Creamy Cheesy Orzo With Swiss Chard

It can be baked in the oven or stirred to creamy perfection on the stove. It can be made into a hearty, cheese topped gratin or infused with different kinds of wine, even sparking Saumur. It can even be made with pasta.
Or can it?
I'm talking about risotto.

I have to ask...is it really risotto if it isn't made with rice?
As you know, I have issues with slow cooked vegetarian bean dishes being called Cassoulet and am really perplexed by vegan, dairy-free food products being referred to as cheese.
So what is risotto exactly? Is it the ingredients, i.e. the arborio rice, or the cooking method that makes it risotto?
Any thoughts?

To be honest though, after tasting this rich, cheesy pasta dish, I could care less! Call it risotto, call it pasta by absorption method, call it what you will.
I call it simply delicious.


A note on the cheese. Fontina is impossible to find where we live so I have replaced it with Raclette, a French (or Swiss) cheese from the Alps that is used to make a cold weather, stick-to-your-ribs dish of the same name. The cheese has a fruity and slightly smoky flavor that I love.


Cheesy Orzo "Risotto" with Swiss Chard
Serves 4

• 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock or canned low-sodium broth
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 ¾ cups orzo (¾ pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 pound red Swiss chard, stems trimmed and finely chopped, leaves coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 5 ounces imported Fontina (or Raclette) cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Bring the chicken stock and water to a simmer in a saucepan; keep warm over low heat. Melt the butter in a medium nonstick saucepan. Add the orzo to the butter and cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, until the orzo is golden, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup of the hot stock mixture and cook, stirring gently, until all of the stock is absorbed. Gradually add more of the stock mixture, 1 cup at a time, and cook, stirring frequently, until the orzo is al dente and creamy but not soupy, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the shallot and Swiss chard stems and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the stems are tender and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook over moderately high heat, tossing, until the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar. Stir the chard and the Fontina and Parmesan cheeses into the risotto, season with salt and pepper and serve.

The recipe was slightly adapted from this one from Food and Wine magazine. Pin It

Bidding Adieu...

Upon learning of the sudden demise of Gourmet magazine the other day I sat down in front of my cookbook/cooking magazine bookshelves to take a little trip down memory lane with the issues of the magazine that I've collected over the years.

On the shelves, surrounded by over a dozen copies each of Food & Wine, Saveur (both English and French versions), Bon Appetit and Cuisine et Vins de France, were a measly four copies of Gourmet.

Four.

I was sure that in the last eight or so years I had compiled a larger number than that. Nope.


It made me realize that as sad as I am for the loss of a 68 year old institution and for the cooks, writers, photographers, etc. who lost their jobs so suddenly, I never really had an enduring love affair with Gourmet.
So I bid you adieu.

And in your memory I vow that I will never buy a copy of Everyday With Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade. But I can't promise I won't check out Cooking With Paula Deen, because she's just so bad, she's good. Pin It

How Much Do Our Meals Cost? (and a Recipe)

Out of curiosity I decided to start adding up the cost of some of our meals.
We base most of them around vegetables and fruit in season (for the most part), don't eat a lot of meat (Cassoulet being one exception!) and love rice, beans and pasta.
One rule I have: I won't trade quality for quantity. We try to buy as much organic as possible. Often the price isn't much higher and I think it's worth it.

We have been acutely aware of food prices for the last 5 years due to our a tight budget. Weekly shopping at the outdoor market in Olonzac every Tuesday for fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and some meat means that we only have to see the inside of a large grocery store about once every 10 days to 2 weeks. The average weekly expenditure at the market is usually between €10-20 and that fills the big straw market bag to overflowing.*

Swiss Chard - La Blette

A big bundle of Swiss Chard will set you back about €1.00-1.50 while in season. That's one kilo (2.2 pounds) of greens that are packed with iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins K, A and C.
The leaves, which is what most recipes call for, will equal about one pound once they're trimmed from the stems, and the stems can be saved and enjoyed in recipes like this one or this one.


I tried this recipe with the bounty from last week's market. In a word...excellent!

Swiss Chard, Potato and Chickpea Stew
from Food and Wine magazine
serves 4

• 1 pound Swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes (about 3), peeled and sliced 3/4-inch thick
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (one 19-ounce can)
• 3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• 1 cup water
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, cut into wedges

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chard and cook for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
2. 2 In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the potatoes and onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until the potatoes start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and salt and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the cooked chard, chickpeas, broth, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve the stew garnished with the hard-cooked eggs.

The Cost:
1 kilo organic Swiss Chard - €1.00 (only used the leaves and saved the stems for another use)
1 ½ pounds organic potatoes - .60
small can chickpeas - .50 (normally I would cook my own so these would cost less)
1 onion - .20
2 organic eggs - .70
garlic, olive oil, various spices and stock - no idea so we'll say - 1.00

= €4.00 For four servings. Not bad.
This is just one meal, one example. There are more to come.

Are these food prices are comparable to the prices where you live?


A side note: Strangely, I was accused of socioeconomic insensitivity when I posted a photo of an über-processed chicken burger because a few readers thought that it mocked those who aren't wealthy enough to afford better food. Oh, the irony!
Better, more nutritious food does not have to cost a lot. For the price of that chicken burger (€2.80) I can feed 2-3 people, yet for some reason many people think that processed food like this equals good value for money.

If you read this blog you know that I cook, eat and believe in real food.
Peanut Buster Parfaits being the exception, of course. Hey, I'm allowed one guilty pleasure, aren't I?



*(I keep eying these rolling shopping carts and think I should just buy one already! My aching arms will thank me.)

. Pin It

Saturday Dinner

After a marathon cleaning session Saturday morning (boring boring boring - but there was so much dog and cat hair everywhere it had to be done), I spent the afternoon doing what I love most - cooking!

Dinner for my husband and me and a friend:
- arugula, sliced red onion and tomato salad
- an "updated" Coq au Vin made with white wine
- dark chocolate brownies with vanilla and cinnamon laced whipped cream

Definitely a laid back, Saturday night dinner menu!

The "updated" Coq au Vin recipe is one that I've made several times and I think it is fabulous! Really fresh and full of bright, tangy flavors.
It's from an article in last April's Food and Wine magazine entitled Updating Coq au Vin. I've played with all of the recipes and think they're versatile and delicious.

Zesty Braised Chicken With Lemon and Capers
serves 4

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (6 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large peeled garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• Four 1-inch strips of lemon zest
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1 bay leaf

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
3. Return the skillet to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest, if desired, before serving.

Pin It

Curry From the Caribbean

Long before I was making Indian or Thai curries, I often made this rich pork curry from the Caribbean. Colombo is a Creole curry from Martinique and Guadeloupe. Its origins lie with the Sri Lankans, who were taken to the French West Indies to work on the sugar plantations and brought curry powder with them. On the islands, "Colombo'' is now a general term for a curried meat or seafood stew.

This pork Colombo curry is another one of my all time favorite recipes. The pork is mouth-wateringly tender and the sauce is tangy and intense. As the pork browns, the sugar caramelizes, creating a harmony between the sugar and the spice that is truly unforgettable. The sweet potato almost completely falls apart during cooking, thickening what at first seems to be a large quantity of chicken stock. Madras curry powder may be substituted if you don't want to make your own poudre de Colombo. (recipe below)
When I asked my husband what word he would use to describe this dish he replied, "sublime.'' I think that says it all.

Pork Colombo

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons good quality curry powder, preferably Colombo curry powder (recipe below)
• 5 cups chicken stock
  
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1. Combine the pork, lime juice and garlic in a bowl and let marinate for an hour.
2. Mix the sugar, allspice and cinnamon together in a bowl.
   
3. Remove the pork from the marinade, letting the excess drip off and mix it with the sugar and spice mixture.
   
4. Heat the oil in a big, heavy pot over medium-high heat. In small batches, brown the pork then remove it to a bowl.
5. Add the onions to the pot and cook until soft, stirring often to make sure they don't stick, about 10 minutes. If the onions begin to stick, add a couple of tablespoons of chicken stock.
   
6. Sprinkle the curry powder over the onions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
   
7. Put the pork and any juices in the bottom of the bowl back in the pot along with the carrots, green pepper, sweet potato, bay leaves, thyme and chicken stock.
8. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering, partially cover and cook for 30 minutes.
9. Uncover, raise the heat to medium and simmer another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pork is really tender.
10. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, if using fresh thyme.
11. Serve with lots of cooked white rice.
12. Serves 6-8
    

Poudre de Colombo

1. Toast 1/4 cup uncooked white rice in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and cool.
   
2. In the same skillet, toast 1/4 cup cumin seeds, 1/4 cup coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds and 1 teaspoon whole cloves until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
   
3. Cool the spices, combine with the toasted rice, and grind to a fine powder.
   
4. Stir in 2 teaspoons turmeric.
   
5. Makes about 1 cup.

Stored in an airtight container, the powder will keep for several months.


Here is another good Colombo recipe from Food and Wine magazine that I've made. Pin It