So …some (most? :-)) days, I look forward to comfort food for dinner … but don’t have the time it takes for most slow-cooked meals, and don’t want the junk that comes pre-packaged. This super-fast grits/greens recipe takes no time at all, but tastes like love, feels like something grandma used to slave over, and takes <15 minutes from idea to table!
Oh, and it’s ALL plant based – so you’re going to feel great afterwards! Feel free to play around with the recipe – use what you have on hand! No greens? Sub broccoli (or brussels sprouts or …)! Have a batch of peppers about to go bad? Add them! And so on!
Enjoy.
Quick-cook Comfort Food: Grits and Greens (Plant Based!)
Serves: 2-3
Grits:
3 cups water
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup white corn grits or medium grind organic cornmeal
1 tablespoon vegan “butter” or olive oil
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Black pepper, to taste
About ¼ cup of any non-dairy milk or cheese – as you have on hand, or you like
Bring water and salt to a boil – dump in grits and stir. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5-10 minutes, or until the grits are thick and creamy (cooking time will depend on the type of grits you use – course grains may take a little longer). When ready, turn off the head and stir in vegan “butter” or olive oil, nutritional yeast, non-dairy milk/cheese (if using), plus a grind of black pepper to taste.
Greens:
Splash olive oil
1 small- medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 cups vegetable broth (I REALLY like this one)
1 teaspoon smoked salt (I used Maldon but if you don’t have smoked, use regular)
~½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lb cleaned organic greens – I love a mix of collards and kale, but either/any would do. See screen shot for reference – this is a LOT of greens
Hot sauce of your choice – I LOVE this one, it’s kind of magic: https://wildbrine.com/product/smoky-jalapeno/
Even faster: bought these already trimmed and cleaned from the farmer’s market!
Add a splash of olive oil to a large deep skillet or pot, and set to medium heat. Add onions and saute until almost tender, then add in garlic. Cook til onion and garlic are fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add vegetable broth, smoked salt and red pepper flakes. Now is a good time to taste the mix for balance. If it needs salt, this is a good time to add. Bring to a simmer, then add in the greens. It will seem like WAY too much, but toss the greens around a bit into the liquid and they’ll quickly start to reduce. Cook for about 5-10 minutes for tender young greens, or up to 20 minutes for more mature greens (just keep tasting little bits until it’s as tender as you like). Add a squeeze of hot sauce, or more salt, pepper, red pepper flakes if you like. If you can find Wildbrine Probiotic Sriracha, I would HIGHLY recommend it – kinda rocked my world when I made this today! But, any Sriracha would be delicious!
Optional:
This meal is delicious as-is, but if you would like some meat or something “meaty” on top, this can be topped with sausage or veggie sausage links (as shown in the pic). Just brown and slice before serving.
Plating:
In a low, wide, bowl, fill half the plate with grits, then the other half with greens. Spoon the pan liquids from the greens pan over everything, and serve and enjoy!
Good with:
Great by itself, but a vinegar-heavy side salad would be nice, too!
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