Sneaking it in

Do you ever walk past the section of vegetables that look more like broad-leaf weeds than anything you want in your kitchen? I'm talking chard, kale, mustard greens, collards, etc. These greens are a bit daunting to many new cooks. They are often unfamiliar, but deserve a shot!

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge greens-cook, but I try to sneak them in here and there... for example:

Chard: whether it's green chard or rainbow, it makes a great replacement for spinach (though spinach is nutritionally superior, sometimes it's nice to change it up).   We've sliced chard into thin ribbons and baked it on pizza with feta, tomatoes and capers for a Greek-style pizza. (Most people would add olives, but I'm just not a fan!)

Kale: kale is a superfood - meaning that it's incredibly nutritionally dense. Many food rating scales, like ANDI and NuVal rate kale as the highest on their respective scales.  I add kale into my homemade pasta sauce, see below...

Collards, mustard and turnip greens: these types of greens are also nutritional superfoods. They are much more common in southern cooking, where collards are often cooked with a hambone.  Honestly, I typically only buy them when I have a specific recipe in mind.  I've used collard greens in vegetable and bean soups quite often.

Now, my secret method of sneaking kale into my husband's unsuspecting body... well, actually the thrill of victory is gone because he now knows that I add it in, and likes it! :)

My simple sauce:
2 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 10 oz. package cremini (or white) mushrooms, sliced
2 - 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 - small can tomato paste
2 T Italian seasoning (just the dried herb mix)
1-2 T garlic powder
1 bunch kale chopped
1/4 c. red wine, whatever is open (optional)

 First, soften the onions over low heat in olive oil in a large saucepan.  After 10 minutes, add in the sliced mushrooms, stir and cook 5 more minutes.  Then, add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Simmer the sauce on medium-low for 20-30 minutes.

Then... the magic touch.  Using an immersion blender, blend the entire pot of sauce to a thick, but smooth consistency.  Your beloved (spouse and/or children) will see the tiny flecks of green as delicious spices. They'll love it - and you'll love knowing that they're getting some fantastic nutrition!!

Spicy Shrimp & Quinoa

It has been a whole since I last posted, but I've been CRAZY busy!! Now that things have slowed down substantially, here's a spicy, awesome dish to make your nose run!

Serves 2 with enough left over to pack for lunch the next day!

Quinoa: prepare quinoa in your favorite way. My simple preparation is 2 cups vegetable (or "No-Chicken) broth to one cup quinoa.

Ingredients:
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped (trees only)
2 roma tomatoes, squeezed and diced
1 can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup broth
2 tbsp. Cajun Seasoning
12 large shrimp, thawed, tails removed
1-2 tbsp. olive oil (depending on whether or not your pan is non-stick or not)
Hot sauce, to taste

Add oil to your pan and saute broccoli and onions until they start to soften. Then, add black beans and tomatoes and warm them through. I also added about 1/2 cup of broth to the pan, to give the veggies some liquid to simmer in.

In a small bowl, toss 1 tbsp seasoning with shrimp to make sure they're well coated. Then, add shrimp to the vegetable mixture. Add the rest of the seasoning and cook the shrimp through. Some people like their shrimp a little more on the "done" side, some a little more on the raw side. 

Put quinoa on your plate, and spoon shrimp mixture on top. Top with a few squirts of hot sauce - my favorite is Frank's Red Hot!