Boiled Greens And `Pot Likker' Are Healthful Without The Fat

July 05, 1995|By Judith Blake, Seattle Times.

Cooked greens and "pot likker"--put these on your table and you'll savor the flavor of the South.

The "likker," or liquor, is the greens' cooking liquid, rich with flavor and perfect for sopping up with cornbread, as tradition allows.

The greens can be all sorts: mustard greens, collard greens, beet greens, turnip greens, kale, Swiss chard, watercress, endive, escarole, spinach.

Their flavors vary, from mild collards, beet greens and Swiss chard to peppery mustard and watercress.

But there's a little problem, if you're into leaner eating: Southern-style greens are traditionally cooked with ham hocks or bacon, which lend wonderful flavor but also lots of fat.

Can you have great cooked greens, and great taste, without all the fat? You can.

Joyce Dougherty uses sauteed garlic and onions to flavor greens. Doughtery is a public health nutritionist with the Washington Health Department's Division of Community and Family Health. An African American, she knows the homey appeal of Southern soul food, including cooked greens.

"They're fantastic," she says.

But she adds the national epidemic of obesity and other ills linked to a high-fat diet, especially among African Americans, makes cutting down on fat essential.

Greens themselves have no fat -- that comes from the meat they're often cooked with. Dougherty uses no meat. Instead, she sautees chopped onions and garlic in a little olive oil in a large pot, then adds a small amount of water and a potful of mixed, torn greens, such as kale, mustard and chard. She lets these cook down, covered, 35 to 40 minutes before serving.

You can use at least one kind of meat--low-fat Canadian bacon--with greens and still keep the fat down.


Preparation time: 25 minutes

Soaking time: Overnight

Cooking time: 1 to 1 1/4 hours

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup dried black-eyed peas

2 pieces Canadian bacon

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

6 cups chopped kale

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, minced


2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon each: grainy

mustard, crushed dried


1/2 teaspoon each: paprika, salt

1/4 teaspoon each: red wine vinegar, ground red pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Put black-eyed peas into a large bowl and add water to cover by 3 inches. Soak overnight.

2. Drain the peas and put into a pot with the Canadian bacon. Cover with water; heat to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peas are tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain.

3. Transfer peas to a bowl. Remove Canadian bacon and dice finely; add to peas.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add kale, cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 2 minutes. Add to the peas. Stir in the red bell pepper.

5. For the dressing, put olive oil, mustard, oregano, paprika, salt, vinegar and red pepper in a jar. Shake until emulsified. Add to the salad, gently mixing. Stir in freshly ground black pepper to taste.

6. The salad should be served at room temperature. If making ahead, refrigerate and remove 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories....215 Fat...............8 g Cholestero.....l5 mg

Sodium...370 mg Carbohydrates....28 g Protein.........12 g


Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Adapted from "The Greens Book" by Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille.

2 pounds collard greens, kale or mustard greens

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 small red jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon allspice

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

1. Rinse greens well in several changes of water. Remove the thick rib from the center of the leaves; chop coarsely.


3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in the greens, salt, allspice and pepper; cook and stir 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories....85 Fat..............4 g Cholestero.....l0 mg

Sodium..145 mg Carbohydrates...11 g Protein..........4 g


Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

Yield: 4 servings

"Pot likker" is best served with corn bread to sop up the juices. Adapted from "Kwanzaa--An African-American Celebration of Culture and Cooking," by Eric V. Copage.

1 bunch collard greens

1 bunch kale

1 piece (4 ounces) Canadian bacon

3 cups water

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup vegetable broth

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon cider or red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon salt, optional

1. Remove the thick ribs from the collard greens and kale; wash in several changes of water. Chop coarsely.

2. Cut the Canadian bacon into chunks and put into a pot with the water and red pepper flakes. Heat to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot. Mince 1/4 cup and set aside.

3. Stir the vegetable broth, sugar and vinegar into the pot. Add the greens, cover and let wilt, stirring. Simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, about 50 minutes, until tender.

4. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the minced Canadian bacon and pepper to taste. Add the salt only if necessary and serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories....105 Fat...............2 g Cholestero.....l8 mg

Sodium...540 mg Carbohydrates....17 g Protein..........8 g