Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Collard Greens

Kid Rating:  2 out of 2 who tried it liked it
Do Again?  Yes


I was very pleased the first time I tried collard greens but wanted to try it without the ham hocks.  It reduced the time dramatically.


16 large leaves collard greens, washed, de-stemmed, rolled and sliced

Strip leaves from stems.
Start at bottom and pull through.
The most stripping I've ever done.
Stack then roll.
Slice into 1/2 - 1 inch strips.
1 T butter
1 clove garlic pressed
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups of water
2 tsp chicken bouillon (I used Better Than Bouillon) 
1/2 T house seasoning I made from the last collard greens recipe -- I will omit this next time -- too salty


+Melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.
+Add two cups of water, bouillon, and house seasoning (don't add next time).
+Bring to boil.  Taste liquid and adjust seasoning (I added another 1/2 cup of water, but next time I will just omit the house seasoning (blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder).


+Add collard greens.  Stir.  Reduce heat to low.


+Cook for 30-45 minutes.  We tried it at 30 minutes.  We all liked it, but I thought it was slightly bitter.  The longer you cook the greens, the milder they become.  The texture was still fairly firm at 45 min.  {Have since discovered home-grown greens can be much milder (and cleaner!) than store-bought.  You can pick them younger from your own garden or planter pot, too.  Cooking time will be less.}

I'm sorry I don't have final pictures.  I forgot about it as I was starting to serve dinner.

The whole batch was gone during this meal.  Yum.

Family Review:
11 y.o. - liked it
9 y.o. - liked it, asked if we could have Brussels sprouts, too;  later said the greens were a little too salty
5 y.o. - didn't try -- that's okay for now
Hubby - still in Minnesota for training, poor guy
Me - Really liked it and love how easy (and cheap) it is to make.  Will prepare it without the house seasoning next time.  Would like to try adding bits of bacon or sausage sometime.