Collard Greens Recipe

You all have been asking for years for this, and I'm finally going to deliver!

Ma Mary's Americanized Collard Greens

Ingredients:

1 bunch of collard greens

1 1/2 large yellow onions

6-10 cloves of garlic, pressed

3/4-1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 large chicken bouillon cube (prefer Maggi)

2-3 Habanero peppers

Serve on a 'Liberian mound' of rice!

Optional: Meat is optional. I usually use about 1 pound of beef stew meat, but you can add chicken or fish as well. I use kitchen scissors and cut the stew meat into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with italian seasoning and black pepper. Drizzle olive oil in a non-stick skillet and over medium heat, cook the meat until it’s almost done. You can add onion and garlic too. (If you want a very spicy dish, cut the top off of a Habanero pepper and add it to the oil first. Let it infuse the oil for a few minutes before adding the meat.)

Preparing the collard greens is the most time-consuming part of the process. Start by cutting off the stem ends. I cut off up to where the base of the leaf starts. The easiest way to clean the greens is to clean your sink, fill it up with the leaves and water and start rinsing. It takes some ‘swishing’ to knock the grit out of the leaf veins. After the leaves are washed, you are going to chiffonade them. Stack the leaves on top of each other (10 leaves or so) and starting on one side, roll the leaves tightly (like a cigar), and then cut across the leaves to make fine ribbons. Liberians cut the leaves as thin as possible, plus they will cook quicker. Keep stacking, rolling and cutting until all of the leaves are all prepared.

Take your onions and cut in half. Then you will thinly slice the onion halves--think shoestring onions. Using a garlic press, press 6-8 garlic cloves. To prepare your peppers, cut off the top and take out the seeds. Quarter the pepper and set aside.

I use an 8-quart, non-stick, stock pot every time I cook my collard greens. Just make sure you have a good sized, non-stick ‘soup pot’ and you will be fine.

Over medium heat, put enough vegetable oil in your pot to cover the bottom on the pot and give alittle depth (3/4 to 1 cup). Heat the oil until it’s warm, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add 1 tsp. Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Mix together and cook a few more minutes. Add the greens in batches, and toss so they get covered in the oil. You might have to add some greens and let them wilt down before adding more. After all greens are added, let them cook for about 5 minutes. I prefer to use a good pair of tongs to keep tossing the greens. As the greens start to wilt down you will start adding water, 1 cup at a time. Add 1 cup of water and continue cooking, tossing every 10-15 minutes. After the greens are all wilted, reduce the heat to low and simmer. Crush one large, or two small, chicken bullion cubes and incorporate it, along with your Habanero peppers when you start to simmer the greens.

Keep an eye on the oil/water level--you don’t want it to go dry or the greens will burn. You can add another cup or two of water during the cooking time, which will steam the greens, and then you can toss less often. I prefer my greens to not be crunchy, so I usually cook them for at least an hour (most times closer to 2 hours). During this time I do a few taste tests and add more onion, garlic or spices to taste. Serve in a big bowl, over rice, and eat like a Liberian with a big spoon. You can also serve with fried chicken, pineapple or plantain/banana/root chips.

Helpful Habanero Hints:

This is your chance to control the heat. You can always add more spice, but you can’t take it away. Habaneros pack a punch...especially if you’re not acclimated to spicy food. The more seeds that you leave in the pepper, the spicier it will be. If you only prefer alittle spice, take out all of the seeds; the skin alone will spice the greens. I am very sensitive to hot peppers, so I always handle the peppers with a latex glove. Also, with collard greens, I use red and yellow peppers, so my family and friends can easily remove the peppers (totally not Liberian) if they can’t handle the spice. If you really want it spicy, you can add the pepper in the very beginning when you saute the onion and garlic.

Now you can enjoy a taste of Liberia in your own home!

P.S. I documented my cooking experience because I wanted to be one of those awesome food blogs for a day. But I've decided this post is too long for more photos...so maybe another time.

Liberian Dinner

I'm still recovering from a super ORR in Atlanta weekend! Andrew and Tim came out to Atlanta and we ran non-stop doing speaking and fundraising events. My favorite event was hosting a Liberian dinner at my house. I had a vision in my head, as far as food, decorations, atmosphere, etc....and the vision came alive with the help of some great people (super huge thank you's to: my mom, Juju, my dad, Leslie, Andrew and Tim)! I wasn't too much of a stress ball, and the food was tasty! I spent the day preparing the Liberian menu--collard green soup, pumpkin soup, rice, pineapple--along with some fabulous desserts--chocolate cupcakes, a fruit tart and a yummy strawberry cake. The yard looked awesome and I loved the decor, but the best part was that I was able to share a taste of Liberia with people, along with having a family room full of people to thank who have supported me throughout this journey! It was a great night!

Thank you to everyone who helped me keep my sanity, my mom who helped me a tons with all of the cooking, those that lent helping hands, others who donated supplies (framed photos! tables and chairs!) and especially those who came out to hear more about Orphan Relief and Rescue's work in Liberia. You are all awesome, and you're all apart of this crazy journey. You enable me to be Christ's hands and feet to Liberia's orphans, and I cannot do it without you! Here are a few pictures from the night (thanks Juju for snapping a few...photos never crossed my mind).

For the Love of...

PLUM!

[also known as mango]

So I have finally convinced myself to make this post. Not only does it make for a great story, at my own expense, but it might prevent some others from having a pretty miserable time. As some of you know, I periodically go through mysterious skin issues (aka "the rash") when I'm in Liberia. It almost always appears on my arms...and stays there! Last May, I ended up having to go to the hospital to seek treatment because I was absolutely miserable! I've had the rash on my arms for a few weeks now...usually just small patches jumping from one arm to the other. This past week, the rash decided to make it's way to my face and neck. I was an itching fool! And beyond miserable!

I woke up with a balloon of a face on Thursday! Despite it being a national holiday, I had to go to the hospital...my eyes were puffy and the rash had made it's way onto my lips! I had taken 3 Benadryl the night before, and was up by 2am itching like crazy! So, I went to the hospital, only for there to be no doctor at the hospital because it was a holiday [makes perfect sense, right?]. There was a nurse in the ER, but she couldn't write prescriptions. So, I called up my friend who's a dentist, and got him to write me a prescription for the same meds I used last year. [Side note: I only needed the prescription because I was at the hospital. I could walk into any regular pharmacy and purchase the meds without any questions asked. I should also mention that I was getting a steroid, which is a controlled drug at home.] I got my meds [for less than $2] and raced home to take the first does. Within an hour, I could already tell a difference, and by the morning, I was almost completely healed.

I had been thinking about plums. May is the start of plum season, and I know sometimes the kids can get rashes around their mouths. I thought it was just from the acidity. I got home and googled "allergic reaction to mango"--and there, I found the answer to the mystery! The sap and skins of plums contain the same oil that poison ivy has. At home, I very allergic to poison ivy...so I instantly knew that was the cause of all of my itching. I had eaten a plum, fresh off the tree in the backyard, on Monday. So, the moral of the story is that I have to stay away from all plum trees, and I cannot peel plums. I can only eat them! I've also been told that one plum season, you can be fine, and the next season you can be very allergic. But, if you're allergic to poison ivy, steer clear of plum trees and fresh plums!

Fast forward to Saturday morning: I realized that the mice had found my medicine, chewed through the plastic bag and gnawed on the pills. [There might be some pretty buff mice running around here now] So, last night, I went to the 24 hour, no prescription needed pharmacy to get some more medicine. 10 pills for 25 Liberian Dollars (roughly 17 cents)! So either I'm going to die from taking them, or drug companies at home are majorly ripping us off. Hmm, wonder which is more likely?

Ok, on to the [not-so] pretty picture. For your benefit, and at my expense, this is what I looked like on Thursday morning. NOT a happy camper!

Oh, Liberia!

Dear Chick-Fil-A

I was doing just fine, until I saw this picture today. Oh Chick-Fil-A! How I miss your chicken sandwiches! That tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned piece of chicken. That warm, buttery bun. The 2 pickels in between. Crisp waffle fries. The sweet tea--need I say more?

I think this is a sign. It's time to expand to Africa...Liberia to be exact! [notice the shape of the chicken?]

My taste buds would really appreciate it!

Love,

Terribly Missing Chikin

YUM!

I have been in desperate need of some Liberian food, so I took matters into my own hands. My sister and I decided to prepare a international dinner. My contribution was collard green soup! It wasn't quite spicy enough (I was being considerate of all dinner guests) and it wasn't as good as Mary's....but it was pretty stinkin close! It tasted so good! And, it made me miss Liberia. Everyone loved the collard greens, and my mom told me I have to make them again before I head back to Liberia! There's no recipe, but if I get a request, I can give general instructions.

I was in love!

We also made some Indian food (which goes well with Liberian); we made curry chicken, dahl and samosas.

[Notice my big bowl of rice and collard green soup. I couldn't eat enough! The above picture is my sister's plate. She opted for rice and dahl with collard greens on the side.]