First Week Eats

One week down, nine to go loyal readers!

I hit the ground running this, my last Spring Quarter in Athens, when I was asked to teach a second class - one I'd never taught before! - at the very last minute. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to do it (and super excited to get a chance to teach my horror syllabus to a more advanced class) but it certainly added to the craziness of the first week of classes. Learning 55 new names and faces, dealing with print-on-demand-only and sold-out books, a dozen add/drops, pink slip requests, finalizing syllabi and library sessions...


And somewhere in that chaotic mix I had to help Roomie figure out his class schedule, try and find time to hang out with The Kid, and deal with The Raccoon (who is occasionally staying with us while she trains to be a yoga teacher).


Oh, and eat every now and then as well.


Because it's been so hectic, the dishes this week have been of the one-pot, stew variety. They have not, however, been any less delicious. The first is from Food & Wine online. I'm a fan on Facebook so every day I get at least one recipe, and often a link to a series of themed meals/recipes in my NewsFeed. My recipe, made Monday night, is adapted from one of F&W's"Dinner Tonight" suggestions.


Adjuncterrific White Bean & Chard Stew
pretty easy on the ol' Group III pocketbook, too


2 pounds of swiss chards, stems & leaves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons cheater garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 16 oz.can (two cups) chopped tomatoes
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
about 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt


Steam the chard (in a pan with about an inch of water or in a microwave basket-steamer like I have). Drain and pat with a paper towel to remove excess water. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic and the red pepper. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the beans, lower the heat, and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the chard and simmer for another 5 or so minutes. Season with the salt and serve with some crusty bread and a fruit-forward red wine.


This stew fed Roomie and I quite well for about two days (I doubled the original recipe so there would be leftovers, served it over angel hair pasta the second night). But by Wednesday the fridge needed restocked. Enter my, "bday-gift-to-myself" jar of tandoori spices from Whole Foods, and my, "xmas-gift-to-myself" jar of saffron threads from Williams-Sonoma. Thus was born the following dinner (and the beginning of a days-of-the-week food poem).

Woah-ful Tandoori Stew with Saffron-Jasmine Rice
"Wednesday's meals taste like woah!"

for the rice
as much jasmine rice as you care to eat
2-3 saffron threads per 1 cup of dry rice

for the stew
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons tandoori spices
1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 bag frozen, chopped okra

for serving
raw spinach, chopped flat-leaf parsley, sliced tomatoes

to make
Prepare the rice according to the package instructions, adding the saffron when you pour the rice into the boiling water.
While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and the tandoori spices and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft.
Add the cauliflower and stir to coat the veggies with the oil and spices. Cook until the cauliflower is just starting to soften.
Add the tomatoes and bring the mix to a boil. Stir in the okra. Bring to a boil again, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the vegetables are soft/defrosted and cooked all the way through.

Serve the stew over a bed of rice and spinach ribbons. Top with the chopped parsley and tomato slices.

***

I kept myself fed the rest of the week with leftovers and a mix of alcohol and raw veggies.

I finally got both my classes mapped out, all the pink slips signed, books ordered, and BlackBoards set up. I even have about 60% of my students' names learned!

I also managed to help Roomie register for his classes, spend an evening with The Kid, and chat for more than 30 seconds with The Raccoon.

If these trends continue? It should be one hella-excellent quarter.