Collard Greens A La Carol Recipe Stealer

COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 diced onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add 1 pound chopped collard greens, a handful at a time, adding more as it cooks down. Add 1 cup chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Serves: 4; Calories: 75; Total Fat: 3 grams; Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams; Protein: 4 grams; Total carbohydrates: 10 grams; Sugar: 2 grams; Fiber: 4.5 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 162 milligrams

COLLARD GREENS A LA CAROL

Steps:

• Fill large bowl with cold tap water.
• Soak collard greens in water, take out, and then rinse.
• Do this several times until no dirt is at bottom of bowl after washing.
• Rip thick stem from center of greens (its OK if a little thin stem is left).
• I usually accomplish this by folding green in half with stem sticking straight up, and ripping down and towards me.
• Chop onions and fry over medium heat in a deep frying pan for a few minutes.
• In the meantime, chop or tear collard greens into pieces and its okay.
• if they're big pieces, as they will shrink.
• Add greens to onions, and then add chopped garlic (as desired) and salt (and pepper if desired) on top of them.
• Cover and reduce heat to low.
• Let steam a few minutes.
• Check frequently and stir.
• The key to good collard greens is to not undercook them!!!
• Stir frequently and cover between stirrings.

STEWED COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Cook 4 slices chopped bacon in a large pot until crisp; drain on paper towels. Add 1 diced onion and 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning to the pot with the drippings; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 bunches chopped collard greens in batches. Add 4 cups each chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the greens are tender, about 2 hours. Stir in the bacon. Add cider vinegar, hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

STEWED COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Bring chicken broth and pepper flakes to a boil in a large saucepan. Add collard greens; reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Season with salt. Serve greens with liquid spooned over the top.

LOUISIANA COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• To prepare greens, cut away the tough stalks and remove all stems from the collards. Discard any leaves that are bruised or yellow. Wash the collards thoroughly to remove the grit, 2 or 3 times, until the water runs clear. Dry thoroughly -- you can do this easily by rolling them up in a clean dish towel. (I sometimes use two bags of pre-cut and prewashed collard green pieces from the produce section, but I still break off any large pieces of stem as they tend to be tough even after cooking.).
• Place a large pot or cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. When it is heated, add the onion, bay leaves and ham hock. (If using bacon, cook beforehand and then add when the greens go in.) Cook the mixture until the onions are soft and are starting to brown, about 8-10 minutes. To prevent the garlic from burning, add it just a few minutes before the onions are done.
• Pack in greens, pushing them down into the pot. Add the broth, vinegar and sugar. Bring up to a boil, turning the greens over occasionally with a wooden spoon as they wilt. Lower to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 1 hour. Taste the "pot liquor" (broth) and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired.
• Cover again and let cook for an additional 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Some recipes use a lot less cooking time, but this additional time really helps all the flavors come together. (If using the bagged pre-cut collard greens, they may only have to cook for another 1 to 2 hours.) Remove the bay leaves and ham hock, dicing up and adding any meat from the ham hock, drain off excess cooking liquid, and serve.