CHG Favorites of the Week: The Back in the US of A Edition

Hi everybody! I’m back from India. It was grand and gorgeous and full of so many contrasts (and camels) that it’s difficult to summarize. Still, I learned a few things, food-related and otherwise:

1. India is the best place in the world to be a vegetarian.
2. Though Indian Hindus (who make up like, 80% of the country) consider the cow sacred, McDonald’s still exists. They just serve things like Chicken McCurry and Tikka Aloo instead of Big Macs. (We just went in to see – no eating.)
3. You know how spices are cheaper in ethnic markets? They’re even less expensive in the actual foreign country. I got a little thingy of saffron for less than a can of Schweppes. (Of course, the plane ticket kind of makes up for the cost.)
4. Adapting to the water in far-away places takes time. And by that, I mean it takes time spent in the ladies' room, praying your lower intestine doesn't fall out with everything else you just ate. (Too graphic?)
   
5. Naan is the bread-nectar of the gods.
6. Lassis are the nectar-nectar of the gods.
7. When you forget about a banana for five days in your shoulder bag, it … no, never mind. I can’t explain. Too traumatic. Just know that the bag didn’t make it.
8. It’s not a good idea to handwash a red-dyed Rajasthani shawl in a white tile bathroom. My tub looks like I was butchering a deer.

More on the trip in future posts. In the meantime, many gigantic thanks to Rachel, who covered CHG during my absence. She’s a New Year’s Day to celebrate, a chocolate-covered candy heart to give away, a bird of spring, and a flower of, er, bloom. In other words, I just wrote to say I’m grateful.

Now, on to this week’s favorites (brought to you by the makers of jet lag).

Blog of the Week
The Simple Dollar
Trent is one of the big dogs in the Personal Finance blogging world, and fortunately, he writes plenty about the economics, procurement, and love of food. A blossoming cook, he’s even launching his own site soon, so stay tuned.

Food Comedy of the Week
The Bowl At The Howling Rim Of Famous-Ity by Patton Oswalt
Patton Oswalt’s (Ratatouille, King of Queens) standup bit about KFC’s Famous Bowl is approaching legend. But he never actually tried it before this article. Come feel the pain. (Rated PG-13 for language, preservatives.)

Interview of the Week
Anthony Bourdain in Onion AV Club
Um … EEEEE!

Quote of the Week
“You know, the only thing worse than an American to an Italian is an Italian from the next village.” – Anthony Bourdain on why his Italian wife doesn’t like his Italian cooking. (Just dare me to write the word "Italian" again.)

Tip of the Week
This week’s tip comes courtesy of my sister, a convenience cook if there ever was one: if you’re making pasta and don’t have the time/energy/will to clean anymore dishes, instead of heating pasta sauce separately, pour it directly into the drained, still-hot spaghetti. It will warm the sauce and cool the pasta to just the right temperature.

Video of the Week (Food Division)
“Know Your Chicken” – Cibo Matto
I was a DJ for four years as an undergrad, and this was by far the weirdest song we played with any consistency. And in the college radio world, where bands like Dead Milkmen, They Might Be Giants, and Primus reign supreme, that’s saying something.

Website of the Week
Television Without Pity
At first glance, it looks like a bunch of programming summaries (which it is, essentially), but a further exploration reveals TWOP’s extensive message boards, which food TV fans use to dissect their favorite shows, rate recipes they’ve tried, and make fun of Sandra Lee. Lurk around for awhile, and see what folks have to say. It’s a solid way to get advance word and/or suggestions on a dish.

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: On Pasta and Improvisation

Have you ever had a day where your insurmountable project is due in 48 hours, and you have about a thousand calls to make, and equally as many errands to run, and you just haven't had the time to food-shop or clean the house (much less yourself), and you keep saying to yourself, "If I can just not sleep until [*flips through calendar*] a week from Saturday, everything'll be fine..."?

(I'm sure a lot of you out there could add, "...and the kids are sick, and I need to get my transmission fixed, and the dog ate something florescent blue--please don't ask how we know." To you fine people, I tip my hat.)

Whatever your circumstances, we've all hit the wall from time to time. I don't know about you, but in these instances, hunger and frugality forces me to break out the dreaded "I" word: improvisation.

Since I'm doing my best not to order out, and Jeff and I are both so swamped that we don't really have time to spend on a grocery store visit, I've been trying to mine the depths of the pantry and overcome my quasi-fear of full-on meal improvisation. So far, so good.

While I wouldn't say my "I"-word recipes are particularly upscale, they've been fast, tasty, satisfying, up to CHG standards, and have somehow enhanced my feeling of resourcefulness. Over the past few days, it's kind of like I've earned my Eagle Scout merit badge for fridge-foraging.

Case in point:


Whole Wheat Penne With Grape Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Navy Beans, and Sausage
Makes 1 entree serving, or two large side servings
[Note: This recipe could be altered in a thousand different ways based on what you've got lying around. Me? I just used what I had on hand, so don't feel beholden to the ingredients list. Experiment, have fun, and don't be afraid of the "I" word! -- Rachel]

3 oz. whole wheat penne (or any non-spaghetti whole wheat pasta)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup canned navy beans, drained
1 link Aidells Portobello Mushroom Chicken/Turkey Sausage, sliced into thin rounds
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Several sprays of Pam

1) In a medium pot, cook the pasta in boiling water for about five minutes.

2) Heat a medium-sized pan coated with cooking spray over a medium flame, until hot. Lay the sausage in the pan in one even layer, and cook until the first side browns, about five minutes. Flip to cook the other side until just brown, several minutes more, and remove to a separate bowl.

3) Pour a small amount of pasta water into the sausage pan, and over lowered heat, scrape the fond (that awesome brown gunky residue) off the bottom with a wooden spoon to form a murky brown liquid that just covers the bottom of the pan.
[Note: I know it looks a little gross, but trust me--the flavor it imparts is worth it. - Rachel]

4) Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to the sausage pan, and simmer until softened and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.

5) In the pasta pot, replace the water with the vegetable broth. Simmer the pasta in the broth until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
[Note: If your veggies are starting to dry out, you can add in some of this broth.]
[Other note: The whole wheat penne I use tends to be pretty tough, so even a longer submersion still leaves it pretty al dente. Feel free to adjust times according to your texture preferences. - Rachel, again.]

6) Drain the pasta, and add to the tomato/mushroom mixture. Add the beans and sausage, and cook to warm through, about two minutes. Combine and serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Weight Watchers Points Value and Price per Serving
about 273 calories, about 5.9g fat, Points Value: 9, $2.13

Calculations
3 oz. whole wheat penne: 270 calories, 2.3g fat, $0.47
1 cup grape tomatoes: 30 calories, 0g fat, $0.75
1 cup mushrooms, sliced: 15 calories, 0.2g fat, $0.45
1/2 cup canned navy beans: 90 calories, 1g fat, $0.23
1 link Aidells Portobello Mushroom Chicken/Turkey Sausage: 140 calories, 8g fat, $1.75
1 cup vegetable broth: 10 calories, 0g fat, $0.16
Several sprays of Pam: negligable calories and fat, $0.02
SINGLE SERVING TOTAL: 555 calories, 11.5g fat, $3.83
DUAL SERVING TOTAL: 277.5 calories, 5.75g fat, $1.92

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: Technical Difficulties

Oh, sweet CHG friends and readers and readerly friends, I promise (promise!) I had four posts all lined up for you.

They were about dal (a delicious lentil side dish with a slightly spicy edge), cassoulet (a hearty, French, chicken/sausage/bean stew with great depth of flavor), chicken tagine (moist, cumin-y, North African-style chicken), and my fail-safe dessert, mini apple pies (which is like having several apple pies, but mini-er).

Each one had pretty (or, given my photo-taking skills, mediocre) pictures and nutritional/financial breakdowns and such. They were just waiting there on my desktop, begging me to post them, or at very least, back them up.

And then, my aged, finicky, wheezing iMac blew a gasket and I lost everything. The weird thing is, I normally back everything up twice over; why these posts escaped their alloted destination on my jump drive, I can only ascribe to fate, kismet or Steve Jobs-based sabotage.

The ol' girl's getting some R-and-R right now, but it looks like the data's gone. I'll do my best to shoot a recipe your way tomorrow, but until then, please enjoy one of my favorite sketches from the long-since defunct Dana Carvey Show:

Waiters Who Are Nauseated By Food (starring baby-faced Steve Carrell and Stephen Colbert)

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: Chicken Piccata

I love problem-solver recipes that take a lighter (but authentically flavorful) twist on traditional flavor combinations. It's a bonus if they allow you to maximize the potential of your pantry and/or freezer. It's a super-duper, triple-ding-dog-day, I-got-the-brass-ring-and-the-golden-ticket-so-chew-on-that-sucka bonus when they let you do all that and, in the process, you get to pound the daylights out of something.

In my book, Food Network host Robin Miller often has the right idea. Her roll-over meal-planning concept is incredibly CHG-friendly; basically, she constructs weekly meal plans that depend heavily on incorporating re-purposed leftovers into different flavor profiles. Since Monday's roast chicken is Thursday's chicken fajitas, your family won't be sick of the chick by week's end.

I mined this recipe as a fast-and-easy one-off. As I recall, my ornery impetus was that a) it was 7pm, b) Jeff and I were both crazy hungry, and c) I refused to make a meal using anything that would require a supermarket trip.

Sometimes, even we--the worst of the procrastinators--can eat well when we're under the gun.


Chicken Piccata with Lemon, Capers and Artichoke Hearts
Make 4 servings.
(adapted from Robin Miller's recipe, and with thanks to the Food Network)

4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 cup drained capers

1) Zip chicken into a plastic bag, making sure to squeeze the air out. Pound with a heavy object until each breast is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove and season with salt and pepper.

2) In a medium-sized dish or shallow bowl mix flour, lemon zest, paprika, and garlic powder. Coat chicken with mixture, and place on a separate plate, gently shaking off any extra flour.

3) In a large skillet, heat oil in over medium-high heat. Cook chicken about 2 minutes on either side, until coating is golden brown and poultry is almost done. Pour in lemon juice, wine, and broth and simmer about 5 minutes. When finished, chicken should be totally cooked and sauce will be thick. Add artichoke hearts and capers and heat through, about a minute.

[Note: Once you get to the simmering phase, the cooking times are a little variable. In my kitchen, the sauce-thickening takes closer to 8 minutes, and since my previously frozen artichokes were still chilly from their thaw, they took closer to 6 minutes to warm through.]

[Other Note: Robin recommends a brown rice and lima bean combo as the starch for under this dish. Instead, I've often used left-over pesto-roasted potatoes, or 2 oz. of whole wheat orzo and 1/3 cup of frozen peas. If choosing the latter, the orzo/peas spent half their prep time in water, and half in chicken broth to enhance flavor. It's not that Robin's idea isn't awesome; I just opted for my alternatives simply because--you guessed it--they were in my pantry.]

Approximate Calories, Fat, Weight Watchers Points Value and Price per Serving
about 273 calories, about 5.9g fat, Points Value: 4, $2.13

Calculations
4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves: 480 calories, 6g fat, $3.69
Salt and ground black pepper: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/4 cup all-purpose flour: 120 calories, .5g fat, $0.05
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest/1/4 cup fresh lemon juice: 20 calories, 0g fat, $0.66
1/2 teaspoon paprika: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder: negligible calories and fat, $0.02
1 tablespoon olive oil: 119 calories, 13.5g fat, $0.08
1/2 cup dry white wine: 96 calories, 0 g fat, $0.54
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (using Better Than Bouillon, and using 1/2 cup for orzo/pea prep): 10 calories, 0g fat, $0.16
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, quartered: 240 calories, 3g fat, $1.50
1/4 cup drained capers: 8 calories, .4g fat, $1.79
TOTAL: 1093 calories, 23.4g fat, $8.53
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): about 273.25 calories, about 5.9g fat, $2.13

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup

Because I am a dorkus with a penchant for glossy paper, I get some of the food rags delivered to casa de la CHG Gourmet. Among others, Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine all grace my doorstep monthly. Yes, I know I’m killing trees, but there’s something really satisfying about gawking at pretty, shiny pictures and getting to dog-ear pages; I suppose this is what comes of not getting to read enough Tiger Beat as an adolescent.

Of all these mags, Cook’s Illustrated is my clear favorite. I’ll go one further: I have a full-blown crush on CI. If I could personify it, CI would be the unattainable, hunky, early-30’s professor who knows just about everything and totally gets you. On the other hand, Cooking Light would be the smart-but-underachieving annoying back-row slacker with an undiagnosed case of ADHD.

Since CL can be so hit-or-miss, I’m floored when the mag does something right—and *boy* did it do something right. The November issue boasts a feature with Alexandra Jamieson, she of the vegetarian cookery and the Morgan Spurlock wedlock. Man alive, can that woman cook. Case in point: her delicious foods helped Morgan regain his girlish figure after his month of bodily abuse, courtesy of Mickey D’s. (And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, rent Super Size Me right this instant. Go. Now. I’ll wait.)

Anyway, Alex is the very definition of CHG standards. She’s big on making flavor paramount, sacrificing fat, and proving that it can be done on a shoestring. In any event, that wily minx actually convinced me to try a CL recipe, and boy, am I glad I did.

Alexandra Jamieson’s Italian White Bean and Spinach Soup (adapted slightly for my pantry)
Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Adapted from Cooking Light.


1 1-oz. package of dried shiitake mushrooms [Note: Kris and I joined Coscto several years ago, and purchased a mammoth bag of dried shiitakes for next to nothing. This is a great use for those bulk buys.-Rachel]
2 cups boiling water
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chopped fresh spinach, or 10-16 oz. of frozen chopped spinach
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 15.5 oz. can of cannelloni beans or Goya small white beans
14 oz. of organic vegetable broth
Kosher salt to taste

1) In a small bowl, mix mushrooms and boiling water. Cover and leave about 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Once mushrooms are drained, chop them up and set aside.

2) In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes, until onions are soft and mushrooms are tender. Add reserved mushroom juice, spinach, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, beans, and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to medium-low, and simmer about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Serve with thyme and a little red pepper.

Cooking Light’s Nutritional Breakdown:
CALORIES 78 (22% from fat); FAT 1.9g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 2.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 42mg; SODIUM 261mg; FIBER 2.9g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.5g

Approximate Calories, Fat, Weight Watchers Points Value, and Price per Serving
78 calories, 1.9 g fat, Points Value: 1

Calculations
1-oz. dried shiitake mushrooms: $0.58
2 tsp. olive oil: $0.06
1 cup chopped yellow onion: $0.20
2 garlic cloves, minced: $0.10
16 oz. of frozen chopped spinach: $1.49
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary: $0.25
¼ tsp. dried thyme: $0.05
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper: $0.01
1 15.5 oz. can Goya small white beans: $0.69
14 oz. of organic vegetable broth: $0.30
Kosher salt to taste: $0.01
TOTAL: $3.74
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 78 calories, 1.9 g fat, about $0.62

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: A Baker’s Dirty Dozen, Part II

When we left off, I was in the middle of baking ridiculousness, and while the mechanics of this disaster were arduous, the flavor…

Oh, man. The flavor!

Yes, the brioche was buttery and rich, and the cakey-crumb was beautifully enhanced by a mix of finely- and coarsely-ground cornmeal.

Yes, the orange cinnamon loaves oozed a caramel goodness that filled the house with the smell of amber perfection. You just knew that, when that mamma-jamma was slathered with peanut butter, it would be as monumental as a meeting of a bakery-based Watson and Crick.

Yes, the amaretto roulade glistened with the toasted hue that only an egg wash can provide, and smelled like a combination of almond, marshmallow and the giggles of cherubim.

And yes, the baked rosemary and sage that sat atop the focaccia would make your eternally dour Italian nonna look up from her marinara and exclaim a hearty “Fa bene!”

Yes, they were all delicious. Actually, I’m kind of shocked that they went over as well as they did, and mildly embarrassed that the accolades are still coming in.

The twenty-block trek where Jeff and I each carried about forty pounds of bread-related baggage through Midtown traffic was remarkably worth it in the end--even the part where Jeff swore that I walked through the steel frame of a cab with the force of my pedestrian hatred. Plus, with the exception of the hard, tiring parts, it was really fulfilling to work with Jeff on such a huge venture, one where I created all of the delicious treats, and where he (with his graphic design sensibilities) wrapped them in such a way to make them aesthetically beautiful. (Also, I’m not sure that I can even start to calculate the cost, but I know we used at least three, 5-pound bags of flour, a 12-oz. jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, and the better part of a $20 bottle of amaretto. Let’s just assume it cost less than individually-purchased gifts and more than hugs.)

I guess the moral here is that the holidays make us all a little crazy with well-intentioned plans that somehow go awry, and that’s okay. It’s just important to keep it all in perspective. My note-to-self for next year is this:
You can totally do something nice for your friends and co-workers without ever having to say the words “Does this make me insane?” to a loved one. Or watch Linda Fiorentino. There’s a fate I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

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Guest Post From Rachel, The CHG Gourmet: A Baker’s Dirty Dozen, Part I

Happy New Year, folks! I’m Rachel, the Kris-dubbed CHG Gourmet. Thanks for being kind enough to host me while our gentle sprite of delicious, healthy things is off jaunting across the Indian mainland.

Since Kris is away, I’m going to interrupt our usual Cheap Healthy Good-ness for a quick look into the depths of culinary stupidity. As background, here are four facts you need to know:

Fact 1: Basically, I’ve always been one to overload my plate with social activities, job-type duties, and what I can lovingly term “projects.” And that procrastination thing? I’m a pro.

Fact 2: I’ve been working on a monstrous freelance writing gig since the dawn of time, and subconsciously decided that it would be awesome to take a few days to…er…do a “project.”

Fact 3: A well-meaning friend who’s an accomplished baker recommended Beth Hensperger’s wondrous and seminal baking tome, and I’ve been in love with it ever since. In fact, until recently, there were about four recipes I was dying to try…

Fact 4: Jeff, the Live-In Gentleman, and I are both performers; by night, we make the improv and sketch comedy ha-has. Knowing that both of these groups were about to have holiday parties, I started hatching an idea…

What if we gave each member of each of the groups a gift bag of home-baked bread? Wouldn’t that be nice and thoughtful, especially for the people who live far from family and ol’ fashioned homemade goodies? Wouldn’t it?

But then, the idea ballooned. Clearly, the gastronomically discerning members of these groups couldn’t have just one loaf. Each member would definitely need one sweet and one savory option.

I started crunching some numbers. Four bread choices (two sweet and two savory), twenty or so people in the improv group, three in the sketch comedy group, and a few extra loaves just in case, plus one gluten-intolerant person who’d need something different.

All in all, I figured I’d need forty-eight loaves. Twelve loaves each of orange cinnamon swirl, cornmeal and sundried tomato brioche, roasted garlic and herb focaccia and amaretto roulade. One dozen gluten-free fudgy chocolate-pecan cookies for our gluten-free friend.

Oh, madness. You seemed so justifiable at first.

Seventy-two hours into this baking disaster, it was 3:30 in the morning. Jeff had just gone to bed after cellophane- and ribbon- wrapping about thirty-five of the loaves. I was still waiting for the cookies to cool, pondering the late-night appeal of an early Linda Fiorentino bomb on Showtime, and inhaling in deeply as awesome-scented goodness saturated my tiny, bread-covered living room...

Part II to come!

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