Braised Coconut and Ginger Collard Greens 

Vilda Gonzalez is a recipe developer and avid home cook with a background in holistic nutrition. She believes that food should be delicious, flavorful, and celebratory, while also being deeply nourishing, regenerative, and inherently healthful. Her mission is to rewire our collective relationship to what eating well truly means, through the simple avenue of the home kitchen.
As tried and true as anything could be, braised hearty greens in coconut milk are my true forever love. Collard greens are perfect for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever leafy greens you might have on hand. The beauty of these braised greens lies in their versatility. The lush, ginger-loaded coconut broth is the perfect home for a poached egg, but is equally welcoming to seared mushrooms, beans, or even tinned fish. You can play with the seasoning too, adding garlic or freshly toasted and ground digestive spices like coriander, cumin, or fennel.

 

Ingredients

- 1 large bunch collard greens, stemmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tbsp Monfefo Ginger Shot
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- juice and zest of half a lime
- 1 tsp ponzu
- pinch of Aleppo chili, or a comparable mild spicy chili powder
- salt to season
Heat a wide rimmed sauté pan over medium heat. When hot but not smoking, add the coconut oil and swirl it around to cover the surface of the pan. Add shallots and toss to coat. Season with a small pinch of salt and cook until translucent (2-3 minutes). Add coconut milk and ginger to the pan and allow the mixture to come up to a very gentle simmer.  Now add the collard greens in batches. A good set of tongs will help this process along, tossing the greens to coat in broth encourages them to wilt down, which helps to make way for more greens to fit in the pan. Keep tossing and coating until the greens have wilted enough to make space for the whole bunch.

Season with a hefty pinch of salt and allow to cook until the greens are tender. This should take 10 minutes or so, depending on the age and varietal of your greens. When tender, lower the heat to the lowest setting. Add the lime juice, ponzu, chili, and taste. Does it need more salt? More acid? Tinker to your liking, finish with lime zest, and enjoy.