stove top potatoes

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8 small red potatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a skillet filled with water to cover. Add the oil and garlic, bring to a boil, and cook at a rolling boil until the water has evaporated, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cook the potatoes 2 to 3 minutes more, until the skins are seared and golden, stirring the potatoes with a wooden spoon once or twice.
2. Divide among 4 plates and serve, sprinkled with parsley.

Chard Quiche

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 3/4 cup toasted wheat germ
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound Swiss chard (1 large bunch), leaves chopped, stems minced
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (2 ounces)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground mustard powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside. In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium. Add half the chard to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until chard wilts and releases liquid. Wipe skillet, set aside.
2. Add cooked chard to flour mixture and mix with fork to incorporate. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; firmly press mixture into bottom and up the side of pan. Bake until golden and firm, about 25 minutes. Cool.
3. In reserved skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining chard to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Transfer chard mixture to a colander. Press firmly with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Top prepared crust with chard mixture and cheese; place on rimmed baking sheet.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, mustard powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour custard over chard mixture. Bake until custard is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Helpful Hint

Serve this quiche either warm or at room temperature.

White Chili

Four cups of cooked chicken, diced or thickly shredded

About 40 ounces of Northern or Cannelli beans
One tablespoon of olive oil
Two medium chopped onions
Four cloves of garlic, minced
Eight ounces of green chiles, chopped (I use canned.)
Two teaspoons of cumin
One and one-half teaspoons of oregano
One-quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Approximately six cups of chicken broth
Three cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream (optional)

Saute onion in oil. Add garlic. Then, add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and, if desired, sour cream.

Recipe courtesy of http://yourfavoritewife.xanga.com/567064374/item/

Grilled Tomatoes

Serves: 4

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 4 large tomatoes (about 3” diameter), halved
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking instructions:

1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and pepper.
3. Place the tomato halves in the bowl and rotate them until completely coated with marinade.
4. Place tomatoes cut-side down on the grill. Brush tomatoes one last time with the marinade. Grill for approximately 5-7 minutes then flip and grill for another 5-7 minutes or until they turn soft and brown.
5. Remove tomatoes from grill and sprinkle basil and Parmesan cheese on each one. Serve immediately.

Nutrient content:
Per serving (1 whole tomato topped with basil and cheese): 85 calories, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein, 85 mg sodium, 445 mg potassium (10% daily need), 25 mg vitamin C (33 % daily need)

pasta asparagus, arugula and ricotta

3/4 pound thin asparagus, woody ends snapped off, cut into 1-inch lengths

Salt

3/4 pound penne, fusilli or bow-tie pasta

1/2 cup fresh ricotta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

A generous handful of baby arugula or wild arugula leaves, rinsed and spun dry (about 1 ounce, or 1 cup tightly packed)

Freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add a generous amount of salt. Add the asparagus. Cook pencil-thin asparagus for two minutes, three to four minutes if stems are medium-thick. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.

2. Place the ricotta in a large pasta bowl.

3. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the pasta. Cookal dente, following the directions for timing on the package but checking a minute before the suggested cooking time. Stir 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water into the ricotta. Drain the pasta and toss at once with the olive oil and ricotta, the arugula, asparagus and Parmesan. Serve hot.

Yield: Serves four

Advance preparation: Have everything prepped and ready to go hours ahead of time, then throw together this pasta at the last minute.