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Good For You Swiss Chard with Chickpeas and Couscous

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I have already mentioned that we are hearty meat eaters in our house, but we are TRYING to eat healthier at least two nights a week.  Last night was NOT one of those nights because one of our chef friends made delicious spaghetti and meatballs for us.  Yummy!!  I’m actually still thinking about it right now…mmmmm….. So, to make up for all that carb-laden pasta and heavy meatballs, we are making a “detox” recipe tonight of Swiss Chard with Chickpeas and Couscous.  This is quick, easy, healthy and delicious and you will feel good about yourself after eating it–unlike the food coma that comes shortly after a bowl of pasta!

I love making recipes with Swiss Chard, because it the stems are so colorful, and can really brighten up a plate. It also has a more mellow flavor than other greens like spinach and kale, but it is still loaded with good nutrients.  And to balance out the chickpeas and chard, there are raisins, yes raisins (!) to add some sweetness, and who doesn’t like raisins?  We use the dark raisins, but you can substitute golden if you prefer.  Try it and let me know what you think!

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Good For You Swiss Chard with Chickpeas and Couscous
 
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Recipe type: Vegetarian
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • 10 Ounce box of couscous
  • ½ Cup of pine nuts
  • 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 15.5 Ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed
  • ½ Cup raisins (dark or golden)
  • 2 Bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leave enough on to show the color variation
  • ¾ Teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ Teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
  1. Place couscous in a bowl. Add 1½ cups of boiling water and stir. Cover tightly and let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. In a large skillet over low heat, toast the pine nuts, tossing in the pan frequently, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Return skillet to medium heat, add the oil and heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the chickpeas, raisins, chard, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender--about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Transfer to plate and top with the chard. Sprinkle with the pine nuts

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Easy Butternut Squash and Asparagus Pizza

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Since both Andrew and I work in the food industry—Andrew owns The Stocked Pot—a cooking school—and Catering by Simple Elegance, we are around the food ALL. The. Time.  Combined with our love of food, this equation can equal LOTS OF ADDED POUNDS!  So we have decided it would be a good idea to include at least one vegetarian meal a week in our rotation  This is perfect for Meatless Mondays!  This will not be an easy task because as I tell Andrew, his diet consists of “meat, with a side of meat..,” so it may be an uphill climb, but at least we are TRYING!  I know in the long run it’s going to make me feel much better, so I will suffer through it!

If you haven’t tried butternut squash before, PLEASE DO!  It is super healthy, versatile and extremely delicious.  It is packed with more than just taste possibilities, this member of the gourd and melon family is loaded with vitamin A and is a good source of fiber, potassium and magnesium.

I hope you enjoy our recipe for Butternut Squash and Asparagus Pizza—and, YES, you can still eat pizza when eating vegetarian!  Add a salad for the  perfect Meatless Monday meal.

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squash pizza1We used this Bistro Style pizza dough from wewalka, but you can use any pre-made dough that you like.  I included a tip in the recipe that you should use make a thicker dough because it will hold up to the butternut squash better since the squash naturally contains water.

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Easy Butternut Squash and Asparagus Pizza
 
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Recipe type: Vegetarian, dinner
Cuisine: Pizza, American
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 Butternut squash (about 1 lb), peeled
  • 1 Small yellow onion sliced
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 Spears of asparagus
  • 6 Zima tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ Teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1 Pound package of refrigerated pizza dough
  • 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 Cup fresh ricotta
  • ½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 8 oz Fresh mozzarella balls
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 F
  2. Cut the squash into ½ inch thick slices, then cut each slice into one inch chunks. Place the squash and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to plate.
  3. Mix the ricotta and shredded mozzarella cheese together and set aside for topping.
  4. Increase oven temperature to 450 F. Roll the dough out about ¼ inch thick (Tip: if you make a thicker crust it will help hold the toppings better because the squash naturally contains a lot of water) Clean the baking sheet and sprinkle it with the cornmeal. Place the dough on top. Scatter the squash and onion mixture over the dough. Add the thyme and add dollops of the cheese mixture and mozzarella balls.
  5. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve!

 

Four-Legged Food Tasters

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When we are cooking we always end up with food on the floor (in other words, Andrew is not the neatest person in the kitchen.)  In fact, even when eating dinner at the table food manages to appear places other than our plates, so that is why we have a ready and willing “cleaning crew” nearby.  I want you to meet our non-official taste testers Daphne and Cody!  Daphne is our 10.5 year old beagle and Cody is our 8 year old Chihuahua.  As soon as something falls to the floor they are ON IT!  We love them dearly and consider them part of the family, which is why I want them to be part of the blog so all of you can love them as much as we do.  I’ll post pictures and funny stories of them from time to time.

I have had several breeds of dogs in my life, and I have to say that beagles really are one of the most mellow and sweetest breeds I have ever met.  The only negative is that beagles are basically a “big nose” on a body and they tend to wander off when they are trailing a scent.  I have learned the hard way not to ever leave any outside door cracked the tiniest bit because she will escape–and I can’t tell you how many times my son and I have chased her, screaming her name and arguing with each other over who left the door open (although, we all know who it was…) They are also extremely food obsessed–I’ve seen her scarf down an entire brie in filo dough and grab an entire sandwich out of someone’s hand.  AND, did I mention she sheds?  Not just a little, enough to make another dog. Every. Day.  But she’s brought so much love and joy into our lives the past 10.5 years we can overlook it all.

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Now Cody, on the other hand, is a little love bug and a true “lap dog,” but he is the noisiest dog I have ever loved.  And I don’t mean just when someone comes to the door, I mean if a leaf falls off the tree he is on high alert and if you were trying to sleep, talk on the phone, or basically doing anything that requires concentration, forget about it!  He doesn’t really like anyone but our immediate family members and will attack the ankles of anyone who doesn’t fall into this category.  Like all little dogs, he thinks he is a large and fierce dog, so dog parks and play dates are out too–he’s in attack mode towards any furry friend except his sister.  But just take a look at his little face and you will understand why we keep him around!

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If you love dogs as much as I do, stay tuned for more updates on Daphne and Cody!