Simple Veggie Side
I like braised greens, especially made with tougher vegetables like kale, collard greens, or kohlrabi. The bitterness is off-putting to some, but I think it's usually a nice counterpoint to other sweet or savory flavors, since it's something that's meant to be a complimentary piece to a larger meal, not the sole star of the dish.
I like sweet potatoes. They're a lot easier to cook than most starchy tubers, and they bring a flavor that's appealing either on its own or with a wide variety of other foods. They're also a bit of a victim of their own success, though, in that their flavor can be a bit much when they're left without something to balance it.
Combine the two, though, and you end up with a wonderful side dish that's easy to prepare, fit for complimenting plenty of other recipes, loaded with all sorts of nutrients, and striking in appearance from the green/orange contrast. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
4 cups of kale (or a similarly tough leafy green), chopped roughly
2 Tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt, to taste
(optional) additional seasonings, such as garlic, onions, paprika, crushed herbs, etc.
Directions:
Put the oil in a large skillet or wok and heat it over medium-high heat.
Once it's hot, add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat them.
Continue stirring often until the sweet potatoes are softened, usually around 15 minutes.
Turn the heat down to medium.
Add chopped greens, lemon juice, salt, and other seasonings. Stir thoroughly to get everything mixed together.
Continue stirring often until the greens start to look wilted. If the greens start to stick/clump while cooking, add 2-3 tsp of water to help make them easier to stir. Cooking time varies depending on the type of greens, but as a point of reference, kale usually takes around 12 minutes.
