Recipe: Creole Mixed Greens

Mixed Greens have been a staple item on Southern dinner tables for decades.  Collards, along with Kale, Mustard Greens and Chard fill a very necessary role in proper nutrition providing Vitamins A & C along with Selenium and a whopping 25% your daily fiber (5.3g).  I have cooked green this way for years never really realizing that it is a traditional Creole Recipe dating back to the 1800's.  I've modified the recipe to reduce the sodium per serving.  The liquid on the bottom of the pan is called "pot likker" and is full of nutrients.  This dish is served with bread used to sop up the juices or my wife likes to have it over rice.



Creole (New Orleans) Style Collard Greens

Hog Jowl Bacon about 1/4C diced
2 Links Smoked Sausage, cut into coins
1 White onion, chopped (About 1 Cup)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Teaspoon Creole Seasoning
Several dashes Tabasco
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
1 pounds mixed greens (I use 2 bunches organic collard greens, and 1 bunch organic Swiss Chard)

1 cup chicken broth

Wash and separate greens and chard and remove stems from collards tearing up the leaves into pieces.  Cut stems off chard, slice and add to chopped onions then tear the chard leaves and add to collards.  In a heavy pot over medium heat cook bacon until it's starting to take color and leave brown on the bottom of the pot.  Add smoked sausage and fry a couple more minutes before adding onions and chard stems. Saute for 5 mins until vegetables sweat out juice and become translucent.  Add garlic, seasoning and sugar along with 4 dashes tabasco and saute for a couple minutes.  Add vinegar and stir then reduce until liquid in pot is a bit thickened, about 3-4 minutes.  Add greens, pouring over chicken broth, reduce heat to low and simmer covered 30 minutes stirring often.  When greens are well wilted and tender you're done.  Serve with cornbread or sliced french bread to sop up the juices.

If you can't get hog jowl bacon then use 4 slices thick cut bacon.

Yields 6 servings; Nutritional info below,

Tweet