Happy EASTER

A Re-Post worth sharing today:

It isn't Easter for me without these:

Being Italian and raised Catholic you have to have Easter Pie on Easter. My family makes 2 pies: Sweet Pie and Meat Pie. They are made only at Easter time.

The Sweet Pie is made with a special crust called "pasta frolla", it is rich with eggs, lightly sweet, and I like to add a little grated orange peel. (This dough makes excellent cut-out cookies as well) The filling is creamy and rich with ricotta, cream and grano--an Italian wheat-grain berry that adds a nutty, toothsome texture to the pie.

 Through the years, I have modified the "Meat Pie" into 3 versions: the original, with 4 cheeses, ham, salami and proscuitto, a spinach vegetarian verson, and plain cheese (for my salami-hatin' kids--can you believe?)

They are perfect for that saturday morning before Easter, eating and savored cold from the fridge with lots of hot coffee. Save one of each pie for yourselves, and bring the rest to wherever you're going for Easter! I guarentee it to be a unique addition not many people have ever had.

Click to Enlarge collage showing steps for Sweet Pie.

Recipe for Sweet Pie:

Pasta Frolla Dough (or use Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts)
2 cups flour, sifted

1/2 cup sugar

pinch salt

1/4 cup butter

3 egg yolks

1 Tbsp. milk

2tsp grated orange rind

Mix the butter and flour, then add eggs and the rest. Knead to form a soft sticky dough. Refrigerate at least 3 hrs or overnight before rolling out.


FILLING

2 cups cooked wheat (I purchsed mine dry and cooked it on low in a crockpot w/equal amounts of water to grain and a pinch of salt for 4 hrs or until water was almost all dissolved and grain was puffy, or buy canned at Italian grocery)

1/4 cup cream, scalded

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/4 cup citron, diced (optional)

1/4 orange peel, diced

1 1/2 lbs. ricotta(whole milk please)

1 cup sugar

6 eggs

1/2 cupcMINI choc chips, opt

1 Tbsp. orange water(or orange extract)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. confectioners sugar



In the scalded cream, mix wheat, salt and sugar. Set aside off heat.

Remove from heat, add citron and orange peel, set aside. To prepare
filling, beat ricotta and sugar, then add eggs vanilla and orange
water, blend well. Stir in prepared wheat . Pour into pie shell.(pasta frolla or atore bought Pillsbury if lazy, pressed for time, still good) Arrange lattice topping over filling, flute the edge.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approx 1 hour or until set in center. (Don't overbake or it is dry--better to underbake)

Let cool then Refrigerate. To serve dust with confectioners sugar.  Serve Cold.

I am sorry but I can't part with my Meat Pie recipes just yet... but a little hint: Google "Italian Easter Meat Pie" and I promise you will have a plethora of recipes to choose from. They're all good.

Buona Pasqua!!!

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Mint on Spaghetti

My kids can seriously eat spaghetti almost every day. It can get boring for adult palates so when I boil a pot of spaghetti for the kiddoes, I like to get creative. I make me and hubs something a little more sophisticated at the same time. The kids get their beloved spaghetti sauce, while the adults get a more complex dish.

I came up with this because I had one of those giant Costco packs of cherry tomatoes that had already made a few salads and were becoming overipe. This is the perfect time to roast them babies.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

 Line a cookie sheet (have you noticed 80% of my recipes start with "line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil..." EASY cleanup, guys!) with aluminum foil and spray w/ Pam. Add the washed and mainly dried cherry tomatoes and toss them gently with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herb of your choice (here I used mint, which was execllent, but any herb you can reach out your back door and pick-basil, thyme, parsley, whateva), a couple tablespoons of sea or kosher salt, 2-3 smashed cloves of fresh garlic, and 1/4 cup good olive oil.

Roast until the tops look charred and they give off their juices.


this is what they look like when done

Top buttered spaghetti with a big spoonful of the tomatoes with the juices, some more chopped herb, red pepper flakes, and large amounts of grated romano cheese. Smash the tomatoes and grab a forkful of the pasta...heaven!

Make it a Great Day!
Ann

Chicken and Corn Chowder

Time for another Easy Weeknight Dinner!


This is great when its cold and rainy, as it is here in sunny southern California today. We've had a LOT of rain this winter.

I used fresh Thyme, as it is back in my garden. I love it. But you can use any fresh herb: basil, cilantro, parsley, even a little sage.

Chicken and Corn Chowder

2-3 large boneless chicken breasts, quartered
1 medium yellow onion, diced
olive oil
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 yellow squash, cubed
1 can chicken broth
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and stem discarded
1 16 oz bag frozen corn kernels
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
black pepper
salt


In a 5 1/2 quart dutch oven or heavy soup pot saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent; add the chicken and brown on all sides. Cover with the chicken broth, add 2 thyme sprigs, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper; bring to a simmer and cover. 

Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy saucepan; add flour stirring constantly with a wire whisk. After about 2 minutes, slowly add the milk while whisking to blend. Lower heat and bring to a boil; it should be thick enough to coat a wooden spoon...take off heat and add the rest of the thyme.

Add the potatoes and then the squash to the pot with the chicken and add enough water so that the potatoes are submerged. Cover and again bring to a boil; lower and simmer for 25 minutes. 

After this time, take out the chicken to a board and shred with a fork; it should be tender enough for this. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add the corn, bring to a boil. Now add the white sauce, whisking it into the soup to blend. Let this simmer, uncovered, for another 10 minutes, until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm sourdough bread and butter.

Serves 6

Make it a Great Day!

Ann

Easiest Lasagna EVER

mmm... in all its gooey, cheesy glory...

I assembled 2 large pans of this lasagna in less than10 minutes. I am not kidding. An hour in the oven and it was done. NO BOILING....one pan...and you use regular noodles that you can find anywhere. In fact, the store brand noodles work best, as they are generally softer in texture which works perfectly for this method. 

Just for the record, I am 100% Italiana and I can attest it is delicioso!

Super Easy Lasagna

1 16 box regular lasagna noodles, preferably store brand

2  28 or 32 oz jars pasta sauce ( I like Classico or Barilla Tomato-Basil, or our Costco has a brand called "Victoria" which is fantastic)

1 lb Whole Milk ricotta

2 lbs grated mozzerella

1-2 cups grated parmesan cheese--depending on your cheese preference.

2 tsps ground nutmeg

salt, pepper to taste

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, optional

1/2 lb frozen mini-meatballs, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Pam your pans...you can use disposable aluminum pans or glass lasagna pans. Mine are stoneware and measure 10 x 15".

Put about 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of each pan and layer dry noodles on  top one deep.

This is the general layout of the noodle layers

Now big spoonfulls of ricotta on top of the noodles and spread. If using spinach, layer on top of the ricotta. Now about 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper. Cover this layer with another layer of noodles. Now sauce, mozzarella, and another layer of noodles, and finally sauce*. (You will use one whole jar of sauce per pan) *If you are using the meatballs, scatter them over the top, before you spoon the sauce over.

 Pour 1 cup of water over the top.(Use the tomato sauce jar to get every last drop of sauce out) Now cover tightly with foil and place in oven for 1 hour, or until noodles are tender when poked with a knife. Remove from oven, take off the foil,  and cover with remaining mozzerella and parmesan cheese, return to oven 5 minutes or until fully melted.

Let lasagna rest in pan for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares. (if you can wait that long) Serve and swoon!

Make it a Great Day (make some lasagna!)

Ann
linking up to:

Pillsbury 2012: Here I Come!

Confession time: I am obsessed with the Pillsbury Bake-Off. Became even MORE obsessed after I read Ellie Mathews memoir about wining the Million Dollar Grand Prize in 1998.... its a terrific read and I re-read it every Bake-Off year to get motivated. Here was a home cook, who entered a few recipes, and won the jackpot with a delicious, simple to prepare, healthy chicken recipe.

Check her out Here

 Her winning recipe, Salsa Couscous Chicken is one of hubs and my  favorites, and I make it almost once a month. It's really good and super easy. ( I do, however, make a few changes when I make it: no cumin, and dried cranberries or cherries instead of currants)

I missed the deadline last time, even though I had my recipes all ready and lined up. Its only once every TWO years. But this year, no way! I am determined!

So my family will undoubtedly have to suffer through some failures and triumphs. Lots of meals will be prepared using Pillsbury biscuits and crescent rolls, I'm afraid!

Make it a Great Day!
Ann

Mock Thanksgiving

For an Easy Weeknight Dinner, tonight I did my Mock Thanksgiving.... its basically chicken breasts (instead of turkey--although you certainly can use turkey breast for this)

I basically gather up all the ingredients, and go to town, making all of them at once practically. Its like Rachel Ray gone mad, I tell you! Your kitchen will smell amazing and all the family will come in and want to know: "Mom, Whats for dinner? It smells sooo good!"

First I get my chicken breasts and brine them. This adds extra juiciness and reduces the chances of the dreaded rubbery chicken. Keeps it tender and moist basically.

Step 1 Prep:

Preheat your oven to 400--if convection, use that setting--you'll be cooking all dishes at once

Brined Chicken

Chicken breasts (I used boneless skinless here, but bone-in skin on is great too)
    mix the following in a huge bowl
3 cups water, room temp
3/4 cup salt (I know it sounds horrible, but it will be drained)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

Put all this stuff in a bowl together and let it sit at least 1 hour and up to overnight in fridge.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

6 yams or sweet potatoes
Wash them, leaving the skins on, pierce them 4-5 times. Place them in a baking dish lined with foil. Put them in the oven while you prep--they will take at least 1 1/2 -2hrs hr to cook fully. (or microwave till soft, 4-5 mins per potato)

Spinach Stuffing

1 pkg boxed stuffing mix (1 bag)
1 cup water
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 handfuls fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, chopped

Mix the water, butter and stuffing mix as the package directs, but don't cook it on the stovetop. Pam a small baking dish. Saute the onion in a nonstick pan, then add the spinach and wilt till reduced by half. Now mix everything together, including the egg, and put it all in the Pam'd baking dish. Set aside till ready to cook (put in fridge if more than 1 hr till cooking time)

Cranberry Relish

1 pkg fresh raw cranberries
1 medium navel orange
1/2 cup sugar

Mix the meat and rind of the orange(don't use the white part--its bitter) with cranberries and the sugar in the food processor. Let rest in the fridge till serving time. (If you like spicy you can add a seeded jalapeno to this:delish!)

Step 2 Cook, simultaneously:
I have a convection oven, so I use all 3 racks at the same time. If you don't, you can still cook this entire dinner at the same time--just put your chicken in the middle rack and turn it over once during cooking so all sides get browned.

Chicken

Drain from brine, discard brine.

Place flat on foil-lined baking sheet with the uneven side up--drizzle with soy sauce, garlic powder, and a little drop of honey. Bake in the middle rack for about 45min, then turn, discard any juices, and cook till browned on top-another 15 minutes or so.

Stuffing

Bake in the top or bottom rack for 45min-1 hour or until browned.

Gravy

Use packaged Turkey gravy (or Heinz in the jar---its really good!) prepare according to directions and keep warm on stovetop.

Sweet Potatoes

These should have been cooking the whole timeyou prepped, so check and make sure they are fork-tender. Serve with butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar, if desired. Yum!

Now its time to serve, and enjoy. Let your chicken rest at least 5 minutes before you serve it...keeps it juicy.

Don't forget about your relish. I'm telling you--its almost good as Thanksgiving!

{ Adorable }Hubs diggin in!

Make it a Great Day!

Ann

Skyline Chili

Years ago, work travel brought me to Cincinnati, and although I have not been back, I will forever remember visiting Kings Island Amusement Park (best roller coaster ever!) and eating Skyline Chili every single day I was there. I ate it and then was hooked for life. Its delicious! Its sweet, spicy, and unforgettable. They serve it with mounds of very finely shredded cheese...over spaghetti of all things! And on hot dogs... mmmm....best chili-dog ever!

I am whipping up a batch tonight, of my version...here it is simmering with our sous chef, Dan the Tight-End keeping an eye on it, actually looks like he's guarding it!

My Skyline-esque Chili RECIPE
3 cups water
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce (or 1 of tomato sauce, and one 6oz tomato paste)
2-3 beef bullion cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 to 4 tablespoons chili powder ( I use California Chili powder)
1 tsp crushed dried oregano
2 tbs cocoa powder
2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 whole bay leaf
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsps soy sauce


In a 5 1/2-quart pot, add the ground meat and water and bring to a boil for 30 minutes. While cooking, stir beef occasionally and separate into a fine crumbled texture. (You can use a wire whisk to make short work of this) It will look soupy. Don't worry.


Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for a couple hours or so. You can cover the pot for the last hour of cooking if the chili has reached the desired consistency. (Some people use a slurry of a little flour or cornstarch and water and add to thicken at the end, but I find it unnecessary)


Serve over cooked spaghetti. Or in a steamed bun with a steamed dog in it... With a ton of shredded cheddar cheese on top...prepare to swoooonnn....

How to serve Skyline Chili:


3-way: includes spaghetti, chili sauce and finely grated Cheddar cheese 4-way: includes spaghetti, chili , Cheddar cheese and onions 5-way: includes spaghetti, kidney beans, chili, Cheddar cheese, and onions.

Make it a Great Day!(eat some chili dogs!!!)  Join the Blog hop below from Santa's Gift Shoppe too!
Ann

Wild Boar Tamales

I have been threatening to make home made tamales for years now. Finally did it. I know, it's 'off season", as tamales are traditionally made on Christmas time, but I used my Rival 22-quart super-duper roaster and first cooked the boar ham and then steamed the tamales outside on the patio! No smell, no heat in my kitchen. Yay! I love that thing!

Hubs is a hunter, and I have a whole lot of wild boar taking up prime real estate in my freezer right now. Luckily, the meat came out great for the tamales. Otherwise, wild boar is just too lean to do anything else, honestly. It needs to be cooked to death, shredded and mixed with chile sauce to hydrate it.

I ended up making 2 versions for the masa part: one using prepared masa (basically just masa and broth or water "preparada") and canola oil, the other with the dried bagged masa flour("masa para tamales"), broth and lard. Yep, I said it: LARD. Basically, Pig Butter. My apologies to my vegetarian friends. Honestly, there really wasn't a difference in taste...hubs said the one made with the dried masa was more flavorful and had texture to it. I preferred the texture of the preparada..it was silkier, moister? Both were perfectly acceptable and very similar.

Tamales are basically very easy to make, just time-consuming. As I kept filling, folding, and tying I was thinking: And why did I not just BUY the tamales? But it was kind of fun.

Here's where I found the basic recipe: AllRecipes Real Homemade Tamales  I just substituted a leg of wild boar for the pork loin and cooked it for 6 hours in the roaster, then mixed it with the chile sauce.

Make it a Great Day!
Ann

Easy Weeknight Recipe: Pesto Pasta with Cauliflower and Peas

Home grown basil? Check. Brown-rice pasta? Check. Head of cauliflower that will go bad if I don't use it soon? Check. Frozen Peas? Check.

This was sooo easy. I used brown-rice pasta, but you can use any type.

My basil is wonderful right now...big and green and tasty... I picked it in bunches and used a total of about 2 cups to make about 1 cup of pesto. Here's the recipe...enjoy!

Pesto Pasta with Cauliflower and Peas
(vegetarian)

for the pesto:
2 cups freshly picked basil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 to 3/4 cup good olive oil (I am using a California-grown olive oil I get at Sam's.. its spectacular!)
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, rough chopped

In a small chopper or food processor, run the basil leaves with the garlic and the 1/2 cup oil until smooth-- you may need to add more oil if it looks too dry. Add the cheese and pulse again until it looks combined and thick, sauce-like. Stir in salt, pepper to taste and nutmeg . Place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate till needed.

pasta:
1 package pasta (about 1 lb)
1 cup frozen peas
1 head cauliflower, separated into florets

Bring the water in a large pot to a rolling boil. The key to perfectly cooked pasta is a LARGE pot and at least  6 cups of water to 1 lb pasta, otherwise it gets gummy. Make sure the water is boiling furiously (ALWAYS bring water to a boil with the lid on--its tons faster) Add a small handful (yes, I said handful) of kosher salt. Now add the pasta and stir. bring back up to a boil and add the peas. Let this cook for half the recommended cooking time, and add the cauliflower. Let it boil again, and until, the pasta is al-dente. Drain, saving about a cup of the pasta-cooking water, and put back in the pot, or in a large bowl.

Now, add your pesto to the hot pasta and stir gently to combine. If it looks too dry, add some pasta water to it. But it should not be swimming in liquid, just glistening.

Serve with more parmesan and hot red pepper flakes if you like.

Linkin' up to: Toot Your Horn Tues

Soup in July

Yup.. here it was today it was nearing 100 degrees and I made chicken soup. Is there anything that motivates a Mom faster than a sick kid asking for a certain food? My lil' guy wasn't feeling well last night, had a slight temp, then this morning awoke with a scratchy throat. And he asked for chicken soup.
DONE!

I ran to Fresh and Easy, bought a whole young chicken, and some celery. All the other ingredients were in my larder . (I love using that word)

Here's the recipe, adapted from my Grandma's Chicken Soup recipe. The keys to my nice clear broth are: I cook the chicken and whole veg, then a strain the broth twice before I make the actual soup. Then chopped veggies, cleaned chicken, and clear broth are simmered with fideo noodles (very thin strand like egg noodles) The other thing is a lemon peel boiled in with the soup. Somehow it adds a freshness, a clearness of flavor to the broth.

The Best Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken, giblets removed
1 gallon water
2-3 bay leaves
1 medium white onion
6 carrots, small size
3-4 celery stalks (use the leafy parts if you have them)
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 medium size zucchini
good olive oil
rind from one lemon, peeled off with a knife, white part removed
3 chicken bullion cubes (I like Knorr)
1 8 oz package fideo noodles (or any tiny small egg pasta)

Place 1/2 the onion, the bay leaves, 2 carrots, and 2 celery stalks(the leafy ones if you have them), and the chicken and water in a large stockpot. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook slowly, with a lid just askew on top, for 2 hours. Meanwhile, chop the remainder of the veg (onion, carrots, celery and zucchini) into similar size pieces, I like a 1/2 inch or smaller dice). Set aside.

When the 2 hours is up, remove the chicken carefully into a colander set over a large bowl. Let it cool here while you do the next steps: In a smaller pot (I use my Lodge/ Le Crueset 5 1./2 quart) heat the olive oil, then add all the chopped veg plus the garlic. Let these sweat (do not brown--lower the heat if you have to) stirring frequently. Meanwhile, get another big bowl or clean stockpot and place a large metal strainer over it (I have one that fits right over ) Or use a colander lined with a clean tea towel. Now, place it in your sink for safety. Pour the broth from boiling the chicken into the strainer. Press the solids to extract the most broth. Discard the remaining solids. Clean out the strainer and do it again, this time in the stockpot you used for boiling the chicken (I suggest you wipe it out first). Now you have your clear broth.

Add this broth to the vegetables, and stir, add the bullion and the lemon peel. Let it come to a boil. Now add the noodles and turn down the heat to a rolling simmer.

Move on to the chicken, taking out the skin and bones and shredding it with two forks. Set aside.
When the pasta is nearly tender, add the chicken to the pot. Let it cook until the pasta is tender.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon if you like.

Grilled Pizzas

Its summertime. My goal is : No hot oven.....minimal cooking...make the most of summer's bounty
One recipe that fit the bill is a grilled pizza. Sounds nuts. Hubs has wanted to do this forever, so when he got his Daddy's Day gift early ( a new tricked out Weber grill) it was time to try it.

We have a big Weber with a thermometer. Hubs lights the coals, puts my Pampered Chef baking stone on the grill (I do not recommend ANY OTHER baking stone brand. We tried this once with another brand and it cracked) Let the grill heat up to at least350 degrees with the lid closed (of course)

Get a pre-made dough, or make your own. Trader Joe's, Fresh and Easy and many markets have them, bagged and refrigerated, ready to go. Please don't use Chef Boy R Dee mix or Pillsbury.

Roll it out thinly. Throw it on the heated stone on the grill. Cover and cook 2-3 mins, then flip and cook again. Now take it off the grill, brush with olive oil,  and top w/ your fave toppings. (Its a good idea to do all the crusts ahead of time, then you can just go one after another with the pizzas..they will go fast!)Put it back on the grill, lid closed, and cook till cheese is bubbly, about 5-8 mins. This would be fun for a party!

Some we made:

Goat cheese, Olive oil, Garlic, and kalamata olives

Sundried tomato, mushroom and Gouda

Tomato sauce and mozzerella with fresh basil

Fresh tomato (from our garden!!) olive oil, and garlic with mozzerella

They were really, really good!They had the taste of a wood-fired oven pizza. Very crispy, yet tender and chewy crust. Really yummy!

Take Care,
Ann

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Baked Stuffed Peppers

Everyone likes this, yeah sometimes my kids leave the pepper and eat the inside, and I have to prod them to eat some of the pepper, and they do...but even a few bits of it is good, they are chock full of vitamin c and a...

I get my peppers at Sam's Club, usually about $5.99 for 6 large peppers...red, orange and yellow beauties. I cut them in half lengthwise, take out the seedy membrane, and lay them in my Pampered Chef stoneware baker, ready to fill.

The filling is basically my standard ground turkey meatloaf,  you can use "extra lean" ground breast of turkey, or the just "lean" version. Both turn out well. They cost about 8.99 for a 2-pack of 2.5 pounds each. My secret is the pinch of pumpkin pie spice in the meat mixture. It just makes the turkey taste better.

You can make these ahead of time then just heat them up in the microwave. Or make them and keep in the fridge until baking time.

Ann's Stuffed Peppers

6 large sweet bell peppers, halved and cleaned of seeds (any color peppers, I like the red/orange and yellows because they are sweeter)

ground black pepper, salt

2.5 lbs ground turkey

1.5 cups of grated romano or parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

1 cup bread crumbs(or 2 slices white bread, crushed)

1/4 cup milk

1 small onion, chopped fine

1.5 cups frozen vegetables (I use the pea/corn/carrot blend, or frozen spinach)

pinch oregano, pumpkin pie spice, and garlic powder

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes w juice, or pureed tomatoes, or even leftover tomato sauce

Reheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the peppers cut side up in a large baking dish which has been sprayed with Pam. season the inside of the peppers with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Now mix the meat, cheese, spices, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs together in a large mixing bowl until just combined (do not over-mix, it makes the filling cook up tough). Now add the onion and the frozen veggies, and just mix to combine. Use about 1/4 of the mixture to fill each of the pepper halves..push them together they should just fit. Top with the tomatoes in juice, and the drizzle on the  rest of the olive oil. Cover lightly with foil and bake for about 1 hour. Take off the foil and let the top brown, another 15 mins or so. Let rest upon removing from the oven for about 10 mins. I serve this with sour cream on the side, a salad and some italian bread.

Vegetarian Dinner/Side Dish: Swiss Chard

I am not a vegetarian...but I like to eat vegetarian 1-2 times per week. Now that my garden is going...(I first wrote about starting my garden here) we have strawberries and rainbow (swiss) chard... I can start using chard now. The great thing about it is, it regenerates within 2-3 days so you have a continuous supply. Also it does not bolt in hot weather, so you have all summer to enjoy this versatile veg!

Here are the steps in photos. Note my gorgeous new le-crueset -style cast iron enameled cassarole I bought on Overtsock for $47.00!!! It is to die for, made by Lodge. I LOVE IT!!!Check them out.

I mean, isn't this a gorgeous leaf?

Stack the leaves and cut into 1" ribbons--use the stems too, they are toothsome and delicious

Saute the garlic in the oil.

 Add the chard.

 Add the tomato sauce

Now you are ready to add the cheese-- see how  much it reduced?

Now turn off the heat and cover....

Transfer to serving dish and enjoy with french bread, and a simple tomato salad.


Sauteed Swiss Chard

1 large bunch Swiss Chard, washed well and cut into strips
1 small can ( 4oz) tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers
olive oil
 freshly ground black pepper
3-4 oz hard cheese, such as Parmesan, manchego or romano, crumbled

Heat cover-able skillet or le crueset-style casserole pot on high heat... quickly add 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic. saute until fragrant--do not brown or it will get bitter. now add the chard in handfulls, moving it around so the oil and garlic coats all the leaves. saute like this for a few minutes until the leaves begin to wilt. When reduced to about half their original volume, add the tomatoes sauce and combine...keep cooking till stalks are fork-tender and volume is reduced by 3/4. Now crumble the cheese atop and cover. Take off heat and let set until cheese is melty. Serve right from the pot or transfer to a dish and enjoy with a crusty loaf of bread, and perhaps a garden tomato salad.. Simply deeee-vine.