Brazilian Collard Greens with Beans
Brazilian Collard Greens with Beans
We'll be making two dishes from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. This first recipe, with sautéed collard greens, is known as "couve à Mineira" (cove ah Meen-ehr-uh) in Brazil. It traditionally accompanies "feijoada," a black bean stew, so we're adding beans to the collard greens instead of the typical smoked pork or bacon. We'll be pairing it with a fun Brazilian side dish of baked, puffed cheese bread, Brazilian "Pão de Queijo" (Pown deh kay-zho), also from Minas Gerais. To wash it down, you can also make Brilliant Brazilian Lemonade. We hope you enjoy these "delicioso" recipes from Brazil!
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- chop :
to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.
- drain :
to pour excess liquid from food into a container if reserving the liquid, or into the sink or trash if not saving it.
- knife skills :
Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls).
- sauté :
to cook or brown food in a pan containing a small quantity of butter, oil, or other fat.
- slice :
to cut into thin pieces using a sawing motion with your knife.
- trim :
to cut away inedible or unwanted parts of fruit, vegetables, or meat.
Equipment Checklist
- Skillet + lid
- Cutting board
- Kid-safe knife
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Can opener
Ingredients
Brazilian Collard Greens with Beans
- 1 large bunch collard greens
- 4 to 5 green onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 T vegetable oil **
- 1 15-oz can of pinto or black beans **(for LEGUME ALLERGY sub 1 1/2 C chopped mushrooms)**
- 1 dash hot sauce, optional **(Omit for NIGHTSHADE ALLERGY)**
- 1 dash paprika, optional **(Omit for NIGHTSHADE ALLERGY)**
- 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1/2 lime, juiced
Food Allergen Substitutions
Brazilian Collard Greens with Beans
- Soy: Substitute canola oil or other nut-free high-smoking point oil for vegetable oil.
- Legume: For 1 15-oz can of pinto or black beans, substitute 1 1/2 C chopped mushrooms.
- Nightshade: Omit hot sauce and paprika.
Instructions
Brazilian Collard Greens with Beans
intro
We're making a classic Brazilian dish with collard greens called "couve à Mineira" (cove ah Meen-ehr-uh). The dish comes from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The collard greens are sautéed with garlic in oil, and bacon is often added. In our version, we're adding pinto or black beans (or mushrooms) instead of the bacon.
rinse + trim + slice
Rinse 1 large bunch of collard greens under cold water and have your kids trim the bottoms and remove the thick middle vein of the leaves. Roll a stack of leaves tightly into a cylinder and slice the greens as thinly as possible by slicing the cylinder into thin shreds.
chop + sauté
Have your kids chop 4 to 5 green onions and 2 garlic cloves. Heat a skillet on your stovetop over medium to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft and translucent, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sliced collard greens and stir to coat with the oil. Cook for approximately 4 minutes or until soft (they should still have their bright green color!).
drain + add + cook
Drain 1 can of beans, reserving the liquid, and add the beans to the greens with 1 dash of paprika and 1 dash of hot sauce if using. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, adding some of the reserved bean liquid if the greens and beans get too dry. Continue to toss the greens and beans together until the beans are warm.
season + squeeze
Taste and season with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 pinch of black pepper if needed. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the beans and greens just before serving. Enjoy with Brazilian "Pão de Queijo" Puffs and Brilliant Brazilian Lemonade! "Bom apetite" (Bohm ap-peh-TEE-teh)!
Hi! I'm Collard Greens!
"I'm a vegetable with large, dark green, edible leaves. I come from the same family as mustard and cabbage and the same species as broccoli and cauliflower, but collards don't have a head!"
History & Etymology
- Collard plants are believed to have originated thousands of years ago in the Eastern Mediterranean region. It is one of the oldest members of the cabbage family.
- Enslaved people from Africa grew collards in gardens in the South to provide them with extra nourishment. They were a hearty garden crop that could be grown year-round, surviving through the winter cold and summer heat. Collard greens are a southern staple.
- Some black people have used collard greens to symbolize Southern and African-American culture. Musicians and writers have used them in varying ways, and several festivals celebrate the leafy vegetable. Former president Barack Obama served collard greens at his first state dinner as president.
- Collard greens have become a traditional New Year's Day dinner menu option, along with black-eyed peas.
- The word "collard" is from the mid-18th century, from the word "colewort," formed from "cole" (cabbage) and "wort" (root).
Anatomy
- Thick collard stems can be two to four feet tall. Broad, dark green leaves are attached to the stem by a long petiole or stalk.
- After a collard plant's first year, they may send up a flower stalk the following year (bolting), usually in summer, and produce seeds. The flowers are edible, but if the flower stalks are not cut back, the flavor of the greens may be affected.
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Pick collard greens from your garden when they are young, tender, and firm; they get more bitter as they age. Fresh collard greens are sold in bunches in a grocery store's produce section with other greens, like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard. The leaves should be dark green. Avoid yellowed, brown, slimy, or wilted leaves.
- Store the greens in damp paper towels or an airtight bag or container in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Use them within three to four days.
- Wash the leaves in cold water with a bit of salt before cooking, lightly scrubbing them with your hands to remove any hidden dirt.
- Collards have a slightly bitter taste, between cabbage and kale. They can be eaten raw or cooked, but cooking mellows their bitterness.
- Collard greens are often boiled with pork fat. They may be cooked with other greens, like mustard greens, turnip greens, or spinach. Smoked meat like pork, ham hock, or turkey is often added to the cooked greens, along with onions, salt, pepper, and vinegar.
Nutrition
- Leafy greens are great for our health! Collard greens have a high amount of vitamin K and are a rich source of vitamins A, C, and folate, a B vitamin. They also contain calcium and dietary fiber.
- Vitamin K helps blood to clot and is beneficial to bone density and health. Vitamin A is instrumental in vision, immune system, and reproductive health. It also aids growth and development. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and benefits immune function. Folate is needed for healthy cell growth and function, forming red blood cells, and is essential during early pregnancy.
- Calcium is needed for strong bones and may help prevent some cancers. Fiber helps with digestion, weight management, and regulating blood sugar.
What is "Couve à Mineira"?
- "Couve à Mineira" (cove ah Meen-ehr-uh) is a popular recipe for collard greens from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. African enslaved people contributed to Minas Gerais cuisine which is rich in garlic and onions. For "couve à Mineira," thinly sliced collard greens are briefly cooked in garlic and oil for a healthy, tasty side dish. These greens are a traditional accompaniment to the classic Brazilian dish "feijoada," a black bean stew, but they go with almost any meal.
Let's Learn About Brazil!
- The Federative Republic of Brazil is the largest country in South America. It is in the central-eastern part of the continent on the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil consists of 26 states and a federal district.
- Brazil shares borders with every other South American country except Chile and Ecuador. To its north are Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. It borders Colombia in the northwest. Uruguay is south of Brazil, and Argentina and Paraguay are southwest. Bolivia and Peru are on its western border.
- Portugal colonized this part of South America in 1500. Brazil declared its independence from Portugal in 1822, becoming official in 1825. Sept 7
- The government is a federal presidential constitutional republic with a president, vice president, legislature, and supreme court. The country's currency is the Brazilian "real" (pronounced HAY-al).
- Brazil's total area is 3,287,956 square miles and spans four time zones. Worldwide, it is the fifth largest country. Brazil's population is seventh in the world, with over 200 million people. The capital of Brazil is Brasília, and the largest city is São Paulo.
- The official and national language is Portuguese. More people speak Portuguese in Brazil than in any other country. Numerous other languages exist in Brazil, including over 200 indigenous languages.
- Because of its size, Brazil's geography is very diverse. It has plains, highlands, hills, mountains, plateaus, lakes, rivers, and rainforests. About 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil, along with almost two-thirds of the Amazon River. The country has 4,655 miles of coastline along the Atlantic Ocean.
- The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland covering between 54,000 and 81,000 square miles. Iguaçu Falls, on the border of Argentina, is taller than Niagara Falls in the United States and wider than Victoria Falls in Southern Africa.
- The country is rich in natural resources, and its economy is fueled by agriculture, mining (metal ore and gems), and automotive, food, and other industries. It is the world's largest producer of coffee, oranges, soy, and sugarcane.
- Brazil is the most biodiverse country in the world, with over 70 percent of all listed plants and animal species. The jaguar is the national animal. The piranha is a well-known fish found in the Amazon River.
- Brazilian culture has been influenced by the cultures and traditions of its indigenous people, its Portuguese colonists, other European immigrants, Africans, and more recent Japanese, Arab, and Jewish immigrants.
- Brazilian music styles from Rio de Janeiro, like the samba and the bossa nova, are recognized in many other parts of the world. Different forms of the samba are heard during Brazilian Carnival, the most popular holiday in Brazil, celebrated on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and Lent.
- "Feijoada" (black bean and pork stew) is considered the national dish. Coffee is the national beverage.
What's It Like to Be a Kid in Brazil?
- Because Brazil is below the equator, kids get out of school for summer vacation in early December and return in early February.
- The sports kids may participate in are soccer, volleyball, Brazilian martial arts, and swimming. Other games include "queimada," (a dodgeball game) and "bola de gude" (marbles).
- There are several parks and beaches in Brazil for families to enjoy together. Other fun activities include riding the little red train up Corcovado Mountain to the 125-foot Christ the Redeemer statue or taking a cable car up to iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, a cone-shaped mountain, rounded at the top, like a refined loaf of sugar. Kids can visit sea turtles at a beach or over 500 bird species at the Parque das Aves near Iguaçu Falls.
- Kids may have a sandwich or French bread and butter for breakfast with chocolate milk or "pingado," a drink of steamed milk with a splash of coffee. They may eat rice with beans and meat and a salad for lunch.
- Favorite snacks in Brazil include "pão-de-queijo" (cheese bread or bun) and "coxinha" (deep-fried dough with shredded chicken filling).
- Popular sweets and desserts are "brigadeiros" (chocolate fudge balls), "paçoca" (peanut candy), and "bolo de rolo" (roll cake with guava jam).
Lettuce Joke Around
What kinds of beans can’t grow in a garden?
Jelly Beans!
THYME for a Laugh
Me: "I like collard greens!"
Dad: "Me, too. I also like crewneck greens!
That's Berry Funny
What bean is the most intelligent?
The Human Bean!
The Yolk's On You
What is a tailor’s favorite vegetable?
Collard greens!
