• Created on 2/11/09 by mamazee

So, I’ve really been trying to stretch my grocery dollar. I can be guilty of spending more on recipe ingredients than I would on going out to a restaurant. Lately I’ve been trying to see how little I can spend, and I’ve even come back to clipping an old college love, coupons.  Lately, I buy one package of boneless chicken thighs and make two dinners out of them. You can also use chicken breasts, or tofu. I know chicken breasts are more popular, but I prefer the moistness and tenderness of dark meat. Saturday, we braised the chicken in a mixture of... read more

• Created on 3/9/10 by mamazee

Earlier this week, I mentioned writer and food guru Cynthia Lair, whose article on healing foods appears in our March–April 2010 issue. But I neglected to mention her breezy, fun, and informative blog, Cookus Interruptus (How to Cook Local Organic Whole Foods Despite Life’s Interruptions)—in which she shares helpful and entertaining tips and recipes. I enjoyed this recent post, where she took a local McDonald’s billboard as a challenge (Three Breakfast Mini-Meals for under $3) and bettered it in three yummy ways. Who knew learning about food... read more

• Created on 3/26/10 by mamazee

I made French toast this morning, realizing only after doing so that there was maybe a teaspoon of maple syrup in the house. No worries. Google saved the day, providing a plethora of recipes for a wide variety of syrups. Here’s what I ended up going with, a mashup of several recipes, based on the ingredients we had on hand: All-Out-of-Syrup Syrup 3/4 c. brown sugar 1 T. butter 1/2 c. water 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 T. flour Stir brown sugar, butter, and water in saucepan over medium heat. Add vanilla.... read more

• Created on 7/27/10 by mamazee

Pappardelle with Peas, Asparagus, and Proscuitto 2 packages Trader Joe’s Pappardelle (or any noodley pasta, about 12 oz.) 3 ounces proscuitto, chopped a healthy bunch of asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces 1-2 chopped zucchini 2 cups peas (I used frozen petit pois from Trader Joes, go ahead and shoot me) 1 large onion (this one happened to be from the farmer’s market), sliced thinly into rings 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving 1/3 cup... read more

• Created on 7/31/10 by mamazee

Frilenta/Polatta Ingredients: 4 eggs splash of milk-like liquid of your choice ¼ cup polenta 1 cup broth (veggie or chicken) 1 smallish onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ to 1 cup chopped broccoli (or asparagus, or fresh spinach) grated cheese of your choice, to taste Add ½ of the chicken broth to a medium saute pan, and heat to a near boil. Add onions and garlic. Saute/soften. Add polenta and the rest of the broth, bring to a low boil, and stir. Then lower flame to simmer. Crack the 4 eggs into... read more

• Created on 7/31/10 by mamazee

I took a lovely long walk this morning in my dirt road desert neighborhood. It poured down rain for hours last night, and I wondered if maybe I’d be slogging along in mud up to my ankles. But no–someone designed these roads correctly. All of the wild grasses and flowers and chamisa bushes stood stunned in the aftermath of the water onslaught, while puddles caught the sun. But the roads were solid. To make a long story short, I worked up an appetite. “I hope you’re even a little bit hungry,” I told Laura as I started pulling things out of the fridge, mad... read more

• Created on 8/4/10 by mamazee

A simple, yet delightful, summer dessert that's wholesome too. — from Cynthia Lair of Cookus Interruptus Click on the video above to check out this fantastic summer recipe. Get the full recipe card for this dessert at the Cookus Interruptus website.   read more

• Created on 9/22/10 by Momsteader

Yesterday, I ran into Francie Healey, who wrote our Sept/Oct Peggy’s Kitchen, when I was picking my son up from kindergarten. Her article has a collection of truly delicious meals for pregnancy, including Salmon-Sweet Potato Cakes. It was so good when we recipe-tested the dishes in the office that I realized later that I had Salmon-Sweet Potato Cakes on the brain. Laura doesn’t care for fish, but I went ahead and made it anyway, because she had a big, creamy, deliciously oozy Croque Madame for breakfast. Right? Pregnancy and way-post-partum (like try 6 years... read more

• Created on 9/30/10 by mamazee

It started when we went to Real Food Nation for dinner. Laura was torn between the delicious-looking macaroni and cheese, generously blanketed in toasted, browned bread crumbs, and the grass-fed, free range burger. She decided to go with the burger. I had the summer vegetable ragout with chickpeas, eggplant, wilted greens and Texmati rice. Both were great; but it got me on a kick to make homemade macaroni and cheese the next day. I also made a ridiculously healthy spinach-artichoke dip, which I ate on bread and wrapped up in romaine lettuce leaves. As... read more

• Created on 10/15/10 by mamazee

My daughter’s 3rd grade class has a garden. Friday, we were able to buy swiss chard from their harvest. Big, bright green leaves. I came home with a bag and thought, “What can I make with this?” I know how to do the basic sauteed chard thing, but wanted it to be a little more gussied up. We had come over the summer to water and weed, and I felt protective of it–I did not want that bag of swiss chard to become forlorn and fuzzy in the veggie drawer. First I peeled the leaves from the stalks, washed them and then chiffonaded them. Then I washed the... read more