Soul food has nourished African American families for centuries. Even today, almost all of our gatherings are surrounded by this cuisine. Delicious as it may be, its tastiness far outweighs the health benefits.
Here are five pleasing comfort food recipes that will have you asking for seconds while leaving the bad stuff behind.
Smoky Collard Greens
Ingredients:
2 pounds collard greens, rinsed and chopped
3 cups of water
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. of your favorite seasoning (Mrs. Dash, Spike, etc.)
2 tbsp. liquid smoke
Directions:
Heat olive oil in skillet. Saute garlic until light brown. Add collard greens. Toss greens in oil until wilted. Add water and all seasonings.
Bring to a boil. Cook until greens are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Savory Yellow Corn Grits
Ingredients:
5 cups of water
1 cup of yellow corn grits
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. chicken broth powder or 1 chicken bouillon cube
Butter, cheese or cooked shrimp for garnish
Directions:
Combine salt, chicken broth powder or bouillon cube, and water in a saucepan. Bring water to a boil. Whisk in grits. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until grits are creamy. Top with butter, sprinkle with cheese or add shrimp for a complete dish.
Island Black Eyed Peas (From Food.com)
Ingredients:
1 cup of black-eyed peas
1 large onion, peeled & rough cut
2 -3 garlic cloves, finely cut
1 can coconut milk
1 can coconut cream
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper sauce
1 tbsp. tomato ketchup (1 good squirt)
1 cup water, if needed
Directions:
Put peas in a large bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight. After peas have soaked, put all ingredients into a large saucepan. Put on stove on high heat. Bring to the boil. Turn heat to low, and let simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens, and peas are soft and cooked. Add a little water if needed, mixture should not be too dry. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Smoked Paprika Chicken (From PBS.org)
Ingredients:
1 chicken (approximately 3 pounds) butterflied (take out the back bone and flatten, or buy it pre-butterflied)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ to 1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Directions:
24 hours before roasting your chicken, dry chicken with paper towels. Mix salt and smoked paprika together in a bowl. Rub salt-and-paprika mixture all over chicken and under skin to coat the meat. Place on a tray or dish and refrigerate uncovered. This will make the skin of the chicken crispy, and the salt acts as a dry brine so your chicken is moist as well.
Preheat oven to 450°F (convection roast if you have this option on your oven. It is best!). Take chicken out of fridge for 30 minutes to bring to room temperature. Put the garlic cloves in the roasting pan. (Tip: Use a pan that best fits the chicken snugly. Don’t use too large of a pan.) Place chicken skin side up in roasting pan on top of the garlic.
Coat chicken with a little olive oil. Cover roasting pan with foil. Roast for 20 minutes, covered. Take foil off chicken and roast for 20 more minutes until skin is nice and crispy and meat thermometer reads 175°F. Let chicken rest for 10 to15 minutes before serving.
Banana Pudding (From myrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 (14-oz.) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sliced ripe bananas
48 reduced-fat vanilla wafers
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°. Combine flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in 1% milk, sweetened condensed milk, and yolks, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Layer 3 banana slices, 3 1/2 Tbsp. pudding, and 3 vanilla wafers in each of 8 (1-cup) ramekins or ovenproof glass dishes. Top each with 6 banana slices, 3 1/2 Tbsp. pudding, and 3 vanilla wafers.
Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves (2 to 4 minutes). Spread about 1/2 cup meringue over each pudding.
Bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool 30 minutes.
