Acidic and satiating.
With a very short prep time and a quick hit in the pan this side or base can be served up swiftly. Packed with powerful nutrients and vitamins that help the respiratory and digestive systems. Collard greens and most all leafy green vegetables are bursting with vitamins A, C and K. Minerals calcium and phosphorous are in no short supply either. Though most are used to having these served up stewed, i feel the saute or braised approach preserves more texture, provides an easier dish to create during the weekday and allows for easy introduction into the world of heritage cooking.
Tomatoes give no short end of the stick here when called upon to benefit the Hueman form. Just like our collards these juicy reds are a proper source of vitamins C and K. More importantly here though is the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene has numerous health benefits like many other antioxidants (anti/against oxidant/oxidation) but we want to focus on the benefits for our colon. So when we actually cook the tomato we increase the amount of cis-lycopene and trans-lycopene. So even though we may lose some of the vitamins in the quick cooking process (nowhere near as many as Big Mama’s greens cooking all morning and afternoon swine hocks) we will be increasing the capabilities of our food doing some prosperous communication with our GI tract.
As stated this recipe is very straight forward and simple.
Items for cooking-
Skillet
Tongs (Or 2 forks)
Ingredients-
1-2 bunches of collards depending on how many you are feeding or who is eating (and these can be any greens. As you see i have rainbow chard in the picture and you can eve use kale)
1/2-2/3 cup of cherry tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic according to your collard count
1-2 shallots or a part of a large red onion
2 tbs of Braggs liquid aminos
the juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tbs of Coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, coconut sugar, chili powder and turmeric
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom(6 pods if using mortar and pestle. We don’t want this to overpower the rest of our flavors. Just wake them up)
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
(Spices measure for 1 bunch of greens)
Black pepper, sea salt of your choice to taste
Coconut oil or Avocado oil
ALL ORGANIC, COLD PRESSED PROPERLY SOURCED AND RINSED, SOAKED AND RINSED AGAIN AS BEST CAN BE TO YOUR ABILITIES AND BUDGET. BE VIGILANT ABOUT YOUR INGREDIENTS AND THEY WILL VIGILANTLY PROTECT YOU.
The Process-
Get some oil in the pan and separate your stems from your leaves, halve your tomatoes, mince the garlic, finely chop the onion or shallot and measure out your dry seasonings.
Now turn the heat on in the pan to med/med-hi. We are not scorching or searing like duck breast or filet mignon. We are gently braising our phyto-friends Hueman Tribe. So be highly conscious of the level of sizzle occurring in the pan. It should never sound aggressive.
add the tomatoes and onion in first and allow them to begin to soften. This should take about 3 minutes and shouldn’t need much help from you. Once things have gone a bit less raw so to speak it is the prime time to get to some greens in the pan. Do not be afraid of piling these on in there either because they are also known by a very accurate pseudonym ‘Wilted Greens’. Wilt they will.
This is the right time to get to tonging these greens. With so much volume between the top of the pile and the leaves in contact with the surface of heat this can give a misrepresentation of the progress taking place below. So flip and twist and ensure there is equal access to the heat source for all plants in the pan.
Now that the greens are in the pan combine the liquids listed plus the coconut sugar, stir them up and set them aside shortly because things are going to start moving quickly. Add that garlic to the pan and your dry seasonings.
It should be smelling quite cultural in your kitchen now thanks to the Ancestor’s guidance and your tomatoes, onions and greens should be dancing like Sol Children around a fire right now. One with the other in genuine #Ubuntu style. continue to maneuver them in the pan so that our sensitive garlic is not scorched and destroys our dish and turn down the heat to medium.
Lastly add the mixture with the Braggs, lemon, cayenne, cardamom and coconut sugar to the hot pan and allow it to reduce and coagulate with everything. Give it 2 min over this heat until the mixture has cooked down and glazes the greens.
Plate and enjoy as a base, side or stand alone meal. Perhaps you are in a mood for feasting and you want to grill some fish or meat alongside them. Possibly you are looking for a reason to healthify and #Elevate Big Mama’s buttermilk cornbread recipe for soaking up saucy vegetable. Regardless you are on a path to reconnecting with this heritage through achieving amazing Afrikan home cooked meals and you are taking the power to improve it through using healthier ingredients and cookery techniques than what the Ancestors had to resort to using in order to create something even palatable.
Ase
The Healthy Hueman LLC 