A BOUNTIFUL BUNCH OF BEAUTIFUL CHARD

Couldn't resist the gorgeous bunch of swiss chard I saw the other day. I knew I had vegetables in the fridge that needed to be consumed and was tired of that head of cabbage that seemed to grow new life each time I opened the fridge drawer.  I also had a carrot sitting around, some spinach and a couple of potatoes.  I buy a lot of noodles and vegetables from a local Asian market. These stacked noodles cook up quickly and are great in stir fries. 

I love my wok. I use it a lot because I can make a meal in one place, and it's fast!  Last night was stir-fry time.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:

Cabbage, swiss chard, spinach, noodles, carrot, potatoes, 

sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, 3 slices cooked, crisp bacon,

garlic, fresh turmeric, black mustard seed, dried dill,

sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, cardamon pods, dried coriander,

fish sauce, dark soy sauce, canola oil

STEP ONE:  

Pour one T. of canola oil in a wok and heat. Add black mustard seed,

sesame seeds, coriander, crushed red pepper, dried dill and about six

cardamon pods to the oil and let sizzle for a minute or two, stirring 

constantly. Add potatoes to the pan and stir for about three minutes

on med. heat.

STEP TWO:

Cook the noodles for 8-10 minutes. Add chopped carrot 

and four large cloves of chopped garlic to wok and stir for 

another couple of minutes. Grate about an inch-long

piece of turmeric to the mixture. Sprinkle about a tsp. or so of 

fish sauce and a T. of dark soy. These ingredients are very salty

so use your discretion as to how much you want to use. Taste it 

to determine the amounts. I like to add my garlic in the second

step rather than earlier so that it doesn't overcook and become bitter. 

I also think you get more of the fresh garlic taste.

STEP THREE:

Add about two cups of shredded cabbage to the wok. Shred

quickly with the large blades of a grater or chop. Keep stirring

on medium-high heat. Add reconstituted sun dried tomatoes.

STEP FOUR:

Add the swiss chard and spinach. I didn't remove 

the white spines from the chard before I placed it in the 

wok. It would be a better idea to do it BEFORE you put it 

in the wok. Stir away!

STEP FIVE:

Add the drained noodles to the wok and stir. There should

be quite a loud sizzle going on!  When throughly mixed,

turn off the heat. I threw some barberries in since I had 

some on hand.

STEP SIX:  

If you choose, crumble the bacon on top and serve. 

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

I'M A THIGH GIRL

I like chicken thighs. I think they're moist and flavorful. I bought some as the main ingredient in the dish I made this evening. Since I make them quite often, it's a challenge to make something new with them, so I scoured the cabinets and found a jar of roasted tomatoes with crushed red pepper, and it went from there. I have saffron on hand so took this out to use as well. This chicken dish is really good!

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Chicken thighs, farfalle pasta, Mediterranean spice mix (salt-free), garlic, roasted tomatoes, olive oil, butter, dill, lemon, smoked paprika, saffron, dill. Chuck the onion. I didn't use it!

STEP ONE:



Cook the pasta al dente and set aside.  Coat the chicken with a generous spread of the Mediterranean spice mix (garlic, onion, basil, fennel seed, rosemary, oregano, parsley and red pepper). I had a jar on hand from Whole Foods, but you can also make your own. Place them in a hot skillet that's been heated with a T of olive oil and let cook on medium-high heat for about 12 minutes and then lower to heat to medium. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

STEP TWO:



Grind a 1/2 tsp. of saffron to a powder. I used a mortar and pestle.

STEP THREE:



Melt 1 T. of butter and add 2 T. of olive oil to a small skillet. Add the saffron and 1 tsp. of smoked paprika to the pan.  Add a dash of salt, a squeeze of lemon and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add 1 tsp. of minced garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.

STEP FOUR:





Coarsely chop the roasted tomatoes and add to the sauce. Simmer on low.

STEP FIVE:



Add asparagus to the pan of chicken and then finish in the oven for about 12 minutes.  If you think the asparagus is becoming overcooked, remove them after five minutes and keep warm.

STEP SIX:



Pour the saffron/paprika mixture onto the pasta and toss in a saucepan or wok. Keep warm while the chicken finishes in the oven. Check chicken to be sure it's thoroughly cooked.

STEP SEVEN:



Place pasta on a large platter and surround with the chicken and asparagus. Squeeze a small amount of lemon juice on top along with a generous grind of black pepper and some chopped dill. Enjoy!

As usual, this dish, as well as all the ones I post, are not wedded to any one ingredient. Use what you have on hand to create different flavors. In fact, I have some chicken to use tomorrow for a lunch I'm going to prepare and will use some fresh basil and a Middle-Eastern spice mix for a new dish. What I love the most about cooking is using the imagination to use what I've got to create interesting flavors and hopefully a tasty dish.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

AN ODDS AND ENDS LUNCH

All right, there's a lot of stuff in the fridge that needs to be used up fast.  I just found some yellowing broccolini I forgot to cook last week.  My husband and I are hungry on this lazy Sunday afternoon, so I got to work pulling out random items to create a decent lunch.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



A boneless, skinless chicken breast, broccolini, green pepper, scallions, red onion, artichoke hearts, lemon, tomato, fresh dill, fresh turmeric root, ginger root, garlic, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, soba noodles (already cooked).

STEP ONE:



Heat one T. of oil (I used canola) in a large skillet and start to quick fry the chicken breast that has been cut into thin slices.  Peel and grate two-inch pieces of ginger and turmeric and add to a small bowl with three cloves of minced garlic.

STEP TWO:




Combine one T. of dark soy sauce, 2 tsp. of rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl, mix into the ginger, garlic, turmeric mixture and add to the chicken.

STEP THREE:







Stir to coat chicken and add the green pepper, artichoke hearts (cut into quarters), the tomato (coarsely chopped) along with two coarsely chopped scallions, red onion (I had a tiny piece) and the squeeze of half a small lemon.

STEP FOUR:



Add the broccolini and the noodles with 3 T. of water or vegetable broth. If you want some heat, add red pepper flakes. Could also use a hot chili in Step 1.  Let simmer while distributing the noodles throughout the skillet.  Add one tsp. of sesame oil and turn up heat for a minute or less while tossing.  Top with chopped dill or any other herb you have on hand.  Enjoy!

This was a very simple, healthy dish to make. All you need to do is look in your fridge, see what's there that needs to be eaten and pull out a skillet to cook it!  Adjust seasonings to your taste and experiment with lots of different herbs and spices.

I'd love to know what's in YOUR fridge and what you do to use your food before it goes off.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!