Sautéed Rainbow Chard

Finally, I’ve sautéed my vibrant greens!  Rainbow chard turned out much more mild than I expected, having heard that it was quite bitter prior to my attempt to create a flavorful side dish.  Here’s a loose recipe for what I created.  

Ingredients:

1 bunch rainbow chard

1/2 can black eyed peas

olive oil (approximately 1 tbsp)

balsamic or apple cider vinegar to taste

1/4-1/3 cup water or vegetable broth

salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1) Chop chard, separating stalks from leaves

2) Saute stalks in olive oil over medium-high until tender

3) Add water or vegetable broth and leaves

4) Lower heat to medium-low, allow leaves to wilt and liquid to                                     

   evaporate

5) Combine with black eyed peas

6) Add vinegar, salt, pepper and any other spices to taste

Rainbow Chard

The other day, as I walked into the Noe Valley Whole Foods, I decided I would take a step away from my usual purchases.  Not long after, I encountered the eye-catching and vivid red, pink and orange stalks of Rainbow Chard.  

I had never seen such beautiful colors of this leafy green before, and was instantly intrigued.  Wondering what to do with this fibrous vegetable, I consulted the Whole Foods Market blog, titled Whole Story.  Here's a link to one of their posts that's focused on providing easy methods of increasing our daily leafy green consumption.

I'll add a new post and recipe once I've sautéed these vibrant beauties, but for now, here's just a couple of photos to get your mouth watering.

Cherry chocolate chip muffins

Here are some muffins that I grew up eating.  They're so easy to make, extremely chocolaty and filled with delicious dark cherries, and I always find myself coming back for seconds (or thirds...)!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup (1/2 bag) mini chocolate chips

1 cup frozen dark cherries (cut in half) 

Method:

1) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips   

   in large bowl

2) In small bowl combine egg, milk and oil

3) Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until almost  

   moistened

4) Gently fold in frozen cherry halves, making sure not to over

   mix

5) Preheat the oven to 400 F

6) Spoon mixture into lightly greased muffin pans (or greased

   paper liners), filling 2/3 full

7) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, checking first at 20 minutes

8) Remove from muffin pans, cool on a wire rack, and enjoy

Sparkling blood orangeade

Here's a recipe for a yummy blood orangeade I just made today.  It's refreshing, delicious and simple!

Ingredients:

2 blood oranges

1-2 oranges

ginger ale

Method:

1) Juice all oranges into bowl

2) Strain juice into glass

3) Combine with 2 parts ginger ale and ice

4) Sip and enjoy

Here's a tip: get really good ginger ale for your orangeade.  I bought what seemed like good quality, but wasn't exactly.  Either way, the orange juice flavors will stand out over the flavor of the soda.  Also, make sure to strain the juice, or else all the pulp will rise to the foamy top once ginger ale is added.  No matter what, this fizzy orangeade is bound to be tasty!

What to do with Meyer lemons

Because I have a Meyer lemon tree in my backyard, I have been searching for new ways to incorporate this refreshing and mellow citrus into everyday meals.  Unlike the regular lemon, Meyer lemons are much less tart due to the fact that these fruits are actually crossbreeds between lemons and oranges.  Still, these lemons retain the tangy flavor characteristics of their counterparts.  Here are three (really two & a half) very simple ideas that I’ve come up with: bright and sunny lemonade, tangy lemon curd and Meyer lemon macarons.  

Often, I find myself eating lemons by themselves, but with some form of sweetener, of course.  Once in a while, it’s nice to have this delicious treat in liquid form... lemonade, that is.  The way I make lemonade is actually quite simple, without the complications of making and incorporating simple syrup (made when heating equal portions of sugar and water.)  Instead, I prefer using equal to sugar as it dissolves much more quickly in water.  Anyways, my lemonade is created by combining 1 part Meyer lemon juice (using regular lemons would require more sweetener or less juice) with 2-3 parts water.  Add ice and equal (or another sweetener) as desired, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

zest of (3-4 small) Meyer lemons

1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

Method:

1) Combine lemon juice, zest and sugar in saucepan

2) Bring to a simmer over medium heat

3) Beat egg yolks together

4) Temper egg yolks with hot lemon mixture (adding small amounts of hot liquid and whisking until incorporated each time)

5) Pour mixture into saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until liquid thickens (5 minutes)

6) Remove from heat and let cool completely 
     in fridge

After my first (failed) attempt at making macarons, I felt a wave of complete and utter discouragement overcome me.  How was I ever supposed to create intensely flavored and unique macarons if I couldn’t get a simple recipe right?  Well, one try later, I greeted my little macarons with a smile.  They may not be gourmet quality after two tries, but my little creations even developed feet.  Here’s my  recipe for Meyer lemon macarons filled with lemon curd.

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites (aged 24-48 hours, room temperature)

zest of 2-3 Meyer lemons

1 cup powdered sugar + 4 tsp

1/2 cup almond flour + 2tsp

5 tbsp granulated sugar

yellow food coloring as desired

Method:

1) In a blender or food processor, grind together powdered sugar, almond flour, and lemon zest to get rid of lumps

2) Add desired food coloring to granulated sugar & mix until combined (optional)

3) Beat egg whites with electric mixer until they begin to form soft peaks

4) Add (dyed) granulated sugar 1 tbsp at a time while beating until stiff peaks form (about 2 minutes)

5) Carefully fold dry ingredients in several batches into egg mixture with rubber spatula

6) When smooth, move mixture to pastry bag (or ziploc bag) with a 1/2 inch tip

7) Pipe batter onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper in 1 inch circles evenly spaced (about 1 inch) apart

8) Tap baking sheet several times to release bubbles & let macarons sit for 1 hour, allowing shell to form

9) Preheat oven to 350 F & bake for 10-12 minutes

10) Let cool completely before removing macarons from baking sheet

11) Pair off similar sized macaron halves

12) Fill with a small amount of lemon curd, sandwich, and enjoy

Things I love

Here are just a couple of things that bring joy to my day...

A simple and satisfying lunch {chicken fajitas & black bean soup}

Finding a healthy, tasty, and satisfying meal these days has become nearly impossible.  By following some of the latest diet trends, such as South Beach and even more strict vegan diets, I’ve experienced nothing more than a constant feeling of dull hunger, culminating in a search for anything high in carbs, sugars and fat.  Here’s a perfect, post-workout, meal that was not only mouthwatering, but also left me more satisfied than I had anticipated.  

Chicken fajitas and black bean soup are excellent sources of deliciousness and protein.  Without avocado, cheese or sour cream, this dish can also be extremely low fat.  Here’s my recipe below. 

  

Ingredients:

fajitas:

1 chicken breast (cut into 1/2 inch strips)

1/3 large onion (cut into 1/4 inch strips)

1/2 bell pepper (cut into 1/4 inch strips)

1 (roma) tomato, diced

1-2 large whole wheat tortillas

salt & pepper to taste

lime juice to taste

black bean soup:

1 can black beans

1/2-1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup tomato, diced

salt & pepper to taste

lime juice to taste

feta cheese to taste

Method: 

fajitas:

1) Heat chicken strips on grill pan over medium-high until browned on one side

2) Flip chicken strips over & add pepper and onion strips

3) Cook 5-10 minutes over medium heat until chicken is cooked through

4) Season with salt, pepper & lime to taste

5) Serve with whole wheat tortillas & diced tomato

soup:

1) Bring black beans & chicken broth to a boil in saucepan

2) In blender, combine mixture with onion & lime juice until smooth

3) Top with diced tomato, onion & feta cheese

Now here's something interesting

I’m not one for soda.  I often find the typical sugary carbonated drinks to be unpleasant to say the least.  When I recently discovered DRY Soda I was thrilled.  I have to say that so far, I haven’t discovered a flavor that resonates with me; but this is a product I couldn’t fail to mention. 

First off, the packaging and bottle design grabbed me by the eyes and reeled me in.  Once I learned more about this “re-imagined” and all natural soda, consisting of only four ingredients, I was sold. 

The primary letdown for me was the fact that the two flavors I did taste weren’t worth jumping up and down over.  In fact, they tasted strangely tart, even bitter.  No wonder, I had purchased one bottle each of the rhubarb and juniper berry sodas that, I later learned, were characterized as having a high acidity.  I assumed that the sodas would taste sweet, with a hint of added piney or fruity essence, but they retained much of the original flavor instead.

Though a strange first encounter with the DRY Soda products, I am looking forward to trying new flavors, namely their lemongrass, vanilla, blood orange and best-selling flavor, lavender.  Another high note: the website.  Not only are full flavor profiles provided, the company has also included recipes to be paired with each drink.  Now that’s innovative.  

Weekend discoveries

One thing I love about the city is being able to simply wake up and explore.  Whether it’s Noe Valley, the Ferry Building, or an entirely new location, I’m sure to discover something I’ve never seen before.  Here are just a couple shots of my recent excursions. 

Although any trip to the Ferry Building is met with wonderful sights, smells, and tastes, my favorite times to visit are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings when the Farmer's Market is open.  Not only am I greeted by the wonderful goodies from shops within, I also have the opportunity to savor small tastes of juicy citrus and purchase fresh, organic and locally grown produce right outside in the fresh air. 

  

I love how something as stereotypically unpleasant as a MUNI station in San Francisco can wind up looking beautifully modern. 

Just an average weekday

      Tuesday morning began with a walk through Noe Valley.  I soon decided to trek across Dolores Park and grab a pastry from Tartine Bakery.  Here’s a taste of what I encountered.

After waiting in the long and anticipated line at Tartine, one pastry in particular caught my eye.  

It was a savory Gougère pastry filled with subtle Gruyère cheese, black pepper and one of my favorite herbs: thyme.  

Though mostly hollow within, its depth of flavor provided just the right amount of satisfaction and saltiness to start my day.