I hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend! Mine was wonderful and super productive (minus posting on the blog – oops!). I hadn’t been grocery shopping in a long time, and Megan was in the same boat, so she suggested that we go to the farmers’ market and Trader Joe’s on Saturday. Well, it started pouring rain right when we decided to leave…
BUT – we went anyways! Major points for us. 
The whole trip was a big success, and we got some great veggies and TJ products. I was determined to keep the productivity going when we got back to the apartment, so I got a head start on prepping a lot of the veggies that I got for the week. I highly suggest that you do this if you have time – it will save you a lot of work later!
Below are diced red peppers for this awesome sounding recipe that I got from the New York Times and plan to make later this week!
All the bagged veggies.
Up top we have mustard greens, then at the bottom (left to right) – red pepper, red onion and zucchini.
I also got butternut squash and eggplant, but I’m still trying to decide what to do with those. I’ve never worked with them before! I have some ideas but am definitely up for additional input. Any suggestions?!
I decided to keep dinner tonight pretty simple.
Dinner: Thai Red Curry Chicken & Braised Mustard Greens
The chicken was about as easy as it gets. I bought frozen grilled chicken breast strips from TJ’s, so I threw some of those in a skillet and mixed in Thai Red Curry Sauce that I also got from TJ’s. I had never tried it before. Verdict: DELICIOUS! It really spiced up the chicken.
Now, onto the braised mustard greens – I grew up eating all sorts of greens (kale, mustard, collard, etc.), but I never knew how to make them. I just remember seeing my mom and grandmother rinsing them for what seemed like hours. With that burning image in my mind, I definitely spent some serious time cleaning the bunch that I got from the farmers’ market. Glad I did! I found (ugh) a little worm on a leaf! Not pleasant, but I survived. Lesson: wash your greens!
I did a little research on Food Network and decided to put together my own recipe with a little help from The Neelys, Rachel Ray and of course, my mom!
Beautiful greens…
Final product… I can’t tell if that’s an appealing picture, but it was delicious nonetheless.
Recipe (serving size – 2):
- 1 bunch mustard greens, washed and chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins (handful)
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (approx.) Note: mustard greens are pretty intense, so in my family, sugar is a must.
- salt and pepper to taste
Over medium heat, sauté garlic and bacon. After the bacon is cooked, add in the mustard greens. Stir. Once they wilt, add the chicken stock, raisins and sugar. Mix well. Let this cook for about 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
It was ridiculously easy, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results! Chris joined me for dinner, and he also seemed pretty pleased.
I took a picture of the final plate, but it wasn’t my best work so I’ll leave that up to your imagination. I promise that it tasted good.
OK – time for bed! Have a great Monday morning!
I’ve never heard of bagging your veggies up like that. Does it help them keep longer, even if they’re chopped?
It doesn’t really help keep the veggies longer, but it does make it much easier when you decide to cook with them since they are already chopped up! Just make sure to use them within a few days.