Creamed wild greens with Greek yogurt: vegetarian, high-protein, low carb, low fat, gluten-free optional

Non-foragers, don't run away, although I made this dish with wild, foraged greens, you could easily make it with spinach or kale--and it would still be a healthier take on the creamed side dish.

Spring is officially ON in north Texas, and a lot of our freshest, tenderest wild greens are peeking out above the duff. But it can still be chilly, this year more than most, with temperatures in late February dipping into the 30s. And cold weather craves comfort food.

This dish makes great use of 3 invasive species: bastard cabbage (Rapistrum rugosum) a member of the mustard/cabbage family, curly dock (Rumex crispus), and this field garlic, I'm not sure which one it is, but if you get that garlic smell, it's an edible garlic.

If you don't have either of these wild greens, feel free to sub any mustard greens, lambsquarters, dandelion greens, sow thistle, spinach, kale, etc.

Bastard cabbage, Rapistrum rugosum.
All members of the cabbage/mustard family are edible,
if you can identify them properly.

Curly dock, Rumex crispus. An abundant, invasive wild edible,
available throughout North America.
I have a post on how to ID this plant, see below for more.

As yet unidentified wild garlic. It appears to be a hybrid with
invasive crow garlic, Allium vineale

One of the best things about this meal is that it can be on the table in under 20 minutes, and only uses one pot!!! So easy for cleanup as well. It makes a great side dish for grilled meat, or to help stretch out leftovers.

This dish is vegetarian, low in carbs, low in fat, low sugar, high in protein, and gluten-free optional.

Creamed wild greens with Greek yogurt

Serves 4 as a side dish. Prep and cook time: 20 minutes.

6 cups of packed wild greens, roughly cut
1 small onion or large shallot, diced
2-3 bulbs of wild garlic, or 2-3 cloves of cultivated, minced
3/4 cup vegetable stock*
5 oz. container fat free, unsweetened, plain greek yogurt
4 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour, gluten-free flour, or rice flour
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
allspice (nutmeg, if you don't have allspice)

1. Strain your Greek yogurt. I poured it into a coffee filter and then let sit in a small colander. I periodically checked the colander to see if there was liquid in the bottom, and if so, I drained it. Continue to strain throughout the prep process, draining periodically.
2. Fill a medium/large stock pot about half-way with water. Bring to a boil, and add your greens. Blanch lightly. For the bastard cabbage, I cooked for about 1 minute, then added the curly dock and continued cooking for another minute. Drain into a large colander. 
3. Return your pot to the burner over medium heat. Add 2 tbs. butter and melt. Add your onion/shallot and cook, stirring until softened. Add the garlic and continue to cook until onion is translucent. 
4. Push your onion/garlic to the side of the pan and add the remaining 2 tbs of butter to the other side. When the new butter has melted, add your flour and mix briskly/whisk. When a thick paste has formed, mix with the onion/garlic. 
5. Mix in your stock and mix to make a smooth, thick sauce. Then mix in your blanched greens, and mix. Season with a bit of sea salt, a generous few grinds of black pepper, and just a barest dash of allspice. 
6. Mix in your strained Greek yogurt, and heat everything through. Remove from heat and serve right away. (Although the leftovers heat up well too!)

* I used 1 cup of vegetable stock when I made this, and it was a bit too saucy. I would definitely cut back to 3/4 cup next time.

   If you need help identifying curly dock, click to my post.   

Easy lunch: half of a leftover grilled pork chop, creamed wild greens, and green tea.