Gleanings of Wheat

The problem So last night I put some chicken breasts in the fridge to defrost. After lunch today I was faced with a dilemma - I had some lettuce, tomatoes, & green bell peppers that needed to be used within the next few days or risk them going to waste. I pulled up Food Network , and Martha Stewart's website to try and find something to make. Meanwhile I sent out a tweet asking for ideas and I also pulled My Fridge Food , plugged in some ingredients and started reading. I take food going to waste pretty seriously. I had a few things that looked interesting and with some encouragement I decided to go the wrap route...but instead of going and buying tortillas I decided to use the lettuce as the thing to hold everything together. They say a picture is worth a thousand words How I got it Dice two chicken breasts, a tomato, and a bell pepper. Slice a potato and a cucumber. Mince a clove of garlic. Season liberally with salt & pepper. Heat a skillet with olive oil ...

3 or 4 links of Italian sausage 4 1/2 tbsp evoo 1 med eggplant, peeled & cut into 3/4in dice 2 small zucchini, halved & sliced 1 large onion, quartered & thinly sliced 1 medium green bell pepper, halved & sliced 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 c canned diced tomatoes 1 tbsp + 1 tsp tomato paste salt & pepper 2 tbsp chopped parsley 3 tbsp chopped basil Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Puncture the links in several places & cook them at a low boil until they are no longer pink in the center - about 14 minutes. Transfer to plate & slice them into 1/4in rounds. Over medium high heat, warm 3 tbsp of evoo in a large, deep skillet. Add the eggplant & zucchini & saute them until they are lightly browned but not soft - about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. In the same skillet warm the remaining oil. Add the onion & bell pepper & saute them for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic & sausage & saute for 3 more minutes. Stir in tomatoe...

I saw the title of this recipe and literally held my breath. I don't think I've been so excited over a recipe in a long time. 2 Tbs. unsalted butter 6-8 cloves garlic 1/2 cup chopped onion 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 cups water 9 oz. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with the liquid 10 oz. fresh spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped 8-10 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped 1 egg 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste In large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the broth and water, bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook halfway (about 5 min. if using frozen, less for fresh pasta). Add the tomatoes and their liquid, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook just until the pasta is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach and basil and cook until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg, parmesan, and salt and pepper. Drizz...

I planted one strawberry plant and one raspberry plant this year in addition to my hordes of pepper and tomato plants - well Julianne and I just ate the first two ripe strawberries! They were tiny, I really should have taken a photo before consuming them, probably between the size of a nickle and a quarter but very yummy! I'm still waiting for the tomato and pepper plants to start kicking butt. Hopefully soon.

I like tomato soup, as long as I can remember it has been my favorite. But as much as I enjoy it, I don't often make it from scratch so I eat a lot of canned soup and that can get rather boring. I had tomato soup (Campbell's) yesterday for lunch and decided it needed something special so I crushed and peeled one clove of garlic and threw it in the pot. Just a nice subtle hint of garlic to create extra interest. Go me.

This is number 31 out of Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats. This soup is delicious, vegetarian friendly (if you substitute veggie stock for chicken stock) and very filling. I've got about 3 days worth of left overs in my fridge. 3 tbsp evoo 4-6 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 15 oz petite diced tomatoes* 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 1 quart chicken stock 4 c chopped or torn stale bread 2 15 oz cans small white beans, such as Goya brand** 1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to pass at the table fresh basil leaves, torn (optional) Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the evoo, garlic, and 3/4s of the onions. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the diced and crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the stock and raise the heat to make the soup bubble. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the bread and beans. Stir the soup as it simmers until it thickens to a stew-like consistency. A wooden spoon should be able to stand upright in the pot. Turn of...

I got this one from Epicurious , and it turned out splendidly. I haven't tried anything from their site before (that I'm aware of), but I plan on making more visits. 1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed 1 tablespoon anchovy paste 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 (1/4-pound) pieces chicken scallopini (cutlets flattened to 1/4 inch thick) 1 large plum tomato, cut crosswise into 8 slices, discarding ends Stir together garlic, anchovy paste, parsley, 1/2 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pat chicken dry, then spread with parsley mixture. Fold chicken in half crosswise and insert 2 slices of tomato into each pocket. Season outside of pockets with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total), then brush with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and brown 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low and cover skillet, then cook until chicken is just...