Give Thanks + Chicken Thighs over Roasted Vegetables

Apparently, I have a thing for chicken thighs. First the chicken thighs over butternut squash and cranberries, and now this. But I don't deny it. Here's why I like them: they are cheap and they taste better than the other parts. My personal preference, I know, but the money thing.. you can't argue with that!

But enough chicken-talk! Let's start giving thanks :)

Day 4:  I am grateful for my close friends who were there for me that day 11 years ago -- whether they grabbed the phone out of my hand as I started screaming or sat me down and got me the help I needed to process what I had just heard. I am grateful for one of my closest friends for holding my hand as I said goodbye to my mom one last time. And I am grateful for my one of my first childhood friends for being right there beside me during the funeral, the only person who could truly understand as she had lost her mom a few years before, and for saying the words I needed to hear: It's hard and it sucks, and it was going to suck even more before it was over, but one day it would get a little easier. Thank you.

Day 5:  I am grateful for Dang, the Hertz Rental Car employee who observed how much trouble I had getting a vehicle for a field trip in the morning -- 1 1/2 hours late and not cleaned -- and not only gave back a good portion of the money upon my return (before I could even ask), but then came around from behind the counter, sat down in the seat across from me, and listened while I explained why I was frustrated. He didn't make excuses, he didn't blame it on others (even though it was not his fault), he JUST LISTENED. 

Who/what are YOU thankful for today?

CHICKEN THIGHS OVER ROASTED VEGETABLES

Recipe inspired by Everyday Food’s PorkChops with Fennel and Carrots

SERVES 6 •  PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES

ingredients

• 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into ½-inch wedges
• 1 pound carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges, root end left intact
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 6 boneless chicken thighs
• lemon wedges, for serving

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss fennel, carrots, onion, and garlic with 2 tablespoons rosemary and 4 tablespoons oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast until vegetables are tender and browned in spots, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.  Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with remaining rosemary.  In batches, cook until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes each side.  Check to make sure it is fully cooked.
3. Serve chicken on top of roasted vegetables.  Squeeze lemon juice on top, if desired.

                                                                                                         

COST: $14.81              COST PER SERVING (6): $2.47

Unprocessed    //    Gluten Free    //   Dairy Free

Basil-Almond-Garlic Pesto + Me, in 10 words

Today I am supposed to sell myself in 10 words.  Hmmm.  This is a tricky one...

But here goes nothing.

Loyal.
Compassionate.
Creative, at times.

Learner.
Life lover.
Talker.
Sharer.

And since I am a sharer, I am sharing my favorite way to make pesto.  I don't put any cheese in it, keeping it plant based.  Almonds are cheaper than pine nuts and add a bit of flavor that is just right.  It is incredibly garlicky, so if you are sensitive to that you can cut back on the garlic.  We use it on top of pasta, in sandwiches, over chicken... there are SO MANY uses for pesto.  And as always, pesto is naturally gluten free, so even those with sensitivities to gluten can enjoy this over fish or chicken.  Enjoy!

BASIL ALMOND GARLIC PESTO

YIELDS 1 CUP  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 cup washed basil leaved, packed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup almond slices
• 1/3 - ½ cup olive oil
• sea salt, to taste

Directions

1.      Place all ingredients in food processor or blender.  Run for about 30 seconds.  Add more olive oil to get to desired consistency.

2.      Use on top of cooked pasta, in sandwiches, on top of chicken – wherever you want!

 COST: $3.45           

What I "Do" + Cauliflower Mash

The question has been asked, 'What do you do?'

Well, during the day, when my name is 'Teacher' and I am surrounded by nine and ten-year-olds, I do band-aids and hugs, lesson delivery and grading.  I do encouragement. I do discipline. I do high-fives and shushes. I do parent/teacher conferences.  I do report cards and I do assistance with math problems.  I do real-life problem solving.  I do love.

When I am at home and my name is 'Babe' to my husband, I do many other things.  I do laundry and cooking.  I do dishes sometimes and toilet scrubbing when necessary.  I do long conversations over dinner and laughter, a lot.  I do sharing and receiving, compromise and support.  I do kisses and hugs. I do love.

Other times, when my name is 'Friend', I do phone calls and facebook commenting.  I do talking and listening.  I do fun.  I do movies and dinners.  I do nights out and weekend trips. I do hand holding when times are tough and silly dances when times are light.  I do love.

And then, in my free time, I do new recipes and pictures. I do blog posting and very little TV watching.  I do globe-trotting and life-living.

Ultimately, though, I hope the thing that defines me is that I do LOVE.


#BlogEveryDayinMay

CAULIFLOWER MASH WITH GARLIC AND THYME
Recipe inspired by Love & Whimsy

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• salt, to taste
• ¼ cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, plus more to top

directions

1.      Wash cauliflower and remove green parts.  Cut into large chunks and steam for 10 minutes with salt.

2.      Remove of pot and carefully spoon into a food processor. Add milk and butter, along with thyme. Blend until pureed.  Top with remaining thyme.

 COST: $2.00           COST PER SERVING (4): $0.50

Nutritional Information
calories 104   •    total fat 8.9g    •    fiber 3.3g    •    sugars 0.9g   •    protein 1.4g

Introducing Farmer's Market Fridays... (Carrot Soup with Ginger & Lemon)

I have a recent obsession: Farmer's Market.

When I have something that I think about a lot I wind up talking about, a lot.  Which means this new obsession of mine has led me to say, "I really like going to the farmer's market!" about 10 times a day, and "Man, I love farmer's market!" about another 10 times per day.  Yesterday, upon hearing me proclaim my love for farmer's market again, my husband said, "I know.  You told me.  Every single day."

But just in case you missed it, let me proclaim from the rooftops: I LOVE FARMER'S MARKET.

Really, I do.

Which is why I am introducing Farmer's Market Fridays to you.

This will be our chance to come together across the county and hopefully the globe to explore the local farmer's markets in the communities in which we live, to share our fabulous finds and new recipes.

Here is the plan:
Each Friday (or most Fridays -- you know how it goes) a different blogger will be sharing their local Farmer's Market with us.  The task will be to show how much they can get with $10... this will give us the chance to see the similarities and differences that abound, both in produce and in price, while virtually travelling from sea to shining sea.

At the end of each post you will be able to link up with anything Farmer's Market related (from the past two weeks) to allow us to hop on over to each other's blogs and see what is going on in your neck of the woods. You can showcase what you bought, share a recipe that used Farmer's Market ingredients, or anything else you can think of, as long as the post is somehow related to a recent trip to the Farmer's Market.

My hope is that through all of this we can foster a sense of community while supporting the local communities we come from AND get some great food on our tables while keeping our hard earned cash in our wallets.

Please, come join me on this great Farmer's Market adventure!

To start us off today, I have the most incredibly delicious soup that my taste buds have ever encountered.  Most of the ingredients -- carrots, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and lemon -- I picked up last weekend while meandering my way through my local Farmer's Market.  All I needed to add was the stock, yogurt, and ginger.

This was my first time cooking with fresh ginger and IT.WAS.AMAZING.  The smell, the taste... oh my oh my!

This was also the very first time I moved beyond my comfort zone of Martha and Rachael and attempted something from Bon Appetit.  Holy freaking cow.  This stuff has expanded my eyes to a whole new level of soup.  And it was really simple.  Nothing too complicated, jam packed full of flavor, healthy, and super tasty.  Not to mention cheap.  SCORE.

So when you browsing through your Farmer's Market this weekend (if you have them yet -- I just found out today that many states don't actually get them until the Summer.  Naive California girl, right here) pick up some carrots and ginger.  It will be worth every penny, I promise.

Let's get this party started!  Link up below with any (date doesn't matter this week!) Farmer's Market post you want to share and let's start enjoying this great thing together :)  (Link-ups will be open until Sunday night.)

CARROT SOUP WITH GINGER & LEMON

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, June 1997

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/4 pounds medium carrots, peeled, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 3 cups (or more) chicken or vegetable stock
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt 
• 1 small carrot, peeled, grated

directions

1.      Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes and lemon peel; sauté 1 minute. Add 3 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

2.      Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

3.      Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Ladle into bowls. Top each with Greek yogurt and grated carrot.

 COST: $5.43           COST PER SERVING (4 bowls): $1.36

Nutritional Information
calories 220   •    total fat 12.5 g    •    fiber 5.4g    •    sugars 8.8g   •    protein 6g
(Click here for full nutritional analysis)

Steak with Parsley Sauce and Sauteed Mushrooms

I made steak.

So what and big deal, right?

Well, I would like to inform you that this was my first time.  In fact, from the age of 13 until I was a married woman (12 years later) I never even ate steak, let alone made it.  The first time I re-had red meat was on our honeymoon... we drove past a Brazilian steak house or churrascaria (which you need to go to at the earliest opportunity -- TRUST ME).  I turned to my husband and said, "If you would like to go, I will go with you.  And I will eat the meat -- FOR YOU."

I don't think he trusted me.  The only other time he had taken me to a churrascaria was in Brazil.  Tri-tip and top sirloin, leg of lamb and other great meat, coming to our table one after another, being offered up to us to eat all we wanted.

What did I choose?

The salad bar.  And the weird sushi at the salad bar.

It was a waste of a great amount of money.

But he must have felt it was worth the risk because we went.  $45 a person is always a lot, but when you are newly married and have not that many pennies to your name, it is A LOT.  So I ate the meat.  I continued eating.  I cleared off my plate and ate a little bit more.  And I discovered something... this stuff is GOOD!  That little green/red chip stayed on green the entire time and I had the worst belly ache on the way back to the hotel.

It was totally worth it.

I don't eat much red meat still.  Except when we have BBQ.  Or the occasional hamburger.  It really is a rarity to me.  My husband loves it though, and I wanted to surprise him with a dinner just for him.  No vegetarian/chic stuff this night... I brought out the meat.  Medium-rare, just how he likes it, topped with parsley sauce and sauteed mushrooms over a bed of mashed potatoes.  A side salad with a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In a word: perfection.

STEAK WITH PARSLEY SAUCE AND SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

Recipe from Great Food Fast, a cookbook by the creators of Everyday Food

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES

steak

·        2 strip, shell, or sirloin steaks (about ¾ pound each and 1 inch thick) ·        2 teaspoons olive oil ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper ·        Parsley Sauce (see recipe below) ·        Sautéed Mushrooms (see recipe below)	1.      Coat the steaks with the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 2.      Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high.  Add the steaks; cook until browned, 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. 3.      Transfer the steaks to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before slicing thin.  Serve with the parsley sauce and sautéed mushrooms.
parsley sauce	sautéed mushrooms
·        1 glove garlic, chopped ·        1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves ·        ¼ cup olive oil ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper	·        6 ounces shiitake mushrooms ·        8 ounces cremini mushrooms ·        2 teaspoons olive oil ·        1 shallot, minced ·        coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
In a blender, puree the garlic, parsley, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Any left over sauce can be stored in the refridgerator, covered in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Makes ½ cup	Cut off the shiitake mushroom stems and discard; thinly slice the caps.  Trim the tough ends of the cremini mushrooms, then quarter each mushroom.  Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shallot; cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the cremini; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the shiitakes; cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Serves 4

COST: $20.48  COST PER SERVING (4): $5.12

+ mashed potatoes and salad: $5.85 per plate

(Click on 'mashed potatoes' above to be taken to the recipe.)

Spinach & Feta Phyllo Roll

Phyllo Dough: must be Greek for 'ingredient from Hell'

Seriously.  After tearing my tenth sheet of it and having it crumble under my fingers, I just about cried.  Cooking was supposed to be fun, and this was anything but.  Stupid phyllo dough.

I wasn't even supposed to have it to begin with.  I accidentally grabbed the box for it out of the freezer section while trying to get puff pastry.  They were side by side, and somehow I didn't even notice that I had the wrong one. But instead of taking it back I decided to do something with it.  With a little help from Google and Martha, I knew what I wanted to do.

If only I knew how tricky it was!

Sheet after sheet broke in my fingertips.  I used the damp towel, I thawed according to instructions... but I could not get the hang of it.  So I did what we all do these days: I whined and complained on Facebook.

And because of that whining and complaining I now have a date with a Greek grandma who knows her phyllo business!

Besides, when it was all said and done, the tears I almost shed out of frustration were for naught.  I thought I was going to have a botched recipe, but this dough had other plans and two delicious spinach & feta rolls emerged.

I guess we could say the ingredient from Hell yielded a dish from Heaven... Hallelujah!

** I have heard that it isn't always this hard, so please do not avoid using it because of me.  I know I have not made a strong case for using Phyllo dough, but the end result is more than worth any frustration to be had!

SPINACH & FETA PHYLLO ROLL

Recipe straight from EverydayFood, June 2009

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 packages (20 ounces each) baby spinach
• 1 cup crumbled feta (4 ounces)
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 20 sheets frozen phyllo dough (from an 8-ounce package), thawed and cut to 8 by 12 inches

Directions

1. In a medium pan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Return pan to heat. Working in batches, cook spinach, tossing, until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain spinach and let cool. Press out excess moisture, then roughly chop. Add spinach, feta, and raisins to bowl with onion and season filling with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate, up to 2 days.)
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll phyllo. Place 1 sheet on a work surface (keep remaining sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying); brush with oil. Lay another sheet on top and brush with oil. Repeat until you have 10 layers of phyllo. Spread half of filling lengthwise down middle of phyllo stack. Roll into a log, brushing the seam with oil before sealing. Brush log with oil. Using a small sharp knife, make 8 diagonal cuts on top. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling.
4. Place logs, seam side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until deep golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Cut into slices along slashes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook's Note

When you unroll your phyllo, check to see if the stack measures 8 by 12 inches. If not, cut the phyllo to size. If serving the pie as a main course, double the recipe.

COST: $7.30  
COST PER SERVING (16 little pieces):$0.46
COST PER SERVING (4 large pieces): $1.83 

The US Presidents and Rainbow Chard Rigatoni

I have been living and breathing information about the US Presidents these past few weeks.  Learning them in order; finding out who their Veep was and who else was on their cabinet; discovering what made them great -- or not so great -- leaders of our country; reading interesting tidbits about their personal lives.

FYI, John Quincy Adams liked to swim the Potomac daily -- in the nude.

Why do I have such a hobby as learning about the presidents, you ask?  It all boils down to a Social Studies Fair and 25 students who wanted to be presidents for the evening.  Maybe for life.

It's hard work transforming third graders into presidents -- research and reading and poetry writing along with 'interviews' they must transcribe... painting 'self' portraits as well as writing and memorizing speeches... coming up with a stellar costume. But they did the work and last night it paid off.  The Hall of Presidents was open and the public (parents and friends) enjoyed.

And now Teacher is going to crash...

But first I need to share a little bit about this rainbow chard you see here.

I hate the stuff.

Ok, ok, I don't hate it.  I used to.  A lot.  Something to do with it being the only vegetable that continually grew in our little garden growing up, making it and its super sandy texture a common occurrence on our dining table.

'Common'?  Maybe an understatement.

So when I went to Farmer's Market last week and my friend said, "Oh, you really need try this!" and I saw the nice price of one buck, I had to give it another try.

And?

Well, maybe that sandy texture I remember wasn't as bad as my memory claimed it to be.  The taste?  Not that bad... according to my husband it was actually quite good.  In fact, he would like me to repeat this dish. Soon.  So, I guess chard isn't all that bad.  This dish isn't, that's for sure.

I guess I can't say I hate chard all that much anymore... and I can definitely say I might know more about the US presidents than the average American ;)

RAINBOW CHARD RIGATONI
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living, June 2006

Ingredients

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound rigatoni, or other tubular pasta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Rainbow chard, leaves cut into 1/2-inch strips and stems cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine 
• 1/3 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) almonds, toasted
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta; cook 3 minutes less than package indicates. Drain.
2. Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat about 1 minute. Add garlic and onions; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in chard, lemon zest, wine, 1 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until chard has just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in pasta, ricotta, and almonds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among 4 serving dishes. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.
   
   

   COST: $6.27    COST PER SERVING (4): $1.57

Garlic+Cilantro+Gouda Biscuits

Got up, went to work, felt icky, took my temperature, turned around, and headed back home.

TV, books, blankets, tissue, naps... all of those sound good but don't let it fool you.  Sick days suck.

Except when you have the stupidly brilliant (or maybe just stupid) plan to make biscuits because driving one mile to the store to buy bread just sounds like too much work.  And for some reason I forgot that making biscuits is not whipping up brownie mix...

I took Joy the Baker's jalapeno, cheddar, and chive recipe and looked in the fridge.  No cheddar, but I had Gouda.  No chives but I had cilantro.  And no jalapenos, but garlic might just give enough kick, right?

RIGHT.

Worn out, tired, messy, achy, cranky, and temperature warming up... dropped on the couch with a plate of these in my hands.

Totally worth it.

Sick days suck. But these biscuits more than made up for that.

GARLIC, CILANTRO, and GOUDA BISCUITS

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 4½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of milk + 1 teaspoon of white vinegar mixed to make buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped small
• ½ cup Gouda, cubed
• 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• Coarse sea salt for topping

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 of the milk combo and egg. In another small bowl, toss garlic, cilantro, and Gouda together.

3. Add the butter to the flour mixture and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour until the flour resembles coarse meal.  

4. Ad the garlic mixture and mix until well coated.  Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the milk and egg mixture all at once. Toss together with a fork, making sure that all of the flour bits are moistened by the buttermilk. Dump the biscuit dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly, just enough to bring the dough together.

5. Pat the dough until about 1 inch thick.  Cut the dough into 2 inch squares. Gather the dough scrapes, pat into a new circle and cut more squares. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.  (You can use a round biscuit cutter if you are fancy like that.)

6. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheets, brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can eat them straight from there the next day, or reheat in a 350-degree oven until warmed through.

 COST: $4.89           COST PER SERVING (12): $0.41

*Yes, you might have seen these pictures before.  Like I said, I was sick.  I think it is a good excuse to recycle ;)

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It's a love/hate relationship these days... (Sweet Potato Pizza)

Love/Hate.

Words that are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Well, kind of.

I would say that love and apathy are on the opposite ends, in actuality.

But let's roll with this.  We hear it all the time. "I have a love/hate relationship with ______________." It might be a person, a situation, or in my case, a food.

Sweet Potato Pizza.  It's a love/hate thing, for sure.

Let's get the LOVE out there, first and foremost.

This might possibly be the best tasting pizza that has ever graced my kitchen.  Wait, might? Nah... IS.  This IS the best tasting pizza that has ever graced my kitchen.

The blend of garlic and sweet potatoes, combined with a Parmesan and fresh greens top... WOW.  And that Trader Joe's garlic herb pizza dough?  Um, HELLO.  This is vegetarian goodness that my super carnivorous husband asks for again and again.

So yes, we LOVE this pizza.

And for the HATE?

Well, that is primarily experiential.  The first three (three!) times I made it I looked at those vibrant oranges and greens, and I couldn't take pictures of it.  Darn sun that kept setting too early!  So I had to keep making it again.  And again.  And again.  Until finally I had enough light in the day to take pictures (hooray for Daylights Savings Time -- a food blogger's best friend).  But then my sweet potato was white when I peeled the skin away.  No vibrant orange for me.  Oh, the let down!  So you will just have to trust me that this is, indeed, a sweet potato pizza.

And the other bad thing?  Easy.  It goes away too fast when all I want to do is keep eating more... because really, I can't get enough.

I guess love wins.

SWEET POTATO PIZZA

ingredients

• 1 pack fresh pizza dough or make your own (I used Trader Joe's... $1.29)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced                                                     
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 head garlic, peeled
• 1 T olive oil + 2 T more
• salt/pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 cup fresh greens (baby lettuce, arugula, etc.)

directions

1.       Prepare pizza dough according to directions on package.  Mix sweet potato, onion, and garlic with 1 T. olive oil and a bit of salt/pepper in roasting pan.  Cook at 400*F for 10 minutes or until soft. 

2.      Spread dough out on pizza pan or baking tray.  Brush with remaining olive oil.  Spread cooked sweet potato mixture on top.  Top with cheese.  Bake for 13-15 min. at 400*F or until lightly golden brown.

3.      Remove pizza from oven and top with fresh greens.  Cut and serve.  ENJOY!

 COST: $5.24           COST PER SERVING (3): $1.75

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Creamy Asparagus Soup with Chicken Sausage

There are some things I really stink at.  Like, I am terrible at these things.

Keeping my closet organized would be one of them.

I mean, I do get it organized again every week or so.  But in the meantime?  Eh.  Out of sight, out of mind.

Keeping up with my nails.  Oh man. You do not want to see them on a regular basis.  Broken, chipped paint, hang nails.  Sigh.  It is not (usually) a pretty sight.

Turning in paperwork on time.  Getting out of bed when my alarm goes off.  Sending thank-you cards.

All things I suck at.

But there is something I am really good at --> making soup.

Chop, toss, and cook.

Really, what can go wrong?

Hallelujah for soup!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pack of chicken sausage, cut into 1/2 inch cubes    
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well   
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 small red-skinned potatoes (4 to 5 ounces total), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 cups chicken broth or stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 bunches asparagus (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch
• One 6-ounce container plain yogurt
• 1/4 whole wheat country loaf, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; add the sausage and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the leek and garlic to the pot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Scoop out 1/2 cup asparagus pieces and set aside for garnish. Using a blender and working in VERY SMALL batches, puree the soup. Return the soup to the pot, whisk in the yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle the sausage and asparagus pieces on top and serve with the bread.

COST: $8.50  COST PER SERVING (4): $2.13

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