Tasty Thursday: Penniless Parenting's Swiss Chard with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I love Penny's recipes.  She's not afraid to use something 'past prime' so I was very happy to find this recipe on her blog for the once-beautiful bunch of chard that was now a week old in my fridge and beginning to wilt.  I modified her original recipe very little which was also a very happy surprise.  I usually have to modify out so many things that I find it hard to achieve the same level of spice as in the original recipe when I have to modify out a bunch of different peppers.  It was nice that the only peppers in this spicy dish were a 'sprinkle of pepper flakes'.  The spice in this yummy meal comes from garlic and ginger, both of which we use often in our home.  I encourage you to enjoy this very tasty and easy to make dish.

1-2 Tbsp. oil (I used some olive oil, realized I didn't have enough and added some coconut oil.  Don't cringe, it tastes great.  Next time I'll use all coconut oil.)
1 onion, sliced thin (I used a large Vidalia)
2 organic farm carrots, sliced thin
1 bunch organic farm swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and sliced
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. peanut butter (I used  organic smooth but in the future I'm going to use crunchy.  I think the little bits of nuts would be a great addition but I'm not cleared to eat nuts yet.)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (I used coconut aminos because we recently learned that soy is my daughter's migraine trigger)
1 Tbsp. honey or sugar (I used a teaspoon of local honey)
1 tsp. garlic powder (I used a tablespoon of dried shaved garlic)
1 tsp. ginger powder (I used organic purchased from my local HFS' bulk jar)
1 tsp. salt (I used sea salt)

Cook onion and carrot in oil until onion is translucent, stirring as needed.  Add chard stems, continue to stir as needed for about four minutes until stems are softening.  Add chard leaves, cook another four minutes in the same manner.  Add all other ingredients, stir well to mix, cook until peanut butter and honey are melted and all items are well blended and veggies are coated.

I ate the three tablespoons of food my sleeve can hold without any other accompaniments and served this to my family over a bed of rice and lentils.  It got good reviews all around.  I plan to try this sauce on other vegetable combinations very, very soon!

Tasty Thursday: Roasted Carrots

Set oven to 425F. Coat pan with Olive Oil spray. I used a 9x13 Corningware. Wash and quarter carrots vertically, then cut in roughly 2" chunks horizontally. Lay in single layer in pan. Sprinkle with organic dried onion flake and salt, or whatever seasonings delight you.

Place in oven, stir periodically and bake until browned and deliciously carmelized. For my batch, that took 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Gorgeous CSA Eggplant

How can you not love something that looks like that?

I baked a few slices until they were nice and crunchy chips - SO good!

What the World Eats

From Time Magazine - Part 1, Part 2.  I find this so interesting!  What do you think?

I wonder where Tingo and Ujjain are and whether the lack of processed junk represents a cultural orientation or an economical choice.

What's in the Crockpot Wednesday? Mango Beans

I am not only in love with my crockpot because it lets you make something fantastic while you're not even at home, I am also in love with it because it lets you cook something yummy without further heating up the house when it is 96F outside.

Yes, we're in the middle of the toasty days of summer. So when I saw this recipe for Mango BBQ beans I knew I would not only be modifying it to what I have on hand at home, but would be putting it together in the crock pot.

My version contains:

can of organic black eyed peas

can of conventional kidney beans

can of organic black beans

a bunch of organic green beans picked by my daughter at our CSA farm yesterday, cut into pieces

two yellow CSA onions, chopped

two purple CSA onions, chopped

four cloves CSA garlic, chopped

five cloves CSA garlic, whole

can of organic tomato sauce (I know, I should have used CSA tomatoes. I realized that after I poured the can in.)

Trader Joe's frozen mango halves

a little tap water

a couple of shakes of pumpkin pie spice (we seem to have run out of Allspice and I felt that was as close as I could get)


I plan to add the liquid smoke later. Not sure if I will need any agave, will taste test later in the day.

Can't wait to try it later.

UPDATE:  Added liquid smoke and some Agave/Maple syrup.   Not too great calorie/carb wise, but the beans do taste delicious.

Tuesday's Tome: An Edible History of Humanity

I recently borrowed the audiobook An Edible History of Humanity, by Tom Standage, from my local library.  It was an interesting 'read' that shows how food is linked to power, population, politics.  I don't know that I would have made it through the book as before bed reading but as a commuting listen it went quickly.

Tasty Thursday: Home Grown Herbs

 

This is one of the window boxes on our deck.  The chamomile on the left is grown from seed I got as a promotional offer from a tea company a couple of years ago.  Who knew it was a perennial?  It just keeps coming back.  What a nice surprise.  

On the right is organic parsley bought from our CSA a few days ago and transplanted to the box.  It is yummy.  We like to pass by and take a leaf to eat when we're coming home.  

Good stuff.

Tasty Thursday: South River Certified Organic Chickpea Miso

My local health food store recently began carrying South River Certified Organic Chickpea Miso.  I have been on a chickpea jag for a few weeks now so when this caught my eye, I managed to not let the $12 price tag deter me from trying it. 

While I love, love, love Miso soup, I have to admit that I haven't  tried this as soup yet.  It makes an amazing spread on crackers, wraps and sandwiches!  I have even spread it on veggies, both raw and cooked. 

The first jar lasted a week and when I asked the family if they liked it as much as I did, I was told no one else had tried it.  That means I ate an entire 16oz. jar completely on my own in a week!  I'm going easier on the second jar - it is $12 after all - but I don't expect it will last much more than two weeks.  The taste is wonderful; tangy, aged chickpea mash, just delicious.

If you are a fan of chickpeas highly recommend you give this one a try.  I just goodsearched and found the company has an online store.  Yikes!  They don't ship during the summer months.  I'm going to have to hit the HFS and pick up whatever they have on hand ASAP. 

(I was not compensated by the company for this post, I just like the stuff and wanted to share my enjoyment.)

Tasty Thursday: Portland Lobster Company

We recently took a very pleasurable weekend trip to Portland, where as staunch as I am about eating lobster being repulsive, I really couldn't deny my spouse the pleasure.  Considerately, a lobster roll was ordered as opposed to a whole lobster, so I didn't have to see a crustacean carcass while I tried to eat my salad. 

The roll came with French fries and cole slaw and got two thumbs up from my spouse.  It is 'market price', which was $14.99 on 6/4/11.  I ordered the House salad.  It was your typical spring mix with some cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots and a Balsamic dressing served in a little paper cup on the side.  Everything was fresh and appetizing.

The nicest part of this, however is the atmosphere.  You order inside the little hut you enter from the street.  There are three or four small tables inside, but don't eat there!  You'll be given a lobster shaped pager; take it out to the seating area on the wharf.  Plenty of seating there, from picnic tables, to tall bar style-tables to bar seating along the railing facing the water, which you can see in the photo above.  We enjoyed the sunshine and got to listen to a duo playing bluesy-rock guitar music. 

Well worth a visit, even for a vegan, just for the Maine experience.

Tasty Thursday: Cinqo de Mayo, late report

Late report on my spouse's Cinqo de Mayo meal. I guess the report being late just follows the course, since the meal itself wasn't prepared on May 5th either. It was a day late - I was working on the 5th and got home way after dinner time.

This was so simple to make. We like to buy the guac kits from Trader Joe's. With me being allergic to peppers we simply leave out the peppers they include and add extra garlic. I'm such a garlic junkie and due to a very smart purchase of two pounds of dried garlic cloves at the end of the farm season we have had delicious farm garlic all winter. Never one to let any food go to waste, I save the peppers and use them for other meals, obviously ones that I do not consume.

These were two boneless chicken breasts, bought on sale for $1.99/lb. I remember when I wouldn't buy chicken breast unless it was .99/lb. Now my price point is $1.99. Do I sound like someone's mother or what? But enough reminiscing like an ancient soul.

I poured a tiny bit of olive oil in an oven safe dish and placed the breasts on top. I sliced the peppers up in matchsticks and laid them, alternating colors, on top of the chicken, then dusted with local garlic and onion powders and some freshly ground black pepper.

Cover with foil, cook on 325. I wish I'd had an after photo to show you but as soon as it came out of the oven he dug in. It got rave reviews. Something so simple to prepare yet he talked about it for two days, asking where I got the ingredients, the idea, etc. I have to say, I think the simpler the idea the more interest there is in it.

Tasty Thursday: Onion Rings

Now that the Spring holidays have come and gone we have a blast buying up all the Passover Kosher stuff. It's such a luxury to find anything that is vegan and gluten-free on clearance, that we pick up some shelf stable treats even if they're not the healthiest things. It's just once a year, right? These onion rings were really quite tasty. And I got a huge kick out of the bag. Why? Take a look:

Onion flavored onion rings. Who would have thought? ;)

Tasty Thursday: Chilled Salt-roasted Beets with Skordalia

I had this amazing dish at Kouzzina by Cat Cora at Disney's Boardwalk last week. It is vegan and gluten free as it appears on the menu - what a thrill as I don't often get to order something straight from the menu without the chef modifying it in some way. It was delicious! The beets did not taste like soil as so often can be the case. The garlic was tangy but not overwhelming. The dill in the olive oil drizzled on the plate was so fresh you could smell it even with all the garlic. Well worth the mere $5.99 price for this appetizer!

Tasty Thursday: Pattypan Squash

We were lucky enough to be gifted this beautiful pattypan squash by my daughter's boss. I have to admit it was so pretty I didn't want to eat it so I decorated the table with it for a few days.

But the calling deliciousness got the best of me and I allowed hubby to make this wonderful pattypan squash and red onion dish this evening. I used it to top a baked potato.


My dinner was yummy. Is there anything better than people who gift you things they've grown or made with their own hands?

I don't think so.

Tasty Thursday: Beautiful Organic Farm Food

All washed and cut and ready to cook for tonight's dinner.  Mmmmm....it was sure delicious.

Tasty Thursday: The Magical Loaf Studio

Choose from the vegan ingredients you have on hand, check the boxes, click submit and you've got dinner under control courtesy of The Magical Loaf Studio!

Tasty Thursday: Risottoria

If you're in NYC and looking for something vegetarian, gluten-free or both, Risottoria is worth a look. But don't bring a large group without calling! There is limited seating.

At Risottoria you can choose from tasty salads, piping hot risotto and crispy pizzas, both gluten-free and regular. You'll even be brought gluten-free breadsticks to start off your meal.

One caveat - the pizza dough contains gelatin so if you're not an eater of animal products you're out of luck on the pizza and the breadsticks. I found that a huge disappointment when I first visited, having gone there expecting to have myself some gluten-free pizza. I'd tried emailing for information beforehand, but didn't get a response in time. I'd suggest if you're looking for info before visiting that you call or email at least a few days in advance to give them time to respond.

Take out and gluten-free products you can prepare at home are available.

Despite the pizza being out of the running for vegetarians this place is still very much worth a visit.



Risottoria
Open 7 days / Noon - 11pm
270 Bleecker, Between 6th & 7th

212.924.6664

As the Clutter Leaves, More Projects Get Worked On.

I had this fabric laminated more than a year ago. My plan for it was to line the shelves of my large hutch, sew appliance covers and cut a tablecloth from it. The nonlaminated fabric was to become napkins, window valances and a room divider for the laundry area. I got some gorgeous silk for sheers for the windows. It has sat there mocking me for some time now. Today when I went to change the tablecloth I found myself walking into the sewing room to lay my hands on this fabric. Happily, I have a brand new tablecloth and one long shelf lined. Hubby even asked where I got the nice new tablecloth. I'm back to work tomorrow, so no more progress this week, but I do plan to get this project completed over my next few days off. The room really needs the change, plus the cats are too interested in the long curtains. It's time to make some cute little short ones.




How gorgeous does that farm food look on my new tablecloth?

Tasty Thursday: My Opinion of Spectrum Naturals Spread

I bought this for the first time today. I'm sorry to say I'm not impressed with the flavor. It has an artificial taste to me. It also has a texture that seems more gelatinous than margarine should be, in my opinion. I won't get the chance to cook with it as I'm out of town and just have a fridge & microwave here. Have you cooked with it? What did you think?

Tasty Thursday: Spaghetti Squash

Delicious for any time of the day, this is CSA share spaghetti squash, topped with TJ's edamame hummus and a couple of shakes of San-J Peanut Sauce. Yum.

Trader Joe's Organic Corn Chip Dippers

Another tasty vegan/GF choice from TJ's. They go great with sliced mushrooms and edamame hummus.