Life changes, and apparently mine does this all at once. In two weeks time, I’ll have flown to Houston to wrap up work at my most recent position, will head home to pack up the one bedroom apartment in Chicago, will fly down to Atlanta to train for my new career, and then back to Chicago to move into our gorgeous two bedroom place in River North. Am I cooking as much these days? No, but I’m relying on some old standbys to get us through the next few weeks without eating out every night.

When I know a busy period is coming up I plan ahead and cook up odds and ends on the weekend that can be quickly thrown together in a casserole dish during the week. Pre-cooked rice and chicken breasts can mean the difference between a 20- and 60-minute meal. Mexican Layer Casserole takes advantage of both. This dish is comfort food to me. It’s flavorful and filling and comes together quickly, even though the ingredient list looks long. Don’t skip the chiles in adobo sauce because their spicy smokiness really punches up the flavor in the casserole. You should be able to find them in the Mexican food section of most large grocery stores, along with the can of green chiles. If you prefer less heat just omit the green chiles, gringo

Mexican Layer Casserole

Adapted from Low-Fat Living Cookbook
Serves 6
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Cost per serving: ~$2.50

Rice
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Sauce
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon water
1 cup low-fat sour cream
2-3 chiles in adobo, chopped with 2 teaspoons sauce reserved
1-4.5 ounce can green chiles, chopped (optional. You could use a can of chopped chiles, too.)

Filling
No-stick spray
3 cups broken up corn tortilla chips
1-15 ounce can refried black beans, warmed
1.5 cups low-fat shredded sharp cheddar
1 cooked chicken breast, diced small (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Prep work: Mince the garlic. Chop the cilantro, onion, and chiles in adobo. Chop the green chiles and chicken, if using. Warm up the beans in a sauce pan on low heat.

1. To make the rice: mix together all of the rice ingredients and set aside.
2. To make the sauce: Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then stir in the sour cream. This will help prevent curdling when you add it to the hot sauce. Stir in a small amount of the sauce into the sour cream, then transfer the sour cream mixture to the sauce in the saucepan. Add the chiles in adobo with the reserved sauce and the chopped green chiles (if using). Stir everything to combine and remove from the heat.
   

4. To assemble the casserole: Heat the oven to 375° F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with no-stick spray. Arrange half the chips on the bottom, then drop spoonfuls of the warmed beans on top, using about half on this first layer. Warming the beans makes this step easier. Layer on 1/2 cup cheddar, half of the rice, half of the chopped chicken (if using) and half of the sauce. Repeat the layers of chips, beans, cheese, chicken and sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top.
5. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Nutrition info assumes that optional ingredients are used and low sodium chicken broth and low fat sour cream, cheese and black beans are used. This casserole is a good source of almost everything and is still low in fat in spite of the cheese and sour cream.

Currently making me happy
I started this in my last post and I think I’ll keep doing it as I find things that make me happy. For now I want to focus on things I discover as I get to know Chicago, but eventually I will branch out.

Just three blocks from my house is the sweetest of temptations, Canady Le Chocolatier. It’s a lovely little chocolate shop tucked into a small store front in the South Loop. The hot chocolate at Canady beckons me out of the apartment even on the ickiest Chicago winter days. But the chocolate silk pie, oh man, I have never had anything like it. The texture is smooth and creamy but it’s not so rich that you get sick of it after a few bites. The flavor is much more complex, with a honey-like depth to the sweetness. I’m practically salivating just writing about it.

Mr. Canady makes all of the chocolates on site and you can tell that this is his passion. Each of his little treats is like a gem, a delicious, addicting little gem.

Isn't this the sweetest little necklace? Go check out Allison Mooney's Etsy shop for more.

Currently making me happy

How much do I love Allison Mooney’s jewelry on Etsy? The answer is A LOT. Her pieces are so delicate and timeless that I have a mind to buy them all up and wear them all at once. Go to her Etsy store to see more lovely things.

I have been eating a lot of chicken lately. I’m learning to cook for me and my boyfriend and the guy loves his poultry. He’s open minded and welcomes my meatless creations, so I indulge him with dishes like this Mediterranean Chicken. Fennel is still pretty much in season so it’s not expensive, and this dish gives you a chance to play around with it. The briny olives here add a nice kick to the mellow sweetness of the roasted fennel. Cherry tomatoes seem like such an indulgence this time of year, but they get roasted in this dish, which brings out their flavor, so I succumbed. Oh, how I miss tomatoes during the winter. This recipe is for two people, but you could easily double it. This is a make-ahead kind of dish because the chicken needs to marinade for at least an hour. Otherwise it comes together quickly with little hands-on time.

Mediterranean Chicken with Roasted Fennel

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Cooking for Two 2009. Is it cute or obnoxious that I bought this book?
Serves 2
Marinade time: at least 1 hour
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35-45 minutes
Cost per serving: ~$6

Marinade

1/3 cup olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped basil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few grindings of fresh black pepper
2 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)

Veggies

2 fennel bulbs
1 cup cherry tomatoes
10 pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
juice of half a lemon
chopped basil for garnish

Prep work: Mince the shallot and garlic. Chop the basil and olives. Juice the lemon. To prep the fennel, cut off the stalks then slice them in half. Core them by cutting a cone out of the bottom (see photo). Slice the fennel thinly lengthwise.

1. For the marinade: combine all of the marinade ingredients (except the chicken, silly) in a bowl and stir to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and place in the refrigerator. Add the rest of the marinade and the chicken to a large zipper-lock bag, press out the air and seal the bag. Smoosh the chicken around in the marinade in the bag and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Heat the oven to 450° F. Combine the fennel, tomatoes, olives, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the reserved marinade (not the stuff the chicken is sitting in!) and toss to coat. Dump the veggies into a 8- or 9-inch square baking dish.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and nestle them skin-side up in the veggies. Throw out any marinade left in the baggie. Bake until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 160° F, or about 35-45 minutes. A meat thermometer is really handy for measuring internal temp.
4. Stir the lemon juice into the remaining reserved marinade. Transfer the chicken, veggies and pan juices to a platter and pour the lemon-marinade mixture over it. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before sprinkling with the remaining basil. Serve it!

Nutrition info assumes 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the final recipe. OK, there is a lot of fat in this, but I don’t eat the chicken skins and I did say it is an indulgence Pull the skins off if you want to save some fat and calories, or satisfy yourself that you are getting half your daily recommended fiber and most of your vitamin C and a fourth of your iron.

She's all beat up, but that's how you spot a good cookbook

About 10 years ago I decided to find a recipe for real southern cornbread. Not that sugary Yankee cake that most people try to pass off, but the salty and spicy stuff I remember from childhood. Let me be clear: I LOATHE SUGAR IN CORNBREAD. It invokes in me a white-hot disgust so intense it rips a hole in space time. The original recipe that mine is adapted from called for sugar, so I just took that out completely and doubled the amount of salt. Done and done. I also use an entire 11 ounce can of corn in place of the 1 cup of corn the original recipe called for, mostly because I’m lazy and it’s easy to dump in the can. I have tried it with fresh and frozen corn and it makes no difference at all. I also reduced the jalapeño by one, but if you love heat go to town with three. Lastly, I started using blue cornmeal because I like the color. It doesn’t taste any different to me and it makes me grin. Blue bread. So weird.

I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet if you have one. Not only does it create a satisfying crisp exterior to the cornbread, but it makes me feel so Southern. The resulting cornbread is just how I like it. Crispy on the outside with a moist crumb inside, and enough sweetness from the corn so that extra sugar is unnecessary. With a little pat of butter melting on top, this bread is irresistible. Pair it with quick chili for a comforting winter meal.

Skillet Cornbread

adapted from The Woman’s Day Cookbook
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

1 1/2 cups cornmeal (yellow or blue, both work)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1- 11 ounce can of corn, drained
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

Prep work: drain the corn, seed and chop the jalapeños

1. Place a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet (or oven-proof skillet) in the oven and heat to 400 ° F.
2. In a large bowl mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and soda, and the salt. Stir until well combined.
3. Add the buttermilk, corn, vegetable oil and the jalapeños and stir until blended.
4. Remove the hot skillet and lightly spray it with cooking spray. It will smoke a little. Pour in the batter and give the skillet a little shake to even it out. Sizzle!
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the skillet, cut into wedges and top with a pat of butter.

Last time I made this my boyfriend stored the leftovers in this 1 quart container. I thought it looked like something you would see at Alinea or Moto, all molecular gastronomy-like, so I took a picture. Weirder!

And some how, this disappoints me.

Where is all the damn snow?!? My imagination promised me heaps of pristine fluffy flakes begging to be stomped on, scooped up and rolled around in. I have a RomCom playing in my head where my boyfriend and I, scarved and earmuffed, frolic and romp through the snow while bouncy pop music chirps about the glory of love. Has it happened IRL? Nooooooo! And I was seriously beginning to pout until yesterday, when we got over 6 inches of snow. This Pee Wee Herman video pretty much sums up my reaction:

I’ve only gotten a little bit of frolicking in, but I have to say that I find myself grinning and even giggling when I walk down the street. I stomp into the snow banks, and I don’t care that my boots get all messy. Snow is new to me and I pretty much love everything about it.

And all of this was to set up my new favorite winter dish, this super quick chili recipe I tweaked from Real Simple. I added some ground meat to it, but you could just omit that part if you want to keep it vegetarian. I love the addition of bulgur because it adds a little more heft to the dish. It sticks nicely to the ribs. In the photo you can see a big hunk of my favorite cornbread, made with blue cornmeal for fun. I’ll post that recipe after this one. It’s some good stuff.

Quick Chili

Adapted from Real Simple
Serves 4
Total Time: 30 minutes
Cost per serving: ~$4

1/2 cup bulgur wheat
juice of half a lemon
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 pound ground meat (optional. Use beef or pork, whatever you have)
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (I like the ones with mexican spices or adobo seasoning)
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed

Prep work: Juice the lemon, slice the green onion, seed and chop the jalapeño, chop the onion, bell pepper and garlic

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add the bulgur and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep the bulgur covered for 10 minutes. The water should soak into the grains. Stir in the lemon juice, jalapeño, a nice glug of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. While the bulgur is cooking, brown the meat in a large pan or a pot over medium-high heat. If you are not using the meat then just heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and skip to the next step.
3. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pan and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to tast. Stir everything to combine and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and 1½ cups water to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the rinsed beans and simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Divide the chili into bowls and top with the bulgur mixture.

The nutrion info assumes a total of 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 95% lean ground beef was used.

Some mornings (OK, most) I am able to muster just enough brain power to make a pot of coffee. Cooking breakfast is out of the question. I won’t skip breakfast, though, no matter how tired or rushed I am. So where do I turn? A piece of fruit, maybe some yogurt, and the multifunctional breakfast bar. What busy gal hasn’t resorted to the conveniently packaged fruit and grain or granola bar? When your tummy is rumblin’ and you’re in a hurry, breakfast bars can keep you going until you have time for real sustenance. Lately I have been relying on this convenience food more than I should. They aren’t cheap and they often leave me feeling less than satisfied. Noticing the trend, my boyfriend suggested we make our own granola bars. The idea appeals to my inner hippie, because what could be more “granola” than making your own granola?

I’m not gonna lie, standing over a pan of melting honey, sugar and butter I felt a bit like a poser. Healthy. Psh. But I did the math (see below) and the amount of sugar and fat in each of these bars is not outrageous. Plus you get the benefit of about a fourth of the RDI of fiber and 12% of the iron.

If the idea of cleaning up a sticky mess scares you off, fear not! I have a solution. Generously buttering a piece of parchment paper makes short work of cutting the bars and clean up. Just lift the paper out once the bars are done baking and admire your spotlessly clean baking dish. You can also butter the pan if you don’t have parchment, but I didn’t try that method so I can’t vouch for its ease.

Though the original recipe yields 16 bars, I cut this batch into a dozen HUGE stick-with-you-through-mid-morning bars. If you’re in a hurry in the morning, toss one of these bars into a re-useable snack bag on your way out the door.

Toasty Granola Bars

Adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe
Makes 12 huge bars

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces dried currants or raisins

1. Butter the buh-jesus out of a piece of parchment big enough to fit inside and up the edges of your baking dish. It doesn’t need to fit perfectly because you will squish the granola into it to keep it in place. You can use a 9×9 or 11×8 dish (like me). If you only have a 13×9 you can probably use it but your bars will be thinner. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on this, because it can burn quickly.
3. While the grains toast, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a big saucepan. You are going to dump the grains into this later so you’ll need the extra room. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Remove the grains from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Add the grains to the honey mixture, add the currants, and stir until combined.
5. Place the buttered parchment into the baking dish and press in the granola mixture. Spread it evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the oven, then lift the parchment out of the pan. Allow the granola to cool completely before cutting into bars. This is important because the bars will be easier to cut when they are completely cooled. Cut into 12 bars and store in an airtight container.

Lifestyles change. Mine sure has in the last few weeks. I’ve gone from driving over 70 miles a day to getting in the car about twice a week. Because I no longer commute, there is more time for me to do the things I enjoy most, like playing in the kitchen. I have a new “roommate” who requires meat most nights for dinner but still loves a good veggie dish. So things have changed, and I’d say for the better. I’m so happy here in Chicago with my guy, the new Mountain Goats album can’t even make me feel blue. Now, I feel like life is where I always wanted it to be.

I might have skipped over this recipe in the past because it bakes for over an hour. The prep time is quick, though, and my body was hankering for a good greens recipe. I also have a new mandolin to play with, which made slicing the potatoes and onions even quicker. Check it out. I was playing with the settings on my camera and it came out all Gerhard Richtery:

Modern art in my kitchen

This casserole is a stick-to-your-ribs, it’s-in-the-single-digits kind of dish. You could skip the cheese if you wanted and make it vegan. I indulged and justified it because I’m doing a lot more walking these days

Winter Greens and Potato Casserole

Adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 8 servings
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 1 hour 15 minutes

8 cups water
3 bunches kale
6-8 medium yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 onion
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1/2 cup broth, chicken or veggie will work

Prep work: Rip the leaves off the kale into chunks and discard the stems. Rinse the kale chunks in a bowl of water and strain. Slice the potatoes and onions about 1/8 inch thick.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Bring water to a boil in a big pot, the biggest one you’ve got. Add the kale and 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Coat the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place 1/3 of the potato slices in a single layer on the bottom and top with half of the onion slices. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt; top with half of the kale mixture. Sprinkle kale mixture with 1/4 cup each mozzarella and parmesan.
4. Repeat a layer of 1/3 of the potatoes, the remaining onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining kale. Top the kale this time with the remaining potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Pour broth evenly over the top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
5. Cover with foil and bake at for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 30 minutes or until the cheese is browned.

My old kitchen/hallway

Since yesterday I have made:

• pizza crust with various toppings
• roasted chicken with root veggies
• coconut green tea sorbet
• crusty olive rolls (I love the dough hook)
• homemade chicken broth
• braised radicchio

No lie, I could continue well into the night, but I’m out of flour. I guess I will have to give my new baking stone a rest until tomorrow.

I’m still organizing my life, but very soon I will be back with new recipes. Until then I ask you to gaze upon the beauty of my new mixer. Don’t you just want to fondle it? Don’t tell my food processor, but I think I found a new true love.

I’m busy, I’m packing, blah, blah, blah. You get it by now. In spite of everything going on in my life, I must take time to feed myself nourishing meals. Fast food won’t cut it for me. Maybe I’m high maintenance or a bit snobby. I’m OK with that, because I get to eat lovely dishes like this hearty concoction of winter veggies.

Last week at the market I came across no fewer than 5 types of sweet potato and I knew I had to do something with them. These beauties are high in vitamins A, B6, C and dietary fiber. Most sweet potato dishes I’m familiar with amp up the sweetness with brown sugar. I wanted to take a different approach, so I searched for a savory dish and found this recipe on Real Simple. That site ought to start paying me for advertising because I reference it here so often. It really is my go-to place for recipes when I’m keen on one ingredient.

Combining the sweet potatoes with kale and quinoa make this dish a nutrition boon that includes good doses of iron and calcium. The wine adds a complexity to an otherwise simple dish, but if you don’t have any on hand you could substitute broth. I’d recommend skipping the broth and buying a nice bottle of wine that you can finish off with dinner

Sweet Potato, Kale and Quinoa

Serves 4
Total time: 30 minutes
Cost per serving: ~$3.50

1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small sweet potatoes, about a pound
8 ounces sliced cremini or “baby bella” mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch kale
3/4 cup dry white wine (or veggie broth)
kosher salt and black pepper

Prep: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite-sized chunks. Remove the stems from the kale by folding in half lengthwise and running a knife down the side of the stem. Tear the kale into 2 inch pieces and rinse in a strainer. Peel and chop the garlic.

1. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until most of the water is absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot. Don’t use a skillet here because you will never get all of the kale in there. Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms soften.
3. Add the garlic and toss with the veggies, then add the kale, wine or broth and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the kale often and cook until it starts to wilt and soften, about 10 minutes.
4. Serve the quinoa in bowls topped with the veggies.

I can’t believe how much vitamin A and C is in this dish, and check out the iron, protein and fiber content. What this label doesn’t show is the nice dose of the B vitamins and vitamin K you get, too. This one is going to stay in my repertoire for when I’m feeling the winter doldrums in Chicago.

I’m not sure I understand the difference between pizza and flatbread, except the pizza generally has a sauce (except for mine) and is round. Flatbread, to me, should be rectangular. The debate is pointless to me, as long as it tastes good. I started out this recipe by making the dough a day ahead and storing it in the fridge. I timed myself, it took 7 minutes and 15 seconds to prepare the dough. I then ran an errand while it rose, et voila, convenience for the next evening’s meal.

The choice for toppings was random, centering on the vague idea of a potato flatbread. I picked up a few red potatoes and was on the lookout for leeks, which were nowhere to be found. I guess they are out of season now. I DID run across some lovely radicchio, and thanks to the handy seasonal veggie tool, I knew it was in season. The choice of cheese was also purely coincidental. They had some Gruyère out for sampling at the Whole Foods and I thought the nuttiness would go well with the bitterness of the radicchio. Gruyère is a mild stinky cheese, but don’t be put off by the stank. Once it melts it’s mellow and adds a nice bit of saltiness.

The results were satisfying and fantastically simple, the perfect comfort food for me. If you aren’t up to preparing your own dough you can buy refrigerated pizza dough. I recommend slicing the potato paper thin so they will cook all the way through. I use a mandolin slicer to do that, but you could use a sharp knife and your mad knife skills and get the same result. Now I seriously need to get to my packing

Non-natural lighting. Meh.

Potato and Radicchio Flatbread

Dough recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4
Total time 2.5 hours, but only 30 minutes is hands on (look at how I justify this behavior here)
Cost per serving $4

For the dough:
3/4 cups white flour
3/4 cups wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the topping:
2 oz. Gruyère
1/2 head of radicchio (save the other half for a salad)
1 medium red potato
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 glug of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Mix the flours, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add the water and olive oil, stirring mixture into a ball. You will probably not be able to make it into a homogenous ball, but there’s an easy fix for that. Smitten Kitchen says to dump everything onto a floured surface and let it sit, covered by the empty bowl, for a few minutes. When you come back to it you should be able to incorporate every bit into a ball.
2. Knead the dough a few times: fold it in half, press it with the palms of your hands, turn it a quarter turn, repeat. Lightly oil the bowl and roll the dough ball around the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
3. Dump the dough back onto the floured surface and press the air out of it. Make it into a ball again and let it rest covered for another 20 minutes. At this point you can wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.
4. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle some cornmeal on a cookie sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle. Place it on the cookie sheet.
5. Grate the Gruyère on the large holes of a box grater and set aside.
6. Coarsely chop the radicchio and slice the potatoes thin. Place the veggies and the onions in a large bowl and add a nice big glug of olive oil, the salt and some black pepper to taste. Toss the veggies to coat.
7. Pick out the potato slices and layer on the rolled out dough. Dump the radicchio and onion on top, then sprinkle with the cheese.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and let the flatbread rest a minute or two. Cut into squares and enjoy.

I didn’t create a nutrition label for this recipe because, frankly, I couldn’t be bothered to. I’m not as concerned about the minutia of nutrition for the next few days. As long as I don’t resort to fast food, I figure I’m doing all right.

So as you can guess, there ain’t a whole lot of cooking and writing going on here.

While I’m scrambling to prepare for the move, may I direct your attention to my new favorite healthy foodie blog, Happy Katie Eats. I love this gal because I always learn something from her.

I’ll be here the next few weeks, but sporadically. When I return I’ll have a new life, with big plans for this little corner of the internet.

Photo credit davipt