I love the farmers market for many reasons, but the best thing about it is that I get introduced to foods I would never see in the grocery store. For example, the garlic scape. The first time I saw these I thought they looked like a pile of green coat hangers and I had no idea what one would do with them. Scapes are basically the stem from the plant flower. I did some reading up and found that garlic scapes are often used to make pesto, but I wanted to find a different way to play with them. They are firm to the bite and have a mellow green garlic flavor, so I thought they would be the perfect addition to something with a fluffy texture: zucchini frittata.

I don’t know about you guys, but I get slightly overwhelmed when I first get to the farmers market. I run around trying to decide who has the best of what and then I get antsy and start making impulse buys. I usually end up buying too much of something and the frittata is a cooking trick I use to get it all eaten up before it goes bad. It’s stupid easy to prepare, and you can make it fancy or keep it simple. I had some leftover prosciutto and some feta in the fridge so I threw that into the mix. You could also add olives or bacon, or any other cheese you have that needs to be used up. The only rule is to make sure you have enough egg to bind everything together. I find that 5-6 eggs will work for a 9-inch round dish full of goodies.

I like the texture the garlic scapes add to the frittata, but if you can’t find them you could always use green onion. The problem with garlic scapes is that they are only around for a few weeks at the beginning of the season, which in Chicago is June. <procrastination>In fact, by the time I get this post written I’m sure they will have disappeared. Sorry about that.</procrastination> Bookmark this one for next year, or just use green onions.

Ugh! I can never make the first slice look good!

Zucchini and Prosciutto Frittata

Loosely adapted from this recipe
Serves 6
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Unattended time: 55 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

olive oil
1/2 pound green zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound yellow squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 garlic scapes or green onions, ends removed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly chopped dill
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 ounces prosciutto, torn into bite-sized pieces
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
no-stick spray
2 ounces feta cheese

Prep work: Chop zucchini, squash, garlic scapes or green onions, dill and parsley. Tear up the prosciutto.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the zucchini, squash, garlic scapes (or green onions), and salt in a large bowl.
2. Heat some olive oil in a very large skillet set over medium heat. Add enough of the zucchini/squash mixture to the skillet to cover the bottom in one layer. You want each piece to have contact with the skillet so it can brown; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the skillet to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining vegetables if necessary.
3. Let the cooked vegetables cool in the bowl about 10 minutes. Pour off any liquid and add the dill, parsley, prosciutto and eggs.
4. Spray a 9 1/2-inch round baking dish with no-stick spray. Pour the vegetable mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with the feta. Bake until set, about 45 minutes.

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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.

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.

Lately I have been trying to eat mostly seasonal produce. This little seasonal produce tool I found on Real Simple is helping me out. You may have noticed I have been spending a lot of time on Real Simple…what busy gal doesn’t love that site?

In my attempt to eat more seasonally, I am encountering produce that I don’t normally prepare. Leeks fall into that category. I used to think of them as a big ole green onion, but that comparison doesn’t accurately describe their flavor. They are milder than green onions, with an earthy, garlicky flavor.

This recipe combines leeks with another veggie that often confounds me, the radish. I know what you’re thinking: since when is butter healthy? Fear not the sat fat, the recipe only calls for a tablespoon for 4 servings. Check out the nutrition info below if you need further convincing. Definitely use the butter. It may not be a lot but it provides a luxurious flavor. The resulting dish is strikingly pretty, just the thing I need on these dreary and soggy winter days. One last tip, the earthy flavors of the leeks and radishes are brightened by the lemon juice, so don’t forget to add it.

Buttered Leeks and Radishes

Adapted from Real Simple
Serves 4 as a side dish
Total time: about 20 minutes
Cost per serving: $3

1 bunch of radishes, about 12-16 small ones
3 leeks
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
juice of half a lemon

1. Clean and quarter the radishes. Slice the white and light green part of the leeks about 1/4 inch thick. Discard the dark green parts. Chop the parsley.
2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the radishes and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove the radishes from the pan and put in a large bowl.
3. Add the leeks, broth, salt and lemon juice to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. The leeks should be softened.
4. Transfer the leeks to the bowl with the radishes. Add the parsley and toss to combine.

Radishes give this dish a nice bit of vitamin C, which will help you ward off those winter colds. Was I right about the fat content? One tablespoon of butter doesn’t contribute that much sat fat to the dish, and it just tastes so darn good.

I saw this recipe for a butternut squash pizza on Real Simple and knew I could make it real simpler. Instead of using the refrigerated dough the recipe calls for, I turn to my quickie standby for mini pizzas: the pita. This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with the pita as the crust. If you wanted to use the refrigerated dough or get even fancier and make your own dough, I’m sure the results would be irresistible.

I jazzed up the recipe a bit by using a goat’s milk ricotta with smoked paprika. Oh hell yes. This lovely fresh cheese is made by a local Texas company called Poia. If you can’t find it you can mix a little paprika with some regular ricotta. The smokiness of the paprika works well with the sweet roasted squash, so give it a shot.

Butternut Squash Pita Pizza

Serves 6
Total time: 30 minutes
Cost per serving: $3

1 butternut squash, or 1 package of pre-cut if you are feeling REALLY lazy
1 small yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 package of 6 whole wheat pita bread
1/2 cup fresh part-skim ricotta
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel and cut the squash into bite-sized chunks, about 1/2 inch. Slice the onion into 1/4 inch rings.Put the squash and onion in a bowl, drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss. Place in a baking dish and roast about 20 minutes. Transfer back to the bowl.
3. Spoon the squash and onion mixture onto the pitas. Mix the ricotta with the paprika (if using) and place little dollops of the ricotta around the pita. Sprinkle with the thyme.
4. Place the pitas back in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the pita starts to brown and the cheese melts.

Was I kidding about the vitamin A? This little pizza is a nutrition boon. I pictured it above with the Tangy Roasted Brussels Sprouts I made the other day. After eating that meal I felt like SuperWoman.

Stew can be quick if you use the right ingredients. This recipe from New Vegetarian Cuisine is a perfect example. The trick is to use red lentils if you can find them, which are actually yellow lentils with the outer husk removed. Whole Foods has them in the bulk section, but you may also be able to find them at larger grocery stores amongst the dried beans. They are a bright orange color and turn yellow once they are cooked. Bonus points: Lentils have plenty of iron, protein and fiber. If you can’t find red lentils you can substitute green or brown, but the cooking time will need to be extended by 10-15 minutes.

I modified the recipe in New Vegetarian Cuisine by using yellow potatoes, which hold up better to cooking than regular baking potatoes. If, like me, you like chunks of potato in your stew try using Yukon Golds. I also switched out the tarragon for basil because I had some left over from the Mediterranean Olive Bread I made, and it’s easier to find in most grocery stores. If you use a food processor to shred the veggies, this dish comes together in minutes. Did I mention how much I love my new food processor? I don’t even mind that I have to wash it by hand (since I don’t have a dish washer).

Balsamic Lentil Stew

Lentil Stew Action Shot!

4 cups water
1 1/4 cups red lentils
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
ground black pepper
5-6 green onions
2 carrots
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Cut the potatoes into cubes. In a large pot, combine the water, lentils, potatoes and pepper (to your liking) and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes.
2. While the lentils are cooking, chop the green onions and grate the carrots, zucchini and squash. You can also use the grater on a food processor for the veggies. Finely chop the garlic.
3. In a large no-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, veggies and garlic and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Once the carrots are softened, add the veggie mixture to the lentils. Mix in the basil and vinegar and heat through another 2-3 minutes. Serve in big bowls. You won’t need another meal for about 8 hours.
   ]]> http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/11/04/quick-and-cheap-dinner-balsamic-lentil-stew/feed/ 5 http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/11/01/food-pr0n-mediterranean-olive-bread/ http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/11/01/food-pr0n-mediterranean-olive-bread/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:35:33 +0000 drmiggy http://www.drmiggy.com/?p=1004 In spite of my initial failures, I’ve had one vegan baking success this weekend. This aromatic quick bread caught my eye while flipping through The Joy of Vegan Baking because it looked foolproof. What can I say, my ego took a beating and I needed a sure thing.

   I prepared the recipe almost as directed and scraped it into a springform pan, just for shits and giggles. You could also make a loaf if you don’t have a round pan. I omitted the sun-dried tomatoes, simply because I really don’t care for them and they are expensive. The rosemary and freshly baked bread aroma that filled my little apartment had me drooling in anticipation. It was torture to let the loaf cool. I popped open the springform pan and immediately cut the loaf into wedges. The texture is similar to focaccia, and the pungent olives, piney rosemary and sweet crunch of the walnuts complement each other perfectly. This bread would be great along side an autumn lentil stew or a minestrone soup. Alternatively, you could just eat half the loaf by yourself for dinner, which I totally didn’t do.

   

   Mediterranean Olive Bread

   Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking
   Yield one standard sized loaf

   no-stick spray
   1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
   3/4 cups whole wheat flour
   2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
   1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
   2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   4 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
   6 tablespoons water
   1 cup soy milk
   1/4 cup olive oil
   1/3 cup chopped walnuts
   1/3 cup chopped pitted black olives

   1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan (square, rectangle or round, whatever curls your toes) with no-stick spray.
   2. In a large bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, chopped herbs and salt. Set aside.
   3. In a blender combine the egg replacer and water until thickened a little. The recipe calls for enough egg replacer for 3 eggs, so I suppose you could just use eggs. I didn’t test it, though. Add the soy milk and olive oil to the blender and mix until combined.
   4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold until almost all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the walnuts and olives and fold in just until combined. Don’t over mix or the bread will get tough.
   5. Scoop the batter into your prepared pan, evening it out with a spoon or rubber spatula. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes depending on the pan you use. Just check it after 30 minutes and if the knife is goopy then let it bake for 5-10 minutes longer. The top crust should be a light brown and feel hard to the touch. My round pan only required 30 minutes, but an 8-inch loaf pan will probably need the entire 40 minutes.
   6. Let the bread cool in the pan on a rack or trivet for at least 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool completely, if you can stand the wait.
   ]]> http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/11/01/food-pr0n-mediterranean-olive-bread/feed/ 2 http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/10/29/quick-and-cheap-dinner-garden-pita-pizza/ http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/10/29/quick-and-cheap-dinner-garden-pita-pizza/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:48:26 +0000 drmiggy http://www.drmiggy.com/?p=969 October and November are always criz-azzy months for me at work. Everyone wants to wrap up their projects before the holiday slump, which means my diet and exercise routine suffer from half-assedness and downright neglect. Le sigh. When I’ve had a particularly exhausting day and would rather jump out a third story window than cook, I turn to the pita pizza. Not only are they quick, but pita pizzas are a great way to use up the odds and ends leftover in your fridge. Any cheapskate knows that wasting food is a big money sink.

   What follows is only in the loosest sense a pizza. I thought about calling it a garden flatbread, but that sounded poncey. Plus my new favorite book, The Recipe Writer’s Handbook, discourages cryptic and silly recipe names. I’m so, so guilty of that.

   If you don’t have all of the ingredients I list below, not a big deal. You can use a technique I like to call im-praaaaah-visation. As long as you can cut it into bite-sized pieces and it won’t be ick if you cook it, throw it on the pita. The combo I use below, however, is quite magical and has plenty of iron from the pumpkin seeds, which toast up in the oven. I love the bitterness of the radishes, the sweetness of the squash and pumpkin seeds, and the saltiness of the feta and olives all mingling together.

   Garden Pita Pizza

   Serves one
   Total time: 10 minutes
   Cost per serving: $3-5 depending on your toppings

   1 whole wheat pita
   1/2 teaspoon olive oil
   1/2 cup (1 oz) fresh spinach
   1/3 cup (1.5 oz) thinly sliced squash
   1 radish, thinly sliced
   4 green olives, quartered (I used some marinated olives from the olive bar)
   2 tablespoons (0.5 oz) raw pumpkin seeds
   1/4 cup (1 oz) feta cheese
   Italian seasoning (optional)

   1. If you are using a conventional oven, heat it to 350 degrees. I use a toaster oven so I skip this step. If you haven’t already prepped the veggies you could do that while the oven heats.
   2. Drizzle the olive oil on the pita, and spread it around with your fingers. Sexy.
   3. Spread the spinach out on the pita, then top with the squash and radish slices. Sprinkle on the olives, pumpkin seeds, and feta. Toss a few dashes of Italian seasoning on top, if using.
   4. Place in the oven for about 5-8 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds begin to brown. Serve cut into wedges.
   
   Check out the nutrition information for this meal. The cholesterol should actually be 8%, but for some reason it keeps calculating to 33%. I think it’s just a glitch. More importantly, look at the fiber and vitamin content! You could do a lot worse

   ]]> http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/10/29/quick-and-cheap-dinner-garden-pita-pizza/feed/ 1 http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/09/30/food-pr0n-fig-and-chile-pasta/ http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/09/30/food-pr0n-fig-and-chile-pasta/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:54:27 +0000 drmiggy http://www.drmiggy.com/?p=845 I am making a new category for those dishes that aren’t exactly complete “dinners” but that deserve your attention nonetheless. Laura Jean, kick-ass photog, helped me come up with the name. I asked her for advice on food photography, to which she responded:

   When I first started shooting pro, I was told “get down close and shoot it like porn”…and natural light is best.

   Check out Laura’s tasty food photos here.

   She was right. Is this too much? It is, isn’t it.
   

   

   Figs are said to be an aphrodisiac

   Fig and Chile Pasta

   Adapted from this recipe on Culinate.com. You should check out Culinate, it’s all about being healthy and conscientious while not totally depriving yourself.

   Serves 4-6 as a side dish

   12 dried figs
   2 lemons
   1- 6 oz container plain fat-free yogurt
   12 oz whole-wheat fettuccine
   1 Tbsp. olive oil
   1 fresh chile, seeded and finely chopped (don’t do what I did and dose yourself with too much chile. Ouch!)
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
   ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

   1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
   2. Cut figs in halves or quarters and place cut-side up on a plate. I chose to use dried figs because the fresh ones at Whole Foods looked manky that day.
   3. Grate the zest from the lemons and squeeze the juice of one lemon into the yogurt. Stir in the lemon zest.
   4. Once you have achieved a righteous boil on the water, add the pasta and cook according to the package.
   5. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. I cut the amount from the original recipe in half, just cuz. Add the figs and chile and cook for a couple of minutes. When the mixture looks softened remove it from the heat.
   6. Drain the fettuccine, return it to the pot and stir in the lemon yogurt, the Parmesan and the fig and chile mixture. Serve immediately.

   Plain yogurt makes a quick and healthy pasta sauce a la alfredo…stop laughing. OK, it’s not exactly alfredo, but it IS tasty. Is there anything yogurt can’t do? The final product is pictured below, next to the Heirloom Tomato Salad I wrote about on Houstonist.
   

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