As we all know, eating green leafy vegetables play an important role in keeping a healthy diet. My husband and I ate only green leafy vegetables (including Kale) and various types of fish for one week and lost 6 pounds in one week. However, green leafy vegetables are not the most popular of foods especially with children. I am going to show you how to make delicious southern style kale greens that the whole family can enjoy!

Ingredients:

Kale Greens - Quantity depends on how much Kale you want to make. (6 bushels is enough for 4-6 people)

Seasonings: Black Pepper, Salt (Morton Lite Salt), Crushed Red Pepper, Extra Light Olive Oil, Distilled White Vinegar, Onion (Onion Salt can be substituted), Bacon (Hamhock or Country Ham can be substituted).

For spicey Kale Greens (Add a teaspoon of McCormick Black & Red Pepper Hot Shot Blend) and more Crushed Red Pepper to taste.

For healthier Kale Greens substitute regular bacon with Turkey Bacon.

Instructions:

First, make sure your greens are thoroughly cleaned and washed. Also, get rid of discolored/yellowish leaflets. Even though you buy it fresh from the store doesn't mean that it has been cleaned properly. It is ideal to chop leaflets into finer pieces but not too fine because it will cook down so much.

Place about 2 1/2 cups of water in pot. You don't want to have too much water because it will taste watered down. Bring the water to a boil. Place 4 strips of bacon in the boiling water. Let the bacon boil on medium-high heat for 30 - 45 minutes. This allows for the flavor to soak into the water. Add a little more water if necessary to make sure it doesn't completely boil out. After bacon is tender, you can take a knife and cut into little pieces or leave it whole if you would like. Next, add in your seasonings in any order that you would like. I typically start out by chopping 1/4 of whole onion into small pieces and adding to the pot. Next, I add in about 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil, 1 teaspoon of Vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper. After all seasonings are added, stir well to blend together. Then, add your Kale Greens. You may have to add a little at a time to allow them to cook down. Once all greens have been added, let boil for about 10 minutes. Then turn heat down to low heat, cover, and let simmer for about 2 1/2 hours. This allows for the flavor to penetrate into the greens. Season to taste as necessary and add just enough water to keep it from boiling out as necessary.

Kale Greens are excellent with Jiffy Cornbread or regular homemade cornbread.

Enjoy!

The same recipe can also be used for other types of greens such as turnips, collards, or mustards.