Chili Verde con Papas

Chili Verde con Papas, page 240
with fresh homemade corn tortillas

This was really, really delicious. I adore those cute little tomatillos, and chile verde is such a comfort food. The stew had an amazing aroma as it simmered away in the kitchen this afternoon.

It really did not seem spicy to my taste buds, at all. Once you remove the seeds, jalapenos are actually a pretty mild pepper. This time, El Hombre and I both spiced up our bowls with some extra dried red chile flakes. Next time, I would probably leave the seeds in at least one of the jalapenos, or swap them out for a hotter variety, such as serrano. Poblano peppers would be good here, too, instead of the green bell pepper.

I was surprised at the amount of kale in the finished dish. I guess I was expecting a lower ratio of greens to stew, but I loved the way it turned out. It was chock full of kale, which paired beautifully with the chile verde base.

(Anyone notice the spelling variations in this post? I had to go back and correct my post title... the AFR recipe is titled "Chili Verde," even though my instinct is to spell it "Chile Verde." I think "chile" is the correct spelling for "chile verde," while "chili" would be used for "green chili." Anyway, it's good food.)

Supergreen Bowl

The Supergreen Bowl, page 266

Sigh. I really don't like being over-busy, but this is One of Those Weeks. With Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day, the girls have three different ballet folklorico performances this week, in addition to practices. Piled on top of that are a few medical appointments, cleaning and laundry from the last camping trip and preparations for the next one, and all the usual schoolwork, errands, grocery shopping, housework, etc. etc. Again, sigh.

A bowl dinner seemed like a good grab-and-go option for tonight. I went with the Supergreen Bowl since I already had some quinoa in the refrigerator, some edamame in the freezer, and I loves me some o' that goddess dressing. The broccoli and greens were easy enough to chop up and steam in the microwave, and before I knew it, these bowls had practically assembled themselves. I tossed them in a soft-sided cooler and hauled everything along with us for the evening. After the girls were done dancing tonight at a community performance for Cinco de Mayo, we headed to a nearby park and enjoyed our bowls while watching the various ducks, geese, and other waterfowl in the creek.

With the quinoa and edamame, these bowls were not only delicious, but packed with plant-powered protein. I used roasted garlic in this batch of Green Goddess Garlic Dressing, and I think it turned out perfectly. I really liked this bowl combination, and will definitely eat it again.

Has anyone else tried any of the suggested bowls from Appetite for Reduction? Do you have a favorite?

Supergreen Bowls, packed and ready to go in the 'fridge

Mexicana Kale Bowl

Mexicana Kale Bowl, page 266
Brown rice, steamed kale, steamed sweet potato, Red Velvet Mole (page 134), and cilantro
Wijic the cat wonders if he'd like it, too.

Greens and sweet potatoes are a favorite combination of mine; adding some black beans and a smoky mole sauce makes it a tasty and nutritious full meal that I would happily eat again and again.

This is not my first mole sauce, but this is a good one to add to the repertoire. It's easy to make with mostly common ingredients, and it has nice smoky undertones from the smoked paprika. I deviated only slightly from the ingredient list, using a broken up tortilla in place of the tortilla chips while simmering the sauce, since that was what I had available.

El Hombre suggested it would be better to chop the greens more finely, and I agree. The greens tonight were a little unwieldy, and it would have been nice to be able to mix them in more with the rice, beans, and mole sauce.

Curried Chickpeas & Greens

Curried Chickpeas & Greens, page 228
with brown basmati rice

Last night, El Hombre worked late, so the girls and I grabbed a bite to eat while we were out at the farmer's market. We joyfully noshed on some garlic sourdough bread, babaganoush, tabouleh, and strawberries while listening to local artist Karen Chisholm, in glorious spring weather. Ah, I love this time of year.

But tonight, it was back to the kitchen. I love it that most of the recipes in Appetite for Reduction are so easy, yet the results are so flavorful. As long as the pantry is kept stocked with a variety of spices (which doesn't have to cost a fortune - shop the bulk section!), it's simple to toss together these exotic tasting dishes.

I love, love, love Indian food, so it's nice to be able to make some of these delicious dishes at home, like this Curried Chickpeas and Greens, or Chana Saag. The first thing you do in this recipe is pop whole mustard seeds in a hot pot, which was a new experience for me. Hey! That was fun! I was a little worried they might burn, but it all turned out fine.

This is a good staple dish to keep in the rotation. Easy, yummy, and a powerhouse of nutrition. I'd like to try it Saag Paneer-style sometime, with cubed tofu in place of the garbanzo beans.

Garlicky Mushrooms & Kale

Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale - page 89
with vegan frittata and mixed romaine salad

Let me be upfront: I am not a fan of mushrooms. But El Hombre is! And I made this tonight to show him some mushroom-y love. He would eat them every day for every meal if I would just cook the darn things. I've tried to like them, I really have. I wish I did. I think it would make my life a little easier, especially as a vegan.

But back to the Garlicky Mushrooms & Kale! El Hombre thought it was great. Kale, garlic, mushrooms... in his eyes, what's not to love? Especially when it's finished off with a hearty drizzle of Sriracha sauce.

In the spirit of being open-minded, I tried a few bites with the mushrooms. And it wasn't bad. The garlic and kale had enough flavor on their own to mask the flavor of the mushrooms for me. But the texture of the mushrooms.... again, not a fan. I ended up giving away my share of the mushrooms to El Hombre, who happily took them off my hands. He's happy, I'm happy, it's a win-win.

We eat cooked greens a lot. I've cooked them like this before, but maybe not with quite so much garlic. But it was delicious, and heck, next time, I'll probably use even more garlic.