Collards - as a snack?

Collards - the healthy way. I grew up in the North. Any greens we had consisted of frozen spinach in a box or iceberg lettuce. Collards were just not served in the Midwest, or at least in our house. If you mentioned collards, you were likely to hear "what's that?" Then if you tried them, you likely did not like them because it was rare to find someone who knew how to cook the bitterness out of them. As an adult, I moved to the south. Now, the South knows how to cook them!! Garlic, onions, bacon, and lots of bacon grease. They were good...anything is good with bacon, right? Yes, if you want to gain some pounds and clog your arteries.

Nutritionists have begun to call collards a "superfood." Collards are leafy greens in the cabbage family. It is nutrient dense with vitamins and minerals like: Vitamin A, B6, C, E & K, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Potassium, Folate, Phosphorus and Protein. They are known to provide anticancer properties.

So, when I went Paleo, I wanted to try collards. They were good. However, I belong to a fall/winter Farm CSA and was getting way more collards than I preferred. Who can eat them every week cooked the same way? So, I began to try to find ways to use these up without always having to make them a side dish for dinner.

Here's a great way to use them up and to have a healthy snack.

The Chippy Collard

• 1 bunch of collard greens, coarsely chopped into larger chunks with the stems removed


• Garlic Powder - liberal amount


• Cayenne Pepper - sparingly (unless you are brave)


• Course Sea Salt - liberal amount


• Fresh Cracked Pepper - liberal amount


• 1 TBSP Olive Oil, plus more for greasing pan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease lightly with the olive oil. Spread chopped collards on baking sheet, brushing oil onto the greens with a pastry brush. Generously sprinkle the garlic powder, sea salt and cracked pepper. Sparingly sprinkle with cayenne pepper for a little kick. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the leaves start to crisp and the edges turn brown. WATCH CLOSELY as they tend to burn depending on the thickness of the leaves. You may substitute collards for kale, but reduce the baking time.

This is a nice, easy snack. Hey, why not make some for the Super Bowl?