LOW OR LITTLE ENERGY DINNERS

There's no story here, just the some truths about cooking: sometimes we can't. I always want to cook, but when my energy ebbs after a long day, I wish I were a genie and could make a wonderful dinner appear.

So now I must confess...my apologies to my students at North Shore Community College and those of you who learned how to make home-made pasta and scrumptious sauces in my kitchen while sipping wine..I have and do occasionally open a jar of pasta sauce, use frozen pasta and other prepared foods...mea culpa!

Look for foods which are passably healthy and have, for the most part, ingredients which one can pronounce without too much effort. 
After all, saving energy is the point here.

Here are a couple of my more recent low-energy dinners which we have enjoyed and one, moderate energy meal devoured on a better night.

SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND ARTICHOKE HEART RAVIOLI WITH ROASTED PEPPER GARLIC CREAM SAUCE

Doesn't that sound good! you could make all this, but..

Monterey Pasta Smoked Mozzarella and Artichoke Heart Ravioli

1 1/2 cups Roasted Pepper Alfredo Sauce (Classico)

1 large clove garlic, crushed in a press or minced

2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, chopped

olive oil, wine, basil and some chopped artichoke hearts if you have them

Grated Parmesan or Asiago, optional

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic, sun drieds and artichoke hearts if using.

Add splash white wine and then the Alfredo Sauce. Stir in basil.

Heat and stir to blend flavors.

Boil water for pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and cover with sauce. Garnish with grated cheese and basil if desired. Serves 2

You could substitute red peppers or fresh tomatoes or mushrooms for the sun drieds. The idea is to add some veggies to the sauce to make it more nutritious; it's all delicious!

Yes, this sauce can be used for fettuccine or other dried pasta, and yes, I do remember teaching you all that a true alfredo is just butter, cream and cheese..so why not use that instead of  a jarred sauce? Believe it or not, the jarred sauce has less fat and calories than the authentic version. When I need to save time and energy, I like to save food energy, calories, too! Save the calories for a really sumptuous homemade meal.

FUN FAUX ASIAN

When I make rice, I usually make more than what we need and freeze the rest for beans and rice or soup or some other meal. Last week I found myself with  Jasmine Rice and 2 leftover egg rolls in the freezer as well as a Ginger Honey salad dressing in the fridge...bought a package of Thai Tiger Shrimp Tempura, heated the rice and egg rolls, added some Thai Chili Sauce for dipping and made a salad of greens with cucumber, red pepper, carrots, red onion and sesame seeds with the dressing...Voila! a delicious Asian style meal with little effort and not a lot of fat. Even without the  rice,  the greens, the shrimp and the egg roll would make a nice meal.

Grilling a chicken breast or pork chop or pork tenderloin, takes little time and effort. Adding a delicious sauce is often the energy and time killer. Next time try this when fresh figs are in season. 

Black Mission Figs Ready to Roast

ROASTED FIGS

4 or more fresh figs, black mission preferably

2 tablespoons honey

1/3 cup red wine

1 tablespoon butter 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400

Cut figs in quarters 3/4 through so they still hold together and stand on the base

Place in a baking dish along with remaining ingredients

Bake for about 30 minutes until liquid is syrupy and figs soften and fall apart.

Roasted Figs and ...

Use on grilled or roasted meat or poultry.

I used this on Pork Rib Chops grilled with a BBQ rub and Worcestershire sauce. 

Pork Chops with Roasted Figs

Ok, I had more energy that night, so I pureed Yukon Gold potatoes with Rutabaga and Celery Root and made a Broccoli Feta Salad, with Chick Peas, but a simple salad and baked potato would complete the meal just as well.

Fresh Pineapple or Berries could also be substituted for the figs if they are not available. 

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD: FRANGO PIRI PIRI !!

Some Beautiful Traditional Portuguese Tableware

We love Portuguese food and used to frequent a small neighborhood restaurant, O'Fado, to enjoy it frequently. As the platters of clams, redolent of garlic and wine, linguica flaming in brandy and bacalao, glistening with fruity olive oil were served, we sipped our vinho verde and were in food heaven! On weekends there were live Portuguese singers, and entire families with babies falling asleep on nana's lap listened, and sang and talked (in Portuguese, of coarse) and ate...and this transport into another culture required no passport!

Eventually we took a trip to Albufeira on the Portuguese Algarve and discovered that, yes, our food at O'Fado was indeed authentic Curiously, one dish missing from the repertoire was Frango Piri Piri. There were signs for it everywhere, some handwritten, some in blazing neon, some highlighted on menus. It seems to be one of the most popular dishes, (along with Cataplana which deserves it own post later), so, we of course planned to sample it during our stay.

There is a lot of confusion about just where and when the Piri Piri came into European/Portuguese cooking. It is the African word for "Pepper-pepper" specifically referring to the "African Bird's Eye Pepper", very hot!
In a nutshell, the Portuguese spearheaded navigational exploration in the 15th century. All one needs to do is stand on the precipice at Cabo Sao Vicente, "the end of the world" where the European continent meets the Atlantic to see from whence the inspiration came, and appreciate the fearlessness of those early explorers! Africa was one of the principal places explored and colonized by the Portuguese.
"Piri-piri" dishes came from Mozambique and Angola, Portuguese colonies, and became part of Portuguese cuisine, although the pepper was introduced to Africa by the Portuguese after they honed in on the Arab Spice Trade. Maybe this was too confusing, so O'Fado left Piri-Piri off the menu!

With the popularity of Frango Piri Piri in mind, I am going to tell this story...it may be a "you had to be there" type of tale, but here it is nevertheless.

One day, on our vacation in the Algarve, we decided to visit some of the hilly towns above the coast for a change of scenery. Since we like to take roads which are off the beaten track, sometimes we get into trouble or encounter interesting dilemmas. These will serve other tales for other times.
This time, a bunch of chickens in the middle of the road impeded our progress. Steep slopes on either side of the road made swerving around them impossible. So we did the next best thing; loudly honked the horn of the car. The chickens glanced at us and went right back to cackling and whatever it was that they were doing. Next, we got out of the car and yelled and stomped on the ground. It startled them, but they continued occupying the road and ignoring us. Finally, my husband decided to "charge" them with the car, not before I angrily threatened, "FRANGO PIRI PIRI", and miraculously, they scattered to the side of the road and we continued our journey in peace.

Of course, we dined on, you know, FPP that night...with gusto!

YUM!!!

You may not be able to find Piri Piri peppers, but any hot chile will be an acceptable substitute or even red pepper flakes. HEAT is the point.

Recipes vary for the sauce. There are as many as there are cooks most likely, but they all include olive oil or butter, lemon juice and/ or vinegar, garlic and of course, lots of hot peppers.

Here's mine for marinating 2 chicken breasts and a little extra for an unctuous sauce after grilling.

PIRI PIRI MARINADE
Nando's and Vervacious are good brands of Piri Piri Sauce

PIRI PIRI MARINADE
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic or 2 very large cloves, minced
salt and pepper
piri piri sauce or chili flakes to taste, at least 1 tablespoon

Whisk ingredients together and marinate chicken at least for 4 hours, the longer the better.
Reserve a little for later or double the recipe.

Grill Bone-in Chicken Pieces with Skin on a hot grill, basting with sauce as needed. I use breasts because that is what we like, but they need the bone and skin for flavor and moisture.

This marinade is used for shrimp as well. One would think the shrimp would be the more popular dish especially on the Algarve, but chicken dominates the scene. Perhaps they don't need to "threaten" the shrimp, so it can be offered more quietly...

Marinate for at least 4 hours

Once again, YUM!

"CURRY" FAVOR WITH A MINTY MELON SUMMER SOUP

Preparing to Make the Summer Soup

When it's too hot to cook, it often feels too hot to EAT! Sometimes a plump, juicy, dripping summer peach is all you want..but unfortunately, need more.

Cold soups are a great antidote to enervating summer heat. Asparagus with Dill, Minted Pea and Sour Cream, Classic Vichyssoise...tempting? Gazpacho, too, with it's savory tomato base and crunchy vegetables can enliven a hot and humid mealtime. Yet even these delicious, nutritious soups, some made with cream and Classic Andalusian Gazpacho, made with bread, can be heavy on the palate.

Minty Melon Summer Soup, an adaptation of a recipe from the New England Culinary Institute, is the answer for times like these. It is cool, crisp and refreshing. The mellow colors soothe, and the tangy, not too sweet, liquid hydrates. Enjoy alone, or as a prelude to a chicken or seafood salad.

MINTY MELON SUMMER SOUP

2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
2 cups watermelon cubes, seedless

Pulse these in the food processor or blender.

Dice nicely and add:
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red onion

Chop and add:
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper
2 tablespoons mint
1 tablespoons cilantro

Add:
grated zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup champagne vinegar or mild white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon hot sauce or to taste

Chill thoroughly (best in the freezer for 5-10 minutes) and serve.

Of course, this brings to mind another Melon Soup and another Happy Cookers tale.

IT was a wedding reception in the bride's summer home, a "cottage" on the waterfront, you know, the type which seats 80 for lunch in the living room and adjacent wrap around porch.
The scene is set.

We served a sit down, plated luncheon beginning with a chilled Curried Melon Soup. It was a classic, with Granny Smith apples and Persian Melons pureed with chicken stock, cream and bright yellow curry spices, garnished with pistachios and garlic chives, beautiful to see.

After lunch had been served, I believed without a hitch, I noticed a tall, rather imposing figure dressed in a white tuxedo heading towards me. He had a determined gait and matching countenance. Was that a scowl? "Oh, no, I thought, what went wrong with lunch?" I was fearful.
He did not greet me, just pointed to a large yellow stain on his tuxedo repeating several times, "Do you see this?!" I stuttered, "Yes, Sir, I am so sor..." He interrupted, "That soup was so grand, it was worth THIS! Thank you!"

Sigh...another happy ending.

Some other suggestions for hot weather meals...

Grilled Swordfish Nicoise Salad

A grilled Swordfish, or Tuna or Salmon on a bed of greens with green beans, olives, potatoes and other veggies in a French Dijon Vinaigrette, always welcome. Add grilled bread and/or hard boiled egg quarters for heartier version.

Tomato Mozzarella Pesto Salad

Fresh summer tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives and a lemony pesto dressing on greens, a meal in itself or add chicken or shrimp from the grill...no hot kitchen involved.

MY FIRST AND LAST MERCEDES and LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAVES

I'm not sure why this story has been on my mind lately, perhaps because it is summer, and it occurred in July, or perhaps because we are contemplating purchasing another car...hope you enjoy one of the MISadventures from the archives of The Happy Cookers!

It was a stressful time in my life. I had just purchased a restaurant as chef/owner in the midst of a busy tourist season and was struggling with the adjustment and financial strain, as well as juggling a husband, three daughters and a catering business. I was barely balancing when the ball dropped... my car developed a fatal flaw. I worried, "How was I going to manage?" On my mind especially was an important catering consult the next day for an upcoming event which was going to improve our cash flow and promote the restaurant and catering businesses.

Lo and behold, my husband to the rescue! An almost new, blueberry blue, Mercedes sedan, registered and with a full tank of gas showed up in the driveway the next day. PERFECT, I could relax, get started on all my errands, keep the all important catering appointment, and...oh no! The car had a manual transmission, stick shift; my only experience was with an automatic.

After some quick instruction, I chugged and bumped and gasped up and down hills all day until finally I arrived at the coveted appointment, hastily parked the car and briefly met with my partner before going in to inspect the hall and meet with the client.
It was a lovely location on the waterfront with boats tied up along the granite pier. All went well and we left with a hefty cash deposit to secure the event and a sense of relief. Having to buy a new car along with incurring all the unexpected expenses of operating a restaurant was wreaking havoc with our finances. Oh yes, the catering job was going to help without a doubt!

Heading back to the parking lot,I looked for my car and had a sense of foreboding when none of them looked familiar, until I remembered that I was looking for a new, blue car, NOT the old grey one... then, suddenly I saw it... hanging precariously on a rock, headed into the harbor. People had started to gather around at the curiosity. One of them hailed a crane driving by from a nearby construction site.
Before I knew what was going on, my car was being lifted from its dangerous perch and plunked down on the gravel. I was handing over the entire cash deposit to the crane driver and waiting for a tow truck to haul away the blue Mercedes.

My hasty instructions on manual transmissions did not include how to park. I had left it in neutral gear and there was a slight incline and, as they say, "the rest is history".

The car never truly recovered. The front end was realigned, but it was never the same. We had a very stormy relationship(the car and I, that is), and my husband finally got rid of it and I lived happily thereafter with a nice little BMW with an automatic transmission.

Epilogue:
A subsequent BMW had a manual transmission and I took several lessons and we coexisted nicely.

The Blue Mercedes showed up in our driveway for one repeat performance as a "loaner" when my husband's car was being fixed. He was the only driver.

The following recipe is a tea bread which became the brunch signature bread of my White Rainbow Restaurant, the blueberries a commemorative touch for the Mercedes.

LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAVES

1 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 lemons, grated rind and juice, separated
1 cup milk
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries, tiny wild if possible*
1/2 cup additional sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease of spray 2 loaf pans
Mix oil, eggs, lemon rind, milk, flour, baking powder and salt and 1/2 cup sugar together
Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Fold in blueberries
Pour into loaf pans and bake for 1 hour
Mix remaining lemon juice with sugar to dissolve sugar
Pour over loaves when they are still warm. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.

*is using frozen berries toss them with some flour