Give Rice A Southern Upgrade With This Canned Vegetable
Rice is one of the chameleons of the kitchen, in our book. You can serve it with just about anything, cook it in numerous ways, and make it savory or sweet. Whether you opt for white or brown rice, which are processed differently, the reason rice is so versatile is because it doesn't taste too much of anything. That makes it a magnificent vehicle for other flavors, colors, and textures, including canned collared greens. Combining them with any kind of rice not only packs a nutritional punch (we'll get to that in a minute), it also gives it a delicious Southern twist.
Cracking open a can of collared greens is the answer to the eternal dinnertime question: "How do I get the tribe to eat more veggies?" Just make sure to rinse them under running water to wash off the salty liquid they come in and let them drain in a colander. That's also a good moment to go in with a pair of kitchen scissors and snip them up if you need to make them easier to eat (or hide), before combining them with the cooked, seasoned rice. A quick trip in the oven to warm everything through is all that stands between you and forkfuls of a hearty, satisfying side.
Canned collards aren't just convenient, they're still highly nutritious
Not to be confused with the leaves that sometimes come with cabbages and broccoli, collards are a veggie in their own right, though they are members of the same Brassica oleracea family. Fresh collared greens need a lot of long, slow cooking, and not braising them long enough is among the common mistakes people make with collard greens.
Reaching for a can of these veggies might feel like a cheat, but nutritionally they still bring plenty to the table. Half a cup of tinned collared greens contains 3 grams of fiber, 90 milligrams of potassium, and 110 milligrams of calcium, not to mention other vitamins and minerals.
Canned collard greens can help you out in a pinch when you need leafy greens for other recipes. You can use a can as a sub for the Caribbean ingredient callaloo, combining it with coconut milk to create a rich, veggie curry, or swap it for spinach to try out our cauliflower-based twist on creamed spinach.