

5) Add dandelions. Add salt and pepper. (Remember to thoroughly wash these, since they're very dirty. I rinsed them about 4 times.) Turn dandelions and make sure carrot, leek mixture coats the greens well. Saute until the greens are just wilting. Add extra virgin olive oil. Taste and readjust any seasonings. Carrots should be soft, but not mushy. Greens should be crunchy. Buono appetito!