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Coconut Creamed Greens

The sweet and creamy flavor of the coconut milk masks the slightly bitter flavor of the greens and mimics creamed spinach, a dish sure to please.
Cuisine Southern
Author Whitney Miller

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons coconut or olive oil
  • 12 cups packed chopped turnip greens or kale ribs removed
  • 2 14-ounce cans coconut milk (I used regular, not light)
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic see recipe below
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Honey optional
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shaved coconut roughly chopped

Roasted Garlic

  • 1 head garlic
  • 1/ 4 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. Place the oil in a large saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the greens and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until slightly wilted, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and Roasted Garlic. Stir until well mixed. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the salt, and cook, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes, stir ring occasionally.
  2. Transfer the greens to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the greens are

  3. broken down into chunky small pieces, about 30 seconds. Do not puree. Stir in the honey to cut any remaining bitterness from the greens. Pour into a shallow 8-inch casserole dish. Season the creamed greens with additional salt to taste. Sprinkle the coconut in an even layer over the greens.
  4. Preheat the broiler. Broil the greens until the coconut is golden brown. Serve warm.

Roasted Garlic Instruction

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Remove the outer layers of the skin from the head of garlic and cut off about l/4 inch from the top, exposing the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle the olive oil over the exposed cloves. Bring the edges of the aluminum foil together and crimp to close. Bake the garlic for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until fragrant and softened.

Recipe Notes

Serves 6 as appetizer, or side dish for two.
To serve this as an individual serving fill up six 2-ounce dessert glasses with the greens. Toast the coconut separately and place them on top right before serving.