BACK TO GREENS
Fresh collard greens and broccoli cuts sauteed with celery, onion and green pepper. Mixed with Gardein Meatless Chick’n Strips then seasoned with a sweet Balsamic mustard sauce!
Serves 4-6
2 lg. bunches fresh collard greens – cut out main vein of each leaf from end to tip and discard; break away the two leaf halves on each main leaf – place in boiling water in large pot, cover and cook about 10-15 minutes or till tender, but still bright/dark green and still intact (tender, but not mush); drain, place in covered container and refrigerate till ready to use (up to 3 days)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 lg. stalks celery including leaves, sliced
1 c. peeled, diced red onion, about 1/2 inch square
1 c. diced green pepper, about 1/2-3/4 inch squares
3 c. fresh bite size broccoli buds
2 t. pink Himalayan salt
fresh grind black pepper
1/2 c. Balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. prepared yellow mustard
1 T. garlic paste
2 T. light brown sugar
10 oz. bag froz. Gardein Meatless Chick’n Strips
prepared horseradish for topping
optional: fat-free or low fat dressing or barbecue sauce for side dipping sauce for chick’n
Remove collards from refrigerator, drain off any liquid, place on board in piles and cut through the stacks into 1 inch wide strips – that’s all, no more cutting required. Set aside.
In extra-large skillet, over medium heat, melt olive oil.
Add celery and saute for about 3 minutes.
Add onion, green pepper and broccoli bites. Stir, add salt and black pepper. Saute till tender-crisp.
Add cut collard greens. Using large fork, separate throughout pan.
Add Balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic and brown sugar. Stir, toss, separate to evenly distribute seasonings, then cook about 3-5 minutes.
Add frozen chick’n strips, placing them on the bottom touching skillet, with greens on top. Position them equidistant in one layer.
Cover skillet and cook about 5 minutes on medium heat.
Remove cover, stir, taste chick’n for doneness, salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon onto serving plates.
Top each serving with a rounded teaspoon of horseradish.
Beside each mound of greens pour about 3 T. of diluted salad dressing or diluted barbecue sauce. Bottled dressing is usually too thick for our purposes here, so add a little water or a little vinegar plus water to thin.
I used a fat-free orange saffron dressing that worked well for dipping the chicken.
Notes: Great dish, makes a lot, more filling than it looks. Although tasty, I wasn’t compelled to keep going back for more.
So, I discovered something here, seeings though I’m always looking for something to taste great, satisfy yet not entice me to keep going back for more. For someone who likes great tasting food, that is not an easy task.
Today is a good day in the tasty, satisfying, nonaddictive food department.
I had no desire for accompaniments.
FAT-FREE CHEF™ 