More Southern Sides

Collard Greens with Coconut Milk

This recipe comes from our friends who invited us over for the Southern cuisine dinner.  The old proverb goes that if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day but if you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.  It has also been said that, if you teach that man to cook his fish, he will eat well.  With the exception of living in New Zealand for two years, I spent most of my life inland and so do not have a great appetite for fish (how many fish recipes have you seen on this blog?).  With this proverb in mind and applied to other types of food, I say thanks to our friend Katie for the recipes which will undoubtedly come in handy when we get a jones for the awesome collard greens and baked beans that we so good they are sure to haunt and to be craved. 

Ingredients
1/2 lb. bacon
1 lb. collard greens or kale
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. coconut milk
1/4 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp. pepper (or red chili flakes)
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (or 2/3 can of diced tomatoes)

The Method
Chop and saute bacon. Drain and set aside. Wash collard greens well. Remove and discard stems; cut up leaves (should have about 14 cups). Bring water to boiling in a large pan or Dutch oven. Add collard greens and onion. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, bouillon, tomatoes, and pepper and add bacon back in. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes more or until slightly thickened and greens are tender. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Food for Thought
If you've cooked greens, spinach and the like before, you know that the cook down a ton, being mostly water. Our friend Katie said that for our gathering, she actually doubled this recipe.
The Crockpot Bean Recipe

Ingredients
3 cans white beans
1/2 c. chopped Canadian bacon
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. mustard
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. BBQ sauce
1/4 c. molasses
pepper

The Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and combine ingredients in dutch oven, cover and bake for 60 minutes.  If using a crockpot, cook on low heat for up to two hours.