Crispy Collard Greens with White Cheddar, Leek and Herb Mashed Potatoes

Wednesdays around our condo are pretty great. Mixed in with the morning routine is the ritualistic unpacking of the vegetable delivery. Today some collard greens showed up. I have never see a "collard green" before so I spent the spare moments of my day thinking about what on earth I was to do with this interesting vegetable.



You can't tell from the photo but the diameter of a collard green can be a little intimidating... the ones we received were about a foot in diameter... talk about some hefty greens!

I decided to go for a crispy approach:
I took about 4 large leaves, washed them and chopped them up into bite sized pieces. I tossed the greens with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, freshly ground pepper and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Then I placed the greens on a baking sheet and baked at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. The result is crispy amazingneess-think crisp dry seaweed but way better.

Then I decided to make mashed potatoes... not the unhealthy buttery kind but something that I wouldn't feel yucky after eating. I boiled 2 medium sized potatoes until soft. Then in a medium sized cast iron pan I added:
1/4 cup of chopped leeks
2 tablespoons of fresh herbs: rosemary, oregano and sage
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of chopped garlic

Once those ingredients were light brown I added about two cups of fresh spinach. After the spinach wilted I added the peeled potatoes, 1/4 cup of freshly grated white cheddar cheese and a few tablespoons of soy milk. I mixed it all together and voila... amazing mashed potatoes.

Muy rica.

I freaking love breakfast.

My obsession with breakfast has reached a new level. The mere thought of french press Pete's coffee in the morning before work is the only reason I jump out of my bed without hitting the snooze button. I usually spend about thirty minutes in the mornings listening to NPR while making an egg over medium and something else to go on the side. The "side" breakfast item is my favorite 7 am debate as I am usually deciding between my go to greek yogurt, granola and frozen mango combination or my new favorite waffle greek yogurt, agave and blueberry combination. I find for the first time in my life that I'm not sluggish in the morning, I actually remember to take my vitamins, and I'm not starting my day frazzled by the thought of being late.

Given my appreciation of the morning meal I just had to pay tribute to this photo of the brunch I had with my roommates a couple weekends ago. Whole wheat vanilla bean scones were the main attraction with a lemon zest fruit salad on the side. YUM.

Green curry inspired soup

I had the pleasure of cooking for two of my best friends this last weekend. I had been craving green curry and tom ka gai soup all week so I decided to create a soup inspired by both.



Green curry thai inspired soup

Half a jar of Thai Kitchen Green Curry Paste
1 can of low fat coconut milk
1 box of vegetable broth
Half an eggplant
1 cup of mushrooms chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger
Half a block of tofu chopped and pan fried
rice noodles (about 1 handful)
Fresh basil for garnish.

In a saute pan fry up the tofu and then add the chopped up vegetables. In a soup pot add the curry paste and ginger. Slowly add the coconut milk, mixing it slowly into the other ingredients. Add broth and heat until simmering. Add the rice noodles. Once they are almost soft add the vegetables. Serve with fresh basil on top! (Obviously I forgot that step).



I paired the curry with this reisling that my friend who is a wine connoisseur of sorts picked out. The tasting notes describe it better than I could (trust me this is a good one):
"Fresh, clean and crisp, the 2009 Poet’s Leap offers generous aromas of fresh citrus, star fruit, kumquat and flint with flavors of ripe melon and white peach that dance on the palate. This is a lively Riesling with just a hint of sweetness, wonderfully balanced by its natural acidity and a clean, racy finish."