Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes and Chard

I switched up this recipe a bit- it originally called the polenta to be cooked on the stove. I think baking it in the oven is so much simpler- especially with a recipe like this that calls for a softer polenta. You can find the original recipe here on food network. The baked polenta recipe I got from Martha Stewart. 
You can do them both at the same time in the oven. I have amended the recipes below to how I made them.

Polenta:

• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 T butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan with a lid, whisk together 3 cups water, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Cover, and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Whisk in the butter when you pull it out of the oven.

Roasted Tomato and Chard 

• 28-ounces plum tomatoes, cut in half (you could also used canned)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 1 7.5-ounce package farmer cheese, crumbled

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large ovenproof skillet. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are charred around the edges, about 25 minutes.

Chop the chard and add to a skillet with the tomatoes. Saute until the chard is tender. If your tomato skins are a bit tough, you could chop them up a bit with an immersion blender.

 Divide the polenta among 4 bowls. Top with the tomatoes and chard. Season the cheese with salt and sprinkle over the top.

**Absolutely delicious! It just about used up all my romas! A definite keeper! I will be curious how it tastes with tinned tomatoes.

Swiss chard and potato soup

This looked like an easy recipe- one I have been carrying with me for several years, but have never tried it. Tonight is the night! I have amended the recipe below as I made it. The original recipe is on the NY Times site.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound slab bacon, diced (I used country ham, but next time I'd use bacon)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick 
• 3 C vegetable stock
• Salt
• 6 eggs, optional
• 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can, drained
• 5 cups, packed, very finely shredded Swiss chard leaves (about 1 bunch)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Start chickpeas in the pressure cooker. Presoak for one minute. Change water, then cook for 21 minutes. Quick release using cold water on the lid. Drain and set aside.

2. Place bacon in a heavy 4-quart saucepan. Sauté until lightly browned. Drain, leaving 2 tablespoons fat in pan.

3.Add onion and garlic to oil in pan and sauté over low heat until soft and barely golden. Add potatoes and 3 cups water and 3 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, season with salt, and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

4.Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon to a large mixing bowl, and roughly mash them with a fork or a potato masher. Return potatoes to liquid in pot, and stir to dissolve them.

5.Add chickpeas, and chard leaves. Bring to a simmer, and cook about 2-5 minutes, until leaves wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to warm soup plates. If using the eggs, fry or poach them and add one to each bowl. 

 ** I liked the soup more than my family did. You can see my broth is a bit red due to the type of chard I used.

Frittata with swiss chard, onions, and mushrooms

Frittatas are pretty simple and easy to make on a busy week night. You  just need some eggs and fillings.
Last night I made one with

5 eggs, beat lightly
1/4 small onion, diced
4 mushrooms, chopped
4 leaves chard, chopped

Saute the onion a bit, then add the mushrooms and the chard. Pour the eggs on top and let them sit and cook over medium heat for a bit. Then put the skillet into the oven on broil. Broil till the top gets puffy and the frittata is cooked through. Keep your eye on it- it doesn't take too long.

**Not much to look at, but delicious!

Roasted Sweet Potato Pizza

I used Bob's Red Mill gluten- free pizza crust mix for this pizza.

Roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted garlic
Swiss chard, chopped into small pieces
Feta cheese
Garlic olive oil (for spreading on the dough)

Provencal zucchini and greens torte

Receiving zucchini this late in the season meant I needed to find a nice autumn dish for dinner. When I saw this that includes greens, it seemed like a great one to try. I supplemented the spinach we got in the box this week.with chard from my garden. We also got one pound of zucchini rather than the 2 pounds called for in the recipe.

Although I found this recipe from Martha Rose Shulman's cookbook, Ready When You Are, I found it  online from her column in the New York Times. Please note that she recommends either a yeasty dough or turning it into a gratin with breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, I used a pre-made gluten free crust.

1 recipe whole wheat yeasted olive oil pie pastry
1 pound greens, such as Swiss chard, beet greens, or spinached.
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 pounds zucchini, cut in small dice (1/4 to 1/3 inch)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)
3 large eggs, beaten
Freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens, and wash them thoroughly in several rinses of water. If the ribs are wide, wash and dice them, then set aside. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and the greens. Blanch for one or two minutes, until just tender. Using a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer, transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water and chop. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet, and add the onion and diced chard stems, if using. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the zucchini. Season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring, until just tender and still bright green, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook with the zucchini and onion until the garlic is fragrant, about one or two minutes. Toss in the parsley, thyme and rosemary and take off the heat. Stir in the greens. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste), the zucchini mixture, and the Gruyère. Mix everything together, add pepper, taste once more and adjust seasoning.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan.
If using the yeasted dough:
Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line the pan, with the edges of the dough overhanging. Freeze the remaining dough. Fill the lined pan with the zucchini mixture. Pinch the edges of the dough along the rim of the pan.
If using pre-made crust:
Fill the crust with the zucchini mixture.
If making as a gratin:
Fill the gratin dish with the zucchini mixture.
Mix 1/4 C breadcrumbs with 1 T oil and sprinkle on top of the gratin.

Place in the oven and bake 40-50 minutes, until set and beginning to color. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving (preferably longer). This can also be served at room temperature.
Yield: One 10-inch tart, serving eight to ten.

Advance preparation: The blanched greens will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator in a covered bowl. The finished tart keeps for a few days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently at 275 degrees to re-crisp the crust.

**Very delicious!

Sausage and Kale Tart

I put this recipe on the menu this week thinking we would get kale from LPO. Since we got chard, I made this dish with chard. I had some sausage that I bought from LPO a while back. Be aware that the filling in this dish is loose- so you'll need a strong tart shell to handle it. I cut back on the butter in the shell. Next time I would consider putting some parmesan in the crust. The recipe was a winner in the 'best dirt cheap dinner' contest on food52.com.

the Tart Shell

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1 pinch salt
3-4 tablespoons ice water

Cut the butter into small cubes. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a food processor.   Pulse until butter is pea-sized. Slowly drizzle water through the top of the food processor while pulsing. You have added enough water when dough sticks together when pressed.  Remove dough from processor and press gently into a disc. Wrap disc in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap.   Place disc on a lightly floured board.  Roll dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter.  Place dough in 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom.  Dock dough with a fork.  Lay parchment paper or foil over dough and fill with beans or pie weights.
Blind bake the tart shell (with pie weights) for 20 minutes. Then remove parchment and weights and bake an additional 5 minutes until the crust begins to brown.
Remove from oven and set aside on cooling rack.

the Sausage and Kale Filling

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups onion, minced
2 garlic cloves
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 bunch kale (a large bunch)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips
1 egg
1/4 cup ricotta
salt and pepper

Heat oil and butter in pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until onions are soft and light brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onions from pan and set aside.

Increase heat to medium and add sausage to pan. Brown sausage and break into small pieces. Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of oil from pan.

Add kale to pan. Pour white wine over kale. Scrap any bits from the pan and cover. Cook 3-5 minutes, until kale is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. If kale is still very wet, cook uncovered for a minute or two. The overall mixture should be fairly dry. Remove kale to a large bowl.

Toss cooked kale with cooked sausage and onions. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Toss mixture with basil, egg, and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon sausage and kale mixture into cooked tart shell. Be sure to evenly cover the bottom of the tart shell. Bake the tart on a baking tray for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove tart from oven when the filling is set and the tart shell is nicely brown. Cool tart slightly on a wire rack. Slice and serve with a big green salad.

 **I think this was a nice dish. It was definitely hearty. The basil mixed nicely with the Italian sausage spices.

Pizza with Swiss chard, olives, and tomatoes

This was an easy pizza to make. The dough recipe is already on the blog.

Good handful or two of chard, cut up
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
olives- a nice salty variety, pitted is best
2-3 roma tomatoes, sliced thick
cheese, your choice

Saute the chard with the garlic.
Then, layer it all on the pizza.
Bake at 400 for 20 or so minutes (until it is brown and bubbly)

**Here it is before going into the oven. It was delicious!

Roasted cauliflower quiche with nut crust

I adapted several recipes to come up with tonight's dinner. The crust is from The Vegetarian Adventure cookbook by Rowan Bishop and Sue Carruthers. The quiche is an adaptation of something I ran across called Hippie Pie on food52.com.

There are three distinct steps in this meal. You can always make the crust and roast the cauliflower in advance.
First- start the cauliflower roasting (20 min). While it is roasting, make the nut crust and get it chilling.
Second, when the cauliflower is ready, cook the crust. While the crust is cooking (10 min), make the quiche.
Third, when the crust is ready, throw the quiche into it and bake it (35 min).

Nut pastry
1 1/2 C ground almonds
1/2 C whole meal spelt flour
1/2 C plain spelt flour
1 T parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt
5 1/2 T chilled butter
1 egg

Place the nuts, flours, cheese and salt in a food processor. Cut the butter into pieces and process briefly, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and process again, using the pulse button, just until the mixture begins to 'ball'.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes (if time permits).  Preheat oven to 410F.
Roll out to fit a quiche pan, prick with fork and bake at 410F for 10 minutes, then allow to cool.

Quiche

1 small cauliflower, cut into thick slices
1/2 large onion, diced
4 oz greens, chopped roughly (Swiss chard, spinach, etc.)
1 T fresh herbs (marjoram, oregano, etc.), cut
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 C milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 C grated cheese (make a mixture of three different- e.g., fontina, parmesan, romano)

Place the cauliflower on a jelly roll pan, brush with olive oil, then toss with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower roasts, saute the diced onion, add the herbs, salt and pepper and slowly cook till carmelized.

Wilt the greens, squeeze out the excess moisture and stir in the parsley.

Beat the eggs and milk together.

Mix the cheese together.

When the crust is ready, scatter the chopped greens on the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle in 1/3 of the cheese. Pile on half the cauliflower and onions and sprinkle with next 1/3 of the cheese. Put the rest of the cauliflower mixture in the quiche. Slowly pour the egg mixture over everything and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 375F for 35 minutes. Watch that the cauliflower tops don't burn- if they are getting too brown, cover with foil.

**Here it is going into the oven.

**Just out of the oven. Really nice flavors. Not your ordinary quiche.

Hearty Green Autumn Bowl

What a great way to eat autumn greens! I used the swiss chard from the harvest box for this dish. I couldn't find dry cannelini beans so I substituted northern whites instead. I didn't build the toast on top, but instead used slices of hearty country bread. You can find the recipe online here. I modified it below.

Serves 4

• 1 bunch Kale (or mix Kale and Swiss Chard) stems removed and leaves shredded
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil plus more for bread
• 1 Onion (medium) chopped finely
• 1 Carrot (Medium) chopped finely
• 1 Celery Stick chopped finely
• 1 Clove of Garlic minced
• 1 cup Dry White Wine
• 3 cups Cooked Cannellini Beans (canned is fine but rinse well - 2 cans)
• 1 Lemon, cut in wedges
• 4 Slices Chunky Wholesome Bread 
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes or more if you like
• 2 tablespoons Rosemary finely chopped
• 1 liter Chicken Stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Vine Ripe Tomato Medium chopped finely

1. Finely chop onion, carrot and celery and put in a pot with oil and fry over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add garlic, bay leaf and wine. Reduce until no wine is left in the pot. Add Salt, pepper and chili flakes. Now add tomatoes, beans and rosemary. Mix well. Now add stock.
2. Once the stew comes to a gentle boil add the kale and/or Swiss Chard and cook until wilted (about 3-5 minutes) 
3. When ready, serve soup in large bowls and add a squeeze of lemon juice. 

**This picture is from thespicegirl from the food blog Food52. It shows the dish with pine nuts and lemon peel- I didn't do that. Nevertheless, you get the idea. The recipe is delicious.

Pasta with chard, garlic, tomatoes and grilled chicken

I was inspired to make this recipe based on a piquant pasta recipe from my New Zealand Vegetarian Adventures cookbook. The tomatoes were brought home from our LPO work share- unfortunately they had been split on the top so couldn't be sold. Lucky for us!

1 lb pasta, cooked
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tomatoes, cubed
2 bundles Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into small pieces
1/4 C fresh basil, cut into pieces
1/4-1/2 C freshly shredded parmesan
Grilled chicken

Cook the pasta in a separate pot. Drain when finished.

Warm olive oil in a separate skillet, add garlic and begin to saute. When just fragrant, add the tomatoes. Simmer for a bit and then add the chard. Mix the chard into the tomato garlic mixture well and let simmer for a few minutes. Add the basil on top and take off the heat. Let the basil wilt a bit and then add the drained pasta.

Slice the grilled chicken.

**Delicious! It was especially flavored because I used the olive oil from my marinated sun dried tomatoes which was infused with garlic, salt, and thyme.  A great way to use your greens.

Braised Chicken with Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, and Balsamic Vinegar

This looked like a nice recipe- using up some more of the chard that I have. I found it online at an interesting site called Meals Matter. They are interested in better and more nutritious meal planning and offer tools for folks.

8 Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and skin
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Large onion , halved and sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon Tomato paste
3 cloves Garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 Anchovy fillet , minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
2 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup Dry red wine
1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons Chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 Bay leaf
12 ounces Swiss chard , washed and dried
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in nonreactive Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add chicken thighs skin-side down and cook without moving them until skin is crisped and well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer; transfer thighs to large plate.
2. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot. Add onion and tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until tomato paste begins to darken, about 4 minutes (if bottom of pot becomes very dark and sticky, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water). Add garlic and anchovy and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, and wine, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon. Add red pepper flakes, thyme, and bay. Remove and discard skin from chicken thighs, then submerge chicken bone-side up in liquid, adding any chicken juices accumulated on plate. Increase heat to high, bring to simmer, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook until chicken offers no resistance when poked with tip of paring knife but meat still clings to bone, 40 to 55 minutes.
3. While chicken cooks, trim stems from Swiss chard. Cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces; halve leaves lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set stems and leaves aside separately. Also while chicken cooks, simmer balsamic vinegar in 8-inch nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat until thick, syrupy, and reduced to 1/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes (begin measuring volume when vinegar begins to cling to sides of saucepan). Set vinegar reduction aside.
4. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to plate and tent with foil; discard bay leaf. Bring liquid in Dutch oven to simmer over medium-high heat; add chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Add chard greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir about 1/3 cup sauce into balsamic reduction to loosen, then stir mixture into sauce; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Return chicken and accumulated juices to sauce, cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, turning chicken once or twice. Use slotted spoon to transfer chard to serving dish or individual bowls; place chicken thighs on chard, then spoon sauce over. Serve immediately.

**I will be skipping step number one and making modifications since I will be using skinless, boneless chicken thighs. This dish is very tasty!

Spinach Bread Pudding with Lemon and Feta

With a lot of family coming into town for graduation, I need a good breakfast casserole for one of our meals together. I saw this recipe in Food and Wine and decided to give it a try. It seemed lighter than many breakfast casseroles that I have seen. I have yet to find one that I would make twice. So I'll make this one in advance...just to check!

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the dish
8 ounces whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 ounces baby spinach, finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 large eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon chopped oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil a medium baking dish. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until dry but not browned. Let cool, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the spinach and 1/4 cup of the feta.
2. In another bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the eggs and beat until blended. Add the milk and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and stir until they are evenly moistened. Transfer the bread mixture to the baking dish and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.
3. Sprinkle the remaining feta on the bread pudding and bake in the center of the oven until risen and set, about 40 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and broil until the bread pudding is golden and crispy on top, about 2 minutes. Scatter the oregano on top, cut into squares and serve. 

**Very nice. It took twice as long to cook it. I will definitely serve this for brunch. 

Cabbage Pie

This comes from the Johnson's Backyard Garden blog (an Austin, TX CSA). The person who posted the recipe recommends using escarole, but indicated that it is good with other greens, so I used our napa cabbage and 3 or 4 chard leaves. The original posted indicated that the recipe came from Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook.

1/4 cup olive oil 
6 large cloves of garlic, chopped 
1/4 cup black olives, chopped 
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed 
2 heads of escarole, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
pastry for a 9 inch, 2-crust pie 
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (I usually use shredded) 

Preheat oven to 375. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, olives, capers. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Add the escarole, red pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Cover, reduce heat to low and allow to steam 30 minutes, stirring frequently until the escarole is tender. If it begins to stick, lower the heat. Stir to mix well. Taste for seasoning. Drain in a colander.  

Sprinkle half the mozzarella over the bottom of the pie crust. Put the escarole mixture in the crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. Cover with the top pie crust, sealing the edges with the tines of a fork. Cut 3 slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into wedges. 

**I used napa cabbage and some chard for the escarole. I also used the ready made spelt pie crusts. And finally, I used a good squirt of the Thai hot sauce instead of the crushed red pepper flakes. The flavors of this dish just didn't do it for me- the saltiness of the capers against the sharpness of the fennel seeds. I won't make this recipe again.

(I have also substituted other greens in it as well though the escarole is my favorite.)

From Claire's Corner Copia Cookbook:

1/4 cup olive oil

6 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup black olives, chopped

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

2 heads of escarole, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

pastry for a 9 inch, 2-crust pie

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (I usually use shredded)

Preheat oven to 375. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, olives, capers. Cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Add the escarole, red pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Cover, reduce heat to low and allow to steam 30 minutes, stirring frequently until the escarole is tender. If it begins to stick, lower the heat. Stir to mix well. Taste for seasoning. Drain in a colander. 

Sprinkle half the mozzarella over the bottom of the pie crust. Put the escarole mixture in the crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. Cover with the top pie crust, sealing the edges with the tines of a fork. Cut 3 slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Basque Eggs

I found this recipe a while back on one of my favorite sites: cuisine.co.nz It is a great dish once the zucchini is ready to harvest. The perfect dish if you have chard, tomatoes and zucchini. I have adapted this recipe. The original is on the link.


6  tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely diced
4 zucchini, sliced less than 1” thick
1 small hot red chili thinly sliced or a roasted chopped green chili or two
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch of swiss chard, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leafed parsley
4-6 organic eggs
1 cup cherry tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat in a heavy frying pan (preferably one that can go straight into the oven). Add the onions, zucchini, chili and garlic. Panfry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until everything has softened and browned.

Stir in the chard and saute for a minute or two. Then add the paprika and parsley, mix well then remove from the heat. If you are not using a frying pan that is oven-safe, oil a shallow ovenproof dish with the remaining oil. Pour the vegetable mixture evenly into the dish and break the eggs on top, leaving them whole and evenly distributed over the surface. (Use as many eggs as your dinner companions need)

Push the tomatoes in beside the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Remove from the oven and serve. Serves 4

 Going into the oven

**Delicious. I love the smokey paprika with the fresh veges. Keep your eye on the eggs- you'll need to poke them to know how runny or cooked they are.

Steamed greens with sweet sesame dressing

Although this recipe calls for spinach, I will be trying it with the asian greens we get this week.
The recipe comes from a site in New Zealand- Ruth Pretty. I'll be serving it with marinated tempeh cut into thin strips, marinated in the teriyaki marinade from last week.

Ingredients

90g (1/2 cup) sesame seeds
90ml(6 tbsp) soy sauce
18g (1 + 1/2 tbsp) sugar

90ml (6 tbsp) mirin
salt and freshly ground pepper
750g spinach leaves (destalked)

Method

• To make Sweet Sesame Dressing: Place sesame seeds into a dry frying pan and toast till they are golden. Place sesame seeds into a mortar (or food processor fitted with a metal blade) with enough soy sauce so that seeds can be crushed with a pestle to resemble a paste. Add remaining soy sauce, sugar and mirin and mix to combine. Season to taste. Cover and refrigerate till required.
• Fill a steamer base with water and bring to the boil. Add spinach to steamer basket and steam for 3-4 minutes or till tender but still bright green. Drain well.
• Place dressing into a small non-reactive saucepan and, over gentle heat, bring to the boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or till dressing thickens. 

 
 










** I liked this dish. It was easy to make and the greens were delicious the next day with the sauce. One of my daughters loved the tempeh.

Sausage and Swiss chard soup

This recipe is from Williams Sonoma. Last time I made it, I used chorizo sausage. I think I'll make an onion bread to go with it.

Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 lb. chicken andouille sausage
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 leek, white portion only, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• 6 cups chicken stock, warmed
• 1 cup water, warmed
• 2 cups cooked white beans, drained
• 4 oz. Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut
    into 1⁄2-inch strips
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for
   garnish (optional)
• Garlic crostini for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil the wine until reduced to 1/2 cup, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and let cool, then cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices.

In the same pot over medium-low heat, cook the onion, celery, carrot and leek, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more. Add the reduced wine, the stock and water, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the sausage, white beans and chard and cook until the chard wilts, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, and garnish with the cheese and crostini. Serve immediately.

** I ended up using pork andouille sausage from Whole Foods. We did not add the bread and cheese on top. It ended up being too spicy for the kids and a little fatty for my tastes. I still like the soup- I think I'll try turkey keilbasa next time- should be less fatty and not spicy.

Acorn Squash with Tomatoes, Chard, and Pine Nuts

I don't remember where this recipe came from. I'll be substituting spinach for chard, using my canned tomatoes from this summer for the fresh (since I used up the last of my LPO tomatoes last night in the Persian cucumber salad.) I doubt I'll present it with the spinach on bottom since we've got teenager company tonight. I'll probably mix it together and serve it that way.

Serves 6 as side dish servings

2 T pine nuts
1 1/4 lbs acorn squash (1 medium)
1 large red onion
1 lb Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 bunches)* I'll use spinach
1 T olive oil* I'll use coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, miced
2 t dried oregano
1/4 dried red chili flakes
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C vege stock
1/2 lb fresh pear tomatoes (3 medium), diced
2 T balsamic vinegar

Toast the pine nuts in a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Stir or shake the pan frequently to prevent scorching. Nuts are done when they are lightly browned and emit a roasted aroma. Immediately remove from the pan, mince them, and set aside.

Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice off and discard the tough rind portion, and coarsely chop the squash. Coarsely chop the red onion. Carefully wash the chard and slice the stem portion. Do not dry the chard leaves; tear them into large pieces and set aside in a colander.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomoed skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and saute the garlic, oregano, and chili flakes for 1 minute. Add the squash, onion, chard stems, and salt, and saute, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, cover, and cook 7 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the tomatoes. Continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, 5-10 minutes, until squash is fork-tender.

Meanwhile, place the wet chard leaves in a saucepan over medium-low heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes, until they wilt Make a bed of the chard on a warmed platter. Add the venegar to the squash mixture and gently stir. Spoon the squash evenly over the chard and sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve hot.

Each serving provides: 120 calories, 4 g protein, 5 g fat, 4 g fiber, 19 g carbohydrate, 378 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

**Not the best picture- sorry. I forgot till we were almost finished eating to take the photo. As you can see, it turned out quite soupy. But that was solved with the spoon bread. I shoved the raw spinach into the stew as it simmered. I also used a drained can of tomatoes already diced, for convenience. I doubled the recipe. It is a keeper.