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

Give Thanks 1 + Chicken Thighs over Butternut Squash

Fall is a season of orange. Seriously. Look at the leaves, the pumpkins, the recipes on my page.  Today I have another orange-colored recipe for you.  I also have some "thanks" to give out.  Because Fall is also a season of thanksgiving.

This year, instead of finding something I am grateful for (a warm bed, a home to call my own, etc.), I am focusing on someone that I am grateful for.  Many posts this month will be include these mentions of gratitude.  And I hope you will join me and share your person that you are grateful for in the comments.

Day 1: I am grateful for the legacy of a pastor I had when I was 20 years old. He didn't get to see it play out because he (along with his life and son) were taken long before anyone expected, but I am thankful for him recognizing leadership ability in me when nobody else did, myself included. He sought me out to and gave me responsibility, and I grew in ways I never would have if he had not seen that potential in me.  Some day I will be able to say thank you to his face, but until then I will never forget that he was the one who started that area of growth in my life.

Day 2: I am grateful for my dad, whose words of pride started off my day.

Day 3 (today): I was going to wait until a specific date (one with great significance) to say this, but everyday it is the truth: I am grateful for my husband. BEYOND grateful. He loves me with a full love, truly is my best friend, my laughing buddy, my fellow adventure planner, and my shoulder to cry on. I am a blessed woman, and I am aware of that every day.

Who have YOU been grateful for these past three days?

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CRANBERRIES

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food,October 2011

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, halved, and seeded
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 chicken thighs
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, cut into ½-inch wedges
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup dried cranberries

directions

1. Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
2. In a large pot with a heavy bottom, heat 1 T. of oil over medium-high.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and, in two batches, cook skin side down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate; pour off fat from pot.
3. Add 1 T. oil, squash, and onion to pot and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add sage, flour, ginger, and nutmeg.  Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute.  Nestle chicken, skin side up, in squash mixture.  Add cranberries and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

                                                                                                         

COST: $11.93              COST PER SERVING (4): $2.98

Unprocessed    //    Fall Food    //   Dairy Free

Apologies + Tomato Salad

Dear Friends Who Leave Me Voicemails,
I am sorry I never reply to you.  Actually, I am sorry I never even check your messages but just delete them and call you back when I have time.  I would like to say I have some good excuse, but I don't, other than I simply don't like checking my voice mail.  Sorry.

Dear Other Drivers on the Road,
I am sorry for all the times I wished the CHP upon you when you ticked me off.  I wouldn't like it if you did the same in return... oh wait, I am pretty sure you do do it in return.  Oh well.

Dear Friends Who Invite Me Over,
I am sorry for all the times I brought lame, store bought food to potluck dinners.  I know that you expect more from a woman with a food blog, but it's just so easy to hit up Safeway on the way over...

Dear Digestive Track,
I am sorry for all the times I fed you cheese or popcorn, knowing full well that it would make you miserable, and therefore make me miserable. I apologize for thinking more about the taste buds than I think about you.

Dear College Roommate,
I am sorry that I showed up to your wedding in the wrong colored bridesmaid's dress. You said 'blackberry' and I wrote down 'black', only to find out the day of your wedding that 'blackberry' was code for 'dark purple'.  Oops.  (And thank you for still being my friend, despite that.)

Dear Husband,
I am sorry for all the times I made you sit through The Bachelor with me. I know you have about 1,287,658 things you would rather be doing, but you power through so I can have someone to comment to.  You are a trooper!

And, Meu Amor, while I am at at, I am sorry that I never feed you Brazilian food anymore.  You have given up your country and your language and all the people you knew, and I don't want you to have to give up your food, as well.  I hope this tomato salad can help put us back on the half-American-half-Brazilian track again.  Besides, with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice it is delicious and there is no reason not to have this on our plate, regularly.  Kind of like pico de gallo as a side dish...  Yum.

Whew!  It was good to get that all off my chest ;)

// Day 13 of Blog Every Day in May //

BRAZILIAN TOMATO SALAD

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 3-4 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
• ½ onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice from 1-2 limes or ½ lemon
• salt, to taste

directions

1.      Mix tomatoes and onions together.  Add cilantro and lime/lemon juice with salt.  Enjoy!

 COST: $3.14       COST PER SERVING (4): $0.79 

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)

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

Easy BBQ-Style Chicken {Quick Fix}

(I placed my chicken on top of a bed of fresh spring greens coated in a Greek yogurt/lemon juice/minced garlic/dab of honey dressing.  You can pair it with anything you like.  It's versatile like that.)

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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Viva Farmer's Market! (Carrot and Pea Soup with Dumplings)

Two weeks ago I found a farm stand on the side of the road on our way to the beach.  (Yes, farm stand and beach appeared in that sentence, and yes, two weeks ago was January.  Man, I love living in California!)  We have driven past it many times but always found some good reason why we couldn't stop.  Too cold from the ocean, too hot from the sun, too... lazy.  But we did, and it rocked my world.

$12.15 later, we walked out of there with bags and bags of produce... tangerines, sweet potatoes, leeks, garlic, onions, pears, apples, and more.  That week, instead of making my menu first and then finding the produce to go with it, I looked at what I had and thought, "What can I do with these leeks?  How about these sweet potatoes?"

Success.

Since we weren't going to drive past this farm stand this past weekend we walked down to the Farmer's Market.  In the last city we lived in the farmer's market was kind of hoity-toity.  Sure, there was good stuff there, but mostly it was orchids and perogies and $5 heads of lettuce.  But where we live today it is a whole different story.  It is what I truly want from a farmer's market -- fruits and veggies, honey and cheese, all grown/made in our own backyard, sold at a good price.  We walked out of there, once again, bags full of produce, pockets still full of money.

Radishes, beets, carrots, more sweet potatoes (as you can tell, I have a thing for them...), onions, cilantro, and whole lot more.  And once again I made my grocery list based off of that.  Broccoli beef stir-fry one night, sweet potato and arugula pizza the next; salads galore and fresh garlic cheese to munch on.  My grocery list for the store?  Nine items.  NINE.

My menu planning will never be the same.

One of those nine items on the list: peas.  That was all that was separating us from being able to make one of our favorite soups.  The farmer's market supplied us with the carrots, onions, celery, and parsley; my pantry provided the flour, baking powder, and vegetable stock.  And in the fridge we found milk, butter, and Dijon mustard.  Put it all together and we had ourselves some warm, hearty soup.  Perfect for these cold winter evenings.

And by cold I mean 45*F ;)

Carrot and Pea Soup with Dumplings
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Everyday, March 2011

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 carrots--peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• 2 rib  celery, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• Salt and pepper

• 1 fresh bay leaf

• 2 rounded tablespoons flour

• 1 32 ounce container  (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

• 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 1 cup frozen peas
• FOR DUMPLINGS:

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or dill

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk +bit of white vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

directions

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add the butter to melt, then add the carrots, celery and onion; season with salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots soften, 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the vegetables and stir for a minute, then whisk in the chicken (or vegetable) stock until thickened. Stir in the mustard and peas. For a thinner soup, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups water with the stock.
2. Add the chopped fresh parsley to the flour, buttermilk, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well to form batter. When the soup is bubbling, form the batter into small dumplings using 2 spoons, then drop onto the surface of the soup. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook the dumplings, gently stirring, until just firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the soup and dumplings to shallow bowls; discard the bay leaf.

COST: $4.19  COST PER SERVING (4): $1.05

Tilapia with Bell Peppers and Parsley-Spiked Couscous

A few years back, while teaching on the island of Ebeye, I encountered a problem with words.  It started while reading Encyclopedia Brown with my 5th graders.

"Then Encyclopedia and... and..." the little girl stopped.

"Phoebe," I suggested.

"... and" then she dropped her voice down to a whisper, "Phoebe followed the trail.
Popcorn Manty."  She let out a sigh of relief and relaxed back into her chair.

It was Manty's turn to read, but he just looked at the book for a moment.  Finally he read, "Fo-ay-bee and Encyclopedia..."

"Phoebe, it's Phoebe."

"Um, ok... 'she picked up her magnifying glass and looked down at the ground.'  Popcorn Bokjuwa."  Another sigh of relief, another body relaxing into a wooden chair.

Man, I thought, what is with these kids today?  You would think that after me telling them it is Phoebe for the fifteenth time, they would get it.  

But no, Bokjuwa had the same problem.  Except hers was pronounced like Foo-bay.

"Guys, it's Fee-bee.  FEE-BEE.  Say it with me."

Silence.

And then a hand shot up.  "Miss?" Pamela called out, "Um, that name, that word, um..."  She hesitated for a minute and then blurted it out, "In our language it means, you know, a girl's..." Then she glanced down at her crotch.

Oops.

I learned a valuable lesson that day.  Don't name your daughter Phoebe if there is any chance she may live in the Marshall Islands some day.

It wasn't long after that my roommate and I were making some couscous for dinner.  A neighbor girl, originally from the island of Pohnpei, was doing her homework at out table.  Lisa and I kept talking, but every time we said "couscous" Dixie started to giggle.  Finally, I asked her what was up.

"Oh Miss!  Couscous," giggle giggle, "it means something kind of bad in my language."  And then she giggled some more.

So, couscous.  What does it mean in Pohnpeian?  Like she said, something 'kind of bad'.  Not anything I can repeat here, being family-friendly and all.  I will let your imaginations run with that one.  But let's just say that every time I cook couscous, I giggle.

But dinner tonight?  No giggling needed.  Straight-up good.  Good for you, good tasting, and good on the wallet.  Tilapia with bell pepper and some parsley spiked couscous.

Couscous.

*Giggle, giggle*

Recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray, March 2011

  Serves:  4          Prep Time:  10 minutes          Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

TipGrate the lemon peel and stir it into the couscous.

TipDust the tilapia with flour before cooking to give it a light crust.

TipMake fish tacos by serving the cooked tilapia and vegetables with warm flour tortillas and salsa.

• 1 7.6 ounce box  couscous

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

• Salt and pepper

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 skinless tilapia fillets (about 1 1/4 pounds), patted dry

• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

• 2 bell peppers, cut into thin strips

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil; remove from the heat, stir in the couscous, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Using a fork, stir in 1/2 cup parsley, salt and pepper. Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden-brown and just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, squeeze a wedge of lemon over each fillet and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Using the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the bell peppers and onion and season with salt and pepper; cook until softened and golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon the vegetables over the tilapia and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with the couscous and remaining lemon wedges.

COST:  $11.12     COST PER SERVING (4): $2.78