mustard greens

kimchi

I am closing my Foodie Film Festival with another classic from my archives. Voting (finally, finally, finally) begins in the Project Food Blog video round on Monday and my entire film festival was designed to keep you interested in food videos during the down time between last challenge and the voting on this challenge.

Today I have the Korean staple kimchi. As this video, hopefully, proves– there is nothing too difficult about making kimchi. It may have an exotic allure, but it comes together quickly and I was really impressed with how well mine turned out!

Like I said this is a re-run. This is not my entry in this competition. Sippity Sup's video entry for Project Food Blog can be seen here. I hope you will watch it and also hope you take the time to view as many of the 47 other video entries as you can. As I am sure the contestants will attest, videos can be a lot of work. A lot of fun, but a lot of work. All that work deserves your support and encouragement. So watch and enjoy every single one. Offer your thoughts. Take the time to vote for ALL the videos you like best. Because, no matter how the voting goes I am hoping some of these bloggers will be excited and empowered to start adding more video to their blogs– making us all winners.

Sippity Sup Continues »
braised greens

I love food and I love eating. It's an important social aspect in my life, and the food I choose to put in my mouth 3 times a day 7 days a week says a lot about me and my outlook. So I peck away at this keyboard trying to put into words the connections I see between life and the foods we eat. I enjoy sharing the foods that define my attitudes.

But food is not strictly entertainment you know.  Our bodies require food in order to thrive. So I feel a responsibility towards you and the foods I present here. After all we are talking about the health and vitality that allows us enjoy life to the fullest.

So I am here today to cajole you with every mother's mantra: EAT YOUR GREENS! Eating greens does not need to be a chore! I don't understand why people resist.

Fortunately "going green" seems to be catching on. I think American's long past due interest in the environment may finally make it cool to eat your greens too. And I am not talking about vegetarianism. Vegetarians choose to forego meat for all kinds of complicated reasons, not all of them are related to health issues. Because as I said the foods we choose to put into our bodies does help define us.

Sippity Sup Continues »

Braised Mustard Greens

Braised Mustard Greens
Prep time: 15
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 small shallots, minced
  • 3 clv garlic, peeled & minced
  • 0.5 c chicken stock
  • 2 lb mustard greens, washed left whole with thick stems trimmed
  • 0.25 t crushed red-pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 0 salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 T red wine vinegar
  • 0.25 t whole mustard seeds, or to taste

Directions

Add the oil to a saute pan set over medium heat that is large enough to hold the greens laying flat. Add the onions, shallots and garlic. Cooking them until fragrant and just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Pour the chicken stock over the mixture and add the red pepper flakes. Bring the stock to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and lay the greens out flat on top. Swirl the pan to get the greens coated with the liquid and cook 15 minutes. Turn the whole pile of greens once or twice during cooking using a spatula to keep them laid out flat for presentation. Season them with salt and pepper as you turn them. Turn off the heat and add the red wine vinegar, swirling the pan once again to coat the greens. Carefully slide the greens out flat onto a serving platter and sprinkle with mustard seeds.

Notes:

serves 6 Source: Adapted from a Lee Bailey Recipe
Sausage and Potato Flat Bread with Mustard Greens

Meat & Potatoes. I promised a week of Meat & Potatoes. 6 recipes in 6 days. That's a week in my book. So this is the last of these recipes.

My meat is sausage. Spicy Italian sausage. My potatoes are potatoes. Is that clear enough?

If not I should also say this is a recipe for flatbread. Meat & Potato Flat Bread with Mustard Greens. I added the mustard greens because spring has begun to sprung here in So. Cal and the hills are alive! Every spring the first things to come alive in the hills near my house are wild mustard plants. That means urban foraging to me.

I live in the Hollywood Hills. My street backs up to some L.A. County conservancy property, which bleeds into Lake Hollywood and the land owned by Department of Water and Power, and culminates in 4200 acres of Griffith Park. That is a lot of wild land in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world.

As I said, winter rain makes spring come early in California. Julie Andrews has nothin’ on these hills, because they really are “alive” right now. That means the tasty young leaves of wild mustard are everywhere. So I was out bright and early today gathering a big bag of mustard greens. Naturally I just had to use them within hours of picking them. So they make an appearance here in the last of my Meat & Potato posts. Meat & Potato Flat Bread with Mustard Greens serves 8 CLICK here for a printable recipe.

Sippity Sup Continues »

Sausage & Potato Flat Bread with Mustard Greens

Sausage & Potato Flat Bread with Mustard Greens
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 1.75 t dry active yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)
  • 2 c water (110 degrees f)
  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 t salt
  • 4.5 bread flour, plus more for surface
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 1 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and drizzling
  • 4 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced
  • 2 leeks, well cleaned and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 0 coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb italian sausage, removed from casings
  • 4 c lightly packed mustard greens
  • 1 c raw russet potato, peeled and grated
  • 1 c parmesan cheese, grated
  • 0 italian parsley roughly chopped, as garnish
  • 0 very good olive oil for drizzling

Directions

Flatbreads: Combine yeast and water in a mixer bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add oil, sugar, and salt. Mix with the dough hook on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed to low. With the machine running, add flour, a little at a time, and mix until dough comes together. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth and supple, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Remove dough from refrigerator, and bring to room temperature. Place a pizza stone onto the center rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Topping: Melt butter with oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add Italian sausage to the same skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and breaking meat into small pieces, until browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Divide dough into 4 portions. On a lightly floured surface, gently stretch 2 pieces into 15-by-6-inch rounded rectangles; keep other portions covered. Place dough rectangles on a parchment-lined peel or inverted rimmed baking sheet. Brush with oil, and spread each with 1/4 of the leek mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top that with 1/4 tof he mustard greens, 1/4 of the sausage, 1/4 of the grated potato, and then sprinkle with 1/4 of the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully slide parchment with flatbreads off the peel or sheet onto the pizza stone. Bake until flatbreads are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Garnish flatbreads with fresh chopped Italian parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cut into thick slices, and serve immediately.

Notes:

serves 8