Spicy Greens Food

KICKIN' COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
• Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

SPICY GREEN BEANS

Steps:

• Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and hot, add the green beans and bell pepper and toss to coat. Add the red pepper flakes and some salt and toss again. Cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

SPICY BRAISED COLLARD GREENS

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until just crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until tender and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
• While the bacon and onions are cooking, prepare the greens. To remove the thick, woody stems that run down the center of the leaves, hold the base of the collard stem in one hand. Wrap your other hand around the bottom of the stem, directly under the leaf (like you are holding a baseball bat). In one firm motion, quickly slide your hand up the stem, removing the leaf in one swift movement. To chop the leaves, stack a few on top of each other and roll up like a cigar. Slice the roll into 1-inch pieces, rotate, and give another good chop. Continue until all the greens are chopped.
• Increase the heat of the Dutch oven to medium-high. Add a few large handfuls of greens at a time - stirring constantly to allow each batch to wilt for a few moments - until you can fit all of the greens into the pot. Continue to saute the greens for 3 to 5 minutes, until bright green and wilted. Season with a very generous pinch of kosher salt and a few big grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes to the greens and stir until combined. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Add the cooked bacon to the greens and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning (don't be afraid to be generous with the salt). Serve with hot pepper vinegar on the side.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH SPICY GREENS

Steps:

• To prepare the chicken: The day before serving, season the chicken legs well with salt and pepper. Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Saute the carrot, celery, and onion in the butter and oil. Caramelize lightly, then deglaze the pan with the brandy. Transfer to the bottom of an ovenproof pan that will just hold the chicken legs. Arrange the legs skin side up. Add the bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, and chicken stock. The bottom half of the meat should be immersed in the liquid, but the skin should be exposed. Braise on the top rack of the oven, checking after 45 minutes, until the meat is tender and the skin crispy.
• Before serving, pour off some of the braising liquid with the vegetables. Degrease the liquid and reduce by a third. Taste as it is reducing to ensure that the salt doesn't intensify too much. If it is too salty, add a little plain reduced stock. Finish with the parsley.
• To prepare the greens: Lightly brown the onion in the oil and the butter. Chop the greens into manageable pieces and saute slowly until wilted. Add a little water to prevent sticking if necessary. When the greens are cooked through, add the anchovy and garlic and cook a minute more. Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice.
• Serve the braised chicken with the greens.

SPICY GREENS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Cook the garlic in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes; take care that the garlic doesn't get too brown or it will be bitter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic chips to a paper towel. Add the onions and red pepper (add a little more if you like things spicy) to the skillet and cook, stirring, until light brown, about 10 minutes. When the onions are almost done, add the greens in batches and cook, uncovered, just until tender, about 2 minutes. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with the reserved garlic chips and garnish with cheese.

INDIAN SPICED GREENS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan or wok, sizzle the cumin and mustard seeds for 1 min, then add the chilli, ginger and turmeric. Fry until aromatic, then add the greens, a pinch of salt, a splash of water and the peas.
• Cover the pan and cook for 4-5 mins until the greens have wilted. Add the lemon juice, ground coriander, half the fresh coriander and half the desiccated coconut, then toss everything together. Pile into a serving dish and scatter with the rest of the coconut and coriander.