swiss chard and goat cheese soup

In my continued domination of leafy greens, I have swiss chard in my sights. Swiss chard is one of those superpower vegetables. Very high in vitamins A, K and C; it's also good for iron and fiber. When eaten raw it tastes nasty and bitter, but when it's cooked properly it tastes like a dainty version of spinach. It's so full of health benefits it's worth adding to our dinner menu.

In my eyes, soup can do no wrong. If I could eat soup every day, I probably would. And now that I think about it, there probably isn't any reason (short of my own laziness) that I can't eat soup every day. I found an easy and tasty recipe on Dianasaur's Dishes recipe blog. 

The recipe is only for two servings, and I adjusted the recipe for four servings and increased the amount of onion. It's very healthy and it doesn't really need the goat cheese. It's a light soup and tastes very fancy. The Mister was really impressed and thought this was the type of appetizer that would be great for a dinner party.

Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Soup

4 cups chopped swiss chard

6 cloves minced garlic

6 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons goat cheese

2 tablespoons milk

salt and pepper to taste

Saute swiss chard, onion and garlic in olive oil. Add broth and puree. Combine goat cheese and milk, add to the soup. Taste and add appropriate salt/pepper.

zucchini and chipotle cheese scones

I'm obsessed with making the perfect scone. I've probably had three scones in my life, and once was seventh-grade home economics, and let me assure you, they were all gross. Until this recipe, I wasn't even really sure what a good scone is supposed to taste like.

The zucchini-chipotle cheese scones were inspired by a recipe on Ciao Chow Linda's recipe blog  and was my second attempt at scones.

My first try was not quite disastarous but took a toll on my cooking mentality. The recipe I found was on was on The Foreign Kitchen blog for cheese scones, and looked really promising. The only problem was I didn't read down to the commentary to see that the recipe called for four teaspoons and not four TABLESPOONS of baking powder. Fully expecting the scones to explode, I literally ran to the oven to check on them. Surprisingly, even with the mess up, they were edible. But apparently too much baking soda can cause a little bitterness and they were extremely dry.

With a lot of butter, the Mister dubbed them digestible. But I definitely felt dejected. (The blogger from The Foreign Kitchen was kind enough to apologize for the mistake and it's been fixed.) The photos look so good, I will definitely try them again.

Zucchini and Chipotle-Cheese Scones

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/2 cup flour

3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used mostly chives and a little oregano)

1 stick butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup cheese (I used chipotle-cheddar, but I think anything potent will work)

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, herbs. Cut and add butter, stop mixing when the butter is in small chunks. Add eggs, buttermilk, zucchini and 3/4 of the cheese. Pat into 12-inch round circle. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cut into 8 slices. Preheat oven to 400, bake 30 minutes.

Serve hot!

The scone is a very tasty meal and compliments a nice soup or salad. The Mister really loved these and I think he was truly shocked at how well they turned out. (The first batch was sort of atrocious in comparison to this one.) After inhaling two for dinner, he packed up some more for lunch today and just called me saying someone on his staff wants the recipe!

shout out: the christmas tree shops

Doesn't it feel like every year Christmas starts earlier and earlier? This year I think it was mid-October when the mall started to look like Rudolph barfed up a bunch of tinsel and lights.

Many sane shoppers wonder who this blatantly grotesque display of commercialization is aimed at. Well, wonder no longer. It's me! I heart Christmas and it really can't start early enough for me. I've already put up two wreathes in the kitchen and some jingle bells on the front door. The dining room centerpiece is undergoing a green/red/gold overhaul and the Mister negotiated next week for the stockings. (After exclaiming, "But it's not even Thanksgiving!" while I was scampering down the hall with them.)

Two years ago, I stocked up on decorations for our condo in Philadelphia at Target's post-holiday sale, and at 70 percent off I made some really great buys. But this year I don't want to wait until after the holidays and we have a much bigger space to fill up with red and green. 

Enter The Christmas Tree Shops. Owned by Bed, Bath and Beyond and located throughout New England and the Midwest, The Christmas Tree Shops is an excellent place for a bargain. (It's "shops" and not "shop" because originally it was three shops in one.)

I've found misc for the kitchen, bedrooms, and of course, all the Christmas crap I could carry with my grubby little mitts. My favorite find was a console table that I put in our second floor hallway ($29.99). A new store opened a few months ago in Cherry Hill, NJ and that's the location I visited this past weekend. There were five aisles of wreathes, wrapping paper, linens, centerpieces, candle holders, fake trees and holiday cards. Unlimited and insane. The biggest downside was the crowd. (The amount of rudeness that ensues around the holidays never fails to amaze me.) I guess that's what I get for going on a Sunday afternoon.

My new console table.

If you've never been, it's worth the trip. The Mister loves a great deal, and we probably go once a month. In fact, when my Mom comes to visit she requests making a special trip out to Christmas Tree Shops. 

Check out the online circular for this week's deals.

maternity clothes

Pregnancy is full of little joys and annoyances. As your expectant body changes and grows (sideways), you're left in awe (and hormonal irritation) of your rapidly disappearing waistline. There's the stage where your stomach hasn't quite swelled to give the appearance of pregnancy, but you definitely appear to have put on weight. 

Denial is a scary thing. Rubber bands through the button were used to gain another week out of pants. I eventually gave up on the button altogether and used my burgeoning backside to keep up my corduroys. Finally, the zipper fell lower and lower until it was really best for the public that I investigate some maternity wear.

Perhaps had a adjusted my attitude and accepted the inevitable I may have shopped smarter and spent less money. Yes, I'm only using the clothing for nine months, but given my levels of discomfort and lack of clothing options and I was in a constant state of discomfiture. The reality is that post-partum, maternity clothes are going to be the most comfortable articles of clothing.

Since I was still working, my wardrobe needs were two-fold. Finding clothes with versatility was key. Instead of finding short cuts (for example buying clothing a size up to postpone the inevitable), investing in some staples will be worth your while. I did the bulk of my shopping online, the selection in stores was often picked over. I conducted a plethora of online searches and waddled around countless department stores.

Maggie Maternity

Maggie Maternity was my splurge. The clothes were so soft and fit me through the entire pregnancy (and towards the end everything was busting at the seams). I could use these items for both work and personal. I purchased the Classic Maggie Box ($195.00) with a black figure tee, bump trouser, model tank and silhouette skirt. All the pieces were used for both work and home, and post-partum these were my favorite items. I loved the tank so much I also bought it in plum.

Old Navy

If you need a great deal, Old Navy is the place to go. I bought a pair of khaki corduroys and found my favorite pair of preggo jeans (which I used up until a month ago). They also have a lot of basic t-shirts and tanks, which are great for layering. The sales racks were a source of countless finds for me, and weekly visits gave me an assortment of lounge wear.

Gap

For general style and quality, I think Gap was my ultimate favorite. For work, I purchased one pair of black pants and one pair of khaki pants. I also bought some plain sweater dresses and a few long sleeve shirts. Most of their maternity clothes are the same as the regular clothing; you'll find all the latest colors and trends. They frequently send out 25 percent off coupons and they have mark downs all the time.

Ann Taylor Loft

When I was pregnant, they were phasing out their maternity line, which was frustrating. I did snag a corduroy skirt from a final sale rack in Cherry Hill, NJ. Apparently, they revamped and brought it back a few weeks ago. Their styles are classic and I'm sure the quality is on par with their regular line. The prices are higher than Gap and I think they are targeting the "working woman" as their market niche. I've always been pleased with Loft's quality, I'm sure the maternity line is no different.

Target

I purchased a lot of tops and tanks from Target; they have great basics. My favorites were long sleeve shirts in brown, black and white, I also bought tank tops in white and nude. I didn't have much luck with pants (they ran long) or dresses/skirts (the selection was limited in stores). The prices are Target prices, generally reasonable.

H&M

Unfortunately, I couldn't find an H&M locally that carried the H&M Mama label. My sister was kind enough to notice that the H&M in Washington DC did have a maternity section. (If you go the H&M web site, it tells you which stores carry maternity.) I found tanks, dresses, skirts, sweaters and vests here. I'm confident that if I was able to stop in frequently I would have had even more luck.

Figure 8 Maternity

I stumbled across this site during one of my online searches. The prices are reasonable and there is a nice variety offered on the web site. I found the quality to be hit or miss, but for the most part I was pleased with my purchases. If you do an internet search, you should be able to find a coupon code to save 15-25 percent off.

Some of the popular stores, which didn't impress me, were Pea in a Pod (way too pricey for me) and Motherhood Maternity (clothes were a little big and looked cheap overall). Kohl's has a maternity section, but everything was a little big for me, same with JcPenney. I've heard that Gap Outlet is a great place to shop, but I didn't have a convenient location to peruse.

I packed up all my maternity clothes, officially, as of last week. If one bundle of joy is all you can handle, I think ebay will offer a nice outlet for gently used maternity clothing.

product review: trader joe's soy chorizo

Since the Mister is a vegetarian, creativity and research are of the utmost necessity. Sometimes, he'll come home with something new that he's found at the store. For example, Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo. I was initially very speculative; it's very oily and sort of nasty-looking when it comes out of the clear plastic encasement. I thought it was really messy and probably not worth the effort.

I was sort of combative about the Mister putting it in my Mac n' Cheese. I am a Mac n' Cheese purist. I don't like random ingredients such as red pepper flakes, Taco Bell fire sauce or hot dog in my Kraft Mac n' Cheese. And I certainly didn't want some fake soy chorizo that looked like something the neighbor's dog left in our yard. 

He eventually managed to get me to try a bite and I think it's safe to say that I've made an exception for TJ's Soy Chorizo. In addition to macaroni, I've added it to scrambled eggs and rice. It really adds a lot of flavor and substance to any meal. (For the rice, I just fried 1/2 chopped medium onion, 1-cup frozen vegetables and added 6-ounces of chorizo to 1-cup of cooked rice.) 

I found the nutrition facts for the chorizo online. If nothing else, it's a low-fat version of the original. Instead of all the oil, grease and fat of the original (it it wrong that just made my mouth water?) you get the essence of the original. It's the same for all the other faux meat products- bacon, sausage, chicken, meat crumbles...not as good as the real thing, of course, but less fat.

chindian noodles

If you've never tried Indian-Chinese food, you are missing out on the most fantastic fusion fare. My initial experiences with this genre of Indian food was in Goa, India (there is a large Tibetan and Chinese population in Goa). Chili Chicken and Gobi Manchurian are some of the tastiest dishes I've ever consumed. The marriage of Indian food to Chinese spices is magical.

Inexplicably, I rarely see Indian-Chinese offered on either Indian or Chinese menus in America. 

My creation initially started out as an attempt at Chili Chicken, however it rapidly turned into more of a Chinese-Indian noodle dish which, of course, naturally evolved into being named Chindian Noodles. You can make this dish with chicken, seitan or tofu. It comes out saucier with chicken and tofu; I think the seitan actually absorbs some of the sauce. (Personally, I think it tastes better with the seitan.) Seitan emits its own salt, so taste the sauce prior to adding additional salt.

Chindian Noodles 

Marinade

2 1/2 tablespoons crushed ginger

2 1/2 tablespoons crushed garlic

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon worchestire sauce

Noodles

1/2 package of rice sticks (I use Trader Joe's)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 cup mushrooms

1 cup veggie broth

salt to taste

Marinate chicken, seitan or tofu in marinade for atleast two hours. Chop and fry onions. Add chicken/seitan/tofu, chopped peppers, mushrooms and veggie broth. Cook on medium heat for 15-minutes.

Cook rice sticks (6-8 minutes). Drain and mix with meat/veggies.

The preparation and cook time for this meal is quick and painless. The Mister and I can eat this over two days for dinner. I'd like to experiment a little more and come up with some additional Chindian dishes. Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower) may be my next project, I'd like to try a roasted, healthier oven-version.

product review: trader joe's beer bread

I was perusing the boxed mixes at Trader Joe's last week and one of the customer services reps came up behind me. "I love the beer bread mix." Seriously, I looked right through her, confused. Normally random sales people don't just come up to you at a grocery store to promote a product. Especially TJ's. I mean their groceries just sell themselves. Through my bewildered expression, she continued, "It's really, really great!" 

I'm not sure if her job was to socialize with the customers or if she felt that passionately about the beer bread mix, but I threw it in my cart.

I wasn't disappointed; it was quick and easy. Combine the mix with a beer, it turns into dough. The batter has potential to make biscuits, muffins or bread. I used a Corona Light, but I wonder if a darker beer might give it a different taste.

And the smell of fresh baked bread was so warm and delicious, I think my next project is going to be mastering the bread maker... 

crispy kale

Leafy greens are my unsolved mystery - kale, collard greens, bok choy, swiss chard. I don't know the first thing about preparation. Leafy greens sound intimidating and tasteless. In my defense, mustard greens don't exactly sing out tasty. It's a pity because the leafy greens are full of the good stuff: protein, fiber, iron, vitamin c, folic acid and vitamin k. 

After an online search, I found a recipe for crispy kale. Definitely a keeper, I can't wait to make it for my parents when they come visit. It was like eating tissue thin potato chips. I followed a recipe posted for Jacques Pepin's Crispy Kale on Chowhound. I don't know who Jacques Pepin is, but he sounds fancy and experienced.

Crispy Kale

bowl of kale greens

salt

olive oil

Shred leaves into smallish pieces, removing the stems. Dry with a paper towel (they can still be damp). Sprinkle with oil and salt. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes at 250 degrees.

Crispy kale was a great snack/appetizer. I think I can offer it up to my in-laws as an alternative to their bhajias (battered and fried veggies) and to my Dad in lieu of his assortment of cashews and peanuts. 

indian style frittata. take 2.

I dated a guy in college who made a killer omelette. His omelettes were always light and fluffy because he added 1/2-eggshell of milk per egg. (This was really the only useful piece of information I retained from the relationship.) 

I applied this ratio to the frittata, and sure enough. Light and fluffy.

Indian-Style Frittata

6-8 eggs

1 egg shell of milk per egg

1 small diced potato

2 cups of diced vegetables (mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers, peas, etc)

1/2 cup diced onions

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 green chili pepper

Immerse diced potatoes in water and cook in microwave for two minutes. Beat eggs, milk, chili powder, cumin, salt and tumeric. Add vegetables, chili pepper and coriander. Spray round baking pan with oil and add mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until done.

Serve with Indian pickle or sriracha sauce.

chili-garlic roasted broccoli

I am so over Halloween. In fact, I've been over it since I was thirteen, which is the last time I went trick or treating and willingly dressed up. What I really hate is the 'forced fun' that ensues with some adults. Dressing up like a skanky cat, carving a slimy pumpkin and eating Snickers till I barf holds little appeal to me. 

I even worked at a company where the owner treated Halloween like a national holiday. It was a nightmare where I had to dress up like a fortune telling gypsy and Madonna to fit into the department theme. Forced fun. No fun was not an option.

The Bebe is still too young to appreciate dressing up or all the candy you can eat, but she may be the one to rejuvenate Halloween in our household. 

My in-laws were also over for the weekend and they really did us a huge favor by taking care of the Bebe all weekend and allowing us time to run errands and enjoy dinner at Fellini's Cafe. I usually enjoy Fellini's, but was a little annoyed at our waitress being overly attentive in an attempt to get us out of the restaurant. (Which was empty, by the way.) I'm guessing she had a date to dress like a slutty feline and inhale Smarties till she puked. 

At some point during the weekend, a huge bag of broccoli appeared in our fridge. So huge it wouldn't fit in the vegetable drawer. Apparently my father-in-law stopped at Produce Junction and bought a forest of broccoli. They left me two medium-sized heads. Last night I went on Food Network's web site and put in a search for "broccoli." Good old Rachel Ray has a recipe for Chili Garlic Roasted Broccoli. Say what you want about how annoying Rachel Ray is, but the woman can cook in a quick and efficient manner. A lot of my recipes are Rachel Ray inspired.

Chili-Garlic Roasted Broccoli

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves (I used crushed garlic)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 large head of broccoli

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut broccoli into thin florets. Mix olive oil, garlic, chili powder and steak seasoning in large bowl. Coat broccoli with seasoning and lay on non-stick cookie sheet. Cook for 20 minutes.

The broccoli comes out sort of crispy burnt on the ends. It really hits the spot if you like salty/spicy and you can hardly taste the broccoli. Our chili powder is hardcore, and extremely spicy. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but the Mister couldn't handle it. Wus. 

Next time I'll probably cut the amount of chili powder to 1/2-tablespoon.

As pictured on Food Network's web site