Beans and Greens

Beans and Greens is one of my favorite quickie weeknight dinners.  This is a recipe I thought up on the fly, and it has continued to be a go-to easy dinner for us ever since.  This dish comes together in minutes and features lean protein, fresh veggies, fiber, carbs, and deliciousness, all combined in one pan (fewer dishes = always a good thing).  Behold, Beans and Greens...

Ingredients
2 chicken sausages, chopped (Applegate Farms Fire Roasted Red Pepper are our fave)
1 bunch of greens (like collards or chard), roughly chopped
1 15 oz. can of beans (white, red or pinto will do), drained
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Honey (optional)
Basmati or jasmine rice
The dish pictured above also has mushrooms in it, but that is because they were just hanging out in our fridge waiting to go bad, so I threw them in.  I actually wouldn't particularly advise adding them, as I like the recipe better without them.  But I refuse to be wasteful!  So there! 
Directions
1) Prepare a pot of rice, per the package instructions.
2) While the rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the chopped sausage and saute until brown.
3) Add the greens and continue to saute until they begin to wilt.
4) Add the beans and continue to saute.  The beans will break down a bit as the greens continue to wilt, and the flavors will all marry as the mix thickens.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, but you shouldn't need much, as the sausage is so flavorful.
5) The beans/greens/sausage mixture should be ready to serve right as the rice finishes cooking.  You can stir in some honey to taste to counteract the bitterness of the greens if you wish (we once had the end of a bottle of Stonewall Kitchens Vidalia Onion & Fig Sauce and added that, which was downright dreamy, so don't be afraid to get creative with whatever bit of sweetness you can find in your fridge).
6) Serve over rice.
This recipe has so many different permutations depending on your bean, green, sausage and sauce varieties; but all of them are quick, easy and perfect for a weeknight.  Enjoy!

Boo!

Halloween weekend was unseasonably warm and filled with fall goodness.  On Saturday, dinner makings and extra pumpkins were procured at the last farmers' market of the season.  A carving party ensued, with some very creative results.

The beautifully glowing pumpkins totally transformed our porch for the trick-or-treaters, and the pumpkin seeds were a delicious snack to go with our happy hour glasses of wine (for the gals) and local beers (for the guys).  We roasted the pepitas with truffle salt and paprika for about 20 minutes at 350 until they were nice and crispy.  Truth be told, they came very close to being burnt with so many other things going on (doorbell ringing, dinner cooking, Baby J being cute in his costumes), but they were saved just in time.  Speaking of the little guy...

I mean, who could concentrate on cooking with this guy around?
We did manage to pull together a nutritious dinner to balance out all the candy.  The husband did his brilliant grilling thing with some country-style ribs, and the ladies cheffed up the side dishes.  My friend S has a way with leafy greens, and made a colorful and delicious dish.

This was:
1 bunch of collard greens, roughly chopped
1 bunch of purple kale, roughly chopped
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Juice of 2 lemons
Fresh ground pepper
This really isn't even a recipe, but more a philosophy.  The philosophy being, with vegetables this gorgeous, you don't need to do much... just stay out of nature's way and let them do their thing!  We heated the oil in a heavy skillet, sauteed them until they were just wilted, and then seasoned them to taste.  They were fresh, flavorful, and a great foil to the fattiness of the ribs. We also made another, unpictured side dish, with a pint of cherry tomatoes, a large leek, and a can of corn.  We simply cleaned and chopped the leek and sauteed it in butter until it caramelized.  We then threw in the halved cherry tomatoes and let them soften, and then tossed in the corn.  We seasoned the mix with generous amounts of salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence.  Tasty!

The weekend warmth was such a treat, but I am now ready to snuggle into the end of fall, and embrace November.  My busy season at work wraps up for a bit after this weekend, and my head is swimming with Thanksgiving ideas.  Get ready to see some more home cooking!

Style.

I had an early wake up call from the little man this morning, and then he went back to sleep, but I was awake for good.  What to do before sunrise at the start of a busy day?  Sip a little coffee, and peruse the internet for a few, just to get the brain warmed up.  I found myself on The Sartorialist, and this photo, from the streets of Milan, caught my eye.

There are so many things I love about this photo: her unapologetically make-up-free face, her practical yet chic and beautiful ballet flats, her earth-toned dress made stylish by the belted waist, the rolled up sleeves, and the different colored bracelets on both wrists.  I also love her cruiser bike with double wicker baskets, and wish I a) had one and b) lived in a flat enough city to do all my errands by bike (picturing myself huffing and puffing it up the steep hill to our house with full baskets of groceries... a call to 911 would be in order at the top).  Her easy style and relaxed shoulders appealed to me, and made me want to hop a plane to Italy.  I imagine sipping an espresso at a cafe with the husband, while the Italian grandmas of my dreams coo over Baby J.  Not such a bad daydream to kick start a busy day...

Happy Friday!

Busy, busy, busy.

Things just continue to be a busy blur at the moment.  There is lots and lots (and lots) of work stuff going for me, including many after-hours obligations, and ditto for the husband.  We have great friends coming to visit this weekend (yay!), and a crawling, solid-food eating little man keeping us on our toes.  Seems like there is just enough time to tackle the day's to do list and collapse in bed right now, which makes me think ahead to what I might like to do with some downtime when we get some again.  Just a few things...

I want to put together our jogging stroller, as the little guy is finally sturdy enough to ride in it.  I think he will love it, and it is perfect timing considering I think I can now officially say I am back to running.  I did three miles at lunch with my work gals yesterday and it was fab.u.lous.  Boy did I need those endorphins something fierce.  I can't wait to get the husband on the road again too.  We fell in love while training for a marathon, and really got to know eachother over all the miles we covered together during that time.  I can't wait to run as a family! 

I want to check out this yoga studio nearby.  Ready for a nice, sweaty bikram class, even if I can only make it once a month.  Love the name too!  Ha!

I want to make this Green Soup with Ginger recipe from Heidi Swanson. Nothing goes better with a health kick than cooking up recipes from 101 Cookbooks.  I just love her natural approach to cooking and the way she takes common vegetarian dishes and ups the flavor profiles until all of the ingredients sing.  Her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking, is one of my absolute favorites on my shelf.  I also want to make Smitten Kitchen's Jalapeño-Cheddar Scones to go with a big pot of my friend Brian's delicious chicken chili (recipe to come).

I need to give my iPod some love.  I have had the same playlists on there for 2 years, I am embarassed to say.  I loaded it for a trip to Mexico we took in December 2007 and it still has my "tanning mix" and "holiday tunes" on it.  Pathetic.  My friend who is coming this weekend has the iPod to end all iPods, and I must get all kinds of music from her!  Ray LaMontagne, vintage Bonnie Raitt, and her brilliant yoga mixes (she is an instructor with great taste in practice tunes) top my list if things I'd like to burn.  Prepare to surrender your iPod for downloadin', Mama S!

Finally, in my continued efforts to turn my home into a coffeehouse, I'd like to track down some proper cinnamon and cocoa shakers, so as to professionally accessorize my home-brewed lattes.  Yes, I am getting a little obsessed. Mostly, I just look forward to spending some QT with the husband. He's been amazing at carrying me through this busy time at work, and I'd like to return the favor.  It is almost time for snowy evenings by the fire, and I can't wait.   There are books to read and naps to take.  Who knew I could look forward to winter so much?

The Mothership

Ahhh, Anthropologie.  I affectionately refer to this palace of whimsical home goods and cute togs as The Mothership.  As in, I belong there; as in, it calls me to it and I am powerless to resist.  Because I am a "save it for a rainy day" kinda gal, I have been sitting on a lovely gift certificate to The Mothership for over a year!  I've decided it is time to spend it, as I am feeling shop-ish, but should really keep my wallet under lock and key when it comes to Anthro.  So, I've got $100 to spend and that is that.  Being that I am a shopper who ponders, analyzes and ponders some more before a purchase, I have put some serious consideration into how to use this treat.  I have come up with the following:

The Pucker Up Cardigan in eggplant.  Looks cute and comfortable, an oh so practical for a nursing mom (access is key).  I need these kind of layers for work, so this would be rather practical. And I could fit in now and when (if) I shed the baby weight as well.

Beso V-neck in black.  On sale!  Looks to be just the flattering cut I need right now, and because it is on sale, I could also stock up on tights for the winter. Cute. Flirty. Fun.

I've been wanting a pair of trouser jeans for awhile, and these Daughters Of The Liberation Dark Denim High Waist Trousers come in on budget.  However, I fear that the pocket placement will not do my post-baby bod any favors + why buy jeans right now when I am in such an awkward post-baby bod phase?  And "High Waist"?  I am skeptical.  I am pretty short-waisted, and these could potential come right up below my chest depending on how high they actually are. Yet, they look so cute on the dummy and are very affordable.  Hmmm....

Or do I chuck the whole fashion thing, and put this baby towards one of their gorgeously jewel-hued quilts I've long coveted?  I think the Alhambra bedding is lovely enough to make our guests forget they're sleeping in a little boy's room (we are renting, and see no point in replacing the little-boy theme in the room we're using as a guest room on our dime. Peeling circus animal wallpaper border on yellow paint with turquoise trim it is! At least for now).  Seriously, how pretty is this...

Window-shopping and pondering what to buy are almost as fun as actually buying something :).  

In any case, what to do?  Thoughts?

Sweet Tooth

I have a work dinner to attend on Thursday night, and I've promised to bring a dessert.   What to bring?  A weeknight baking project needs to be simple, involve ingredients that already exist in the fridge and pantry (or can be gotten with just the quickest of trips in and out of the store), and provide maximum results with minimum effort.  A few ideas come to mind:

1) Rice Krispie Treats.  Yes, my friends, an oldie but a goodie.  I can't even remember the last time I made these, but doesn't the gooey, simple goodness sound so appealing?  When we had friends over for dinner recently, talk turned to favorite and long-forgotten cereals, and I suddenly had a vision of that brilliant invention of the late 90s, Rice Krispie Treats Cereal.  One of my favorite family vacation memories is of one of my sister's and me eating an entire box of these at midnight in Cape Cod, in front of the Saturday Night Live's Best of Chris Farley, laughing until we cried.  Good stuff.  Ever since that conversation, I've been itching to make these.  And what could be easier?

2) Classic Brownies Cockaigne from the Joy of Cooking.  These are made from scratch, but are still simple and make it from bowl to oven in about a half an hour; not too shabby or overly ambitious for a Wednesday.  I like to take them out of the oven before they are completely cooked, as they retain an irresistible gooeyness this way.  Only problem is, they may never make it out of the house.  They are that good. I have been baking these brownies since high school and still am not sure how to pronounce that c-word, by the way.

3) Ina's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars I've been wanting to try and make these for ever.  How gorgeous are they?  What's more, both the hostess of this shindig and I are confessed peanut butter addicts, so these are sure to be a hit, even if she and I just sit around and eat them ourselves.  However,  Ina can sometimes be a not-so-much-of-a-weeknight-chef kind of a recipe writer.  The woman lives sans children in an East Hampton manse with no-doubt a boatload of hired help.  It is her job to flit around her stunning, spotless, black and white kitchen crafting delicious yet complex baked bars.  It is my job to work at my actual job, and to feed and play with my son, and converse with the husband in the evening, not break a sweat dropping globs of peanut butter on pre-made dough.  These may have to wait for a Sunday. 

4) Vermont Cookie Love Cookie Dough  When is refrigerated cookie dough not a thing to be guilty about?  When it is made with love by a local company with all natural ingredients.  My work gals and I are obsessed with Vermont Cookie Love, and I don't think any of them would mind if I showed up with some of these beauties.  And what could be better than slicing up some dough, popping it in the oven, putting my feet up with a magazine, having the house fill with that amazing baking cookie smell, and then having but one dish to wash... the baking sheet?  Perhaps this one is a no brainer...

What is your go to bake sale/potluck dessert recipe?  Any favorites I'm forgetting?  And how much do you want one of these and a cold glass of milk right now?

Aspirational Fall

Remember all that idyllic apple harvesting we did a few weeks ago?  Golden leaves were falling from the sky, just a hint of crispness tinged the air, and I had visions of all kinds of fall activities unfolding ahead of us.  Instead, the month of October has screamed by at lightening speed, and those apples froze on our porch during an unexpected hard frost and were rendered useless.  Suddenly we're talking about plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas and all things 2010.  This got me thinking of all the things I would love to do before autumn is gone.  Namely:
1) Jar something fall-ish.  Pumpkin butter, apple butter or applesauce.  I may have already missed the boat on this one, but last year I made the most amazing pumkin butter and we enjoyed it for months swirled into plain yogurt or spread on buttered toast. Delish.
2) Get caught up on Baby J's baby book.  It is currently gathering dust.  Bad Mom.  And I realize that this isn't particularly fall-ish, just overdue.  And actually a perfect activity for colder winter days.  Problem solved!  Love that.
3) Have everyone bathed, clothed attractively and in a smiling mood simultaneously with a third party around, in order to have a short but successful photo shoot and procure an adorable family photo for a lovely homemade holiday card to be sent out before or during the actual (2009) holiday season.
4) Do a few really Vermont-y things... like head over to Waterbury and go to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill, do a little hiking in the mountains, and cruise by the Red Hen Bakery for goodies on the way home.  I was thinking that I'd also love to hit up the Shelburne Orchards Annual Pie Fest, but what do you know, I just checked, and it was already a month ago.  Where is time going?!  Seriously!
5) Carve our pumpkins and roast some pepitas.  At this rate we'll be making our jack-o-lanterns on Halloween morning, which has already been reserved for frantically buying enough candy to serve our expected several hundred trick-or-treaters (apparently, this neighborhood is the place to be on 10/31).  Must get to carving...
What do you hope to do before the snow comes?