Veggie Feast

I decided to use a few fresh, organic veggies and do it up right. I love the strong, earthy bite of kale and have never really cooked with it before. And my new-favorite veggie these days is chard, with it's beautiful color and kick of flavor. I used to use escarole more often, but I like chard's distinct flavor and texture. Either one would work in place of the other, in my opinion. Enough garlic and everything tastes great.

I've made two dishes today and put them in the fridge (after sneeking a bunch for myself). I'll save them for dinner/lunches in the next few days. One dish is a variation on the last post I did using a red chard this time and white bean. The other is something of a variation on a dish I saw at Whole Foods that had steamed kale and soy sauce, sesame oil, etc., except theirs is not GF and therefore I can't have it. So I just made my own version.

Both are simply delicious. Make enough to save and snack on later, I can't stop picking at them when I open the fridge. Somebody stop me...

Red Chard with White Beans
1 bunch of red chard, cleaned and chopped
1.5 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 can white cannelini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup marinara sauce
salt/pepper

Simple dish...
1. Place chard in a hot saute pan with the oil over medium heat. Toss in the pan until it's wilted
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix, simmer 10 minutes and voila. Next!

The flavors are even better the next day since they have time to infuse. The stems are still crisp, just the way I like them. I think I'll make some GF rolls to eat with them. Yum...


Steamed Kale with Golden Raisins
1 bunch kale, cleaned and chopped
1/4 C golden raisins
salt/pepper

sauce:
2 TBS GF tamari sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 dash cayenne
1 tsp chopped parsely
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar

1. Steam kale leaves in a saute pan with a 2 TBS water on the bottom. Cover until wilted but still crisp (water should be about gone).
2. While kale is steaming, mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and tweak it to your liking, add more soy, more sesame, etc. until you have it just right.
3. Pour sauce, salt, pepper and raisins into pan, toss and turn off heat and let it sit for a few moments for the flavors to marry.

I like to server this one cold. Let it cool in the fridge before serving. The bite of the kale with the sweetness of the raisins is so satisfying.

Feel free, dear chef, to experiment with adding almonds, different greens, different beans, etc. These are so flavorful they would make a great side dish, or stand alone on their own.

Enjoy!