Sauteed Collard Greens

Collard Greens. My boys' faces crinkle up into painful expressions when I make collard greens. They see all the green happening and react with fear, thinking they will have to eat them. I get a kick out of watching their panic rise. But luckily for them, I haven't made them try them yet. Mostly because both my kids are pretty good vegetable eaters. 
I can get them to eat broccoli, corn, peas, carrots and salad pretty easily without too much of a fight. My nine year old will even eat Brussels sprouts, cucumbers and cabbage. That's a WIN in any parenting playbook, if you ask me!  So I'm not punishing myself trying to get them to eat collards. But I so wish they would! Because these are absolutely delicious! And just like my kids aversion to these beautiful vegetables, I suspect many adults, my hubby included, react the same when confronted with greens. Well, the good news is that I have the best recipe for collard greens. They are blanched at first to seal in their green color and then quick sauteed with aromatics and chicken stock that layer flavor into the tender leaves. You will never want them any other way. Enjoy!

PS. I love to eat them for breakfast when I have leftovers. Top them with an over-easy egg and some feta cheese...the perfect breakfast!  

Sauteed Collard Greens

(adapted recipe from Teri Appleton Villanueva)
Serves 6

 2-3 lbs Collard greens, stemmed and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large dutch oven. Add salt and greens and stir until wilted. Cover and cook until greens are tender about 7 minutes. Drain in colander and place colander into ice water to shock the greens and stop the cooking process. Squeeze greens dry using a potato ricer. Roughly chop greens and set aside.

3 Tbsp bacon fat (or olive oil)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth
salt and pepper
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar

In a large saute pan, heat bacon fat (or olive oil) over medium heat and saute the red bell pepper until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until garlic starts to sizzle. Add greens and saute to coat with oil. Add 1/2 cup stock, cover and cook over med-high heat, adding more stock during the cooking process if necessary, until greens are tender and juicy and most of the stock has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt, pepper and vinegar to taste. 

Other recipes to try:

Brussels Sprouts w/Bacon Dressing

Kale w/Onions and Balsamic Butter

Shakshuka

Sour Cream Granola Cookies

Every once in a while I get a bug to bake. It's not too often but, the other day I wanted to make some cookies. So, I anxiously ran to my cupboard and realized I didn't have any chocolate chips. Total. Bummer. 
Instead, I had a half eaten box of Granola cereal. Yum! I grabbed a handful and what do you know...Still crunchy! Yay!
I continued to eat it as I rummaged through my pantry. Still nothing chocolatey appeared. Then, I remembered these chocolate chip cookies my friend, Sonia made one time. They were amazing! She said she added granola to them. I thought, well I don't have the chocolate but, maybe I can make a type of Oatmeal Cookie with them. I grabbed my Betty Crocker cookbook and started looking for recipes to convert with my granola cereal. Boom! Found it...Sour Cream Raisin Cookies became Sour Cream Granola Cookies. These turned out really soft and moist and not too sweet.  Enjoy!

Sour Cream Granola Cookies

Makes 4 dozen

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups plain granola + extra for topping
1 cup golden raisins

Vanilla Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2-1 tsp milk (to desired consistency)

Mix all icing ingredients together until you have a thin icing that ribbons when poured from a spoon. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a stand mixer, mix sugar, shortening, vanilla and eggs. Add remaining ingredient except granola and raisins. Stir in the granola and raisins by hand.

Using a small cookie scoop, drop small rounded teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Top with extra granola. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating half way through cooking time, until light brown. 

Cool slightly and transfer to a rack to cool completely. Drizzle with vanilla icing.

Other recipes to try:

Lemon Butter Cookies

Blueberry White Chocolate Chip

Cinnamon Cheesecake Cookies

Chicken with Braised Carrots

March FLEW by and now look...April is nearly gone too! Where does the time go? I certainly haven't met my goal of blogging two recipes a week, have I? Sorry about that. I don't even have a good excuse other than things have been busy. Although, I admit I did work on a few Halloween dishes last week, so there is hope for me. One of the Halloween ideas turned out great, but the other one...well, it needs a little more work. 
Anyway, back to this delicious Chicken with Braised Carrots. This is an easy, one pan dinner that comes together very quickly and is perfect for those busy weeknights. I've lightened this up for Spring by using chicken breasts and serving it over rice, but this is dish is the ultimate comfort food when served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes...or as my boys call them, Smashed Potatoes. :)  I've made this with boneless skinless chicken thighs over mashed potatoes which is a rich and comforting dish that's perfect for a cool fall evening, or a cool spring evening! Whichever way you make it, you can't go wrong with savory carrots in a rich herbed sauce and Chicken. Enjoy!

Chicken with Braised Carrots

Serves 4

4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp.salt 
1/4 tsp. pepper  
1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
4 carrots (I used multi-colored), diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. tomato paste 
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. rosemary, dried 
2 tsp. thyme, fresh
1 bay leaf
parsley, fresh chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)

In a shallow dish, add salt and pepper to flour. Dredge Chicken breasts in seasoned flour mixture, shaking off extra and set aside. Heat butter or olive oil in a large skillet. Pan fry chicken breasts until browned but not entirely cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside. 
Add onions and carrots to same skillet and cook on medium high heat until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (~1 minute more). Add tomato paste and stir until vegetables are coated. Add wine, chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf and heat on medium heat until vegetables are soft and liquid in reduced by half. Add Chicken breasts back into the skillet with the carrots and cook over medium high heat until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. You will need to add more time if your chicken  breasts are very large. Cook until internal temp is 165 F.

Taste carrots and adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve Chicken with Carrots over Rice or Mashed Potatoes. Enjoy!

More chicken recipes to try:

Easy Ranch Chicken

Honey Butter Chicken

Pineapple Chicken

Smoked Paprika Grilled Chicken Quinoa Bowl

I've walked my neighborhood nearly everyday for the last 15 years. Weaving up and down the many streets that make up my neighborhood. I've shared hellos and good mornings with neighbors I don't know by name, although I feel like I do, because the recognition is familiar and immediate, despite not having moved beyond simple courtesies. 
I walked every day during each of my pregnancies. An elderly neighbor watched me transform through her kitchen window, from a young woman into a mother as my belly grew and my life morphed into strollers, diapers and endless responsibilities. Always greeting me with a warm friendly smile and conversation as I passed her house. She still asks how old my kids are now when i spy her in the window.  
I witnessed a neighbor's house burn down and agonized for them as I imagined them losing all their photos and memories. A lifetime. I also quietly celebrated as they rebuilt their house into a gorgeous expanse of a home, like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, ready to live again.  
I've watched as neighbors' houses get sold and new families move in. 
I've watched elderly neighbors' homes go up for sale when they pass on. Their children left to pick through the memories of their childhood and their parent's lifetime... It;s part of life. 
 

Last week, I noticed crowded streets parked with unfamilar cars and estate sale signs littering the lawn of a corner house. I was sad when I realized one of my elderly neighbors, a woman, had passed on. I never knew her personally but rather I noticed her throughout my living in our little neighborhood. She was the elderly woman who loved to garden her front yard. Not all that notable on the face of it, but this woman would garden with her walker. Nothing could stop this woman from gardening, not even old age or not being able to walk unassisted. I admired this woman so much. She reminded me of my Danish grandmother who after double hip replacement surgery was up on a ladder painting the eaves of her home, by herself. This neighbor, like my grandmother, was unstoppable.  As I watched her children directing what was for sale and tending to the crowd,  I was sad knowing she was gone. A part of me wished I knew her beyond the window of my car so that it wouldn't be so strange for me to mourn the death of a woman I never knew. Rest in Peace Gardening Grandma. 
 
I guess I'm feeling a bit aware of how short life is and how meaningful interactions are even with strangers. Take care of yourself and always be kind to those you meet. Also...Live. Love. Laugh. And eat good food!   xo

(Thinking of you Daddy! Happy birthday!) 

Smoked Paprika Grilled Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Serves 4 

Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette and Marinade
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely 
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp honey
salt and pepper (to taste)

2 Chicken Breasts
1 avocado, sliced
4 cups baby spinach

Prepare vinaigrette and set aside half for the salad. Use the other half to marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes while the vegetables roast. Grill chicken and slice.

Roasted Veggies
1 yellow onion, quartered and separated
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
1 small orange bell pepper, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
broccoli stems, sliced
olive oil, salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Prepare vegetables and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 450 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. Time will vary depending on thickness of veggies. Keep warm and set aside.

Garlic and Cilantro Quinoa
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken stock or water
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)
 Add olive oil and chopped onions to medium saucepan and cook until onions are soft but not browned. Add quinoa and chicken stock. Add garlic and cook according to package directions. salt and pepper to taste and add chopped cilantro before serving.


Assemble bowl. Add spinach, quinoa, roasted vegetables, chicken and avocado and drizzle with Smoked Paprika Vinagrette. Enjoy!

Other recipes to try:

Red Quinoa Veggie Spring Rolls

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu w/Quinoa

Quinoa with Balsamic Mushrooms

Potato Gnocchi and Spinach Curry

Welcome to my 200th blog post! As I begin my fifth year blogging, I'm excited to get into the kitchen to cook and create delicious dishes each week. The last two years, life pulled me away from posting as often as I'd wanted, but looking forward, I already have a slew of seasonal, vegetable heavy recipes to share with you.  Also, as you may know, my serious passion next to food, is Halloween! I spend much of each year planning and creating new ideas for some deliciously festive Halloween dishes and I cannot wait to show you what I've come up with this year! They are so fun and did I mention, delicious! So stay tuned...Here is a spicy and comforting vegetarian main dish of Potato Gnocchi and Spinach Curry.   

I thought I'd be creative and have a bit of fun with the Indian dish, Aloo Palak, a curry with potato and spinach. In this delicious version, I substituted the potatoes with a coriander and turmeric infused potato gnocchi. It was a fun addition that added another layer of flavor and a chewy texture to an already amazing dish. I made this really spicy, by adding some Thai chilies from my backyard but you can always tone down the spice to your taste and omit them. Enjoy!

Potato Gnocchi and Spinach Curry

adapted recipe inspired by theprettybee.com
Serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp curry powder (I used Spice Hunter)
2 tsp Garam masala
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 cup vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/2 cup peas
2 cans coconut milk
Potato Gnocchi (see recipe below)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 small hot chiles, sliced (to taste) 

Add oil to a large skillet, over medium high heat cook onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add next seven spices and heat until fragrant, ~2 minutes.  Add vegetable broth and garlic and simmer until reduced by half, 15-20 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, spinach, peas and coconut milk and heat through about 5-10 minutes. Add cooked gnocchi and cilantro. Garnish with hot chilies for added heat.

Coriander and Turmeric Infused Potato Gnocchi

2 medium potatoes (measure out 1 cup cooked potato)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt

Place unpeeled potatoes into a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook until potatoes are cooked through. About 20-30 minutes. 
Drain and let potatoes cool slightly. Peel potatoes and mash with a potato ricer. Measure out 1 cup of packed cooked potatoes and add to a medium bowl. Let cool. Add coriander, turmeric, and salt to the all purpose flour and mix well. Add flour mixture and egg to the potatoes and mix until incorporated. Cut dough into quarters and roll each quarter into thin ropes of dough. Cut ropes into 1/2 inch pieces and roll between two forks to make grooves. 

Drop gnocchi into salted boiling water and cook until they float to the surface about 3-5 minutes.  Add gnocchi to prepared curry and serve immediately.

Other recipes to try:

Indian Spiced Lentils

Tomato Garlic Soup

Couscous and Carrot Salad