So again I saw an enticing photo from the Optimum Wellness newsletter from Ralphs. The recipe was for Chard Stuffed with Apricot-Fig Tagine and Couscous, but instead of the figs and couscous, I used the 17 bean mix from TJs. Instead of actual dried fruit, I actually used these little trail mix packets from Whole Foods that contained pepitas, almonds, raisins, papaya, and apricot, I believe. And then... for some reason TJ's doesn't sell chard or kale so I ended up picking up rainbow chard at Ralphs. Following the recipe, I cut off the stems, diced and sauteed them, and threw them into the fruit/nut/legume mix, along with lots and lots of turmeric, anise seed, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom seed. For the chard leaves, I wilted them for about a minute in hot water before rolling up each leaf with the stuffing. This... was awesome. But I probably wouldn't do this again since I doubt people would like this. The chard was pretty with the semi-wilted green, but I found them a lot easier to eat after I steamed some leftover rolls (softening the chard considerably albeit making them greenish-brown rather than the pretty green you see here). Sigh... I love the pick-me up of colorful and wholesome food. Every once in a blue moon I will actually go through the effort of making something like this... When will be the next time? Nobody knows.
