FREEZER FIXES WHEN YOU'RE DOWN TO THE WIRE!

Whenever I make pesto, I store some in an ice cube tray and use it throughout the winter and spring seasons. A cube of pesto can be resuscitated and added to pasta, soups and lots of savory dishes to add a burst of flavor.  It's also great when you're trying to use up all the food in your fridge and need something special to pull off a meal. I pulled a couple of cubes out this evening to make a quick and tasty meal with some chicken sausages.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:

Pesto, last of the garden tomatoes, chicken sausages, 2 cups of orzo, shredded cauliflower (yep, the same stuff from last time), spinach, garlic, sesame seeds, olive oil.

STEP ONE:




Fry up the sausage in a bit of olive oil.  Add the fresh tomatoes and garlic. Cook until garlic is golden and still soft.  Put water on to boil for the orzo

STEP TWO:





Toast 1/4 cup sesame seeds until golden and then simmer in 2 T. of olive oil.  Add a scant tsp. of turmeric and a pinch of sea salt.

STEP THREE:




Add shredded cauliflower and spinach to the sesame seeds and mix together. Allow to cook until the spinach just starts to wilt. Turn off the heat.

STEP FOUR:







Prepare the orzo and add the pesto cubes and tomatoes.

STEP FIVE:



Arrange the orzo, tomatoes, the cauliflower, spinach and sausages on a platter.
Grind some fresh pepper on top.

This meal is easy, healthy and tasty.  Start to finish: 30 minutes.


ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

A Lonely Clementine and Some Pork Chops

I spotted a clementine in the fruit bowl sitting next to a lemon and knew I had to use it in my meal tonight before it shriveled up and died.  So I bought some pork chops with the clementine in mind along with some spinach, cauliflower and ingredients for the chocolate cake I'm going to make later in the week for my stepson's birthday celebration.  Looking around the fridge, I took out scallions, green and black olives, potatoes, half a pomegranate, some mango puree, a half-can of artichoke hearts and a piece of fresh turmeric. I then pulled the tomatoes from the basket on the counter along with an onion, a hot red pepper and some garlic. Chicken broth and a bay leaf followed from the cabinets. I finally grabbed an apple and a pear with an idea for a chutney to go with the pork.




ON THE CUTTING BOARD: Hormone and antibiotic-free pork chops, 4 cups shredded cauliflower, spinach,organic chicken broth, small onion, fresh garlic, scallions, hot red pepper, green and black olives, bay leaf, fresh turmeric, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, apple, pear, pomegranate.

OTHER PRINCIPAL FLAVORS: olive oil, vegetable oil, mango puree, butter, kosher salt, pepper

STEP ONE:




Place 2 cups of shredded cauliflower in a saucepan with a cup of organic chicken broth. Let simmer for about 10 minutes until softened. Add more broth if needed. Shred in a one-inch piece of fresh turmeric and then puree with a hand-held blender.  Saute the remaining 2 cups of cauliflower in a T. of olive oil. Chop a quarter of the hot red pepper (or to taste) and add to the cauliflower. Add pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook for several minutes but do not overcook.  The cauliflower should have some crunch. Set aside.  While cauliflower is cooking, cut potatoes into quarters and boil until a knife pierces easily.

STEP TWO:
















Cut half an apple and half a pear into slices and saute in a scant 1T. butter.  Mix 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar, 1/4 c. mango puree and 1/4 cup dark brown sugar in a small bowl. Add a pinch of cinnamon and ground cloves.  When apples and pears are nearly soft, add the vinegar mixture and allow it cook down until it is nearly absorbed into the fruit. Turn off the heat.  This recipe is adapted from The Food Lab by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.  I didn't have apple cider so I used what I had on hand: mango puree.  I must say it was a delicious alternative!  Oh, and I added the pear.  TIP: add one of these guys to your dark brown sugar to keep it soft.



STEP THREE:

















Cut onion into slices.  TIP:  Hold knives by end of the blade along with the handle for better control.
Cut a couple of scallions in half and smash about 4 garlic cloves. Cut the unpeeled clementine into slices.

STEP FOUR:





Heat 1 T. of vegetable oil in a large pan.  Sprinkle kosher salt on the pork chops and generously douse with freshly ground pepper. Add the chops to the pan; they should create a robust sizzle. Add the onions, scallions, garlic, olives, bay leaf and clementine on top.  Allow the chops to nicely brown on one side. Flip the chops after 5 minutes and scatter the vegetables and fruit around the pan. Cook for another 5-8 minutes.





STEP FIVE:

When the pork chops are cooked and the onions and clementines have a nice char, take off the heat and let the chops sit for 5 minutes.  Heat up the cauliflower, potatoes and the apples and pears.  Arrange the sauted cauliflower on a platter and mound the pureed cauliflower on top. Place the chops on the platter to the side and arrange the vegetables/fruit on top. Spoon the apples and pears to another side of the platter along with the potatoes. Make a salad with the spinach, tomatoes and  pomegranate. Drizzle with olive oil, a splash of vinegar (any kind--I used champagne), a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Adorn with the artichoke hearts.

Enjoy!

This meal is made with very little fat and sodium.  It has protein, vitamins, minerals and a variety of flavors. It's easy to make and tastes great.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

NO TIME IS SLOW TIME

I had a late afternoon meeting and wouldn't be home until 8 pm.  What to do about dinner?  I looked in the fridge, examined the cupboards and pulled out my slow cooker from a cabinet -- a perfect solution for my evening meal.




ON THE CUTTING BOARD:  boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots, scallions, fresh rosemary, onions, jalapeño, napa cabbage, dandelion greens.




OTHER PRINCIPAL FLAVORS: tamari, rice vinegar, fennel seed, thyme, whole peppercorns, black mustard seed, smoked sea salt, organic chicken broth, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame oil, butter


STEP ONE:



Lightly season the chicken with the smoked sea salt and pepper and sprinkle with a tsp. of thyme.  Saute in a little oil until browned. You need to do this or else the chicken will be an unappetizing color when it comes out of the cooker.

STEP TWO:

Throw the chicken, potatoes, onions and carrots (cut into quarters) in the slow cooker with the broth. Add a minced jalapeño pepper and a large bunch of dandelion greens. Add about a quarter tsp. of peppercorns and a 1/2 tsp. of fennel seeds.  Close the lid and set on HIGH. This concoction will cook for about 6 hours and then shut off to WARM.

STEP THREE:



Shred 2 cups cabbage and add to a bowl.

STEP FOUR:



Place pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a small pan with a T. of butter and roast until golden. Add the black mustard seeds until they start to dance around the pan. Can add 1/4 tsp. of coriander, cumin and crushed red pepper if on hand.



Remove from heat and set aside.

STEP FIVE:

Cut off the white part of the scallions and chop. Cut the green parts in half and then slice length-wise into thin strips.



STEP SIX:

In a small bowl, mix 2 T. vegetable oil, 2 T rice vinegar, 1 tsp. tamari, 1 tsp. sesame oil and 1/2 tsp. sugar (I use raw sugar which has a golden color). You might want to adjust the proportions according to taste. Experiment as you go.  Add this dressing to the cabbage with the scallion and sesame/pumpkin seed mixture and toss well.




STEP SEVEN:

Open the slow cooker and serve the chicken into bowls.  Serve the salad on the side.  A nice crusty french bread is great for soaking up the juices.






Enjoy a healthy meal that's been cooked for hours with very little labor!

Dandelion greens are bursting with nutrients and because they are sealed in the slow cooker, these nutrients are preserved.

1 cup chopped:

Fiber 14%, Protein 2.7 g. (not a complete protein since it lacks all the amino acids), Vitamin A 203%, Vitamin K 973%, Calcium 19%, Iron 17%, Vitamin C 58%, Vitamin E 17%, Thiamin 13%, Riboflavin 15%, Potassium 11%

Source:  USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

GOOD EATIN' FROM A DINNER PARTY

This post is as easy as pie. Not really. A good pie is a real achievement. But having a small dinner party this past weekend has kept my fridge in good shape for my weekly challenge to use what I have on hand to make great meals.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:  Serrano ham, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, fresh rosemary, garlic, onion, radicchio (yeah the same stuff as last week -- lasts a long time). OOPS! forgot to place a red pepper there.

STEP ONE:

Saute the onion, red pepper and garlic (put the garlic in last so that it keeps its soft texture) in about a T. of olive oil.

STEP TWO:

Add the scallions and saute until soft.

STEP THREE:

Whisk the eggs with a little salt and pepper and a T. of water.

STEP FOUR:

Add the eggs to the pan to cover the vegetables.  Let cook until they start to set. It won't take long.

STEP FIVE:

Cook the yukon gold potatoes in a very hot oil so that they cook quickly without absorbing too much of the oil.  They should be done in about 7 minutes. Drain and lightly salt.

STEP SIX:

Add the ham and tomatoes to the pan, arranging in a pleasing way. The ham is already cured, so the dish will be ready in a few minutes.

STEP SEVEN:

Slide omelette onto a platter. Arrange potatoes and garnish with any greens you have on hand. I used basil from the garden.

Salad with butter lettuce, fresh figs, cucumbers and tomatoes.  Dressing is made with a good cold-pressed olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar to cut the acidity of the lemon juice and add a touch of sweetness.

I'll have to use the remainder of some of these ingredients during the week for more meals. Maybe I'll add some of my homemade pesto to pasta and toss in the serrano with some parmesan cheese.  

Looking forward to more adventures in using all my food. My compost pail has plenty of space, and I'm glad about that.

Alla Vostra Salute!  

WHAT'S IN YOUR FRIDGE TODAY?

Welcome to my blog! This blog is for food lovers and green-minded cooks. I would like to share what I do in the kitchen with others and hope that this will be an interactive site where we can learn from and be inspired by one another.  The idea is to share a meal a week.  The meal will be made from ingredients that are in my fridge without that temptation to run out to the market for extra items.

If you’re like me you probably decide what you’re going to have for dinner that night and then go out to buy the ingredients for your meal.  This makes meal planning basically nonexistent and brings spontaneity to meal preparation.  It also brings lots of bits and pieces of ingredients lurking around the fridge, some of it forgotten and only discovered several weeks later in leaky plastic bags hidden under a stale loaf of bread in one of the drawers.  Does any of this sound familiar?  

Well, I recently decided that I was wasting too much food and challenged myself to use only what I had on hand to prepare meals for one week.  I have a large supply of herbs and spices, sauces and pastes and a cupboard full of rice, quinoa and pasta, so I figured it would be easy to accomplish. And it was! It also satisfied my creative side. 

 Here are the ingredients I started with the first day of my challenge. This amount of food fed my husband and me, so I'll say two servings even though it could have fed three.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:  parsley, sugarsnap peas, tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, artichokes, parmigiana-reggiano cheese, an egg, two slices of bacon, red, green and orange peppers, asparagus, collards, radicchio, basil, onion, garlic, pasta sauce, green lentils.

STEP ONE:

Cook one cup of lentils in two cups of water for 30 minutes or until they are soft but not mushy. If you have some mushroom broth on hand, substitute for water.

Steam the artichokes and remove the hearts. Chops in quarters and set aside. In a T. of olive oil, saute  the vegetables: onions, collards, radicchio, peppers and asparagus first for a few minutes before adding the rest (including the artichoke hearts but not the snow peas). RESERVE SOME OF PARSLEY FOR GARNISH.  Cook the bacon in a separate pan until crisp. Crumble and set aside.  

STEP TWO:  

Throw in the snow peas and cooks for about 3 minutes.  Heat pasta sauce.

STEP THREE:  

Whisk the egg with 1T. of water in a small bowl and quickly stir into the vegetables.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

STEP FOUR:  

Add the crumbled bacon (or not) to the vegetables and toss.  Arrange lentils on a platter,  Pour the heated pasta sauce on one side of the platter over the lentils. Arrange vegetables on top. Grate some of the cheese and sprinkle over the vegetables.  Garnish with  parsley.  Enjoy!

This meal has a decent amount of protein (egg/cheese/lentils,) lots of vitamins and minerals, fiber (lentils) and delicious taste that comes directly from the organic vegetables and the earthy lentils. For this dish, I didn't add any other sauces except the pasta sauce that was sitting in my fridge in a container.  I was in the mood for exquisite simplicity.  As I already stated, it served me and my husband most generously.  If another person had been here, we would have had plenty.  For best results, remember not to overcook the vegetables.  The colors need to stay bold and appetizing. Ten minutes from start to finish and they're done!

YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER COMPOSTING YOUR FOOD SCRAPS IF YOU DON'T ALREADY DO SO. IT'S A TIME-CONSUMING PRACTICE, BUT ORGANIC COMPOST IS GREAT FOR THE GARDEN. WE SUBSCRIBE TO A COMPOSTING SERVICE CALLED VETERANS COMPOST.

Alla Vostra Salute!  (To Your Health)