Breaking news: I may have found my all-time favorite genre of book in Jill Conner Browne's hysterical, southern-fried memoir/cookbook The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner). It's part nonfiction (think Kathy Griffin-type comedy), part cookbook (think Paula Deen), and completely addictive. Lucky for me, Browne has like nine other volumes of Sweet Potato Queen books. Woo-hoo. Most of the stories are fun and lighthearted; most of the recipes involve two sticks of butter and pounds upon pounds of bacon (like I said - Paula Deen). What's not to love? Here's one of Jill's classic "financial tips":
Okay, granted, there's a lot to be said for rich old guys with bad hearts and no relatives, but you can't always get what you want. This cannot be news to you. So look on the bright side. The young guy will be able to work much harder for many more years in order to support you, and he's likely to healthy enough to take care of you in the years prior to the nursing home. And think of the money you'll save on Viagra: By the time he needs it, you'll be dead.
Okay, so it's not the classiest reading on the market, but it sure is keeping me entertained.
In other news, my dear friend Beth and I have commenced our 2011 half marathon training! Yesterday was our first run: a modest three miles in the bitter cold. We'll be running three times a week, increasing our distance, until the Indianapolis Half Marathon in May. I am so excited! Beth was showing me her collection of metals from years past and I couldn't help but picture myself rushing over that finish line and getting my own. I'll keep you posted on our progress!
I've been cooking up a storm since my awful week of cold cereal and (dare I tell you) microwaveable Healthy Choice dinners *gasp* I was a good little roommate today and even made a big lunch so David could take some leftovers to work for dinner. I rewarded my own thoughtfulness with a batch of cream cheese brownies too. Here's that chicken recipe (you can find the brownie recipe here):
Chicken Risotto
This recipe comes from Jessica Seinfeld's Double Delicious, a great cookbook that utilizes vegetable purees to sneak nutrients into the meals of picky children (and, let's face it, adults). While I wouldn't call myself "picky," I always think extra veggies are a good thing. This recipe is super creamy and comforting...and you'd never know it contained a cup of pureed cauliflower if you hadn't made it. Although this isn't a traditional risotto - no arborio rice and 40 minutes of stirring here - it has a similar texture and taste...made in about half the time.
- 1 cup cauliflower puree (see note below)
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. chicken breast, seasoned with paprika, salt, & pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fat free cream cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the orzo and cook until almost done (it will continue to cook in the sauce). Drain and reserve the orzo.
Meanwhile, lightly mist a large nonstick pan with olive oil spray and bring to medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until no longer pink inside. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and dice into small pieces. Add the chopped onion to the nonstick pan with a spritz of water. Just before the onion is translucent and cooked through, add the garlic and stir for a few minutes until you can smell the garlic cooking.
Add the cauliflower puree, orzo, chicken broth, diced chicken, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese to the pan and stir everything together. Once the cream cheese is completely melted into the sauce and the orzo is fully cooked, add a squirt of lemon juice to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. serves 4
**Note: To make the cauliflower puree, steam about two cups of cauliflower until tender (or buy the kind you just microwave in the packaging). Once it is tender, transfer to a food processor and pulse until completely smooth. If you need to, add a bit of water to the puree to help get a smooth consistency. Use leftover puree to make mashed "potatoes" with salt and butter or simply dump into your next pot of soup for an additional nutrition boost. **
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