Fresh Tart

This is a quickie lunch or dinner idea, very basic but satisfying and packed with flavor.  Remember when I first posted Mark Bittman-via-Jean-George's ginger fried rice and commented that I'd be riffing on the delicious theme for years to come?  Well here's one riff.  I was so taken with the crave-worthy combination of leeks sauteed with rice, topped with an egg, and finished with nothing but sesame oil and soy sauce, that I couldn't wait to apply the concept to other simple ingredients.

Here I used silken tofu, which has a very scrambled egg quality to it, soft and pillowy with a mild flavor.  I love it, even plain.  Lightly stir-fried with a leeks and soy sauce, and finished with a drizzle of sesame oil, it's completely delicious over buckwheat soba noodles.  You could finish it with the crispy garlic and ginger that so delightfully tops the ginger fried rice, but I didn't even spend that much time on this dish.  This is a really basic, ready in 10 minutes kind of meal.  Eat it in your work clothes, still standing, starving for something warm, pleasantly salty, and comforting.  The fact that it's nutritious is a nice bonus.

On a weekend note: check out the Easy Cream Scones recipe I posted on the Minnesota Monthly/Dara & Co. blog this week.  Nice for Sunday morning, right?  Coffee, paper, warm scones?  See what you think.

Silken Tofu with Soba Noodles
Serves 2

4 oz. soba noodles (or other pasta)
1/2 lb. silken tofu
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. oil
1 leek, white and green parts only, sliced thin
toasted sesame oil

Optional garnishes:
chopped scallions
toasted sesame seeds

Set a large pot of salted water on to boil.  When the water boils, add soba noodles and cook according to package directions.  Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil and leeks and saute until leeks are softened, about 5 minutes.  While the leeks saute, mash tofu in a medium bowl.  Add soy sauce and mash/stir to combine.  Add the tofu to the softened leeks and gently stir-fry until warmed through. Drain the soba noodles and divide into two bowls.  Top with the tofu.  Drizzle a little sesame oil over the tofu and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.

I love family-friendly spaghetti with meat sauce as much as anyone (for a great recipe, check out the version my friend Maud posted on food52 this week, her mom's famous recipe, secret ingredient...a pinch of curry powder, can't wait to try it).  But I like to mix up our pasta selections as well, especially given the amount of pasta the kids request - they'd easily eat pasta for every dinner, and likely lunch too.

This easy chicken lo mein is a crowd pleaser and a great way for those of us not born with pasta-eating metabolisms to fill out a bowl with something more than...pasta.  Customize this recipe as many ways as you'd like - try beef, shrimp, or tofu instead of chicken; add mushrooms, cauliflower, pea pods, or whatever we'll soon be finding at the farmer's markets (yay!) instead of broccoli and peppers.  You get the idea.  I like to top mine with toasted sesame seeds and sriracha for crunch and heat.  I'm always about the heat.

Chicken Lo Mein
Serves 6

1 lb. spaghetti (or Asian-style pasta)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
3/4 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp each fish sauce, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. curry powder
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly, divided
canola or peanut oil (or similar)
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 head broccoli, trimmed into florets
2 c. shredded cabbage
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly

Garnishes:
toasted sesame seeds
sriracha sauce
chopped scallions

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.  In a medium bowl, stir together cornstarch, Chinese five-spice powder, and soy sauce.  Add chicken and toss to coat thoroughly.  Set in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and curry powder.  Set aside.

Set out a large bowl.  Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Add a drizzle of oil, then 1 Tbsp. of garlic, onion, and broccoli and stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still quite crisp, about 4 minutes.  Scrape the onion and broccoli into the large bowl.  Add another drizzle of oil to the pan, then another tablespoon of garlic, cabbage, and red pepper.  Stir-fry until the cabbage is wilted and the red pepper is tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.  Scrape the cabbage and red pepper into the bowl with the broccoli.  Return the pan to heat and add another drizzle of oil, the last tablespoon of garlic, and the chicken pieces.  Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Scrape the chicken into the bowl with the vegetables and toss.

When the water boils, cook the pasta to al dente.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Set pot over a low flame and add chicken, vegetables, and chicken broth mixture.  Toss thoroughly until heated through.  Serve with garnishes.

Routine, Routine, wherefore art thou Routine?  Man, if you're stuck in a rut and need to shake things up a bit, may I suggest a household bout with the flu, close on the heels of acquiring a new puppy?  Actually, you probably already know these tricks - at the least the flu part - given how many of my son's classmates have also been down for the count.  None of us have felt great for almost three weeks now, with strange appetites and extreme tiredness.  The result?  (My definition of) moderation - cooking and eating relatively healthy food as well as accomplishing some form exercise most days of the week - has been chased right out the window.  (Not a shocker given my sparse postings here...ahem...)   Suffice it to say, we've eaten more take-out and Amy's Organics bean-n-rice burritos in the last few weeks than I'd like to admit.  Hopefully, we've turned a corner and are on our way back to fighting form.

And a normal routine!

I realize that I should follow that intro with an interesting, healthy recipe, an example of how to jump back in.  But I got nothin'.  The dinner plan for tonight is what we often have on Wild Wednesday nights, given limited time and wildly varying tastes (on Wild Wednesdays both kids have religious school, I take care of my three-year old nephew Cooper, and he and my sister Stacey join us for dinner).  Pasta, baby, make-your-own pasta.  I vary the shape (I'm currently digging a Whole Foods' brand of conchiglie/shells).  And the texture and spiciness of the quick tomato sauce (smooth and thin, chunky and thick, sometimes with a little cream stirred in).  And the add-in vegetables (tonight will be sauteed Swiss chard, other nights a pan of zucchini and mushrooms, or garlicky broccoli, or thinly sliced fennel and onions...).  And the protein source (pulled apart rotisserie chicken, simple ground beef, I've even set out strips of frittata, or spicy beans, or sauteed tofu, although those are less popular options).  You get the picture.  It's a relatively easy way to put a fast, nutritious dinner on the table; plus, if you go easy on the pasta, and load up on the veggies and lean protein, you can even call it "moderate."

Right now, that's the best I can do.

So, as I mentioned yesterday, I had a cooler full of fresh, delicious CSA veggies to work with for dinner tonight.  I opted for pasta, tangled with ribbons of collards, fennel, and spring onions, as well as bites of zucchini (the zucchini was not from my veggie share - it was just chilling in the fridge, biding its time, waiting for a veggie dish needing some moisture and the ability to absorb the flavor of garlic, yeah).  But really, any tasty combination of vegetables would work - choose what you like.  I had intended ziti or penne - the thickness stands up nicely to a coarse "sauce" - but when I opened the cupboard, alas, the thickest, heartiest shape I could find was linguine, so linguine it was.

I seared the veggies on the grill, chapa-style (yes, again - what can I say, not heating up my kitchen is a nice thing in the summer).  Wait, I should back up - I started by searing two slices of bacon, chopped.  When it was crisp, I removed to a large bowl and then added the ribbons of collard greens and zucchini to the pan (and drippings).  Collards are tougher than, say, spinach or chard, so need a longer cooking time and some moisture (zuchhini adds quite a bit of moisture, but I added a few drizzles of water as well) to achieve truly tender.  Make sure to add a sprinkle of salt as you stir.  When both achieved melty and lightly charred, I added a clove of minced garlic, stirred it around a bit, and then transferred the whole pan to the bowl with the bacon (toss, toss).

I then added a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the hot pan, then stirred in the fennel and onions (and a sprinkle of salt) and saute-seared them until also lightly charred.  I scraped them into the bowl with the bacon, collards, and zucchini, added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a crumble of Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, and the veggies were ready to toss with pasta.

Here's how to finish - cook pasta (1/2 lb. to serve 3-4) according to package directions until al dente.  While the pasta cooks, in a small skillet, saute one clove of minced garlic and 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes in 1-2 Tbsp. of olive oil, until garlic is just barely colored.  Remove from heat.  Just before draining the pasta, reserve 1/4 c. of the pasta cooking water.  Drain the pasta, return to the warm pot, and toss with the garlic/oil, reserved water, and salt and pepper to taste until "creamy" (the starch in the cooking water creates a bit of a "sauce").  Toss in the vegetables and an additional grating of cheese to taste.  A shower of freshly minced herbs would be nice.  I use probably 2/3 veg to 1/3 pasta - a perfect opportunity to enjoy a small taste of pasta (no more than a couple of ounces) with lots of delicious vegetables (go whole-wheat pasta if your family won't revolt - mine, sadly, would/has).

Enjoy thoroughly.

Ah, the parties are over. In the last week, we've entertained almost 100 people (30 on Tuesday, 70 on Saturday), and I have to say, it all went off without a hitch. Whew! And both were really...FUN, which is the point of course. Reconnected with old friends, met a lot of new ones, ate good food, drank good wine, and in preparation, really got our house in order. Feeling good. Next big one: Thanksgiving, woo hoo!

I luckily didn't have to prepare food for 70, since Saturday's party format - parent party - had folks bring either an appetizer or dessert. You know what that means - WAY more food than everyone can eat, but lots of fun tasties to try! I did make a few things, to get the party rolling, including gougere (cheese pastry puffs), a platter of cold sliced beef tenderloin surrounded by couscous, and a plate of toasts topped with ricotta and roasted tomatoes (I'm into them lately, what can I say?). I was even able to take leftover ricotta and tomatoes, puree them together, and make a quick-n-lovely pasta for dinner last night. That's about as far I was willing to go with 1) prep, or 2) clean-up, no surprise there.

Today, back to reality. Few things to put away, but not much (thank you John and Nathan, my official clean-up crew; thank you also to my extremely polite guests, who tossed almost every plate and napkin and deposited every bit of glassware in the kitchen - if that's Minnesota Nice, I'll take it). The pool gets put to winter-sleep this week, so it's time to think about putting away patio and porch furniture. The lights and lanterns have come down. Flower and herb pots will soon be emptied (I've still got a few tomatoes coming in, although they are the obviously the very, very last). Yes, the parties are really over. Sniff.

Guess I'll just have to cheer myself by...going out for dinner with Kim & Suz! To celebrate Kim's birthday - Happy Birthday Maven of Mischief! Look out, True Thai, here we come!

Moderate it: there's nothing like hosting a huge party to get a good workout. I'm not kidding! I hauled around four cases of wine, 100 bottles of water, 80 lbs. of ice (up and downstairs a couple of times), furniture, trays of glassware (I rented wine glasses), not to mention all the groceries and trash. I felt it in my lower back, for sure!

After Saturday's Date Day and Monday's Date Night, we've had a couple of days of very simple, low-key eating (and tough, tough walks and bike rides in this heat, makes me feel like I've hit a brick wall, ugh). Moderation, you know, ha - woo hoo! Mostly salads, although tonight I made a simple, garlicky, brothy shrimp sauce to toss with pasta. I sauteed spinach and ripe tomato as an optional add-in (we had both kids tonight, neither of whom would be thrilled to find wilted spinach in their pasta, ha) for John, Stacey, and me. Turned out light and so pretty, with pink shrimps, dark green spinach and fresh parsley, and red tomato, yum.

Tomorrow night, we're back on for a bit of part-ay-ing. John's partners Stu The Wine Genius, Bill, and Joe, with their wives Debbie, Karla, and Genie (respectively), are coming for a casual dinner. Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Tomatoes and Onion will be the main course, alongside creamy polenta and a medley of grilled vegetables. A nice tart for dessert, I think (can't get enough of summer fruit desserts, rarrr...) Looking forward to it!

As many of you know, I've worked hard since last September to pare things down and return to my normal weight, which I've for the most part achieved. The key for me has been focusing even more than I already was on staying away from processed foods and really, really basing my diet on a balanced mix of whole, simply prepared foods (a la the recipes I post here), heavy on fresh vegetables and fruits, thank you very much. (And oh, serious portion control, only eating when I'm truly hungry and stopping before I'm full, eating mostly at home and much less often in restaurants, limiting wine or beer to once/week or less, drinking lots of water, and exercising my butt off, ha.) The moderation part! But I do think it's easier and more satisfying to get by on less calories if they're comprised of the freshest, closest to whole foods as possible, I've proven it to myself over and over again.

Given that, there are a few technically processed foods, however, that I think are terrific, and nutritious, relatively low calorie (if eaten in moderation), and definitely worth incorporating into a healthy eating plan. Here they are:

Food for Life's Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread (available in the freezer section): especially the cinnamon raisin, toasted for breakfast and topped with cottage cheese and sliced strawberries - yum. Low-glycemic load, good fiber, good protein, and delicious.

Morningstar Farms Black Bean and Mushroom Lovers Burgers: again, both are low-glycemic, have good fiber, good protein, and are delicious, especially loaded up with tomatoes, avocado, pickles, mustard. I eat mine in 1/2 of a whole grain pita; you'd think I'd died and gone to heaven. Available in the freezer section.

French Meadow Bakery's 100% Flourless Live Grain Sprouted Fat Flush Tortillas: the Fat Flush part of the name (and the packaging photo) is dumb and off-putting, but the tortillas RAWK. They're not low-carb sandpaper tortillas, they're real food - chewy and delicious. Toast one with some cheese for breakfast and you'll be glad. Available in the dairy section with other refrigerated tortillas.

Kashi Go Lean Cereal: not the Go Lean Crunch, which is loaded with cane sugar, but the original Go Lean. Very high fiber and high protein, plus tasty with fresh fruit and skim milk.

Wasabi Peas: I love these little buggers. At about 1 calorie each, they pack a whollop of flavor which curbs my appetite and appeases the need to crunch on something salty. I buy them in the Asian section at the grocery store.

Barilla Plus Pasta: a multi-grain-but-you-wouldn't-know-it winner, this pasta tastes just like "regular" pasta - I swear! - but packs fiber, protein, and whole-grain goodness into each serving. Absolutely delicious.

Helios Raspberry Kefir: a yogurt-like cultured drink, kefir is loaded with pro-biotics and this strawberry version is creamy and delicious, like a decadent strawberry smoothie. I cut it with skim milk (half kefir, half skim) to lighten it up (it is sweetened) and enjoy it in small amounts as a treat. Nathan loves this product, and so does Cooper! Available in the organic dairy section.

Hey, don't worry, I'm not going off into processed food hell - I'm still all about whole, fresh foods. But sometimes a bowl of cereal or a piece of toast is nice with breakfast, and finding interesting ways to get calcium - like kefir - mixes things up a bit. In moderation, of course. Hope you enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day! To my friends and family - I heart you!

And in honor of feelin' all that love, I thought I'd make a list of material indulgences (and potential gift ideas for your sweetie?) that I'm loving (or would like to be loving) today, too:

Chocolate: Ritter Sport milk chocolate (inexpensive and available in the candy section at Byerly's; all I can say is, moan...)
Flowers: lilacs - wouldn't they be amazing to smell today, in the depths of winter? Sigh...
Bath: Malin + Goetz bergamot shower gel and body lotion; creamy, dreamy, rich
Snack: Notorious Nuts roasted peanuts (also available at Byerly's, so decadent and delicious)
Shoes: my saucy new lipstick red Mary Jane pumps, of course!
Jewels: my vintage red "present-necklace"from Suz!
Lips: Stila Blackberry lipglaze, xxoo
Polish: OPI Malaga Wine (pictured here)
Fragrance: Escada Magnetism (sweet and sexy, perfect for V-Day)
Dinner: pasta, baby, with some sort of lusty sauce...stay tuned for what I decide to make...
Song: Ben Folds' The Luckiest, so very sweet, and so exactly what I am (meaning lucky, not sweet, ha)...

Today my extra-special Valentine is...BABY COOPER! A Recovering Baby Cooper, that is. He's been feeling less-than-great the last several days. Awww, Coop! He's having a bit of a nap right now, hopefully that will help his tummy feel better. That and 50,000 smooches from his beautiful Mommy Stacey - now she's a Valentine! Happy First Valentine's Day to Cooper!