If truth be told, we don't have a lot of recipes that go into regular rotation at our house. I've posted this one before, but we've probably had it 2-3 more times in the period since I first posted it. It's so worth another mention. The Sweet Potatao-Chard Quesadilla dish is one of those recipes where the balance of flavours is just so damn tasty that, not only do you not miss the meat, you also won't miss the dairy.
I swear, sweet potato and chipotle chiles in adobo sauce were made for each other. And as we now have natural light around dinner time, I totally meant to snap a picture of the quesadillas, but... you know. Eating comes before blogging sometimes!
If you have time, check out the Guess the Jelly Contest over on Uncanny Preserves. Correct answers are entered into a draw to win a jar!
We're having a district review of our school tomorrow, so if you don't see a post up, it's only because I spent my evening prepping for being judged! I promise, though, that my favourite homemade donair recipe will be going up later this week. We got it from a newspaper back when we lived in New Brunswick back in the '80s, and it's been in the repetoire since then.
Showing posts with label chard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chard. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Need for Greens
All this week, I've been really sick with some kind of chest cold/virus. For the first 3 days, I couldn't go five minutes without having a coughing fit. Now, the virus has moved up into my head (read: streaming nose), and the coughing has changed from less frequent to more intense attacks.
I've had 4 days off work. My husband has taken to calling me Wheezy McWheezerton.
Let's hope it's a name that doesn't stick.
Anyway, as I've been sick, I've been craving healthy, colourful food with tons of flavour.
One night, we went a little Japanese and did this:
Now, I have to admit, of all the things on that plate, the one thing I could have eaten the entire serving bowl of was the namul.
Namul (or namuru) comes to Japan via Korea, and is frequently used as a bento filler. It was certainly one of the more common fillers as a part of my school lunches in Japan. I've experimented with different versions off the Just Bento website (here and here), and I'll be honest, I'm still trying to recreate that exact one that I used to get in Sakashita. It's a work in progress.
The great thing about this recipe is it works with just about any greens you have lying about in your fridge. I had leftover kale, swiss chard and cabbage, so that's what got used up. I never measure the greens, so I guess it's lucky that the dressing seems to work no matter how much I throw into it.
Namuru Greens
(based on Just Bento's recipe)
Ingredients
1 half bunch chard leaves shredded, stems discarded
1 half bunch kale leaves shredded, stems discarded
¼ cabbage, shredded
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
Directions
1. Bring a large (and I do mean large, you'll be blanching all the greens in there at once) pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add cabbage. Cook for one minute, then add kale and chard. Cook for one more minute, or until bright green. Remove greens from boiling water and plunge into ice water. This will stop the cooking process.
2. Once the greens are cold, remove from water, squeezing to exact as much liquid as possible.
3. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Toss with greens and serve.
It's funny, because this recipe tastes to me like there's soy sauce in it, even though there isn't! It's got a great umami taste though.
I've had some success keeping the namuru overnight and putting it in a bento for the following day, but I've also had occasions where it has turned grey. If anyone knows why that's happening, let me know!
If you're wondering why I didn't post a recipe for the Ma Po Tofu, here's your answer:
We cheated.
I'm sick. It's allowed.
I've had 4 days off work. My husband has taken to calling me Wheezy McWheezerton.
Let's hope it's a name that doesn't stick.
Anyway, as I've been sick, I've been craving healthy, colourful food with tons of flavour.
One night, we went a little Japanese and did this:
 |
| From bottom right: snap peas, kale, chard and cabbage namul, rice and Ma Po Tofu |
Namul (or namuru) comes to Japan via Korea, and is frequently used as a bento filler. It was certainly one of the more common fillers as a part of my school lunches in Japan. I've experimented with different versions off the Just Bento website (here and here), and I'll be honest, I'm still trying to recreate that exact one that I used to get in Sakashita. It's a work in progress.
The great thing about this recipe is it works with just about any greens you have lying about in your fridge. I had leftover kale, swiss chard and cabbage, so that's what got used up. I never measure the greens, so I guess it's lucky that the dressing seems to work no matter how much I throw into it.
Namuru Greens
(based on Just Bento's recipe)
Ingredients
1 half bunch chard leaves shredded, stems discarded
1 half bunch kale leaves shredded, stems discarded
¼ cabbage, shredded
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
Directions
1. Bring a large (and I do mean large, you'll be blanching all the greens in there at once) pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add cabbage. Cook for one minute, then add kale and chard. Cook for one more minute, or until bright green. Remove greens from boiling water and plunge into ice water. This will stop the cooking process.
2. Once the greens are cold, remove from water, squeezing to exact as much liquid as possible.
3. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Toss with greens and serve.
It's funny, because this recipe tastes to me like there's soy sauce in it, even though there isn't! It's got a great umami taste though.
I've had some success keeping the namuru overnight and putting it in a bento for the following day, but I've also had occasions where it has turned grey. If anyone knows why that's happening, let me know!
If you're wondering why I didn't post a recipe for the Ma Po Tofu, here's your answer:
We cheated.
I'm sick. It's allowed.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
So you need to detox...
With Christmas parties and baking in full swing, I know that many of you, like myself, are going to overindulge. I'm just not one of those people who even wants to say no to a tray of shortbread cookies, or sausage rolls.
Heck, I received about 7lbs of various chocolates from my students! (I left them in my desk at school to get me through the cold, dark, Canadian winter.)
So, when Kat was over on Thursday, we made this totally awesome Sweet Potato, Chard and Mushroom Quesadilla thing. It was bursting with bright vegetables and black beans mixed with chipotle in adobo sauce. We opted to turn these into baked burrito type things rather than quesadillas, which added a nice crunch without the addition of two much fat.
So, when you're looking for something to clear out all the sugar and fat from your system, this is the recipe for you!
Sweet Potato, Chard, and Mushroom Vegan Quesadillas
From showmevegan.blogspot.com
(Makes 3 gigantic burritos)
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces sweet potato, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large chipotle in adobo, minced
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 large cloves garlic, minced
5 baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1 bunch chard, stems discarded, leaves sliced
1/3 cup water
3 whole wheat tortillas
Prepare the potatoes by covering with water in a pot and boiling until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Mash them in a large bowl using a potato masher, adding chipotle in adobo, 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, kidney beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a large skillet (with a lid), heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, then add cumin, ground chipotle, and salt to taste for about 1 minute. Add chard and 1/3 cup water. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Spritz one side of a tortilla with extra virgin olive oil. Turn over and on the un-spritzed side spread a layer of the sweet potato mixture. On half of the tortilla, spread half of the chard mixture. Then fold the tortilla over so that the stuffings are inside the tortilla like a sandwich. Heat through in a skillet over medium heat, turning several times, until browned. Prepare the second tortilla in the same manner. Keeping a close eye on things, broil under the element for a few minutes, until brown. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Serve with salsa and avocado slices.
Heck, I received about 7lbs of various chocolates from my students! (I left them in my desk at school to get me through the cold, dark, Canadian winter.)
So, when Kat was over on Thursday, we made this totally awesome Sweet Potato, Chard and Mushroom Quesadilla thing. It was bursting with bright vegetables and black beans mixed with chipotle in adobo sauce. We opted to turn these into baked burrito type things rather than quesadillas, which added a nice crunch without the addition of two much fat.
So, when you're looking for something to clear out all the sugar and fat from your system, this is the recipe for you!
 |
| A little cilantro wouldn't go amiss! |
Sweet Potato, Chard, and Mushroom Vegan Quesadillas
From showmevegan.blogspot.com
(Makes 3 gigantic burritos)
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces sweet potato, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large chipotle in adobo, minced
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 large cloves garlic, minced
5 baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1 bunch chard, stems discarded, leaves sliced
1/3 cup water
3 whole wheat tortillas
Prepare the potatoes by covering with water in a pot and boiling until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain. Mash them in a large bowl using a potato masher, adding chipotle in adobo, 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, kidney beans, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a large skillet (with a lid), heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, then add cumin, ground chipotle, and salt to taste for about 1 minute. Add chard and 1/3 cup water. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Spritz one side of a tortilla with extra virgin olive oil. Turn over and on the un-spritzed side spread a layer of the sweet potato mixture. On half of the tortilla, spread half of the chard mixture. Then fold the tortilla over so that the stuffings are inside the tortilla like a sandwich. Heat through in a skillet over medium heat, turning several times, until browned. Prepare the second tortilla in the same manner. Keeping a close eye on things, broil under the element for a few minutes, until brown. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Serve with salsa and avocado slices.
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