In January, the 2012 National Green Centre at the Overland Park Convention Center showcased 50 hot new plants (including two local KC companies!) in horticulture. Each made their way to the runway during the 2012 Sweet Melissa Fashion Show, benefiting the Sweet Melissa Fund, an organization that helps lung transplant patients and recipients.

Presented by the Western Nursery & Landscape Association, this second annual trade show brought in new breeders and growers, garden centers, landscape contractors and designers, and plants from all across the country.

If you have a green thumb and are ready to spruce up your garden this spring, take a peek at the entries for the hottest new plants for 2012 — you won’t be disappointed!

To see more entries for the 2012 hottest new plants, click here. And, mark your calendars for the 2013 National Green Centre January 6-7 in St. Louis.

Let the digging begin!

Before we spiral into the vortex of chest hair-growing, involuntary grunting, crotch-scratching and Arsenio Hall arm-pumping-style dude food this week, we need to prepare our stomach cavity.

We need to massage it and stretch it. We need to put a damp towel around its shoulders and squirt cold water into it. Give it pep talks, sing it inspirational tunes, take it on a long sunset-y beach walk. Braid its hair.

That’s almost the weirdest thought I’ve ever had.

I had this OMG moment at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago. You know how it’s always a bad idea to go into a grocery run hungry? Right. Well, as I was perusing the salad counter and gnawing on my metacarpals, I grabbed a pretty spinach salad all packaged up real pretty with a bunch of other pretty stuff inside. I cut my errand short (but not without 3 Buck Chuck, YOU CAN BREATHE) and drove home so I could eat and bandage up my hand.

I had two thoughts:

* This is seriously the best salad in existence.

* I can make this at home!

* I hope this coconut oil really does deep condition my hair.

AND, get this. You can prepare the “guts” and dressing on Sunday, throw it in an air-tight container and have instant salads ANYTIME YOU DREAM ALL WEEK WHENEVER.

What it takes for 4 salads:

* 1 (14.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

* 1 (10 oz.) bag of frozen edamame

* 1 cup dried cranberries

* 1/2 cup pepitas

* 2 large carrots, finely sliced

* 10 cups baby spinach, divided

* 2 lemons, juiced

* 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the edamame in boiling water according to package directions. Drain.

Once cooked, let cool about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the edamame with the chickpeas, dried cranberries, pepitas and carrots.

In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake the lemon juice with the oil, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Voila, dressing.

Arrange 2-ish cups of spinach on a plate, and top with the edamame mixture. Dress the salad with the lemon dressing and….lunch!

I have the best news ever!

I’m sick.

I blame my husband and whatever jerk or jerkette passed it along to him at work. Friday he came home complaining of sinus pressure and hints of fatigue and I was all, SISSY. But then I ran to the bathroom, rubbed echinacea powder and Robitussin all into my body pores, climbed into my very stylish bubble outfit and hid under the bed.

It didn’t work.

Sooo, before I go hook up a green tea IV drip and snort crushed cough drops for the next 13 hours, I need to show you these buffalo chicken wraps.

Mother of Mary and all the babies that drink the morning dew, these wraps….oh….my…

I don’t know what my deal is, but lately I’ve been u-b-s-a-y-e-s-s-e-d with any and all things buffalo. Like, so much that I would lick buffalo sauce straight off a dirty floor if times got ugly enough.

WHOAAA, BEV. Yeah, I should seriously stop right there and go back to bed.

(I still would though.)

If you suffer from the buff-a-freak sickness like I do, add these thangs to your game-day menu. Actually, just add them to your to-do list for this morning.

I’m going to go add buffalo sauce to my green tea now. Goodbye.

What it took for 4 wraps:

* 1 Tbs. butter, melted

* 1 pinch cayenne pepper

* 1 pinch freshly ground pepper

* 1 pinch coarse salt

* 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce, divided (I used Franks)

* 1 pound chicken tenders

* 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

* 1 roma tomato, diced

* 4 slices bacon, cooked and coarsely chopped

* 2 eggs, hardboiled and coarsely chopped

* 1/4 cup ranch dressing

* 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided

* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

* 4 large jalapeno cheddar tortillas

Combine the butter, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt and 1/4 cup of the hot pepper sauce in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate for however long you want to. An hour or more.

Heat an indoor grill (or outdoor, whatevs) over medium-high and coat with cooking spray. Add the chicken tenders and grill until cooked through with nice grill marks on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Remove from grill and roughly chop.

Whisk the ranch with 1/4 cup of the blue cheese crumbles. Or buy blue cheese dressing.

Heat up the tortillas in the oven or microwave and start crafting your wraps. Layer some chicken in the center, followed by bacon, eggs, romaine, blue cheese, cheddar, the dressing and a few more good glugs of hot pepper sauce. With your fingers, mix up the filling so the dressing evenly coats all of the ingredients.

Roll up the burrito and tuck in the corners. You can throw it back on the grill if you want, or if you’re a ravenous freak, go ahead and slice in half and EAT.

OMG.

What up, Strogs? Strogy. The STROGSTER.

Oh, hi! I’m just pretending it’s 1995 and totally legit to use these God-forsaken nicknames on my new most favoritest dish ever in my life.

Did you know that “stroganoff” actually means “to eat your face off?” It does! And then in 1965, they shortened it to just “stroganoff your face off.” Yep. That’s why you see all the bumper stickers, mugs and tee-shirts with that slogan.

Oh you haven’t seen that?

Oh.

WELL, this here stroganoff needs to be on a dang bumper sticker because it’s seriously knock-you-to-the-ground delicious, but a pick-you-back-up-to-the-sky lighter version!

Chicken instead of beef.

Yogurt instead of sour cream.

Oh, NOT OUT OF A BOX.

Okay, while you make this, I’m going to go ahead and register my multi-million dollar award-winning catch phrase…with myself.

What it took for 4:

* 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, rinsed, trimmed of excess fat and cut into bite-sized pieces

* 1 Tbs. sweet paprika

* 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

* 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

* 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and sliced

* 1/4 cup vermouth

* 1/2 cup chicken stock

* 1 Tbs. tomato paste

* 2 small dried bay leaves

* 1/4 cup Greek plain yogurt

* 1 pound egg noodles

* fresh parsley, for garnish

* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Once you’ve prepped the chicken, toss it with the paprika, a good pinch of salt and pepper. Dust with flour.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until browned on all sides, about 7minutes total. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a smidge more oil to the pan if needed then toss in the onions and mushrooms. Saute until everything starts to brown and caramelize, 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the vermouth and let sizzle about a minute. Add the stock, tomato paste and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

Nestle the chicken back in the pan (with its collected juices) and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens a tad, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and cook 2 more minutes. Give the whole mess a good pinch of salt and pepper.

In the meantime, boil your egg noodles until they reach al dente. Drain.

Serve the stroganoff over a bed of noodles and garnish with parsley.

Doors open at 7 p.m., and live music — with local jazz bands! — begins at 8 p.m. Kick back and relax to the sounds of Stan Kessler and Mistura Fina while enjoying a delicious menu designed for your dining pleasure by Chef Renee and a glass (or many) of local wine from Somerset.

Your $5 cover at the door pays for the musicians, so bring friends! Call 913.631.4100 to make your reservations for dinner or to reserve a sit-down spot.

Renée Kelly’s at Caenen Castle
12401 Johnson Drive, Shawnee KS
913.631.4100

Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery
29725 Somerset Road, Somerset, KS
913.294.9646 (tasting room)

]]> http://blog.kchandg.com/food/jazz-wine-food-perfect-friday-night-combo/feed/ 0 http://blog.kchandg.com/food/jazz-wine-food-perfect-friday-night-combo/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/kchandg/~3/KE02AY6VXrQ/ http://blog.kchandg.com/food/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-tacos-with-swiss-chard-pesto/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:48:08 +0000 Andrea http://blog.kchandg.com/?p=3561

SWISS CHARD PESTO. Thaaaat’s it.

Remember when I showed you the leetle Instagram teaser shot this weekend and no one could guess what kind it was? Man, that was like a pesto joy ride for me. And my hair got all windblown.

You’re not convinced on this yet, are you? Neither was Aaron. When I was jumping up and down in the kitchen screaming in his face about how I was going to a make Mexican-style swiss chard pesto, his eyes narrowed and in his best Kristen Wiig voice, he came back with, “a whaaaat?” *

Well, well, well, bunny beans. Guess what dropkicked his MIND? Yeah, he didn’t even have a chance.

This pesto is insane. Swiss chard, jalapenos, toasted pepitas, garlic and green hot sauce. You should breathe and then push your eyes back into your head.

When you eat this, it tastes like you’re biting into a spicy, nutrient-y garden. And then when you make it to the seasoned black beans and roasted sweet potatoes, your tongue is going to faint. Once you resuscitate your tongue and realize you’ve also just eaten creamy avocado with fresh lime and crumbly queso fresco…well…there’s just no hope for you.

What it took for 2:

for the pesto:

* 1 bunch swiss chard, cut into chunks

* 1 jalapeno, roughly chopped

* 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

* 2 Tbs. green hot sauce

* 1/4 cup toasted pepitas

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

for the tacos:

* 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

* 1 sweet potato, cut into a medium dice

* 1 (14.5 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

* 2 ts.p cumin, divided

* 2 tsp. chili powder, divided

* 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

* 8 white corn tortillas

* 1/3rd cup queso fresco, crumbled

* 1 avocado, diced

* lime and cilantro for garnish

* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 400.

On a rimmed baking sheet toss the diced sweet potato with the oil, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. cumin, a pinch of coarse salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes. Set aside.

In the meantime, toss the swiss chard, jalapeno, garlic, hot sauce and pepitas into a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Start pulsing. With the motor running, pour the oil into the processor in a thin stream, until you have pesto. Taste. Yes. Yes.

Toss the beans into a small sauce pan and season with the remaining cumin, chili powder and garlic salt. Heat through, 5 minutes.

On a small grill or skillet, toast the tortillas until you get browning or charred marks.

Layer 2 tortillas then spoon on some beans, followed by sweet potatoes. Dollop with a good 2 Tbs. of swiss chard pesto. Sprinkle on some queso fresco, the diced avocado, a good spritz of lime and a few cilantro leaves.

YESSSSSS.

*You’re going to have a lot of pesto leftover. Freeze her up!

Sluuuuuuurp. Slurp, slurp, slurp. Slurpidy slurp. Oh, hi!

Don’t mind me. I’m just slurping my way into 2012. I am wearing a bib, though. It’s cool.

Did you make any resolutions for the new year? Me either. Resolutions freak me out. If I make them, I get all stressed and think, “Well, I better get busy resoluting something or else the boogie man will get me.”

But, I do set goals! Which, you’re probably like, “uh, that’s the same thing.” AU CONTRAYAIRE, MON FRAYERE. Resolutions set me up for mega mama failure, whereas goals give me something to STRIVE FOR. Plus they give me the chance to wear neon pink body suits, matching leg warmers and ’80s sweatbands more than I already do.

What? It’s a really timeless look, you guys.

One of my goals this wintertime is to slurp my face into a hundred billion soups. Even if it’s unseasonably warm where you’re from, with trees budding and birds singing and no sign of snow, KANSAS. (Are we going to die?)

Start with this soup. And I mean it. And you know what? Forget the bib. Just go for it. Stick your entire head in this soup and experience the glory of the new year.

Slurp.

What it took for 4:

* 3 frozen or thawed chicken breast halves

* 3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 Tbs. freshly minced ginger

* 2 (13.5 oz.) cans coconut milk

* 4 cups chicken stock

* 3 Tbs. soy sauce

* 4 oz. thin rice noodles

* 2 red bell peppers, diced

* 2 cups fresh beans sprouts

* 2 jalapenos, finely sliced

* 2 limes

* cilantro for garnish

* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

In a slow cooker, add the coconut milk, broth, garlic, ginger, chicken, soy sauce, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook on high for 3 hours.

Using tongs, remove chicken from pot and shred with two forks. Return to pot. Add the rice noodles, bell pepper and sprouts. Cook 30 more minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve each bowl garnished with sliced jalapeno, a good handful of cilantro and some gigantic squirts of lime. Oh, man, yes.

We have only a few days left until Christmas. Does that give anyone else gas?

I have to say, I’ve been quite the little miss holiday spirit cheerleader this season. I’ve charmingly entertained my husband with my best intoxicated Kermit THE Frog impression singing Feliz Navidad, 33 times. I used tinsel as dental floss and was all, “THIS IS THE WAY THE ELVES DO IT AT THE NORTH POLE” to the people in Target. And I even took the leftover wrapping paper and made a nifty little pant suit to wear to a party.

You wish.

But now I need simple. I need simple so bad even my pancreas hurts.

Well, whadduyaknow? Tostadas heard my cry for help. They reached out to me with guacamole dripping off their shrimpy arms and they rescued me from Santa suffocation.

There, there. Do you need a holiday hug from shrimpy tostadas too? Maybe 6 gallons of guacamole would help quiet the voices in your head?

You know what? Just cry it out.

What it took for 6 tostadas:

* 6 corn tortillas

* cooking spray

* 2 cups grated cheddar cheese

* 2 avocados

* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

* juice from 1 lime

* 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

* 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

* 1 Tbs. ground cumin

* 2 Tbs. chili powder

* 1 tsp crushed red or green pepper

* 1 tsp garlic salt

* 1 red bell pepper, cut into small slices

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly coat both sides of the corn tortillas with cooking spray. Bake for 4 minutes on each side. Switch oven to broil. Evenly divide the cheese over the tortillas and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, 2-ish minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the avocados, cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Mash up with a fork until you get guacamole. Go ahead and eat a few bites for your well-being.

Toss the shrimp with the cumin, chili powder, crushed pepper flakes and garlic salt.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high. Sear the shrimp on one side for 2 minutes; flip and sear 30 more seconds. Remove from pan.

To the pan, add the sliced red bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the pan, seasoning the peppers. Sprinkle in a leetle salt.

Spoon the guacamole over each cheesy tostada, followed by shrimp and red bell pepper. Garnish each tostada with cilantro and give another good squeeze of lime juice over each one.

Oh, you just won’t believe it.

I need to tell you something real quick: I WANT TO MARRY TUNA STEAKS.

As I’ve mentioned, I’m cooking a few recipes out of this super duper book I just finished. And as a mega mama lover of fish, this recipe jumped off the page, slapped my face into next week and then kissed me like Rhett Butler does to Scarlett O’Hara on a dangerously long red staircase.

And as if good tuna wasn’t enough to seal the deal for 10 thousand romantic slow dances in your heart, the marinade slash topping for this dish will FREAK. YOUR. FACE. RIGHT. OFF.

Ginger? Good gosh yes.

Garlic? Feed me a billion cloves.

Cilantro? Make me an edible scarf, please.

Lime juice and soy sauce? Draw me a bath now, would ya, dear?

Add slices of creamy avocado to the mix and OH. Oh, ohohohohoh. Ican’tevenstandit.

The only willy-nillying I did was to tweak the measurements a tad to fit my taste buds, and I served the tuna over wilted spinach, which, in my opinion, everything in LIFE should be served over wilted spinach. Including wilted spinach.

One more thing and I’ll totes leave you alone. This is good tuna. PLEASE don’t cook it all the way through. You want it rare in the middle. Don’t be skeered.

Now please go make this and invite me over so I can steal it from you.

What it took for 1:

* 1 tuna steak (ahí or yellow fin)
* pinch of salt and pepper
* 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 2 Tbs. soy sauce
* 1 tsp. freshly minced ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
* juice of 1 lime, plus the zest
* 1 tsp. sugar
* 1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
* 4 cups spinach

Season both sides of the tuna with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbs. oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, zest and sugar. Add the fish and marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

In a small skillet, heat the last Tbs of oil. Add the spinach and wilt slightly. Toss in a teeny pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill (or sear) for 4 minutes on each side.

Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and reduce until it becomes thick.

Top the wilted spinach with the grilled fish, followed by the sliced avocado and a nice drizzle of the reduction.

Dear goodness me.

Okay, so I just finished reading this book. It’s fiction, but one of the main characters is a chef, so any time she references food, the recipe is supplied at the end of each chapter.

Pretty pimp, eh?

The book itself is gosh darned good, if you’re into giggling like a school girl, weeping like a baby and having your heart ripped RIGHT OUT FROM ITS CAGE AND SMEARED ALL OVER I-75 LIKE AN ARMADILLO WITHOUT A CHANCE.

So, this week I’m going to be cooking some of the recipes from the book to see if fiction chefs really know their beed-neez.

And, no, I’m not cooking armadillo. Sick, you guys.

She calls this meal “pantry chicken and beans” which is rawk solid for someone who took the redeye flight home (not really but I’ve always wanted to say that) after a weekend getaway and had zero idea or motivation to make anything that involved 0.1 ounce of energy.

I tweaked it a smidgeroo, but the overall results gist (?) remained the same. IT’S SO GOOD. It’s got a nice salty punch with the olives and anchovy paste (don’t be skeered) but it’s also comforting with the tender pieces of chicken. I think next time I might top the entire thing with panko or breadcrumbs.

And replace the chicken with armadillo.

(DID SHE JUST SAY THAT?)

What it took for 4:

* 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

* 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

* 1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

* 1 (14.5 oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

* 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, slightly drained

* 1 pinch crushed red pepper

* 1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives

* 2 tsp anchovy paste

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

* 12 chicken breast tenders

* 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

* parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350.

Oil the inside of a 9×13 baking dish.

Dump the beans in. Then dump those tomatoes on top.

Sprinkle with the crushed red pepper, followed by the anchovy paste dollops, the chopped olives, garlic and cherry tomatoes. Toss it about with your fingers to get it all combined.

Throw it in the oven for 25 minutes and bake until the cherry tomatoes start to soften and burst a tad. Top with chicken tenders, season with salt and pepper and throw back in the oven for 30 minutes. If you need to flip it to broil for a couple of minutes, das fine.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan and parsley. Serve her up and eat, eat!