Kiss The Cook - It's All About Greens!

Foxy Baby Boomer Women & Friends,

Now, I KNOW you’ve been eating your vegetables over the years, yes? You’ve got your favorites too; baked potato with all the trimmings (ie, butter, sour cream, chives), that loaded salad & dressing, broccoli & carrots maybe?

My people are from the South. There were vegetables they never got into cooking like artichokes (what’s that?), asparagus (makes your pee stinky), mushrooms (might POISON you! lol!) and more. However, they loved squash, eggplant, sweet potatoes, okra, tomatoes – and one of their favorites was Greens (pictured at right above).

If you’ve never eaten greens or taken the time to learn more about them – you just don’t know the good that you’re missing. So, let me give you a little education and a recipe to try.

Greens are a wonderful leafy vegetable that come in several varieties. They are:

Collard Greens – mildest flavor
Turnip Greens – mild but distinctive flavor
Mustard Greens – most pronounced flavor
And cousins of the greens are Kale & Spinach

Collard greens are a member of the cabbage family. The ancient Greeks used kale and collards, enjoying them both.

The soil in Southern U.S. made it very easy for green crops to grow. Today, a favorite meal for some Southerners is fried chicken, black-eyed peas, corn bread and collard greens.

Greens are really good for you too! Dark, leafy greens are a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, folate, iron, and calcium. Plus, they have wonderful fiber in them. Research suggests that the nutrients found in dark green vegetables may prevent certain types of cancers and promote heart health. It is recommended that you eat 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week.

Now. You can mix the greens if you want; turnips & collards, mustard & turnip greens, etc. People from the South usually boil their greens to cook them. They may add seasoned pork or turkey to the water, plus other seasonings. However, that’s no longer how I ROLL! I’ve got a whole new way to cook them plus keep the vitamins that are generally lost within the boiling process. My greens are sauteed (wink!)

So let’s start at the beginning. Keep in mind I’m a vegetarian who also eats fish, so MY VEGETABLES have got to be GOOD! I’m going to suggest you try the following wonderfully flavorful dish.


“Connie’s Contemporary Collard Greens” – (chuckle!)

2 Bunches of Collard Greens
½ bell Pepper
4 stems of Green Onions
1 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Tblsp. Olive Oil
½ Tblsp. Butter or Margarine (for more flavor)
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Spray bottle of Water

First, go to the grocery (or down South, to the garden) to get two bunches of collard greens. It may seem like a lot, but these greens cook down to less than half of what they look like now.

It’s VERY IMPORTANT that you wash these greens well; put them in a bowl in the sink, run the faucet water over them, and sprinkle the greens with salt. Down South the salt gets rid of worms who like to chew on them. Clean them good so no dirt grit is left.

Tear the leaves off of each stem; this means the middle stem part of each leaf. The stems get thrown away.

Get a large skillet, pre-heat putting the burner temperature on medium. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Then add the butter or margarine, making sure it doesn’t get burnt (if it smokes a little, turn the heat down).

After separating the greens from the stems, place several leaves on the chopping block, cut vertically then horizontally making bite-sized pieces (or thin strips).

Begin putting the greens in the skillet. Cut up the green onions and bell pepper. Add them then add more greens until all of the greens, green onion and bell pepper are in.

Add the parsley flakes, plus sprinkle garlic salt and pepper lightly over everything. Spray water on them and use your spatula to turn the greens to ensure light water saturation.

Turn the heat down to low-medium to allow the greens to cook and cover them. Turn the greens periodically. Takes about 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

You will be amazed at how mouth-wateringly, delicious these greens are and how good they are for you! One of my favorite dinners is broiled Salmon, baked sweet potato, small salad, and collard greens.

You may even create your own recipes or have your own already. Please share if you like mine or you want to add a recipe. And, if you need someone to SHOW you how to make a greens dish, here ya go!

Now, tell your family or friends to KISS THE COOK on the cheek! Bon Appetit!