collard greens recipe Archives - Towers Family Chiropractor

Collards with Noodles

May 22, 2021 by towers

If you have problems getting your children or friends to try collard greens (picture above: kale, collards, turnip greens), this is a good recipe to introduce them into the wonderful world of cruciferous greens. We have had young, tender collard greens from our garden over the last few months. These are easy to grow especially in early Spring or Fall. If you grow them into the summer months they need to be sprayed every few weeks with a BT solution (Bacillus thurengenesis) which is a safe, organic way to kill cabbage moth worms which typically destroy cruciferous vegetables once summer temperatures kick in.

Another unusual vegetable in this recipe is fennel root–similar to celery but it is less watery and has a slightly sweet anise flavor. I slice this very thin and put it in salads or saute with other vegetables as I do here. Don’t go heavy on the noodles–the idea is to dilute them with vegetables in order to reduce carbohydrate intake. The noodles can be replaced with brown rice or quinoa (as seen in the picture).

Serves 2

3 large cloves garlic

1 Tbsp. ghee

2 cups of finely chopped collard greens

1/2 cup of finely chopped fennel root

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup cooked organic brown rice fettucine

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt ghee and add garlic. Stir for a minute over medium heat until it just starts to sizzle. Add fennel root and stir again for a few minutes. Add collards and stir again. Add broth and reduce heat to low and cover with lid cracked. Heat through for about 10 minutes until greens are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Now add the cooked rice noodles. Stir well and serve in bowls.

Sesame Greens Plus

February 17, 2021 by towers

In the past I posted a recipe for Sesame Greens. Here’s an idea for making more of a main dish with this recipe–just add a protein and some shitake mushrooms. When you are short of time and the fridge is getting empty, canned items can be a blessing. We’ve had collard greens all winter long from our cold frame in the garden and plenty of garlic stored from last year’s harvest, so it was easy for me to throw this together and use up a can of minced clams that I had and didn’t know what to do with. You could use some bacon instead if you have that on hand. I served this dish with roasted sweet potato “fries” and a salad. Surprisingly good or I wouldn’t be posting it!

Serves 2

Follow the Sesame Greens recipe but add:

1 cup chopped Shitake mushrooms

Add the mushrooms to the garlic ghee mixture so that they cook for a few minutes before adding other ingredients.

1 6.5oz. can of wild chopped clams

Drain half the water out of the can. Add the clams as the last ingredient–be sure to include half the water that is in the can. Heat for 2-3 minutes until all ingredients are evenly heated through.

Serve immediately.

Sesame Greens Sandwich

January 8, 2021 by towers

Two recipes that I have posted in the past make for a delicious warm sandwich. I keep a batch of gluten-free bread dough in the fridge so that I can easily make a flatbread for this sandwich. Choose your favorite filling—if you are working to increase your intake of green vegetables, try the sesame greens recipe. We have kale from our greenhouse which is young and tender. When using larger leaves of kale or collard greens, cut the thick stems out and discard or use for vegetable broth. Be sure to cook the finely chopped greens until just tender as described in the recipe. I like this sandwich served hot–bread fresh out of the oven and greens right off the burner.

Directions:

Wash and chop the greens as described in the sesame greens recipe. Peel the garlic cloves so they are ready to crush. Set aside.

Use some olive oil on a baking tray and sprinkle sesame seeds over the bottom of the pan (regular or black sesame seeds). Press enough dough into the pan so that it is about 3/16 of an inch thick–just like you would to make a pizza. Bake for about 15 minutes (prepare the greens while the bread is baking) until bread is golden brown. Remove from oven and cut into 6″ x 4″ pieces. Keep warm until ready to assemble sandwiches.

While the bread is baking, prepare the greens by following the recipe. As soon as greens are tender and still bright green, remove from hear and assemble the sandwiches by spooning 3-4 Tbsp. of the greens over each rectangle of bread and folding in half. Serve immediately.

Sesame Greens

October 26, 2017 by towers

Don’t forget to make good use of sesame seeds! Their distinct flavor is perfect for some recipes (see gluten-free pizza). In this recipe besides adding flavor, sesame adds a nice crunch to tender greens.

The more fibrous leafy greens (kale, collards) are best steamed until just tender and then served immediately with whatever oil or seasoning you choose. This recipe demonstrates one way to succeed in cooking greens. There seems to be confusion about how to enjoy these super-nutritious vegetables. Some say to throw them in a smoothie to get it over with and not have to taste them–YUCK. This is not a good idea as cruciferous vegetables are better digested when cooked appropriately.
Others overcook these greens into a drab-green mess. No wonder many people have childhood memories of hating them! I’ve even been served (in a local deli) kale that someone managed to burn into a black crisp which somehow remained undercooked. Here’s a way forward.

Serves 4

4 cups collard greens, chopped fine (1/4 inch strips)
1/4 cup hulled, raw sesame seeds
1 Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp cold-pressed sesame oil (optional–just use 2 Tbsp. of ghee)
2 large cloves garlic
sea salt and black pepper to taste

First, dry roast the sesame seeds. Place them in a skillet and heat over medium heat while stirring until they are golden brown–this just takes about 5 minutes. Be prepared to pour them into a bowl quickly because they can burn faster than you think. Set aside.

Now put the chopped collards in a vegetable steamer over boiling water. Cover with the lid cracked and turn the heat down enough to just keep them steaming. Give them a stir once or twice and taste for tenderness. Keep an eye on them! Younger greens will cook more quickly than bigger leaves that are more fibrous. As soon as they are tender (usually 4-10 minutes) remove them from the steamer to stop them from cooking further. Set aside but keep them covered–it’s okay if they cool down a little for a few minutes.

Now heat the ghee and oil in a skillet over medium heat. As soon as the ghee melts, crush the garlic cloves with a garlic press into the warm oil–don’t overheat the oil because garlic can sizzle and then burn quickly. Add the sesame seeds and stir well. Let this mixture heat for a minute or two while stirring and then add the greens. Stir well for a minute or two just to evenly heat the greens. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.

Collards with Noodles

Sesame Greens Plus

Sesame Greens Sandwich

Sesame Greens

Good Nutrition

Polenta

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