Red Swiss Chard with Tempeh cooked in Pomegranate Wine with Trofie Pasta

My wife picked up some nice red Swiss chard yesterday. I made a dish a bit similar to rainbow chard (last June) and rainbow chard with chickpeas (last May) that I have made in the past.

Using my hands, I shredded the leaves of the chard, pulling them off of the stems and cutting them into large chunks. I cut the stems into approximately one-inch lengths.

I sliced an onion into thin half-moon slices, then halved those slices. In a stock pan, I gently sauteed the onion, as well as cubed tempeh. After about 5 minutes, I added the chard stems and continued sauteeing for another 15 minutes or so, till the stems were softened. Then, I added the leaves, maybe 1/4 cup pomegranate wine, and a few tablespoons of water that I saved from Wednesday's beet and Brussels sprout recipe, as well as a little salt and ginger. I covered the pan and cooked on low for about 20m. (I had forgotten, but I was thinking of quickly roasting some cumin and adding it, as well.)

I served the chard with trofie pasta (cooked for about 14 minutes) that I had sprinkled Eat in the Raw's Parma! vegan "Parmesan cheese" atop, as well as some capers. I was excited that my wife found purple carrots yesterday, which we always find delicious and pretty. Some fresh toast and micro beet greens rounded out the meal.

Yesterday after my photography class, my wife and I met a few friends on a business trip from California and we ate at Margaret's Cantina, which serves fairly vegan friendly Southwestern cuisine. We had some chips with salsa and guacamole and quinoa cakes for appetizers. They make awesome frozen drinks and two of us had their superb fresh mango margarita sans alcohol. I tried a sangria. For my main course, I had two cheeseless enchiladas - one with tempeh and one with grilled vegetables.