A VERY BEIGE (BUT NOT BLAH) PLATE

Friday, October 7, 2005

Looking over the last week's posts, it occurred to me that everything I have written about has had something to do with color: a color-coordinated salad on Monday, purple pasta on Tuesday, the green stuff on Wednesday, and yesterday's white pizza. Anyone who knows me would tell you that bright colors are sort of an obsession. I hate to move, but when we bought our house here, one of the most exciting things was planning what colors to paint all the rooms. Yes, we (really I should say David here; all I did was pick out the colors) painted every room a different color. While I was defending my thesis in Jackson, David camped out in our empty house here in Baton Rouge and painted for four days straight, bless his heart. But it makes me so very happy to come into a brightly colored space. No offense to anyone who loves beige, but I think I might be severely depressed if all of my walls were a pallid shade of dust. So what is with the photo above then, you ask? Well, I don't know. I should have sprinkled some paprika on the hummus, at least, to spice things up a little bit.

But don't let the blah appearance fool you; this Greek fare is very flavorful. The spinach pie was originally meant to use up leftover spinach, but it turns out I didn't have enough and had to cook more anyway. The onions for this recipe really need to be cooked before they go into the filling, so cooking the spinach too is no big deal. The filling comes together pretty quickly, but I will warn you, working with phyllo dough is a little bit tricky. I tend to tear it easily, but it still tastes good, so I'm not extra careful. The trick is to use it immediately, or else it starts to dry out and break. So don't take it out of it's wrapper until you're ready to put it in the dish. As for the hummus, it's one of our favorite snacks, and I like it simple. Beans, garlic, olive oil, and a little bit of lemon is all I put in mine, but it takes many flavors well, so feel free to experiment. I make it ahead of time so I can have a snack while I'm cooking. Be careful, though, it's very filling!

Very Simple Hummus

2-4 cloves garlic, depending on how garlicky you like your hummus

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 a lemon

Kosher salt

Process the garlic cloves until they're finely chopped in a food processor. Add the beans, olive oil, juice from the lemon, and about a half a teaspoon salt. Blend until the consistency is just a little bit chunky (check out the photo for how I like mine). Add more olive oil if you want it to be smoother. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve with soft pita bread.

Spinach Pie with Pine Nuts and Feta Cheese

1 yellow onion, diced

Olive oil

Any leftover Lemony Spinach

2-3 cups fresh spinach leaves (or 1 pkg. frozen spinach)

1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 egg, beaten

2 ounces feta cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Phyllo dough, about 10-12 sheets total

1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cook the onion in olive oil (about a tablespoon) until very soft. Add the uncooked spinach, chopping it with kitchen scissors as you add it to the skillet. Turn and wilt, adding more spinach as you go. Add any leftover spinach you have (you should end up with 2-3 cups of cooked spinach when all is said and done, but there's no magic amount). Remove the spinach-onion mixture to a large bowl and add the artichoke hearts and pine nuts. Mix thoroughly and whisk in the egg.

Get out the phyllo dough and butter, along with a square or round casserole dish. Brush individual sheets with butter on both sides, and lay them in the dish. Let some hang over the edge on all sides (so you have to do some overlapping). Do this with about 6 sheets of dough. Quickly pour the filling on top of the dough. Butter 4-6 more layers for the top, and roll the sides together to seal. Brush the top with more butter so it will brown nicely. Bake for about 30 minutes.

I HEART PIZZA

Thursday, October 6, 2005

David and I sure seem to eat a lot of pizza. I have written about it several times just in the last few weeks without even realizing it! Maybe because it's so versatile, maybe because I can throw anything on it and it tastes good, maybe because it hardly ever turns out badly--whatever the reason, whenever I find myself with an extra day on the menu and no grand ideas, I usually turn to pizza.

When David and I were in college, we spent a semester studying in London. One long weekend, we thought we'd be adventurous and take a quick trip to Italy. The cheapest flights we found were to Venice, so that's where we headed. As luck would have it, we headed there right in the middle of Carnival. No hotel rooms in the whole city, we were told.

So we took a train to Verona. What was in Verona? Romeo and Juliet once--that's all we knew, and that didn't seem to be a good omen. But someone told us we could find a room there, since it was less touristy, and it was easily accessible by train. It turned out to be the most magical place I'd ever been, and half the magic had to do with the fabulous food. I think I ate pizza at least once every day. One night, it was late and we were starving, and we wandered into this cute little cafe off the sidewalk. Called very simply Pizza Bianca, the pie they served me was the best I've ever eaten. This recipe is my attempt to replicate it, which I am sure I'll never be able to do. Unless I live in Italy one day; the place itself imparts an inimitable flavor to the food. Nonetheless, this version is simple and tasty and makes me think of Italy.

White Pizza with Ham and Artichoke Hearts

1/2 recipe pizza dough (I had half of my calzone dough leftover)

Olive oil

Ham

Artichoke Hearts, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Capers

Feta cheese

Parmesan cheese

Proportions are really up to you--scatter the toppings as you please. Roll out the dough and bake for about 7 minutes at 475. While it's cooking, chop the garlic and artichokes. Brown the ham in a skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil. When the crust comes out, drizzle liberally with olive oil, and spread to coat. Sprinkle the garlic into the oil. Top with the remaining ingredients, ending with the feta and Parmesan. Bake for another 5-7 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the crust is brown. I served it with a simple green salad: spring mix lettuce, green onions, some more of the feta, lemon juice, olive oil, and a sprinkle of Greek seasoning.

GREEN IS GOOD

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Mom, look! Do you see all of those green things on my plate? I ate them, every one.

I used to not like vegetables. Especially green ones. There's a semi-famous story in my family that involves me at the dinner table refusing to eat my green beans, claiming I would be sick if I did. Like all good parents would, mine did not buy that plea, and forced me to eat them anyway. And I threw up. On the table, or so the story goes. My mom still claims I willed myself to do it. Of course, this is the same woman who doesn't believe in medication of any sort; once when my brother was home with a severe toothache, he had to take some Midol we found in my sister's purse. It was that or whiskey.

Medication or not, I have learned to like green vegetables. Or at least some of them, if they're cooked the right way. These two, lemony spinach and Parmesan zucchini, are pretty unobtrusive as green vegetables go, and they complement this buttery lemon catfish dish quite nicely. The catfish recipe comes from Come On In!, which I received as a wedding gift from four separate people. Obviously, it was meant to be a staple in my collection. The zucchini is Ina Garten's, from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, and it remains one of my favorite ways to prepare this abundant vegetable. The spinach is the basis for the spinach pie filling later in the week, but it is also good by itself. Additionally, Eileen in the wine department at Calandro's recommended a buttery Chardonnay to accompany this meal, and as usual she was right on target. The Mark West Chardonnay from Sonoma was a perfect match for the subtle citrus and butter flavors of this meal.

Crunchy Catfish with Lemon Butter Sauce

4 thin catfish fillets

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. water

1 cup butter-flavored crackers, crushed

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 T. Greek seasoning

2 T. butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the eggs and water in a shallow bowl. Combine the crackers, cheese, and seasoning on a plate. Dredge the fillets in the eggs and then coat with the cracker mixture. Place in a greased casserole, and drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for about 30 minutes.

For the sauce:

1/2 stick butter

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

Salt and pepper

Melt the butter over low heat; add the green onions and juice. Season to taste, and simmer for a few minutes. Serve over the fish.

--From Come On In! by the Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi, 1991.

Lemony Spinach

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Saute the garlic slices in olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until it wilts. Keep adding it until it is all wilted. Add lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper. Reserve any extra for the spinach pie later in the week; if you know you're going to make it, you can even double this recipe and be a step ahead.

Zucchini with Parmesan Cheese

1 yellow onion, diced

2 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered

Butter and olive oil, 1 T. each

Salt and pepper

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook the onions in butter and oil over medium heat until the onions begin to brown. Add the zucchini slices in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You want them to brown on both sides, which they won't do if you put too many of them in the skillet like I did. Sprinkle with lots of Parmesan cheese when they finish cooking, and serve with more on top. Serve this meal with a nice, buttery Chardonnay, and enjoy eating your green vegetables.

--From Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten, 2002.

PURPLE PASTA?

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

I did not know this pasta would turn out to be purple. The recipe, graciously sent to me by Jonathan, a kind reader in Florida, calls for a specific kind of gorgonzola cheese (dolce or Saga Blue), and I could only find the already-crumbled inexpensive kind. Perhaps there is a difference. Or maybe it's the ham I added. At any rate, don't let the color dissuade you from making it--it is quick, easy, and the sauce is smooth and delicious. Even if it is purple.

Penne with Gorgonzola and Walnuts

1 pound penne, with ridges

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup ham, diced

2 shallots, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped finely

8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 ounces Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Cook the pasta in boiling water until firm but tender. In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil. Add the ham, shallots, and walnuts, and cook over medium until the ham begins to brown and the shallots become tender and translucent. Add milk, cream, and gorgonzola, and stir and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add the nutmeg and Parmesan, and toss with cooked pasta. Top with more Parmesan. Oh, and Jonathan's recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh sage, thinly sliced to be cooked with the ham and shallots. I didn't have any, but I bet it would add a nice herbal flavor to the dish. Thanks for the recipe, Jonathan!

DINNER IN A FLASH

Monday, October 3, 2005

Things are getting really busy at school--a stack of papers to grade, a presentation to prepare, reading, reading, reading, etc., and David and I made a quick jaunt to Jackson this weekend to see Jerrod and Jessie and the new baby (click here for a really cute picture of David holding him). All that to say, I'm fixing more and more dinners that can be ready on the fly (and probably these posts are going to ramble less and less).

For my busiest weeks, the formula is usually: salad, pasta, pizza, a meat dish, and something else that could use up leftovers. For this week, my pasta and salad center around gorgonzola cheese, and the phyllo spinach pie uses up all the leftover spinach from the one main-dish-and-sides night. Most all of these meals can be prepared in less than an hour, and good food that's also quick makes me happy when life is busy.

This Cobb Salad is a great example of a simple, fresh meal in not a lot of time. I am averse to salad dressings that come in a bottle, so I make my own (which takes about 2 minutes), but other than that, a little chopping, and this meal is ready.

Here's what you'll need for 2 salads:

Baby spinach leaves

Sliced ham

1 avocado, sliced

1 plum or Roma tomato, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

2 ounces blue cheese (I used gorgonzola)

Arrange the spinach on the plates. Top with everything else, arranging each ingredient in its own little stripe. Drizzle with Blue Cheese Dressing.

Here's how to make that:

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup mayonnaise, homemade if you've got it

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Juice of half a lemon

2 ounces blue cheese (again, gorgonzola for me)

Add the garlic clove to the food processor with the motor running; when it's minced, add everything else.

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