Coconut Creamed Collards

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 bunch collard greens, stems removed, cut into ribbons

1 can coconut milk plus one can full of water

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 to 2 tablespoons tamari, to taste

Salt, to taste

Dash red chili flakes, to taste

Melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté until it's clear and soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for another minute.

Add the collard greens to the pan. Stir frequently for a minute or two, until the collards are just wilting.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of tamari to the skillet and stir everything well. When the mixture is simmering, reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the greens are totally tender. If the simmering liquid starts to dry up, add a few splashes of water as you go along.

Season the greens to taste with extra tamari, if desired, as well as salt and red chili flakes. Serve.

Butternut and Rutabaga Gratin

1 small butternut squash peeled and seeded

1 medium rutabaga peeled

1 onion sliced thin

Kale or collards if you have them available (optional)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup Gruyere cheese grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly spray a large shallow baking dish.

Heat a small pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add sliced onions and cook until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, salt, pepper and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until broth has reduced to 3/4 cup or about half.

Slice the squash and rutabaga into very thin rounds. If using Greens, slice very thin and add to the mixture as you are layering in the next step.

Place 1/3 of onion and broth into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange butternut squash and rutabaga in an overlapping layer. Scoop 1/3 of the onions and broth over the vegetables and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top squash with another layer of squash and rutabaga, followed by the remaining onions and cheese.

Spray a piece of aluminum foil with vegetable spray, cover the gratin (sprayed side down) tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (this will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil). Remove the foil. Continue to bake for 15 more minutes, until top of the gratin is crisp and brown. Let the gratin rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Beets, Beans, and Greens

1 bunch of collard greens (3 leaves), stems removed and chopped

1 bunch beets, washed well and tops removed and chopped (and wrap in foil) 

1 entire bulb of garlic, minced

1-2 cups cooked white beans 

olive oil

sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Wrap the beets in foil, place them on a cookie sheet and put them into a preheated 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour or so (or until they are tender).  If you are in a hurry, you can boil the beets until fork tender and then run cold water until able to handle and peel skin.

In the meantime, coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and gently heat.  Over a low heat, toss in minced garlic and stir.  Next, add in chopped collard greens and beet greens and sauté until tender.  Once the beets are cooked, remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes or so. Open the beets and remove the skin with your fingers (it should come off easily).  Cut the roasted beets into bite sized chunks and add to the collard green sauté mixture and stir.  Lastly, add cooked beans and warm sauté mixture and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.