Going with the flow

I like the idea of continuity, of things, events, interactions, and ideas flowing seamlessly into each other. The same can be said for the way I approach my work - it's wonderful when the pieces fall together and there is a natural progression of how events unfold. 

Happily, all this happened the other night when I made this dinner. Gently sauteed collard greens, a mix of whole wheat and regular pasta liberally dressed with grated cheese, and a fried egg to top it all off.

I was channeling the mantras and themes of some of my favorite Italian [cook]books and the artists who put them together, namely Rosetta Costantino's My Calabria, and Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun.  I loved these books for the authors' approach to good food. It begins with carefully selected and fresh ingredients, and culminates in simple preparations that really allow them to speak for themselves. I've come to adopt these principles as they resonate the most with me, and they are the ones I rely and fall back on when I want a healthy and tasty meal without going too crazy over the stove. So for me that night, it was all about simplicity and celebrating the vibrancy of good and fresh ingredients. How they come together, play off of and balance each other. In what I thought was near-perfect harmony, no less.

I would recommend this dinner when you want something light and yet fulfilling. The collards pack a healthy punch of vitamins A, C, and K, not to mention calcium and fiber, the egg gives you protein, and the pasta sustains and makes you happy. Seriously :) It's cheesy, noodle-y goodness and two nutritional powerhouses, what more could you ask for from dinner?

What to do:

It was all about timing to make sure the components made it onto the plate at around the same time all piping hot and freshly prepared. Pasta and collards are cooked nearly in tandem, with the egg coming up last to make sure the yolk is liquid (and hot) enough to mingle with the rest of the dish.

This serves 2 for one meal, or 1 for 2 meals :)

-4 ounces of your favorite pasta
-1 inch cubes of Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded (I've managed to keep the Gruyere fresh for almost a month now. The wonders of special cheese-wrapping paper...in any case, I'm just glad that this one didn't go moldy on me before I was finished using it, and I'm down to my last little cube. Which most likely will be gone by the time I write my next post :)

-1 tbsp olive oil
-Red pepper flakes and black pepper, to taste
-Collard greens, 8 big leaves (they are like umbrellas or fans! What a veggie :)
-1 cup of low sodium chicken, beef, or veggie broth. I used beef.
-1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

First, wash and slice the collards into strips about an inch wide. This is easier if you cut the whole leaf downwards length wise along the rib, lay the pieces on top of each other, fold length wise in half, then slice away. Put the water for pasta on to boil. While you're waiting for that water to boil, mince your garlic and set it aside. Cook your pasta according to its directions, usually around 11 minutes, and test frequently towards the end to make sure you end up with pasta al dente, or somewhere close around there.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil on medium heat, add the two kinds of pepper, then add your strips of collard greens. Toss to coat evenly with the oil and pepper. Add the beef broth, stir, allow to come to a boil, then cover and let steam for about 3 minutes until the veggies are wilted and brilliantly deep green. Turn the heat off, add the garlic and stir, and let the residual heat do the rest of the work (cover the pan and stir occasionally to distribute flavors and heat).

Meanwhile, gently fry up your egg on the lower side of medium heat, according to your preference. I like to leave my yolk a little runny so I can break it, and let it can coat the pasta along with the cheese. It's velvety and delicious!

How's that pasta doing? If it's cooked to the texture you like, immediately remove from the stove, add cold water to the pot, then drain pasta. Plate the pasta, cover with cheese and mix to let the cheese melt into the pasta. Add veggies to the plate, then the fried egg, and dinner is served!

Three very good things

I saw this on Chocolate and Zucchini (link on the right! Please note new link section full of inspiring reads), and think it is a wonderful way to remember the things in life to be thankful for. Here is my list for today:

-My boyfriend, not just for today, but for all the love and sweetness he brings to my life. Plus, the man brings me my favorite pretzels and sandwiches from this great local bakery..he knows me and my stomach well. Thank you sweetie for being you <3

-The light on the front patio of the International House of Philadelphia, streaming onto the stone benches and concrete from underneath thousands and thousands of green gold and scarlet leaves.

-Laughing with my friends and watching great Bollywood music videos. Chaiyya Chaiyya, ShahRukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, ahh :)

Have a wonderful weekend and week :)

Some days I just want something simple, tasty, and refreshing for dinner. Especially if those days are Taco Tuesdays at work (a weekly holiday my girls and I from the office treat ourselves to - we go this amazing taco truck a few blocks from our work to get our fix of savory meat, fresh guacamole, and hot sauce wrapped up in assorted bundles of tasty, spicy goodness. Burritos are my go-to, so large they're enough for two meals! But I digress -), or if I bring leftover pizza and curried stew for lunch.

Last night was one of those times, where all I craved were light, flavorful, and juicy foods. I had a gorgeous head of Romaine lettuce from the farmer's market - thanks Ash for spotting those at the stand! - a good stock of canned sardines in my pantry, and some odds and ends that came together to make a bright and crisp salad that bordered on exhilarating. It made me happy to look at and even happier to eat it.

I like salads that focus on a few good ingredients and how their flavors blend and play together. I think this one hit the mark, a few simple things to make something that is more than the sum of their parts. I could have cheerfully munched away on those tender crisp green leaves, the juicy tart-sweet apple, savored the salty cheese and the briny sardines, one by one. Put together, they were a flavor explosion in my mouth. 

I also 'made' tortilla chips, from some corn tortillas I had in my fridge that were begging to be put to use. A quick search over the Internet turned up troves of websites with tips on baking tortillas into chips. Simple and tastes amazing hot from the oven. I would definitely recommend these chips plus your favorite dip/salsa/guacamole for your next get-together (or just to munch on for yourself, anytime, anywhere).

Falling for Apples and Cheese Salad:

Half a head of Romaine lettuce
1 Honeycrisp apple (or Fuji if Honeycrisps aren't readily available)
1 one-inch cube of Gruyere cheese
Half a tin of sardines (I like sardines relatively unmessed with, in olive oil or water without extra salt or flavorings)

Dressing:
1 clove of garlic, finely minced (let your garlic sit for at least 5-10 minutes after mincing, before you use it, to help it maximize its cancer-fighting properties. They are supposedly activated by slicing/cutting/grinding/mashing/you get the picture...)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
a little more than a tsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps rice vinegar

Rinse well, dry, and tear Romaine leaves into the size you like. Wash your apple thoroughly, slice into bite sized slivers, keeping the peel on if organic, peeling if not organic (just to be careful of any residual pesticides, even if the apple is organic, wash and rub vigorously and well under running cold water). Sliver your cheese as finely as you like, using a mandoline, or you can coarsely grate them as well depending on the texture you like.

Vigorously beat and stir the salad dressing ingredients together at the bottom of your salad mixing bowl. Add lettuce, toss to coat thoroughly, then add apples and sardines, tossing and breaking up sardines as you go, and evenly distributing the dressing. Put salad onto your plate, sprinkle with the cheese, and enjoy!

*Serves 1 :) Go on, treat yourself!



Baked tortilla chips:

Ready made corn tortillas
Olive oil
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush olive oil on both sides of tortillas, stack them up and slice into sixths. Arrange single layer on baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with the sea salt, pop into the oven and take them out when the edges have curled up and the chips are golden brown. Enjoy and congratulate yourself on your ingenuity :)