Green Market Day (And New Cookware in Action, Part 2)

We had a beautiful afternoon here in the city today. It was warm enough to be comfy in just a t-shirt and jeans, but not hot and sticky enough to be miserable (I melt too far over about 75 degrees F). I figured I'd get out and get some air while exploring the Greenmarket at Union Square. I picked up a small, but nice haul:
- A bunch of large radishes
- 2 large zucchini, perfect for stuffing
- 5 beautiful, vine-ripened tomatoes
- 2 herb plants: oregano and sweet basil

I incorporated some of each into tonight's dinner.


Dinner:
First off, it was a chance to use my new All-Clad French Skillet. I was glad I didn't have to try and force these beautiful summer squash into a smaller pan or have it float in a massive 9x14

Stuffed zucchini-- Zucchini, halved, and stuffed with fresh tomato, fresh oregano, fresh basil, garlic, pepper, whole rye cracker crumbs (just enough to absorb the extra liquid), Boca organic crumbles, topped with grated ricotta salata in the last few minutes.

The skillet in action, before putting in the oven:


And the zucchini post-oven. The zucchini still had a bite to it, so everything still had a very fresh taste. This entire meal seems huge and was quite filling, all for approx. 345 calories.



The radishes I bought were the inspiration for the side dish. Aren't they gorgeous? And they're about the size of beets! I couldn't pass them up. Cutting into them, they smelled as good as they looked.


Mashed potato salad: Red potatoes (mashed, skin-on), Greek yogurt (0%), deli mustard, radishes, crisp dill pickles. My mother used to make this when I was a kid and I loved it, though hers was from peeled, Idaho potatoes, and using mayonnaise instead of yogurt. I was never a big fan of mashed potatoes, but enjoyed this way of her using the leftovers. I love the savory flavors. I purposely made a small batch (two medium-sized potatoes) so that I wouldn't overdo it.



This is one of those dishes best prepared warm, but served cold. It gives the flavors a chance to really sink into the potatoes. The mustard also gets sharper when chilled. It's good to keep that in mind when making it.

New Cookware in Action, Part 1

For dinner, I got to make use of my new All-Clad Cassoulet:

Fasting glucose (morning): 88

Exercise: Limited- I did a short walk to stretch things out, but my back was still pretty sore from Tuesday's and Wednesday's procedure, so I kept things light.

Greek yogurt with agave and strawberries, a handful of 7-grain pretzels

Dinner:

Roast chicken with apples-- First, I gave the chicken a quick sear. I pull the skin off before eating, so I just needed things to be to a point where it doesn't dry out while roasting. I seasoned them (and the apples and onion) with cinnamon, ginger, sage, celery seeds, salt and pepper...

Once the chicken was seared, I poured off the fat and deglazed the pan with some seasoned vegetable stock with a small splash of apple cider vinegar and reserved the liquid for later.

To the pan, I added large chunks of 2 tart green apples and a red onion:

After being in the oven for roughly an hour (until the juices ran clear), I served myself a chicken thigh, some of the moist delicious apples and brown rice with green beans over which I poured a small bit of the reserved liquid from deglazing earlier (the rice absorbed it quite nicely).

Oooh, Shiny

I got a very generous gift card for my birthday. After weighing my options, I decided on something that would be with me for a lifetime-- All-Clad cookware. I selected the 11" French skillet, the 3 qt. cassoulet, which are extremely practical for me, and the gorgeously indulgent lasagna pan. The lasagna pan isn't something my practical brain would have selected, but I figured the urge to practically lick it every time I saw it was an indication that it was a perfect way to spoil myself rotten. And I do love my baked pastas (though there's SO much else I can do with it, too). It's no accident that lasagna also happens to be the favorite meal of the purchaser of the gift card :-)

I can't wait to cook with it all! I'd planned on doing roast chicken last night, but when I got home I realized that not all the groceries I'd picked up had made it back with me, including a critical ingredient. I'd had a procedure on my back yesterday afternoon, so once I was home, I was not in the mood to head out again. Ah, well, there will be plenty of opportunities to use it.