Coconut Creamed Greens
30m prep 40m cook 1h 10m ready
Creamed greens with coconut cream and spices, served with seared mackerel fillets and a smoky tomato-olive Vera Cruz sauce. A lighter take on steakhouse creamed spinach.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- ground cloves
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or bone broth
- 3/4 cup coconut cream
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 lb cleaned and chopped greens, such as collard greens, kale, spinach, callaloo, or use a combo
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 mackerel fish fillets
- flake sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium white onion diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 clove garlic very thinly sliced
- 16 oz fresh plum tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 oz mezcal
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup Spanish green olives pitted and sliced
- 1 tsp brine
- 1 tbsp capers
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- avocado oil spray
- fresh cilantro sprigs
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 19 of 30 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 658 mg
- Iron: 5.98 mg
- Magnesium: 113 mg
- Phosphorus: 423 mg
- Potassium: 1319 mg
- Zinc: 3.28 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- ground cloves
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or bone broth
- 3/4 cup coconut cream
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 lb cleaned and chopped greens, such as collard greens, kale, spinach, callaloo, or use a combo
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 mackerel fish fillets
- flake sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 1/2 oz mezcal
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp brine
- 1 tbsp capers
- sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- avocado oil spray
- fresh cilantro sprigs
Prepare
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- Mince 3 clove garlic
- Chop 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 medium white onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 clove garlic, very thinly sliced
- 16 oz fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup Spanish green olives, pitted and sliced
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped thyme. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Step 2.
Add ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves to the saucepan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Step 3.
Pour in ½ cup chicken broth and ¾ cup coconut cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
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Step 4.
Slowly whisk in 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch (or 1 tablespoon cassava flour) until fully incorporated. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
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Step 5.
Fold in 1 pound cleaned and chopped greens (such as collard greens, kale, spinach, or callaloo). Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are completely wilted and the sauce is thick and bubbly. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
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Step 6.
While the greens cook, prepare the mackerel: Using a sharp paring knife, make 3 or 4 shallow slits through the skin on each fillet (4 fillets total, about 6 ounces each). Pat the fillets dry and sprinkle both sides with flake sea salt. Place the fish on a small rack over a plate (or just on a plate) and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Step 7.
While the fish cures, make the Vera Cruz sauce: Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil and the diced white onion. Cook until the onion softens and becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Step 8.
Add the thinly sliced garlic (about 3 cloves) to the pan and cook for 1 minute more.
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Step 9.
Add the diced plum tomatoes (16 ounces, peeled, seeded, and diced) and cook for 2 minutes.
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Step 10.
Deglaze the pan with 1 ½ ounces mezcal (be careful—it may flame up). Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
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Step 11.
Add 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ground cumin. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens and most of the tomato liquid has cooked out.
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Step 12.
Stir in ½ cup sliced Spanish green olives (plus 1 teaspoon brine) and 1 tablespoon capers (plus brine). Cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Set aside.
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Step 13.
Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray lightly with avocado oil spray to grease the pan.
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Step 14.
Remove the mackerel fillets from the refrigerator and pat off excess salt and moisture. Place the fillets skin side down in the hot grill pan. Sear for 2 minutes, then use the back of a spoon to gently lift the skin to ensure it's not stuck. Lift the fillets and rotate them 45 degrees (still skin side down) and cook for 2 more minutes to create crisscross grill marks.
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Step 15.
Flip the fillets onto the flesh side using a spoon. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the fish is just cooked through (preferably medium, with a slightly undercooked center). Remove from the pan.
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Step 16.
To serve, stack two fillets on each plate off to one side. Spoon the Vera Cruz sauce in a crescent shape along the opposite edge of the plate. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs.
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