Swiss Chard Miso Pesto

I have such a crush on swiss chard lately, I just can't get enough.  I put it in smoothies, I put it on pizza, I put it in dal, I put it in soups, and I still can't get my hands on enough recipes.  I finally resorted to searching for "swiss chard" and stumbled upon the concept of swiss chard miso pesto from Chow.com.  Brilliant.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly because it called for blanching the chard and I just don't blanch things.  But I used the recipe for inspiration, and loved the idea of adding miso.  I often have a container of miso in my fridge as I love the umami it lends to dishes so I jumped up and grabbed my Vitamix, thrilled to have a new swiss chard recipe.  This pesto is such a unique way to use fresh swiss chard.  I got a little too excited for the theme and first tossed this pesto with soba noodles, as the recipe called for, and it was a major fail.  I should have gone with my instinct which was telling me soba noodles would have too strong a taste for the pesto.  There are a lot of varieties of soba noodles and I think I used too thin a noodle and they stuck together but frankly, I thought the flavors were too competing.  So the next day I tossed it with some Italian spaghetti for some good ol Italian-Japanese fusion and it was a home run.  Paired with some grilled salmon and my husband and I had a perfect Saturday lunch.  This would also go well with some seared ahi tuna crusted with black sesame seeds.  Just sayin.      


If you've never bought miso paste, give it a try.  You can find it at your local Whole Foods (or Asian market, of course).  I recommend yellow or red which are mild and versatile.  You can of course make soup with it (see this link for info) but there are endless other options.  I love making marinades with it, for shrimp, chicken and especially salmon.  I mix it with a bit of agave, ginger paste, mustard and oil which makes a soft paste and spread it on salmon before grilling.  You can also make salad dressing with it, or add it to pasta dishes.  Sometimes I'll add it to soup that isn't even remotely Asian, like tomato soup.  It just adds a bit of a salty, savory, complexity.

1 large bunch swiss chard (red would work best)

2 T miso paste

2 T olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 t toasted sesame oil

Wash chard and chop loosely.  You can keep some of the stems in.  Combine all ingredients into a food processor or Vitamix and blend away.  You can salt to taste but with the miso you most likely won't need to add any.  Toss with thin spaghetti (add some of the cooking water and a bit more oil, like olive or sesame, to ease the distribution).  

Chocolate Nutella Pudding

I made chocolate pudding one afternoon because I wanted to make a treat for some chocolate loving friends and, well, I had milk, eggs and cocoa.  With all the elaborate desserts you find these days pudding seems so basic, but I think that's what makes it so particularly lovely. Just a few spoons and you feel satisfied.  I adapted this recipe by Tyler Florence.  I cut back on the sugar a bit, like I always do since most all dessert recipes are too. darn. sweet.  I added a pinch of espresso powder, and some Nutella, since Nutella makes everyone happy.  Both are completely optional, or you could even add more Nutella.  The pudding has a rich cocoa taste and a nice hint of hazelnuts.  This recipe makes about 4 good portions.


2 c whole milk
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c natural cocoa powder
4 t corn starch
3 egg yolks
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/4 c  nutella
1 t espresso powder (optional)


Put 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and the cocoa in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of the milk, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, vanilla, espresso powder and nutella in a bowl. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and continue whisking until thick, about 2 or 3 minutes more. Pour the pudding into ramekins or a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight until set          

Black Beans

Slow cooker who?  It's all about the pressure cooker.  I couldn't think of a creative way of photographing these black beans so I just snapped a photo of my lunch.  Bulgur with kale, some Peruvian chicken, and black beans.  Hey, just because I'm a busy mom now doesn't mean I don't sit down to a nice lunch.  Not only do I need to set a good example for my daughter, but I need to fuel myself (and my milk production) for the afternoon.  Now five and a half months old and just starting solids, my daughter watches me eat with such curiosity and as a result I've become more conscious of my eating habits.  I have a captive audience that I'll soon be sharing meals with.  So that up there is my typical lunch.  Usually when we pick up a Peruvian chicken it's because I'm not up for cooking a meal, but often it is just screaming to be paired with some creamy black beans.  I'm not a fan of canned beans so I decided I'd finally make some in the pressure cooker and see for myself how easy it could be.  I have got to start using that thing more often.  The first time I made these I soaked the beans for a few hours, which did cut down on the time in the pressure cooker, but these still cook up quickly without being soaked.  About 2 cups of beans is about 6 servings, depending on how you are having them.  They go fantastic with some chicken and yellow rice, or simply with bulgur with kale (fantastic vegetarian meal).  Or if you are a hungry husband returning from the gym you'll just eat a bowl with some shredded cheese and sour cream and give your wife a big kiss for satisfying your belly.


2 cups dried black beans, rinsed
6 cups liquid (water, chicken stock, or combination)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bay leaf
2 t paprika
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t red chili powder (or a slice of a green chili, or no heat)
salt, pepper          
1 T corn starch


Set pressure cooker to saute and heat some olive oil.  Saute onions and garlic and then add spices and bay leaf.  Let spices roast for a minute.  Slide in beans, pour in liquid, salt, pepper, corn starch, stir.  Lock up pressure cooker and cook on high for about 20 minutes.  You'll want to check and see if the beans are to the right tenderness and if not, cook in 5 minute increments.  After the beans are done I like to immerse a hand blender and puree for just a minute to give it a nice creamy and thick backbone while still retaining the texture of beans.      

Broccoli and Asparagus Soup

Does that look like baby food?  Ugh. I find it so difficult to make soup look photogenic.  I know, I need something chopped up on top, like chives, or asparagus, but this is a kitchen, not a food styling studio.  Anyway, I assure you this soup is delicious.  It's April, so it's time for asparagus, people!  What I love about my Vitamix is I know I can throw in random veggies and blend it into a silky soup in seconds.  I also had the opportunity to use up cheeses that have been sitting in my fridge - that's the beauty of soup, you don't need to follow a recipe.  But if you want, here is what I did:


1 bunch fresh asparagus, chopped
1 bag frozen broccoli (or fresh, a head, chopped)
1 bag frozen, chopped leeks (or fresh, maybe 3, but Trader Joes who is clearly after my own heart has frozen, chopped leeks)
2 cloves garlic  
4-6 cups chicken stock
~ 1/2 c cheese - just use up what you have in the fridge, I threw in some feta, some goat and some cheddar
2 t paprika 
1 t ground coriander
salt, pepper


In a large pot heat some olive oil and the saute the leeks, broccoli and asparagus until tender.  Add garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and coriander.  Pour in chicken stock and cheese.  After it comes to a simmer, either use an immersion blender or pour into Vitamix and blend.  I probably added only 4 cups of stock but if you prefer your soup thinner add more, and this can be done after blending.  Serve with some drizzled olive oil.

Caesar Salad

I've never been much of a crouton girl but I had some old sourdough sitting around so I decided this homemade salad would love to extend the invitation.  The croutons were a nice carb-y treat and it was filling lunch.  Not only did I make croutons, I made the dressing, I know, I'm awesome. Whenever I read the ingredients on prepared food (e.g. dressing), I get really depressed, and sigh over having one more thing I'll want to make from scratch.  Again, I know, I'm awesome. But in all honesty homemade Caesar dressing is a cinch.  There are a lot of recipes out there so do some research and find what feels right (like using an egg yolk or anchovy paste), but I've included what I threw together.  


Croutons:


You want about 1 cup or so of cubed, sourdough or some combination of rustic breads.  I used those tiny end pieces that you can't do much with from a sourdough and a seven grain loaf.  Heat a cast iron skillet with some olive oil and let a smashed clove of garlic swim around in it.  Remove garlic and slide in bread, salt, pepper, and toast for 
several minutes until golden.    


Dressing:


I used a combination of sour cream and mayo (1/4 cup of each), a large clove of garlic, T of Dijon mustard, dash of Worcestershire sauce, 2 T olive oil, 2 T grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and let it blend away in the Vitamx.


For 2 servings of salad:


~ 1 c cooked rotisserie chicken, chopped
2 hearts of romaine, washed, dried, sliced
dressing
croutons


Toss everything together (or just the greens and dressing and top with chicken and croutons), sprinkle with more cheese.

Sliders

We kicked off grilling season with some sliders, be still my heart.  There's no recipe with these guys, but the best way to get a juicy and tender burger is to not handle the meat.  Just pinch of some ground beef and gently form it into a small patty.  Salt and pepper each side well.  The less you mess with the meat, the better.  My husband handles the grill and throws on slices of sharp cheddar and toasts up slider buns.  Assemble with lettuce, caramelized onions and some "special sauce" (mayo, relish and ketchup).  Fire up the grill and makes some burgers!