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

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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Kick-off to October Unprocessed: White Bean Soup with Kale and Sausage

Canned food is not real food.  At least that's what my Brazilian husband tells me.  Canned beans are not really beans, but something to to be prodded with a fork and stared at.  Then dump down the drain.  I used to laugh at him, but you know what?  Now I pretty much agree.

Have you tasted fresh beans compared to canned beans?  WOW.  So much difference.  And the most interesting part?  Canned beans don't go bad for a long time.  Really.  You can leave them in the fridge for a week and a half and they still smell normal.  That can't be natural.  Too many preservatives, I suppose.  So we are 99% of the time can free.

Except for Campbell's.  Don't take away my Campbell's.

Monday starts the month of October, and with that means in our house (and many houses around the country -- maybe even world) October Unprocessed is about to start, as well.  As I shared last year at this time:

What is this, exactly?  Well, according to the mastermind behind it, Andrew Wilder, it is a push to get people to stop and think about what they putting in their bodies.  For the month of October, over 1,800 of us (yes, you read that correctly) have decided to put away packaged goods and go for it. 

Of course, each person might consider something processed that another does not, so here is the working definition for unprocessed food that we are using for this challenge (taken from Andrew's blog, Eating Rules!).

Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients.  It doesn’t mean you actually have to make it yourself, it just means that for it to be considered “unprocessed” that you could, in theory, do so.

What does that mean for us?  Well, Ok, you can take away my Campbell's.  And the Skippy.  Condiments will be shelved for the month and I will be baking with raw sugar and unbleached flour.  But really, it isn't that hard.  See this bowl of soup?  Beans, in the pressure cooker, with some garlic and fresh chicken stock (not Knorr, which I usually use).  Add some kale, grill some fresh chicken sausage from Trader Joe's (no preservatives, just meat), and top with some Parmesan, also from TJ's (ingredients: milk, live bacteria, salt).  

Easy.  Fresh.  Unprocessed.

Last year at this time I was terrified.  TERRIFIED.  How on earth was going to survive a month without processed foods?!  But I did.  And I thrived.  I learned a lot, tried new things, and pretty much started a new way of eating year round, not just in October.  

Not to mention, I lost some pudge around my belly.  That was a completely unexpected result, but one that I will take gladly!

I have looked through my recipes from this year and have some great tasting and easy to make recipes that fit this bill, so I am going to be making a menu plan for each week for any of you brave enough to try October Unprocessed.  The first weekly plan will be up tomorrow, so check back to prepare for the week. WE CAN DO IT, Friends!  

Are you brave enough to join me?  Come on, let's do it!

(To read through my experience last year, click HERE.)

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, September 2012

YIELD: 8 servings       PREP TIME:  15 minutes        TOTAL TIME:  1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried white beans
• 4 cups fresh chicken broth, either from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, or make your own
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt
• 1 large bunch kale, roughly chopped, ribs removed
• Vegetable oil, for grill
• 1 pound chicken sausage, from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods (or a butcher)
• Grated Parmesan, for serving  (remember -- FRESH.  Nothing weird on the ingredients list!)

Directions

1. In a 6-quart pressure cooker, cover beans by 2 inches water, bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Let soak 30 minutes. Drain beans and return to pressure cooker. Add broth and garlic; season with salt. Secure lid. Bring to high pressure over medium-high heat; reduce heat and cook until beans are tender, 20 to 22 minutes (adjust heat to maintain pressure). Remove from heat, vent pressure, and remove lid. Stir in kale.
2. Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. Grill sausages until browned, about 12 minutes; let rest 5 minutes, then slice. Serve soup topped with sausages and Parmesan.

Cook's Note

To get the basics on pressure cookers, click here.

COST: $6.93    COST PER SERVING (8): $0.87

Tomato Pizza with Ricotta and Oregano

I live in a cave.  No, not literally.  Figuratively.  (Although living in a cave literally could be pretty awesome if it was outfitted correctly.  And there were no bats.  None.)

The problem is this: there are windows facing the East and windows facing the West, but not a single window facing North or South.  So if I get really early in the morning I can catch some good light in the guest room (AKA sports equipment room + ironing room + art supply room + random box holding room).  But that doesn't work on days I have to go to work.  Or if I am in the right spot at the right time in the evening, I can catch some good light on my kitchen floor.  Yes, floor.  Hey -- my options are limited.

But today I discovered lighting gold.  If I move my toaster and my olive oil and -- well, you get the picture -- I have a little area that has pretty good light.  Not perfect, but better than most places in my cave.  This may sound pathetic, but I did a little happy dance over that.  Taking pictures on the counter so beats taking pictures on the floor!

This great light captured some even greater today -- tomato pizza.

Did you know I don't like pizza?  I mean, it is OK, but I hate tomato sauce on pizza.  HATE it.  So I have to find a place that has pesto or white sauce like Round Table.  And then there is all that cheese.  Makes a body not so happy, at least in my experience.  Sure, the taste buds like it, but the digestive track?  Not so much.  At least not ooey-gooey cheese like mozzarella.  But this pizza?  Well, thank you Everyday Food for suggesting it to me!  No tomato sauce and instead of ooey-gooey cheese it is a ricotta and Parmesan blend.  Not as hard on my belly.  And of course, fresh tomatoes!

As for the oregano, I pulled a little bit out of my herb garden.  I always feel a little bit like Laura Ingalls Wilder when I eat something that I planted myself.

So, for this generally-non-pizza-eating-girl and her Brazilian-pizza-eating-husband (which, by the way, ROCKS and would beat American pizza in Rock Paper Scissors each and every time), how did this pizza score?

TEN!  From both of us.

Sorry, Round Table, but there is a new pizza love in town.

Tomato pizza with ricotta and oregano

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, September 2012

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. fresh pizza dough (I used garlic-herb dough from Trader Joe's -- only $1.29)
• 4 T olive oil
• 1 c. fresh whole milk ricotta 
• 4 oz. grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 2 pints small tomatoes (either grape, cherry, or mini-heirloom -- I used the heirloom)
• 1 large heirloom tomato, any color, cut into half moons
• salt and pepper
• fresh oregano, to top

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 500F with racks at the thirds.  Take pizza dough and drizzle 2T of olive oil on top.  Roll out into a 16-inch oval and place on baking sheet.
2. Mix ricotta, Parmesan, and some salt (1/8 teaspoon maybe) in a bowl.  Beat in egg.  Spread on top of pizza dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
3. Mix the small tomatoes with the remaining olive oil (2T) and salt and pepper to taste.  Put in an oven-safe dish or rimmed baking sheet.  No need to cut them first.  Place the pizza dough on the top rack in  the oven and the tomatoes on the bottom rack, and bake for 15 minutes, or until tomato skins have burst.  Remove tomatoes and bake pizza dough about 5 minutes more, or until deep golden brown.  
4. Mix the large heirloom tomato pieces in with the cooked ones.  Place on top of pizza when it comes out of the oven.  Top with fresh oregano.  Enjoy! :)

COST: $9.84   Cost per serving (4): $2.46

Plus a side salad, $2.91 per plate

Stewed White Beans with Spinach

Don't have much to say about this one, quick and easy, mix and cook, the end.

This is a great dish to have when friends are over because you can easily make it and top with bacon and cheese (which is my style), leave off the bacon to make it vegetarian, or leave off both the bacon and cheese and cook with vegetable broth to make it vegan.  And it takes only about 20 minutes start to finish.  Like I said above, easy.  And fresh.  Perfect.

(A picture of my life, right there.  Food on the stove, Havaianas on my feet, and comfy clothes on my body.  Life.  It's great.)

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray, March 2011

Ingredients 

• 4 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon, gave it a lighter feel, but any would taste good)
• 1 pound baby red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 15 ounce cans white kidney beans beans, rinsed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning halfway through, until just crisp, 8 to 10 minutes; drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.
2. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, chicken broth and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 7 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Crumble the bacon on top and sprinkle with the parmesan.

Cost: $9.74                 Cost Per Serving (4): $2.44

Mushroom Risotto

I love risotto.  Along with mashed potatoes, it is probably my favorite side dish.  Yeah, I get that both are loaded with calories, and I am not even going to pretend that I made some "light" version.  Nope.  This is straight up gooey goodness, with mushrooms thrown in the middle. 

The first time I made this dish was -- shoot -- two years ago maybe?  Whenever it was is not the point though.  The fact that it was my first true meal I cooked that called for more than four steps was really the kicker.  I took a Tyler Florence recipe and made it happen.

That, my friends, was victory.

A nice, savory victory.

Now I don't have to follow the recipe; I just do it.  No measuring, no making sure things are in the right order... just toss things here, throw things there, heat it up, make it happen.  It used to take about an hour, now it takes 40 minutes.  Yes, still a little time consuming, but it is worth it.   

We eat it not as a side, but as our main dish.  I make sure we have some salad on the side to get our veggies in and dinner is served.  And it is good!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 4T butter, divided in half
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2T fresh dill
• 2 c. arborio rice
• 6 c. chicken bullion (or vegetable if you prefer)
• l/2 c. white wine (optional... tastes good both ways)
• 1/2 c. Parmesan shredded
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, melt 2T of butter over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, dill, and half of the onion.  Cook 8-10 minutes until soft.  Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat chicken bullion in medium pot.  Keep heated on medium.
3. In large pot, melt remaining butter.  Add garlic and remaining onion.  Saute until clear, about 3 minutes.  Add rice and stir into onion mixture.  Let cook for 45 seconds.  Add wine and simmer for two minutes if desired.
4. Add 2 cups of bullion to the rice mixture and turn heat down to lowest setting.  Simmer and add 1 - 2 cups of bullion when needed.  Keep doing this until all the bullion is gone and there is little liquid remaining in rice mixture.
5. Add mushroom mixture and Parmesan; stir.

Yields five (5) servings.

Cost: $7.64                   Cost Per Serving (5): $1.53