Spicy Chard and Grits with Beans

or Spicy Chard and Beans with Grits

or Chipotle Braised Chard, Heirloom Beans Nestled Gently on a Bed of Polenta

Let's not start the Grits vs. Polenta debate, ok? I came by this recipe from Marisa, who got it from Running With Tweezers. I made a couple modifications, but the basic recipe you might like to follow is here:

http://www.runningwithtweezers.com/chipotle-greens-buttermilk-grits/

I have to say, BUY THE CHIPOTLE. It makes a huge, tasty difference. And now I have extra chipotle in adobo sauce in my fridge waiting for me to make some sweet potato chili. (As soon as I buy more sweet potatoes, that is.)

This is a recipe I have in my delicious feed, under Pantry, Greens, because I felt like I needed a number of weeknight recipes that called for items I was likely to have on hand. The only perishable is the Rainbow Chard (instead of Kale) and my new policy is to buy at least 1 bunch of chard every week, so I can make any of these recipes.

Anyway, the Chard instead of the Kale is the first substitution I made. I also used 2% milk instead of buttermilk. I did not use the shallot, and while I considered a 1/4 onion instead, I just omitted them both. It does not suffer from this, at all. There is plenty of flavor. I also added a can of kidney beans (not called for originally) and they do give it an extra heartiness, which is what I want from this when it's the main dish instead of a side. And finally, near the end, I added 1/4 cup of jarred BBQ sauce to the beans and chard. Heaven on a plate.

So first I chopped up 1 bunch of kale, and added it to a skillet with 1 TBSP olive oil. Wilt those guys, and chop up 2-3 of the chili peppers, open the cans of tomatoes and beans. When they're a bit wilted down, add the chilis and tomatoes, and saute for about 8 minutes. Meantime, bring the 2 cups milk and 2 cups water to a boil. When it boils, add the cornmeal, and stir it briskly to avoid clumps. Don't be like me, who dumped the cornmeal into the pan, and then turned around to get a spoon to stir it. Be vigilant!

Now, check on the greens and tomatoes. Are they bubbling nicely? Then it's time to add the beans and the BBQ sauce. The sauce will seem thick at first, but will lighten as it warms up.

At this point, let the greens bubble, and devote all your attention to the grits/polenta. You should be stirring pretty constantly, until the mixture goes from a runny soup, to something more substatial.

And then, when the mixture starts making little ploop-hiss noises as pockets of steam fight their way to the surfact, then my dears, you add the butter (about 20 minutes total cooking time).

You should also add some salt and pepper to taste. I added about 1/4 tsp of salt and just two twists of the pepper mill.

And that's it, boys and girls. It is spicy, sweet, savory, and the polenta sticks to your ribs. If I were running a restaurant, say a Californian cuisine place in Barcelona, I would definitely put this on the menu. No foodgasms tonight, but the minute I put my fork down I realized I was totally full.

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes it's the simple pleasures in life.

Last night I picked up some steaks (grass-fed boneless rib eyes). We sliced up some sweet potatoes and red potatoes and oven roasted them with lots of olive oil and salt. Don't skimp on salt where potatoes are concerned.

Nick pan seared the steaks and made a shallot wine-reduction sauce to go over them.

And that's it! Ready in under an hour. Decadent. Lovely.