Farm Beets with Spinach and fried Chick Peas

Farm Beets with Spinach and fried Chick Peas are a few of my favourite things.  My father Pietro a Sicilian loves chick peas and he loves them roasted.  He is also the funniest most expressive storyteller and has several tales that involve chick peas.  I went to Colasanti Greenhouses today and picked up some fresh beets that I dressed up with sautéed spinach and fried chick peas.

My love of vegetables

Vegetables are my go to for many meals.  Even if I make pasta, I incorporate vegetables.  Today I want something that is full of vitamins and flavour.  During my tech week with the play, I have eaten a lot of junk food and I want to realign my system and get back on track.  Beets are highly nutritious and we ate a lot of them growing up.  My nonna canned them and we ate them boiled with a little olive oil, vinegar, oregano and garlic.  For some good health facts read: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/top-10-health-benefits-of-beetroot/#gref

My nonni always had the best vegetable garden.  My nonno Salvatore was a farmer in Calabria; he traveled around his area and worked the lands for others and that is how he provided for his family.  They had a small plot of land that yielded olives and other vegetables for personal use.  He was a role model with a strong work ethic.  Salvatore taught us that there is no shame in any work that one does.  He farmed with pride and his knowledge always astounds me.

Salvatore was not an educated man, but his ability to do mental math was uncanny.  He often sat at the kitchen table with me and used toothpicks to help me count.  He is my hero; his selfless acts provided the wonderful life we have today, rich in every way.  No matter where I am, or what I do, I take his work ethic with me.  Every time I look at a vegetable, it takes me back to that garden, those memories of a childhood filled with laughter and easy times.

The Process

Take a can of chick peas, rinse and drain well before you put into a pan.  This is better than roasting them. I keep a container in the fridge and eat as a snack or sprinkle over salads.

The beets are fresh from the local greenhouse.  I wash and roast them with the skins on. These are like candy.

There is nothing like fresh spinach; don’t buy that bagged stuff.  All the grocery stores carry fresh bunches.  Clip the ends and wash it yourself.

So much goodness on one plate.  For me this is a complete and tasty meal.

 

Acorn Squash Risotto

Acorn Squash Risotto is nutty flavoured and the acorn squash can sometimes taste like sweet potatoes.  I love both; and so, this becomes a favourite dish of mine. It lends itself well to simple delicate dishes like chicken and fish, or it can be served as a main.

Stay young and healthy

This isn’t your typical Italian Risotto, but I like to experiment and add various flavours to traditional foods.  My grandson Owen, eats a variety of vegetables; he is a connoisseur of artichokes and it makes me happy that he will try different foods and enjoy them.  We grew up eating all vegetables, and some take time to like, but an array of fruit and vegetables keeps us young and healthy.

I love Gennarao Contaldo’s simple method of making risotto and you can watch it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOBihHeZuXE

When we were little nonna used rice as a go to after we were sick or if we had an upset stomach.  She would make a white risotto using only rice, olive oil and some cheese.  It was good for the stomach and the soul.  Sometimes she would cook arborio rice in chicken broth and leave a little broth, great when you have a cold.

I cut the acorn squash in half and rubbed it with olive oil and some salt.

It is all roasted: I scoop it out with a spoon and dice it.

First we sauté  the onion and then toasted the rice in the pan.

Here the rice is slowly cooking as we add the broth every few minutes.  You can see the chunks of acorn squash.

You can see the thickness and creaminess here on the spoon.

The parmesan and butter go in at the end and this process is known as  mantecare.

 Plated with a few more pieces of roasted acorn squash on top.

 

 

 

My 70’s Italian Pie

I am directing a 70’s play and My 70’s Italian Pie came to be for one of my actors who is a vegetarian.  In the 70’s we used ready-made dinner roll pastry a lot.  We made a cold appetizer using the dinner roll pastry and then layering it with cream cheese and vegetables.  I am making a warm one and incorporating some eggs, ricotta and mozzarella.  I got the idea of using potatoes from the pizza with potatoes in Italy.  This is an easy recipe and dedicated to my cast of Love, Sex and the IRS.

Why the 70’s

I graduated from high school in the 1977 and I got married in 1979.  The 70’s was a great decade.  The Beatles split, the UK changed its currency, a woman finally became Prime Minister, the Concorde took off, men had crazy hair, a lot of things were coloured brown and orange, Elvis died and we all wanted to be ABBA.  We revolutionized cooking too; many women were working outside of the home, and were looking for quick but wholesome recipes.  

 Make it easy on yourself and use frozen hashbrown potatoes. 

The potatoes are golden brown now and I add the frozen spinach.  I always wash and boil frozen vegetables before using: it is a safety precaution.

The first layer goes over the crescent rolls.

After this cools for about 15 minutes, place the mozzarella and then the roasted peppers. I roasted an array of colour, but you can use bottled peppers.  Make sure you drain and pat them dry.  You don’t want extra fluid in this pie.

 

The egg mixture now over the other ingredients. Try to get the egg mixture as smooth as possible.  

Cut and ready; served with a nice side of salad, it is the perfect meal.

Cauliflower Steaks Pizzaiola

Cauliflower Steaks Pizzaiola is a great way to get the pizza flavour without the calories.  My nonna cooked steak pizzaiola and I grave the taste of oregano and garlic.  This is an easy recipe that can be a side or a main. I don’t know why we love the flavour of pizza, but we do.  It’s a great way to get your kids to eat vegetables.

Cauliflower

There seems to be a love for cauliflower wherever you go these days.  Growing up we ate it boiled and seasoned with olive oil,garlic, salt and pepper.  Sometimes nonna would dredge it in eggs and breadcrumbs and then fry it, but tonight I want a light dish with some texture.

I drizzle olive oil onto the parchment paper and place the cauliflower steaks on it.  More olive oil and spices add another level of flavour.

Tonight I use fresh tomatoes diced with olive oil, garlic, oregano and pepper.  I don’t add salt because, I don’t want it watery.

 

The cauliflower is ready for the oven.

The cauliflower is in the oven roasting and I am thinking that it will be my main tonight. I have a fresh baquette.

It comes out of the oven and ready for the pizzaiola sauce and then it goes back in for 5 minutes, just until the parmesan cheese melts.

On the plate it is a work of art.