Surprize ! That never came from a chicken !

Some things in life are really surprising. A chance encounter with a new person becomes your life long BFF, that accidental wrong turn brings you to discover a new favorite place and so forth. It can happen with food as well. We become culturally conditioned that certain foods go together and certain foods do not. Biscuits and gravy go together, while biscuits and lemons- not so much. Then one day, if we are lucky, we come across a way that combines what we believe to be inharmonious foods in a very delicious way. The following dish is one of those.

It includes potatoes and eggplant

two foods that most people would not normally combine. Why exactly is an eggplant called an eggplant ? It does not look or taste like an egg. Who knows. Who cares ! One thing is for certain- it is from the botanical family called nightshade, and that family includes things like tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. Most of these got their start in Central America. Columbus brought these back into Europe, where they did fantastic things with them . This dish was shown on an episode of David Rocco's Dolce Vita, and I figured out what it should be called in Italian - always makes a dish sound more exotic !

Melanzana patatina fritta con Trapanaise

1 pint grape tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, de-germed and sliced
a bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus extra for frying eggplant and potatoes
salt to taste
2 eggplants, cubed
3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced into strips
1 lb pasta mufalda
1 cup pecorino cheese, freshly grated ( or any hard cheese you like, freshly grated)

 Place tomatoes, garlic and basil in a large mortar, or smash with an immersion blender(this is a raw sauce)
   
Add extra virgin olive oil, salt and use a pestle or immersion blender to crush the ingredients into a paste. If it looks too dry, add more olive oil.Crush the ingredients until the pesto sauce is even in consistency.
   

Heat up extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan and fry eggplant until golden.
Place fried eggplant on an absorbent paper towel to drain excess oil.
Season the eggplant, while hot, with salt.
Do the same to fry up the potatoes.
Place pasta in a pot of boiling salted water. Stir initially to prevent from sticking.
Drain the spaghetti when it is al dente­.
Place the spaghetti in a large mixing bowl, add the pesto sauce, half the quantity of eggplant, potatoes, pecorino cheese and mix thoroughly.Toss in remaining eggplant and potatoes and toss with cheese. Serve.
   

It makes for a very tasty and hearty dish ! While potatoes and tomatoes can be thought of as going together ( think french fries and catsup), potatoes and eggplant not so much. But it works and it works well ! It's yet another meatless dish that can make the whole Meatless Fridays in Lent seem like Feasting Fridays in Lent.

You mean there are other pastas ?

I have a confession- I LOVE pasta. It was not always the case in my life. As a child, there were only a handful of varieties seen at our table - elbows, shells, mostacholi, spaghetti , ravioli and egg noodles. Almost always coated in tomato sauce, cream of whatever or on very special occasions, cheese. Pasta was unimaginative, and had uninteresting names. Then one day my husband happened to set foot in what was to become our favorite store due to a car problem, and he noticed that they carried "all kinds of pasta" at a really low price. He is half Sicilian, but his family did not keep up with many of the culinary traditions.  At that time our son, a high functioning Autistic, would only eat pasta morning, noon and night.Pasta varieties at a low price was kind of like finding surplus money in a pair of old jeans. So we returned once the car was repaired, and I felt like I was discovering a wonderful, fun filled world. So many shapes ! So many hysterical names when translated !( orchetti- little ears, vermacelli-little worms,tagliatteli-little cut ones,campanelli- bell shaped pasta,farafelli- butterfly or bow tie shaped and so on). So many shapes, each designed for very specific sauce delivery !

Happily my son's diet has greatly improved, and he is overcoming many of the challenges of Autism . I keep looking for new horizons in pasta, just because it makes me giggle thinking about the translation of the names.. If it combines a fun shape with fresh vegetables , it's even better. This dish was inspired by one that I had seen on an episode of one a show hosted by Giada DeLaurentis, and struck me as a wonderful combo of flavors.

Conchigliette with red onion and citrus

8 cups chicken stock

1 lb small shaped pasta ( I used Conchigliette here)

1 navel orange

1 red grapefruit OR 2 mandarin oranges OR 1 blood orange (flavor preference)

1 red onion cut into moons and sliced thin

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped fine ( or 1 T dried)

1/2 cup fresh mint , chopped fine ( ot 1 T dried)

1 handful fresh spinach, chopped fine

1 t  salt

1/2 t pepper

In a large pan, bring the chicken stock to a boil, add pasta and cook till done. Drain and pour on a cookie sheet to dry out slightly. Meanwhile, zest the navel orange and add the zest to the oil, letting steep for about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and whisk. Gut the zested orange into sections ( remove peel and cut into sections, and do the same with the other fruit. Place the pasta in a bowl, add citrus fruits, chopped herbs and chopped spinach and toss. Drizzle the infused oil on the pasta mix and toss. Serve . This one can be made ahead and left to sit in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors meld. And giggle at the knowledge that Conchigliette simply means little shells.

Pasta and boys on the side

Sometimes , when you are cooking every day, you can get stuck in a sort of food rut. The same way to make chicken, the same way to make pork chops, and after a time it seems the same ole salad mix and pasta or rice the same ole way.With pasta it seems you think either butter and Parmesan cheese or tomato sauce or the ole cheddar cheese standby. In desperation you reach for a can of cream of whatever soup, the family is happy, but something deep inside screams for a new idea for a side.

I think you need to look no further than the Italians for a millions tasty, creative ways to make pasta exciting, usually with very common ingredients. I had come across this  combination many times, but something about it made me thing it would be too weird or too "carby". Last night for dinner I was feeling daring, and a little stuck for a side with a most excellent piece of cod. I do know it has an Italian name, but for the life of me I cannot remember what it is. Lets simply call it Pasta with breadcrumbs and walnuts. Call it whatever you will- just as long as you don't forget to call me to eat when it is ready !

                             Pasta with breadcrumbs, walnuts, parsley and garlic- serves 4-6

1 lb pasta with ridges ( Rigatoni works nice)

1 handful italian parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and then chopped

2-8 cloves of garlic, germed and chopped ( to taste)

1/2 c olive oil

In a big bowl combine the breadcrumbs, parsley  and walnuts. Cook the pasta to al dente. Meanwhile in a small pan saute the garlic in olive oil, being careful not to burn. Drain the pasta, reserving a small amount of water. Add pasta to the breadcrumb mix, toss, add the reserved water, toss and then pour on the olive oil. Toss and serve. No need for cheese here as the breadcrumbs give the mouth feel of cheese, the walnuts and olive oil give the smooth texture of cheese. It is lick the plate, mixing bowl and utensils yummy ! I served it with a simple peice of cod, seasoned with a little salt, pepper, dill, pats of butter and lemon slices, baked in a 425 oven for 12 minutes and placed on top a bed of baby spinach

The boys in the house ( as well as this mom) loved it ! Simple, nourishing ingredients make a satisfying meal.  After discovering yet again how well these Italian flavor combinations work, I am becoming brave enough to tackle one of the very few foods I have never tried- anchovy ! I hear mixed reviews about these, and I am beginning to believe that it is the way they are combined with other flavors that makes then loved or despised. The guys in the house don't seem to have the same desire I have for new culinary horizons. Don't get me wrong- they are happy as anything with the results coming out of the kitchen since I began cooking just real food. However , they do not look at cans of artichokes, wondering if they would work in a tuna salad or get giddy over the prospects of fleur de selle ( fancy french sea salt). They simply get excited when something smells really good in the kitchen and the clock says that they will be eating it in a matter of minutes. Not a bad thing , really.They are always ready and willing to pitch in and help if I need it, do the dishes just because and go on shopping quests for all kinds of nifty ingredients. Like a side car on a motorcycle, they make the journey a whole lot more fun- and keep me happily stocked up in hugs, kisses and love .

Lemon pasta and other loves

Today begins the 40( plus change) day journey known as Lent. For those of you who are old school Catholics, the word Let brings up images of a scmear of ashes on the forehead, weeks of trying to give up whatever vice you have become best friends with and Meatless Fridays. To some people, the idea of life without meat is like cruel and unusual punishment, and for others it has come down to thoughts of "how can I make this blue box stuff taste any better". To these people I say meatless meals can be not only tasty but very filling, and the blue box stuff could be used as a charcoal lighter so you can grill a nice piece of salmon or something ( that may be the only way it leads to something that tastes good). Giving up meat for a meal or two ( or more) can enable you to investigate some wonderful options that will show you more flavor than you ever dreamed possible.

One very yummy option I learned from watching David Rocco. Let us all take a moment to bask in his flavor... !

A good looking man who knows how to cook ? What is not to love !  He features very authentic Italian dishes that use olive oil, rosemary, pasta ,tomatoes,veggies, fish and lemons quite frequently. If there is any culture that knows how to use a lemon to a masterful level , it would be the Italians ( followed closely by the Greeks). Lemons grow wild in Southern Italy and Greece, and have had the benefit of thousands of years worth of human ingenuity on how to best use them. Thumbs up to the concept of using local ingredients. It is in this way that you eventually discover things like olive oil. Here in the states this means a rich opportunity for someone to finally discover a use for Garlic Chives ( Jack by the Hedge).

 Or create that great Teasel Casserole using this beautiful person.

When I saw Rocco make this dish for the first time my mouth began to water, and I deeply craved it because of my perception of how these flavors would combine. It was a few days before I was able to make it, but the result was so worth the wait. It is sort of like elevated Mac and Cheese, and so good you may look for many occasions to create this simple but delicious dish  !

                                                          Lemon Pasta- feeds 4 as an entree

1 lb pasta

1 clove garlic

2 lemons

handful fresh parsley

5 T olive oil

1 cup grated cheese ( I like asiago)

Start your water to boil , and assemble your veggies. Take one clove of garlic, slice and rub the inside of your serving bowl with this. Discard the remaining clove. Zest the two lemons, chop your fresh parsley and place these in a bowl.

I use a little micro planer to zest the lemons. You want to get the rind only- that is where the flavor and aroma lies. The white part is bitter - kind of like an older woman reflecting on how she never became Miss State Fair  or married that Donald Trump guy.

In the bowl combine the olive oil, juice from both lemons and salt and pepper to taste. Using a wire whisk, whisk together and then mix in your grated cheese. Cheese and lemon together you say with horror ? Think cheesecake- and relax. They work together !

When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the bowl with the lemon and cheese mixture. Toss well and plate. Top the pasta with the chopped parsley and lemon zest, and additional grated cheese if desired.

The result is something that tastes so fresh and light that you might never eat macaroni with a cheddar sauce again.If you want it less green, use less parsley. Myself, I find that I could eat whole bunches of raw parsley, so I go a bit overboard. Whatever- that is the beauty of making your own food. You can add as much or as little of a seasoning as you desire ( or leave it out entirely). It's your meal- it does not impact me  !

Tasting dishes like this kind of makes me wish that the meatless customs of Lent could go year round. However that sort of idea could lead to the need to place something on your head when you walk into church- like that kleenex in your pocket in cases of an emergency. In these days of Aloe and Lanolin anntibacterial tissues, I would worry about how that might react with my super fluffy/shiny/speaks in fratalian conditioner. It is probably not a good thing.

Spice crusted tuna

One of the foods I am trying to focus on in our eating plan is fish. Low in calories and saturated fats, high in protein - what is not to love if you are working towards weight loss ? Fish is also a quick cook food, so it can fit in the time budget for most people as well. Problem is, most of us learn to bread it and deep fry it, and any health benefits go out the window. Cooking fish in a healthy way can be a little intimidating ! My problem has been getting the speed in which fish cooks downpat. Something in my mind screams error when a piece of protein supposedly goes from raw to cooked at a high temp in less than 10 minutes, yet this is the nature of most fish. In short, I am learning to cook fish properly now.

Last night I made some herb crusted seared tuna that may have been one of the best things I have ever eaten . My son called it chocolate fish and my husband said it was almost melt in your mouth steak, so I knew that I had found a winner. Do not let the number of spices intimidate you - there are several !

16-spice Seared Tuna W/mustard Mint Sauce

  3 tablespoons  ground cinnamon
  3 tablespoons  ancho chili powder
  3 tablespoons  pasilla chili powder
  3 tablespoons  ground cumin
  3 tablespoons  ground coriander
  3 tablespoons  ground ginger
  1 tablespoon  ground cloves
  1 tablespoon  ground fennel seed
  2 tablespoons  garlic powder
  2 tablespoons  onion powder
  1 tablespoon  allspice
  1 teaspoon  chile de arbol
  3 tablespoons  brown sugar
  2 tablespoons  kosher salt
  2 tablespoons  coarsely ground black pepper
  1 teaspoon  cayenne pepper
  3 tuna steaks -- (6-ounce)
  2 teaspoons  canola oil
  3 tablespoons  Dijon mustard
  2 tablespoons  honey
  1 tablespoon  prepared horseradish -- drained
  3 mint leaves -- finely chopped
   Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine all of the spices in a bowl. Rub 1 side of each tuna steak with some of the rub. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Place the tuna in the pan, rub-side down, and cook until golden brown and the spices have formed a crust, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes for rare doneness. Drizzle each steak with some of the Mustard-Mint Sauce.

To make the mint sauce  whisk together the last five ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

I served it with something we call chineese sesame noodles


 CHINESE SESAME NOODLES

     1/4 cup  peanut butter, creamy
     1/2 cup  hot water
     1/3 cup  soy sauce
  2 teaspoons  honey
  1 clove  garlic -- crushed
  1 teaspoon  ginger
  6   ounces  noodles -- cooked ( I used soba/buckwheat noodles)
   1 can mandarin oranges, drained

In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter or sesame paste with hot water
until creamy.  Whisk in soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger.  Add the
noodles. Top with orange segments  Serve warm or cold.

Motivations

I think I have found two powerful motivators for myself ! I mentioned the first one yesterday ( a trip to Minnesota to hike) , but the second one was revealed in the course of the days events. Rather than a motivating factor like a smaller size, a pedicure or other happy things, this is something that makes me so angry I could scream. Rather than getting angry about it , I am going to use it as my motivation to do all in my power not to be like the thing I hate. What is it ? There is this person whom I know who is battling with a lot of serious health problems. The illness does not make me angry, but rather the fact that they will not change their lifestyle to battle the diseases does. They seem to have taken on the idea of illness as a hobby, and they are a great enthusiast of it. Nothing makes me more angry than people who just give up and let life roll over them like some kind of steam roller ! Few of us get it perfect all the time, but at least if we try there is both hope and progress. When you stop trying and give your power away, it is a form of slow, lingering death . All I have to do is think of this person's name , and I remember all that I am fighting against and I can move on !

And move on I did yesterday. Some walking with my new shoes and cane, cleaning house and all kinds of "get back into the swing of normal" sorts of things. I believe that the shoes not only ease the discomfort in my joints and back but DO work your butt and thighs in a different way. By the end of the day my butt and back thigh muscles were painful to the touch ! I am still continuing the energy medicine work outs as well, and I am noticing that they seem to be flowing in a kind of natural to me feeling order.

For dinner I made a Pasta Salad Caprise- so easy it almost did not need a recipe ! For three people I cooked 6 ounces of whole wheat pasta, diced 4 vine ripened tomatoes ( not from our plants- they are still green) , chopped about a quarter cup of our fresh basil, diced one pack of fresh mozzarella and tossed it in a bowl with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze. I chilled it for a couple of hours and we had it with some fruit salad on the side. So summer-y and so satisfying !

This week I also want to post pictures from my second motivation- the falls on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Gotta get fit so I can hike these trails again next summer !

I see, said the fuzzy eyed man

Nice sunny day yesterday. For us it was a day of back to school and one must do out of the ordinary errand because Bob had one last vacation day and we had access to the car. After all of the singing commitments of Holy Week, it's good for him to have a day to just breathe before jumping back into his official paying job.

Breakfast was overnight steel cut oats with a tropical fruit mix and strawberries. I LOVE overnight oats when we have to get moving faster in the morning ! To make them for 3 people I bring 4 cups of water and 3 T of any dried fruit to a boil. Once it boils remove from the heat and add 1 cup steel cut oats. Cover and in the morning bring it back to the flame and heat it for about 5 minutes. Fast, yummy and filling !

After breakfast we headed off to get vision exams for myself and my son. I knew I needed new glasses, Nick has never had a vision exam and up till recently has never shown any vision problems. He can see things at a far distance, but has begun to make some really silly errors when reading. Could it be clowning around or was there a real problem ? Not sure , so vision exam is a good way to find out. Turns out he is neither nearsighted or farsighted, but has inherited severe astigmatism from both his father and I and needed glasses. He also got the dilation drops , and the poor kid had a rather strange sensory day- never an easy thing for an autistic !
He had to wear sunglasses for a few hours after the exam. Our glasses would be ready that afternoon so we came home to eat lunch and do school.

Lunch was happily leftovers of the dishes I brought on Easter- Roast Veggie and pasta salad with a Balsamic dressing and Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Couscous Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans Recipe


1 cup shelled pecans
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups boiling water
1 cup thawed frozen peas
3 scallions -- very thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers -- peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
Lemon Dressing:
Zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 garlic cloves -- minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Toast the pecans in a shallow pan in a preheated 350-degree F. oven until very fragrant, about
7 minutes. Set aside to cool.Place the couscous, cranberries, and turmeric in a large bowl. Pour
in the boiling water, stir, then cover the bowl with a large plate or foil. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the cover, then fluff the couscous with a fork. Cover again and let sit 5 more minutes.
Stir in the pecans, peas, scallions, cucumbers, and basil.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.
Yield: 4 servings

For the pasta salad I made a box of whole wheat pasta and roasted a butternut squash, pound of asparagus, head of broccoli, head of cauliflower and 8 carrots cut into julienne strips at 375 for a half hour. Then I combined then and tossed with this

Balsamic Dressing

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tsp capers
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp tarragon -- thyme, fresh basil, chopped parsley.

Shake and serve

Both were very good cold, and the next day ! We finished schoolwork ( which was shortened because of his eye dilation and inability to read close up for a few hours because of it) and then headed back up for our new glasses

Me- in frames that are more recent than 80's big hair bands( hubby in the background)
The visually improved Nick . Glasses are going to take a while to adjust to for him. New line of vision, new things on your face, learning how to deal with streaked lenses and more.

We did get out for a 45 minute walk in the midst of all of this back and forth. I credit Bob with giving us the prompting ! There are times that it is really helpful to have the in person support of another on the journey...who is not trying to keep a million details in mind at the moment !

Dinner was Roast vegetables and grilled steak salad. To make I cut up a bulb of fennel, a half a pound of mushrooms, a red onion, a zucchini, 4 Mexican orange sweet peppers and half a pound of asparagus spears and roasted them at 375 for 30 minutes. Meanwhile I grilled 3 sandwich steaks on my George Foreman Grill ( you could substitute chicken, fish or baked tofu here). Take 3 plates and lay our a mix of romaine and watercress( or any greens you like) top with roast veggies and one of the steaks , sliced. I like a drizzle of a honey mustard dressing here but it works with nothing at all or a balsamic dressing just as well.

A busy but healthy day !