Chicken Palava (African Chicken Peanut Stew), by Diane

It is really tough to get a good shot of soup, as I have complained about numerous times in the past. So, you will just have to trust me that this stew is amazing!! I had this dish as a child when my friend's parents from Ghana would make this for dinner on special occasions. It is a national dish, and the combination of flavors is unusual but SO good!! The flavor profile reminds me of peanut curries in Thai food, but this is hearty and filling and warming! And, peanut butter aside, it is chock full of healthy, nutritious, and anti-inflammatory ingredients! It's relatively easy to make and keeps well, too.

Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/west-african-peanut-stew/  (of course this version comes with a few twists of my own!)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 red pepper, cubed
1 pound chicken, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
5 cups chicken stock
3 small sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1/4 pound collard greens, roughly chopped
1 cup chunky peanut butter


Directions:

1. Heat the peanut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion, garlic, ginger, and red pepper in the hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken; cook and stir until completely browned. Season with the crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Pour the chicken stock over the mixture. Stir the sweet potatoes and thyme into the liquid and bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover the pot partially with a lid, and cook at a simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir the tomatoes, collard greens, and peanut butter into the soup. Partially cover the pot again and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, another 20 minutes.

Citrus Collard Greens with Raisin Reduction, by Diane

I saw this recipe at Whole Foods recently and decided to recreate it. I'm always looking for new ways to eat greens, and I've been trying to like collards for a while. This recipe was good and packed with nutrients but it was very sweet. I'm not sure I'll be making it again for that reason, but if you like sweet things and greens it's a perfect recipe! Very easy to make, too.

The recipe was actually online already so I followed that: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Citrus-Collards-with-Raisins-Redux-352451

Also- I learned a new cooking technique from this website called chiffonade: "The chiffonade cut is used to produce very fine threads of leafy fresh herbs as well as greens and other leafy vegetables. First, remove any tough stems that would prevent the leaf from being rolled tightly (reserve them for stocks or salads). Next, stack several leaves, roll them widthwise into a tight cylinder, and slice crosswise with a sharp knife, cutting the leaves into thin strips." Pretty handy :)

Ingredients:

2 large bunches collard greens, ribs removed, cut into strips/chiffonade, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards. 

2. Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander. 

3. In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 

4. Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately.