Collard Greens | I Can Cook That

African Peanut Stew

African Peanut Stew (or Groundnut Stew) is a wonderfully hearty dish that originates in West Africa. Ingredients vary widely, but generally include a broth of ground peanuts and tomatoes with other vegetables served over rice. The dish can be made with chicken, but when omitted, this stew is a protein-rich vegan dish on its own.

My version below includes a little bit of heat from jalapenos and hot sauce, and some warmth from ground cumin, which is somewhat muted by the addition of creamy coconut milk.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, membranes and seeds removed, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter (whatever you have on hand)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (13.5 oz can) light coconut milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste (I used sriracha)
1 bunch collard greens or kale, chopped (I used 1/2 bag of frozen collard greens)
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked rice
fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
roasted peanuts, chopped, for garnish

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Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens

Happy New Year! I’m a bit late in posting this recipe, but honestly, this comfort food Southern staple for Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens makes for a delicious meal on any cold winter night.

Black eyed peas are a New Years Day staple in the South, as eating them on New Years Day is thought to bring you prosperity throughout the year.

This version is a bit of a fridge and pantry cleaner. Or, at least it was for me after hosting a New Years Eve party.

I used leftover sandwich rolls to make bread crumbs, leftover bacon from New Years Day morning, collard greens from a Blue Apron meal I forgot to make (oops), and then added in what was left of the onions, garlic, carrots and herbs I had on hand, which kind of turned this recipe into a cassoulet of sorts.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried black eyed peas
6 oz bacon, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 sprigs of rosemary, divided
4 sprigs of thyme, divided
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
about 1 cup chopped day old bread (I used one sandwich roll)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch collard greens, ribs discarded, leaves chopped
2 cups cooked rice

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Slow Braised Collard Greens

In the south, collard greens are traditionally made with smoked or salted meats, primarily ham hocks. I looked for a substitute for ham hocks (they kind of freak me out, not going to lie), and found a recipe for Slow Braised Collard Greens that used bacon instead.

Ingredients:
3 slices of applewood-smoked bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used about 1/3 of an onion)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, more for additional heat
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-10 leaves of collard greens, torn with the tough stem removed
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)

Begin by cooking your bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

Cook until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the pan and allow to cool. While waiting for the bacon to cool, prepare your onion and collard greens. Crumble the bacon once cooled.

Add the onion to the bacon drippings in the Dutch oven.

Cook for two minutes, stirring so that it evenly cooks. Add the pepper, salt, and greens and cook for another two minutes, or until the greens begin to wilt.

Stir in the crumbled bacon, broth, water, wine, and vinegar.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hours or until greens are tender.

I added a 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper instead of a 1/4 teaspoon and found it to be a bit too hot for my liking. However, if you like things spicy, by all means use a 1/2 teaspoon. This side dish has a ton of flavor. An hour is a really long time to cook, but it really lets the flavors meld together. Yum!

Sauteed Collard Greens

This week, I received collard greens as part of my CSA. Although traditionally made with smoked meats and such, I wanted to ease my way into this new veggie. (I’ll try a somewhat more traditional version later this week)

Ingredients:
1 bunch of collard greens, stems removed and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 spring garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon, optional

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt. Prepare your collard greens while waiting for the water to boil.

remove large stem in center of leaf

roughly chop

When the water is boiling, add the collard greens and cook for ten minutes.

when initially added

ten minutes in

Drain the collard greens in a colander and rinse under cold water. Squeeze against the colander to remove excess water.

Chop the spring garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Add the collard greens and season with salt and pepper.

Cook until wilted, about three to four minutes.

Collard greens have a slight bitterness to them that works well with the subtle garlic taste of spring garlic (versus normal garlic). I added a squeeze of lemon which helped brighten the dish a bit. It’s a nice alternative to spinach, my default leafy green. As with most darker green vegetables, collard greens are high in Vitamins A, C, and K and are high in fiber, so the more leafy greens in my diet, the better.