Summer greens

Is there anything worse than attending a lecture about lifestyle balance, the need for sleep and relaxation, four days before an exam? If only I were so good at managing my need for sleep as I am anticipating my need to eat well. Priorities...

To balance out the macaroni and cheese and meatballs, I also made a large pot of collard greens to ensure some vegetable intake throughout the week. Think of these as another iron-rich, fiber-rich, cholesterol-clearing alternative to kale, which you may be getting sick of by now. I'm no expert at cooking collard greens, but these came out quite delicious.

Collard greens:

• 1 bunch collard greens, washed and sliced into ribbons horizontally (against the direction of the stem)
• 1 onion, cut into quarters and sliced lengthwise
• 4 garlic cloves, whole
• olive oil
• salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• vinegar
• cooking wine (optional)

In a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of oil. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and stir until the onion is translucent. Add the collard greens (may need to add in batches until they have cooked down to make room), 1-2 cups of water, and generous splashes of vinegar and cooking wine (this was serendipitous in my case -- I added wine by mistake but it came out well). Simmer at low-medium heat for about an hour until greens are soft. Season generously with salt and pepper.