Tag Archives: health

Southern Style Wilted Collard Greens

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I caught up with a friend from NC yesterday, and we chatted about missing our home states, so I was inspired to cook a NC recipe. I ended up modifying a recipe that might be one of my new favorites, holy crow! It was fabulous, and now that it’s home taste-tested approved, I can’t wait to make it for her and her hubs. I’ll have to make a double batch though, because it was so good I wanted to eat it all. ALL.

I haven’t cooked much with collard greens, but I love greens, and I don’t discriminate. Since some of the greens that I don’t often cook with are so packed with vitamins and minerals, I’ve been changing things up. While this recipe took a while to wilt, it was easy.

Wilted Collard Greens

  • 2 TBSP coconut oil
  • 2 yellow onions, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 quarts chicken stock/broth
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 TBSP raw honey
  • 6 strips bacon, cut into pieces
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 bag collard greens

Melt oil in wok and sauté onions until browning. Add garlic cloves and toss for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the greens and bring to a boil; let boil for about 5 minutes, and then add the entire bag of collard greens. Let greens wilt until cooked down, which took a while. This could be shortened by higher heat and/or using less broth. Depends on your preferred wilt 🙂 The flavor was so intense though and I think that’s in large part because they wilted for so long! The spice of the red pepper flakes gets you after the fact, so if you like spice, add more to your taste!

In just the collard greens alone, here are the vitamins we had: vitamin A, E, C, K (the entire bag has 2,880%!), B6, calcium, thiamin, niacin, folate, phosphorus, copper, beta carotene  alpha carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, iron, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and manganese. Super food!

Wilted Collard GreensFull disclosure: this recipe was modified from the Cut ‘N Clean Greens recipe for Southern Style Cut ‘N Clean Country Greens. I replaced the vegetable oil with coconut oil, added more garlic, used bacon instead of ham hocks, and replaced the refined white sugar with raw honey.

Best. Fecking. Salad. Eva.

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This is what I coined a new salad creation about a week and a half ago on my Facebook page (hey! did you know I have a Facebook page? Give it a like for tips, food, articles, inspiration, garden stuff, etc.: livinglikelinds).

It has started warming up, which brings for me, an urge to garden and make lots of salads-some staple salads, and some new salads. I think you’ll enjoy this cinnamon balsamic pear salad as much as I did!

Best. Fecking. Salad. Eva.

  • 3/4 bag butter lettuce
  • 2 Bosc pears, cut in chunks
  • 1/2 small diced red onion
  • 3-4 bacon strips, broken into bits
  • 1 TBSP (or drizzle) raw honey
  • Drizzle of balsamic vinegar
  • Sprinkle of kosher salt/pepp
  • Generous sprinkle of cinnamon

I threw all the dry ingredients (except for the bacon) into a large bowl, and drizzled with honey and balsamic vinegar, and tossed. This incorporated the cinnamon well (sidenote: Why have I not added cinnamon to salads before?). I topped with bacon bits. The light sweetness of the honey, toned down the balsamic, and the strong red onion paired well with the sweet Bosc pears. It’d be a great party or summer grilling salad!

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Bone Broth

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Do you make it? If you don’t, you should. It’s this amazing little comfort in a cup, with powerful healing effects. A true super food. The more gelatinous it is, the more healthful it is for you (this usually comes from the neck pieces, and don’t worry, when you warm it up, its complete liquid, not jelly-like). Recommended for helping heal your gut (leaky gut), and collagen in your tissues, among many other things.

I’ve started making a batch per week. I get 7-8 8 oz jars from each batch, so I have a jar a day. I usually bring it with me to work as an afternoon snack. There are many different ways you can make yours, but here is how I make mine:

Bone Broth

  • Bones (I use pork necks from the military commissary-they’re gelatinous and dirt cheap!)
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Water

This is the basic recipe. Put bones in the crock pot, add a TBSP or so of ACV, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fill with water until you cover the bones. You can then add anything you’d choose as far as herbs, veggies, etc. I prefer fresh rosemary. Keep on low and let simmer for 24-48 hours. Warning, your house will smell amazing. Then turn it off and let it cool, and strain (through a fine mesh strainer) into a container, and bottle! Freeze if you can’t get through it in a week. This is why I make a point of making 1 batch per week, so I always have some on hand in the fridge.

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Avocado Smash and Lemon Parsley Eggs

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Last night, I found myself in the kitchen from 5:50 when I got home from work, until 9pm  I am having to force myself to make the time to do this, because it makes me happy, and fuels my health and well-being. I’m realizing, it also does wonders for my mental health. I’ve been playing around with different filters on our camera too-so fun!

Anyway, I ended up with a fabulous dinner: Steamed cauliflower, Tomato Olive Avocado Smash and Lemon Parsley Eggs!

Tomato Olive Avocado Smash

  • 2 avocados
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 small can of sliced black olives
  • Kosher salt/pepp
  • Garlic powder
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Mix. Ha.DSCN0104DSCN0128

Lemon Parsley Eggs

  • 2 eggs (or however many you want)
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Dried parsley

I broke two eggs in a small saute pan, and let them cook over medium heat with a loose lid over top. When they were getting close to being done, I squeezed fresh lemon juice in the pan. HOLY SHMOLY. So good. I will be adding lemon to eggs more often for sure. Then I plated them and sprinkled parsley on top.DSCN0134

Simple, healthy, flavorful and filling!

Chicken Sun Dried Tomato Saute

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Things have been crazy busy lately, as evidenced by my lack of blogging, but I’m making my way back, never fear, ha 😉 Since my schedule has been so full, food has been whatever happens to be the easiest, lately. Last week I threw this random saute together for dinner, Chicken Sun Dried Tomato.

Chicken Sun Dried Tomato Saute

  • 1 bag of broccoli slaw
  • Pre-grilled chicken (or your choice of meat)
  • Melissa’s sun dried tomatoes
  • Salt/pepper
  • Oil of your choice (coconut preferred)

I started by sauteing the broccoli slaw with salt and lots of pepper, in the pan until it had cooked down. Once it had, I took two pre-grilled chicken breasts and my kitchen shears, and cut the chicken up into bite size pieces directly into the pan. I then did the same with the sun dried tomatoes. So much easier than cutting; no knife, no cutting board, etc. I continued sauteing until everything was warmed, and then ate a bowl for dinner (and brought a bowl to work for lunch a couple days later)!

Helpful tip: If you’re nightshade-free (obviously you wouldn’t use tomatoes here), but, using a lot of black pepper with broccoli slaw, makes it crazy spicy!DSC_0605