Collard Greens, Cookies Too

By Deb Jenkins
Staff Writer

What a great weekend I had. I can hardly believe that I did not bring any work with me. I just enjoyed all that I could do in 2 days with my family and friends in Minneapolis. It included eating a lot, of course. Hey get this, we only ate out one time! And I am very excited to share that place with you too.

The highlight of my food fest was the meals my sister-in-law made! Let me just start always by saying that Rita would be the first person to say she “cannot cook,” far from the truth. Rita, my niece Natalie and my brother all know how to entertain and do it very well. This trip Rita did all the cooking. My husband Mike made a lamb roast and I brought the dessert (OK, no, I did not bake it. We picked up cookies at Josie’s).

What has been real fun for me lately when I go to the Cities is that Rita makes these fabulous vegan meals. Man, they are all so tasty and, well, just fresh.

So how many of you have had collard greens? I LOVE them. But I’ve only ever made them the standard way my mom made them while I was growing up. Same for sweet potatoes and for that matter cornbread. These were some of the items she made.

What Rita has fallen in love with is a cookbook by none other than Alicia Silverstone (remember the movie “Clueless”?). I was taken aback; I’d never connected her to the book. The name of her cookbook is “The Kind Diet,” written in 2009. I know I am going to have to purchase one. One of the things that Rita says about the book was that it was easy to use.

Now with that, one of the downfalls is that unless you do a lot of vegetarian cooking, you have to build up your cabinet over time with some of the items needed. The good thing here is that even the regular stores are now carrying a lot of vegan and vegetarian foods. We here in Fargo actually have great choices too in the stores that cater to vegan and vegetarian. So I give you two of the recipes today, and in the next few weeks I will add another one.

Sicilian Collard Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

1 bunch collard greens
2 tablespoons pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Use a sharp knife to cut out the central rib and stem from each collard leaf. Rinse the leaves in a sink of cool water, lifting them into a colander to drain a bit. (You want some water to remain on the leaves)

Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry skillet for about five minutes or until golden. Shake the pan often to keep the pine nuts from burning. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Place garlic and oil in a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for one minute or until garlic is fragrant. Add the damp collards and stir, then cover the pan and cook for two minutes. Add the raisins and pine nuts and stir. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, cover and continue to cook for one to two minutes longer. Serves 2 or 3.

Note: the stems of the collard greens are full of minerals. If you want to use them, chop them into one-inch pieces and cook for a couple of minutes before adding to collard greens.

Oatmeal, Walnut and Dried Plum Cookies

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup maple sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup safflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. molasses
1/4 cup chopped dried plums or other dried fruit
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the syrup, oil, vanilla extract, and molasses. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Fold in the dried plums and nuts.

Using your hands, roll tablespoon-size scoops of dough into balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet and press down slightly on the balls to flatten the tops. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a baking rack to cool completely.

For variety, replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour, barley flour, spelt flour, or a gluten-free baking mix (choose one that does not include baking soda and baking powder). You can also substitute chocolate chips for the dried fruit and any kind of nuts for the walnuts.

I have to tell you too, that if and when you are in the cities you must try the Acadia Café on the west bank. It’s directly across the street from the 400 Bar. They offer everything from burgers and veggie dishes (made to order if requested). You might be one of those people that gets excited when you see the menu, like me, and even more excited when you see the beer list, like Mike!

Until next week, eat well and stay safe. Any questions or comments, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

If You Go

What: Acadia Cafe
Where: 329 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis
When: Mon 11-midnight; Tue-Sat 11-1am; Sun 8am-midnight.
Info: 612.874.8702