Sweet Potatoes with Collard Greens and Tomatoes

A good friend makes you laugh. A good friend is someone you can trust. A good friend has a shoulder for you to always lean on.

And a great friend brings you unexpected bowls of frozen yogurt just because there’s a new flavor at your favorite spot.

Hey, Danielle – that’s you! Yesterday evening, I got a text from Danielle telling me that Tutti Frutti had pumpkin frozen yogurt and asking if I wanted some. Obviously my response was prefaced with an “Omg” and finished off with a “Yessssss.” Seriously, how would you have responded?

Her delivery came on the perfect day; I was making an all veggie meal that should only be balanced out with something sweet, right? Just say yes. I was determined to use a bunch of items from my 5th CSA box.

In this week’s box:

• watermelon
• red potatoes
• apples
• collard greens
• squash
• green peppers
• onions
• tomatoes
• green beans

As much as I talk about eating candy, cookies, and dessert, I really do have great self control. I eat it often, but never eat a lot at a time. I took a huge bite of the pumpkin froyo, declared it  amazing, and put the rest in the freezer for after dinner. I swear this motivated me to a)cook a healthy dinner and b)grocery shop at the speed of light for the other items I needed.

Sweet Potatoes with Collard Greens and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch collard greens (about 6-8) leaves
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash the collard greens and pat try.  Cut down the center of each leaf to remove the rib.  Chop leaves into 1/4" strips and set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper.  Cook until they are browned and almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Place the cooked potatoes in a bowl and set aside. 
3. Add a little more oil to the pan and add the onion and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until tender. 
4. Add the chard and sauté until it starts to wilt, about 2 minutes.  Add the potatoes and tomatoes into the skillet with the greens. Add the garam masala and stir. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.  Continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring often, to let the flavors meld. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Hello, colors! You’re going to love this dish, I promise. And boys, if you need meat in your meal, serve this as a side next to your steak or something. It’ll make anyone happy. And when you’ve finished gobbling it all up, you can comfortably reach for that cup of frozen yogurt.

Did someone just shout “Balance!”?

Amen.

Hipster Cuisine Part I

When you think of the word “hipster”, what do you think?

Lens-less glasses?

Boys in skinny jeans? (Ew.)

Music your friends “probably haven’t heard of yet”? (Thanks, Logan.)

Girls who think wearing mustaches is cute? (AWFUL.)

Jef from The Bachelorette? (Swoon.)

You don’t think of food, do you? Well apparently New York magazine does. More specifically, they think of Asian cuisine. As I flipped through this week’s issue of New York, I came across an article titled “Asian Hipster Cuisine.” Until then, I’d never even seen the word “Asian” next to the word “hipster.” But, hey, NYC is way ahead of SC – let’s be honest.

The article basically claims that Asian cuisine is trending. That 2012 “has been the year of ramen and buns, Sichuan and Shaanxi.” They interview several chefs (not all of whom are Asian) who describe this “hipster” cuisine:

“A noodle bar in a dive bar.” “Asian-American.” “Street food.” “Weird Chinese food.”

I thought back to this year’s restaurant openings in Charleston and it hit me. Holy pho, a bunch of them were Asian!

• Co – Vietnamese
• Izakaya Hiro – Sushi/Modern Japanese
• Xiao Bao Biscuit – opening Fall 2012

Why do you think Asian food is suddenly a trend? I always thought it was cool, so I’m pretty pumped that there’s a rise in Asian restaurant openings. Bring on the steamed pork buns, noodles, and kimchee. I love it all.

Have you noticed more Asian restaurants/food trucks/pop-up dinners in your area?

What other trend do you consider hipster? Any foods? Let’s not forget men in scarves, coffee shops, rolled-up jeans, PBR, suspenders, and Skrillex’s hair.