Turnip Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings

by Libby Pelham | More from this Blogger

20 Apr 2006 09:42 AM

Easter has come and gone, but I still have a yearning for home cooked food. When I went home at Easter, I saw one of my stepsisters who has lost quite a bit of weight and it inspired me to exercise and eat better. But, just in case I change my mind - here is a great comfort food recipe!

For this recipe, you will need 3/4 of a pound of smoked meat (such as turkey wings), chicken bouillon cubes, ground ginger, 1 bunch of turnip greens with roots (turnips), butter, garlic powder, all purpose cornmeal, one small onion, eggs, salt, pepper, and sugar.

First, make a house seasoning. Mix together 1 cup of salt, 1/4 cup of black pepper, and 1/4 cup of garlic powder. You can store this is an airtight container because you will not need it all for this recipe.

Turn a burner on low heat and pour four quarts of water in a large saucepan. Add the smoked meat, 1 teaspoon of house seasoning, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, and 1/4 teaspoons of ground ginger. Cook this for 1 1/2 hours. While that is cooking, remove the large stems from your turnip leaves (the ones that are in the center of the leaf). Place the leaves in a sink full of clean water. Wash then repeat this process two more times. Turnip green leaves can be sandy and gritty, so you need to wash them well. Peel the turnip roots and slice them into quarters. Add the greens to the meat and cook for another 30 minutes. Remember to stir often. Add your roots to the meat and leaf mixture and cook for another 15 minutes or until tender.

The final step is to make your cornbread dumplings. Peel and chop the small onion. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of all-purpose cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the chopped onion, 1 egg and 2/3 cups of the liquid from your meat and leaf mixture. Using a teaspoon, dip into the batter and roll 1-inch ball in your hand. Drop them into the meat and leaf mixture. To make sure they are completely covered in liquid, gently shake the pan, but don't stir. Allow them to cook for about 10 minutes, and then serve!

Learn more about Libby Pelham

Libby Pelham is a work-at-home mom located in Jacksonville, NC. She has a beautiful little boy, Will, born in July of 2004.

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