Help me stop being scared of collard greens!
Hey everyone!
In the past month or so I've been trying to majorly up my green intake. I've always loved assorted lettuces, spinach, escarole (yum!) and kale, and in the past month or so I've learned how to prepare turnip and mustard greens in yummy ways.
But for some reason, I have a mental block when it comes to collared greens. I got a bag of frozen greens a couple of supermarket trips, and I think part of the problem came from eating them uncooked--I didn't like the taste at all! But now I keep holding off making them, thinking I'll really have to PREPARE them to like them. Also I guess I should just try fresh, but i have the frozen here now, and the fresh look so... intimidating! Like these big green dinosaur plants... lol.
One small success--I took a "lucky soup" from the vegetarian express lane cookbook and iron-chefed it to within an inch of its life. The original recipe was just black-eyed peas, peppers, and broth with spices--I added plenty of collared greens, good soup veggies like carrots and celery, and my favorite soup herbs. This was good, cheap, and filling.
So how about you--what would you recommend for a collared green n00b?
Apart from sauteeing with garlic, olive oil & spices, I always use them for green smoothies ( along with romaine, kale or instead of). If you're just trying to up your green intake, you could opt for the green smoothies if you object to their cooked consistency/taste....
my FAVorite way of preparing collards is very easy. a couple handfulls of collards (NO STEMS!) fry for a bit, add some water to help them simmer, a couple big spoonfulls of brown sugar and molasses and a couple slashes of hickory smoke or liquid smoke. let it simmer until the collards are nice and soft and the sauce is thick. MMMM. they are so good. serve with mashes potatoes and a nice fake meat of some sort.
You can treat frozen collards as you would spinach or chard. I highly recommend them with sauteed garlic, cumin and sweet paprika.
For fresh collards, blanch them first, which JICYDK means "submerge for about 10 seconds in boiling water, then drain." Proceed to cook them.
Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'm probably making it out be more than it is, but having suggestions is helpfol.
Here's a really stupid question--has anyone used frozen greens (collards or spinach) in green smoothies?
I'd say that garlic makes anything taste awesome!
I really just can't get into the green smoothie thing....
I buy them frozen and chopped. Just boil for like 30 minutes, strain, and add whatever you think is delicious!
30 minutes?? :o Seriously, that's a long time to boil frozen veg. Microwave them until they're thawed and maybe 4-5 min after that, and you're good to go.
30 minutes?? :o Seriously, that's a long time to boil frozen veg. Microwave them until they're thawed and maybe 4-5 min after that, and you're good to go.
With collard greens, at least the ones I buy, they're really tough out of the bag. The package actually says to do it that way. I was surprised the first time, I was expecting it to be like spinach that you just heat and serve. I actually didn't have much time that night so I didn't boil it long and it was tough. The next time I followed directions and they were delicious!
True, different places have different...what, subspecies? of the same thing. The Spanish version of "green asparagus" has two...one is OK, one I wouldn't have as a gift because it's very bitter. That one is popular with a lot of people here. Sounds like your collards are just tough customers! ;)
Yeah, most frozen vegetables are very quick when cooking them but collard greens are definitely different. Most people who eat collard greens prefer them to be cooked for quite some time because otherwise, they are tough and the texture is unappealing.
When I make collard greens, I make them in a little vegetable broth. (Tastes SO much better than water.) I also add in garlic, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper. Most of the time, I also add in a little sugar to balance out the bitter taste that collard greens usually have. (Some people like the bitterness, I don't.)
Simmer them until they are tender and to your liking. Just keep checking on them to make sure the liquid has not boiled dry.
There is a "Black- Eyed Pea Stew with Collard Greens and Potatoes" on the recent issue (March/April) of Clean Eating Magazine. I made it since I, too, want to eat more greens and no one around here (Massachusetts) knows what to do with collards. I had to go to three stores to find Black-eyed Peas even!!! It was pretty good. Last time I tried frying collards I did not really like them. I can try to post the recipe if You would like and I won't get in trouble!
I recently made some marvelous collard greens the other day. I took half a red bell pepper, half a green bell pepper, and half an onion and sauted them in 1 tbl. olive oil until soft, then added a big teaspoon of chopped garlic. Next I added one bunch of collards thinly sliced with tough stems removed, stirred everything added a splash of soy sauce and 1 cup of water then covered the pan and cooked on low for about 45 minutes. Came out real good and I served it with mixed grains.
I read that the trick with collards is slow cooking and these were not bitter.
I love collards...stems and all! ;)b I seriously eat them every night for dinner. I usually just steam them in a skillet with a little salt for like 6 or 7 minutes. I usually have them with quinoa and tofu or tempeh...or some other grain/protein combo. Plain, but so good.
Just saw this recipe, it looks amazing http://www.pakupaku.info/collards.shtml
as we're all spreading so much "kale love" (yay kale - you rock) - i was going to post a great youtube i found about collard greens and luckily - this thread already existed for me to bump up - for just such an occasion
i'll start by saying that collard greens threw me for a loop. if you buy them packaged fresh (not the loose kind, but the kind you find bunched together in a big clear plastic bag) - the directions usually talk about boiling them for like 15-20 minutes - umm, ewww - GROSS. By the time that's over with - i don't think i could go near it with the best of veganistic (making up words as i go along) or healthful intentions.
so, i did what i do a lot of times i'm not sure wtf to do with a new veggie - i "youtubed" it. This video i'm going to share is nothing short of amazing. it shows how to make collard greens (1) quick (2) simple (yeah - no kidding) and (3) tasty (can ya believe that sh*t - ha). So, w/o further adoooo...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYW7P6xmMgc