Collard Greens with Red Bell Pepper

A friend came over the other night for dinner. She brought a delicious lentil barley soup that she had added kale, cumin, and dill to. I loved it and plan to attempt making something similar myself. I decided to make collard greens to go with the soup. I adore collard greens. They are one of the most flavorful greens out there and I find they are not bitter like some other greens. They also stand up to cooking, so they still have a lot of texture, while greens like spinach easily become mushy. I know there are people out there that enjoy collard greens cooked to oblivion. I am not one of those people, therefore these greens are quick to put together. You could serve them with baked tofu and have a healthy and filling meal. I will even include a recipe for how I typically prepare baked tofu!

Collard Greens with Red Bell Pepper

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
1/2 a large onion, peeled and sliced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks (I cut mine in half widthwise and then sliced)
1 1/2 large bunches collard greens, sliced into 1 inch wide strips, washed and dried well
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
When hot, add shallot, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to soften.
Add red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper turns a brighter color.
Add collard greens, mix so that the other vegetables are mixed in, then cover with a lid and let steam about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with sugar and salt and then stir (I use a tongs, which allows me to pick up bunches of the greens and turn them over).
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until greens are desired consistency. After adding the sugar and salt, I typically only cook them until they are wilted, but still bright and have body.
Remove from heat and serve.

Baked Tofu

1 package extra firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil
seasonings (I have used whole grain mustard, balsamic vinegar, various dried herbs, it really depends on what you are making and how you want the tofu to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice tofu lengthwise into quarters.
Place a thick layer of paper towels down and put the tofu side-by-side on this.
Put more paper towels on top of the tofu, then add a large flat object that will cover the tofu (I use a cutting board).
Put something heavy on top of the board (I typically use a cast iron skillet).
Allow the tofu to press for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, mix your olive oil with your seasonings.
Uncover your tofu and put it onto a baking sheet. Spread half of your seasonings/oil on one side, flip and put the rest on the other side.
Put in the oven and bake 25 minutes.
Turn the tofu over and bake until desired brownness and texture. The longer you bake it, the tougher it becomes (and more "meat"-like in texture).
Remove from oven and serve.