Gentle Collards

The other night I tried a new recipe for spicy tofu. It was marinaded in sambal oelek, a very spicy chili sauce. I was concerned it might be too hot to be pleasant, so I put some brown rice on to cook, and turned to collard greens to add the sweetness to balance the spicy tofu.

The tofu recipe needs a little tweaking - very spicy! - but the collard greens were the perfect gentle dish to calm the mouth between bites of tofu.

Collard Greens
1 bunch collard greens
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large red onion

Cut the large stems from the collards (they are edible but take a little longer to cook and take away from the gentleness of this dish).

Wash the leaves, then stack them and cut lengthwise 3 times and then across every couple of inches. Don't dry the leaves.

Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Dice the red onion, and sauté until tender. Stir in the chopped collards, making sure they get coated in oil. Cover the pot and let the collards cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until they are soft. They won't sog down into a mass like spinach, but will retain their shape during cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 2 as a side dish.