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Photo: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst
Active Time:20 minsTotal Time:20 minsServings:10Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:20 minsTotal Time:20 minsServings:10
Active Time:20 mins
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:20 mins
Total Time:
Servings:10
Servings:
10
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
As, to the Mayans, humans were born from corn, so Hawaiians were born from taro, the essential staple food of the ancient Hawaiians. The young leaves of the kalo plant (aka taro) are called “lu’au,” a word that also means to gather and celebrate while eating lu’au, a dish made with those leaves, coconut milk and chicken or squid.
It’s a word we use casually in Hawai’i, often with little thought to its roots, indicating not only the shows with fire knife dancers and hula in Waikiki but the family gatherings celebrating graduations and birthday parties in our backyards. To me, the word lu’au is only jarring when taken out of the context of Hawai’i.
I was born into a state of perpetual homesickness, my heart and my family rooted in two island territories, Hawai’i and Hong Kong. As a child, I was raised in both places, and if you ask me where I’m from I’ll say “Hawai’i Hong Kong” in a single twice-aspirated breath, like my homes are one conjoined place.
Now living on the mainland and away from either side of my family, my homesickness and comfort-food cravings manifest themselves into shoyu chicken over rice, congee topped with smoky kalua pig, Spam musubi, spring rolls and wontons fried until crispy golden brown and then drenched in vinegar. I codified the food memories of my youth for Poi Dog, a restaurant in Philadelphia that, during the pandemic, also became a memory. Opening the restaurant forced me to approach dishes and flavors less haphazardly. The dishes I grew up on had to be turned into recipes and taught to line cooks to be replicated over and over and shared with the inhabitants of my new mainland home.
Collards are rich in antioxidants and nutrients like potassium, folate, vitamin K (which helps you absorb calcium) and fiber, necessary for gut health. It’s a dish I often make for my private-dining clients, who are often athletes or follow strict diets. It has become a sort-of secret weapon, since I can make it for nearly anyone following a specific dietary pattern—it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and more.
It’s also a dish that can be made far in advance and frozen into lazy weeknight dinner portions. Blend it into the consistency of congee and it will scratch that itch of being a warming thick porridge. Leave parts of it unblended and it will be infinitely more satisfying on your Thanksgiving table than creamed spinach. I like to thaw it to eat alongside rice and a rotisserie chicken from the store. And whenever I take a bite, it tastes like both of my homes.
Rachel Marek
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients¼cupcoconut oil2mediumsweet onions, sliced5clovesgarlic, peeled2bunchescollard greens, stems removed and cut into 2- to 3-inch strips (about 10 cups)½teaspoonbaking soda1(13 ounce) can coconut cream1(13 ounce) cancoconut milk1teaspoonsalt½teaspoonground pepper, or to taste
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
¼cupcoconut oil
2mediumsweet onions, sliced
5clovesgarlic, peeled
2bunchescollard greens, stems removed and cut into 2- to 3-inch strips (about 10 cups)
½teaspoonbaking soda
1(13 ounce) can coconut cream
1(13 ounce) cancoconut milk
1teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonground pepper, or to taste
DirectionsMelt oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in collards, then baking soda. Stir in coconut cream and coconut milk. Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring frequently, until the collards are soft, about 10 minutes.Rachel MarekPuree the mixture in the pot with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender) until smooth (if desired, you can also leave some unpureed for texture). Season with salt and pepper.Rachel MarekTo make aheadRefrigerate airtight for up to 5 days or freeze airtight for up to 3 months.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, August 2023
Directions
Melt oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in collards, then baking soda. Stir in coconut cream and coconut milk. Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring frequently, until the collards are soft, about 10 minutes.Rachel MarekPuree the mixture in the pot with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender) until smooth (if desired, you can also leave some unpureed for texture). Season with salt and pepper.Rachel MarekTo make aheadRefrigerate airtight for up to 5 days or freeze airtight for up to 3 months.
Melt oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in collards, then baking soda. Stir in coconut cream and coconut milk. Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring frequently, until the collards are soft, about 10 minutes.
Puree the mixture in the pot with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender) until smooth (if desired, you can also leave some unpureed for texture). Season with salt and pepper.
To make ahead
Refrigerate airtight for up to 5 days or freeze airtight for up to 3 months.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, August 2023
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)245Calories14gFat30gCarbs2gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
