Tag: Holiday sides

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Slow-Cooked String Beans with Smoked Turkey

Another veggie side dish for yall! My green beans gotta be cooked one of 2 ways….a quick saute so they’re nice and crunchy, or low and slow that you don’t need to chew them. I mean, you still gotta chew em but you get where I’m going.

Slow cooked string beans in a bowl

These braised string beans were exactly what I needed sitting pretty next to my hamburger steak with mushroom gravy. 

When it’s cooked this style, it is also my favorite veggie. The small chunks of smoked turkey set it off.

Do I have to use smoke turkey for this recipe?

If your a fan of the swine, smoked pork or bacon can be used instead. Any smoked meat can be used, and can also be completely omitted!

I can sit and eat a big a** bowl of these, nothing else with it, and then go get another big a** bowl. These are those string beans that you hope your auntie is making for the family cookout…and imma be that auntie!

Slow cooked string beans in a bowl
Print Recipe

Slow-Cooked String Beans with Smoked Turkey

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: green beans, side dishes, southern, string beans
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Crystal

Equipment

  • 4 quart (or larger) pot with a lid
  • colander

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • ½ cup white onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 20 ounces chicken stock
  • 1 smoked turkey neck any size
  • ½ tbsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ⅛ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • 1 ½ lbs fresh green beans cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

  • In a 4 quart pot, heat oil on medium low heat. Add onions and saute for 4 minutes until the onions are slightly brown. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  • Pour in chicken stock. Add in the turkey neck, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Mix in the green beans. Turn heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for one hour.
  • Remove the turkey neck from the pot with a fork or tongs onto a plate. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, and pick the meat off the bone. Be sure to leave behind and gristle or tendons.
  • Add the picked turkey meat and butter in with the green beans. Stir until butter has melted, and remove from heat.

Notes

Recipe can be made vegetarian by omitting the turkey neck, and replacing the chicken stock with veggies stock. This can also be made vegan by omitting the butter.
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Southern Style Slow Cooked Collard Greens

Bowl Of Slow Cooked Southern Style Collard Greens

Collard greens is a veggie side dish that some cook on special occasions. But not meeeeee!!! I cook these bad boys once a month!

Slow Cooked Southern Style Collard Greens With A Spoon

It’s definitely one of my favorite vegetables to eat (neck and neck with my Slow Cooked String Beans) and gets made in my home as often as once a month. Since I love it so much, it’s a very easy way for me to get some veggies in my system, as I can eat a whole bowl for dinner with no regrets.

How do I make my collard greens taste good?

The 2 keys to making collard greens taste amazing are: 

1. The perfect broth – Making a nice flavorful broth for the collard greens is what will give them that perfect taste you’re looking for. Especially with collard greens being a little on the bitter side, a good broth makes a huge difference.

2. Time – This recipe will take at least 2 hours total, but trust me that it is beyond worth it in the end! The combo of making the broth and cooking the greens on low so they’re tender requires a little bit of patience. Mostly because you’ll smell da smellz and want to eat them before they’re done.

How to make collard greens tender

I also add apple cider vinegar to my collard greens. Vinegar helps to tenderize the greens a bit more, while the apple cider gives it another depth of flavor. Adding this while cooking the broth helps to get rid of the strong vinegar taste, so it won’t feel like you’re eating pickled greens. 

Slow Cooked Southern Style Collard Greens On A Spoon

How to make a vegetarian version of southern collard greens:

This recipe can be made vegetarian (and vegan) as well!

Replace the chicken stock with veggie broth, and omit the turkey and butter. The turkey does add another layer of flavor with it’s smokiness, so either double up on the paprika or add a couple of dashes of liquid smoke so you aren’t missing out!

Making this without the meat also eliminates step #4 of letting the broth cook for 30 minutes before adding your greens. Just make sure those greens are still cooking low and slow for 1.5 hours total!

Bowl Of Slow Cooked Southern Style Collard Greens
Print Recipe

Southern Style Slow Cooked Collard Greens

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: collard greens, greens, slow cooked, soul food
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Crystal

Equipment

  • 5 quart (or larger) pot with a lid
  • knife
  • Cutting board
  • colander
  • wooden spoon

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • ½ yellow onion small diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 6 cup chicken stock
  • 1 smoked turkey neck any size
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp thyme leaves
  • 1 lb collard greens washed with stems removed and rough chopped
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

  • On medium low heat, add canola oil into a 5qt (or larger) pot. Once warm, add onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
  • Pour in vinegar, and let it simmer for 1 1/2 minutes. The amount of vinegar will reduce by half. Pour in chicken stock.
  • Add remaining ingredients, excluding the collard greens and butter. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add collard greens, a couple of handfuls at a time, to submerge the greens into the broth. Once all greens have been submerged, turn the heat up to high to bring to a quick boil. Then, bring the temperature down to low. Cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the turkey neck from the pot with a fork or tongs onto a plate. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, and pick the meat off the bone. Be sure to leave behind and gristle or tendons.
  • Add butter and the picked turkey meat back into the pot, cover, and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Spice level can be adjusted by adding more red pepper flakes. Greens can be served right away. Enjoy!

Notes

Optional – add the picked turkey neck back into the greens on step 7. This will keep adding flavor to the broth!
Recipe can be made vegetarian by omitting the turkey neck, and replacing the chicken stock with veggies stock. This can also be made vegan by omitting the butter.
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Herb Garlic Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes

Herb roasted smashed potatoes

For those that aren’t aware, carbs is bae. And potatoes in any form are addictive AF. They’re also the easiest and one of the most versatile things to cook, and are a perfect go-to side when you can’t figure out what the hell to serve with your main dish. 

Herb roasted smashed potatoes

These herb garlic smashed potatoes are tf goodt! Nice and herb-y and garlic-y, but also not too overpowering with it. These are a great side with any protein really, and you can even serve these as a brunch side. Hell, you can eat these on their own if you wanna! I ain’t gonna judge you for something I did myself!

Herbs and olive oil for roasted potatoes

The first time I made these for a group of friends, I had some extra sauce leftover from  my Grilled Garlic Parmesan Corn One of these friends was the ultimate opportunist, and slapped some of the sauce on these potatoes. And then I copied her. Yall…yall…………….YAAAAAAAAAASSSSSS!!!!! 

Extra sauce or not, I hope this is a recipe that you’ll get to try out and make regularly like myself.

Print Recipe

Herb Garlic Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast, garlic, herb, oregano, potatoes, rosemary, thyme
Author: Crystal

Equipment

  • sheet pan
  • Cutting board
  • cup
  • Mixing bowls
  • colander
  • small pot

Ingredients

  • 1 lb red potatoes rinsed
  • 1 tbsp salt plus 1 teaspoon
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ tbsp chopped parsley
  • ½ tbsp chopped rosemary
  • ½ tbsp chopped thyme
  • ½ tbsp chopped oregano
  • ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare an oil-lined oven safe dish.
  • Place cleaned potatoes into a pot, and cover with cold water.
  • Add the 1 tablespoon of salt to the potatoes and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Turn down to a simmer on medium heat for 13-15 minutes. Potatoes should be mostly cooked and soft enough for a butter knife to easily stab through without falling apart. Remove from heat, and run under cold water for 5 minutes.
  • While the potatoes are cooling, add the remaining salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, herbs, and olive oil to a mixing bowl. Mix, and set aside.
  • Drain the cooled potatoes. On a cutting board, take each cooled potato and press with a cup or the palm of your hand to slightly flatten. Potatoes can be cut in half and pressed, if necessary. Place potatoes onto the oven safe dish.
  • Pour oil mixture onto pressed potatoes. Put potatoes into the over for 13-15 minutes, browning to your liking.
  • Serve with your favorite protein or for breakfast and enjoy!

Notes

Dried herbs can be replaced for fresh herbs
I used olive oil, but you can most certainly use any oil you have on hand!

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