Interesting Vegetables: Part Three ...

... featuring the lovely and talented red cabbage. Ok, so I know I'm not winning any prizes with this photo - its the best I could do given my lack of experience in culinary photography and the limited tools at my disposal here. I understand that a light box is essential for photographing food ... but I have yet to take the plunge and buy one.

When I first began the blog, I wasn't really thinking about doing the "foodie" thing here. I hadn't really planned on taking elaborate photos of my ingredients and their resulting dishes. I figured whatever was lacking in visual appeal would be made up for in quirkiness ... hello chicken head! And, besides, I rather like the aesthetic of the pictures I've chosen so far. But then I got to surfing around and, honestly? The food blogs with personal pictures are more compelling. There's no denying it, they just look cooler. They make you want to make their recipes. Diva that I am, I not only want to look good, I want my blog to look good too ... I mean, I'd hate to have to mock myself.

Then again, does the world really need another foodie blog? Aren't the 450 million currently operating ones enough? I dunno. The more I think about it, the more my answer might be: no, they're not enough ... because who but me has my Divalicious perspective? I'm not reinventing the wheel here at Beach Eats, but what I have to offer is my sense of humor and the perspective of a natural born Diva ... on a diet. Are there other foodie Divas writing out there? No doubt ... but can they also wax poetic on the perils of Brillo Head? Or give advice on how to handle Combat Shopping? I think not. I hope not.

Bottom line: I'm both a foodie and a Diva ... and maybe its time I embraced that. So, the more I think about it the more I'm inclined to try my hand at this food photography deal and see how it goes. Bear with me, this could be an adventure! (At least until I spring for the light box.)

All of which brings us to the recipe of the day, Asian Slaw. You may think I'm crazy when you see this list of ingredients ... but don't blame me ... I adapted this one from Alton Brown. I know, he's kind of an irritant too. I think that's a prerequisite for having a show on Food Network. Don't get me wrong, I dig his recipes and I suspect he's great fun in person ... I just wish he'd stick to cooking and give those silly bits a rest.

Anyhoo, my search for the perfect Asian slaw recipe began and ended with his take on it. For my money it seemed to have the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors that I was seeking ... though, of course, I've made a few changes. Do not freak out when you see that there is mint in this recipe. Mint? In slaw? Yes and yes. It is essential and the end result will be lacking without it. Feel free to do as I did and forget to purchase the scallions ... oops! ... but I forbid you to leave out the mint. I mean it ... don't make me come up there!

Props to AB for the original recipe - its amazing! I loved this slaw and I know you will too. It was the perfect way to highlight the beauty and flavor of bro's cabbage and I wish he were here to partake of it. Given all the jalapeño hoo-ha of late, I substituted some Sriracha sauce and that was a fine solution. AB's recipe called for Napa cabbage, but I prefer Savoy, and I decided to include a bit of that along with the red. My inner fat-cop made me reduce the amount of peanut butter, but feel free to increase it if you're is off duty. And lastly, I've added some toasted black sesame seeds and a bit of celery salt just because. I served the slaw with some cold roast chicken and a side salad. A more perfect summer meal I could not imagine. Thanks again bro, I hope you like what I've done with your wares!

Asian Slaw with Red Cabbage:

• 1 small head of red cabbage, shredded
  
• 1/2 head of Savoy cabbage, shredded
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger root
  
• 1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• juice of one lime
• 2 tbsp. dark, toasted sesame oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp. peanut butter (sugar free if your on SB)
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Sriracha sauce*
• 1/4 tsp. celery salt
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into fine julienne
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into fine julienne
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated into shreds
• 3 scallions, chopped (both white and tender green parts)
• 2 tbsp. fresh mint, cut into fine chiffonade
• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, cut into fine chiffonade
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. of toasted black sesame seeds

In the bowl of a food processor, or blender, combine the ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, peanut butter, red wine vinegar, Sriracha sauce and celery salt. Pulse and process until well combined and the dressing has emulsified. Reserve.

In a large bowl, combine all the shredded cabbage, both peppers and the carrots and stir. Pour the mixed dressing over the vegetables and toss / stir well to combine so that they are well coated. Add the scallions, mint, cilantro, black pepper and sesame seeds and stir / toss again to combine.

Serve and enjoy! As written this recipe will serve 4 to 6 people.

* Sriracha sauce can be very spicy, depending on the brand. The original slaw recipe called for some minced serrano chiles and they are on the salmonella list now as well, so I opted to leave them out. I love Sriracha sauce, but if you are heat-averse, leave it out or substitute a dash of Tobasco Sauce, which is more mild. I really did forget the scallions and, frankly, I don't think they're necessary. YMMV, so the choice is up to you. This recipe is perfect for Phase 2 of the South Beach Diet, but if you are on phase one, you may leave out the carrot. Enjoy!

Cats and Cabbage

Today I am scouring the web and my cookbook collection - in search of an appropriate venue for my bro's amazing red cabbage. This cabbage is so beautifully formed that I'm almost sorry I have to use it. It should be commemorated in paint or, at a minimum, photographed ... and perhaps I will do so. Meanwhile, I'm thinking some kind of Asian slaw ... some combination of the cabbage, thinly sliced red peppers, shredded carrots, rice wine vinegar, some dark sesame oil and black sesame seeds, etc. If I don't find anything I like, I'll wing it and hope to avoid a culinary mishap! One thing I know for sure, there will be no mayo. ~shudder~ I can't stand the stuff. I don't even like people who like it. No, that's not really true - if it were I couldn't be married to the husband. He practically bathes in it ... or at least he used to before the cholesterol wake-up. He's over it now and is content with a tiny schmere of the reduced-fat stuff. I call that progress.

So, while I'm out and about creating more interesting vegetable dishes to post, please enjoy this picture of my darling Lucy. She's a Diva too and has her paws in *everything*. For the record this picture was taken well before the advent of the South Beach Diet and I was baking brownies ... peanut butter cup filled brownies ... and they were spectacular!

And, so her sister won't feel left out, here's one of Zelda ... asleep on a carving platter. Oy. Put down the phone ... there's no need to call the Board of Health ... I don't allow this to go on when other's are dining in my home and all cat-befouled items were throughly scrubbed before use!

A Tale of Two Dinners

I had to force myself to eat dinner last night. Honestly, after all that restaurant food, I was pretty sure I never wanted to eat again and I was 100% sure I didn't want any chicken. Skipping dinner may seem like a good idea when one is dieting, but in reality its not. I had swum my usual mile yesterday afternoon and I knew my body needed some kind of quality fuel - whether or not I wanted it. I also knew that the husband would be home for dinner and would be expecting great things. Problem was, I wasn't interested creating or eating said great things. And, I was even less interested in hunting and foraging for them.

Fortunately, Mama and Papa Diva brought more than the wall unit when they came to visit this weekend. Along with the wood and glass, there was a surfeit of produce from my bro's garden. Yay! This week's harvest consisted of: Bright Lights Swiss Chard, red cabbage, some gigantic zucchini and yellow summer squash, cucumbers and a whole bunch of yellow string and flat green beans. Sweet! Thanks to my bro I'll be spared the trials and tribulations of Fairway's produce aisle this week. Bonus!

I knew that I had some turkey sausage in the freezer and I set about defrosting it and cleaning the gorgeous Swiss chard. I also knew that I had no intention of eating what I was about to prepare. No, turkey sausage is not chicken, but its damn close. Close enough that I wanted no part of it ... at least not last night. Hence, the tale of two dinners - one for me and one for the husband. Mine consisted of a large salad with all manner of fresh veggies, the steamed flat and yellow beans, and a hard-boiled egg. Not the most interesting menu, I admit, but it was perfect and just what I needed at the time.The husband shared in the pleasures of the fresh steamed beans, and the expected greatness was provided by my Swiss Chard and Sausage Sautée.

As I write this, it occurs to me that this not a meal for which I have a recipe. Its something I made up as I went along when faced with an enormous bunch of the chard for the first time last summer. As such, the amounts given are flexible. I'm really presenting a technique here, more than a precise recipe. I have also used this technique, with a slight variation, for broccoli rabe. Feel free to substitute the rabe if that is your preference, but in doing so I would blanch the rabe in some salted, boiling water prior to sautéeing it. Doing so will reduce the bitterness of the broccoli rabe. Kale would also work nicely in this recipe and, like the chard, will not require the blanching.

Swiss Chard and Turkey Sausage Sautée:

• one VERY large bunch of Bright Lights Swiss Chard
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  
• one package of Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage links
  
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth (or more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  
• grating of fresh nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• sprinkle of red wine vinegar
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• some cooked egg noodles or some variety of whole wheat pasta

Clean and prepare the chard as follows: break off the large, tough ends of the stems and either reserve for later use (they can be steamed and served as you would asparagus) or discard them. Fill the sink, or a very large bowl, with fresh cold water and add the whole leaves of chard. Swish the leaves around in the water to dislodge any dirt and let them sit, undisturbed, for several minutes. This will allow the dirt or sand to sink to the bottom. Gently lift the leaves from the water and place them in a strainer to drain. Rinse with cold water and reserve.

In a large skillet or sautée pan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the sausages. Cook the sausage until well-browned and cooked throughout. While the sausage is cooking, cut the chard leaves into a rough chop and reserve. When the sausages are done, remove them from the pan and set aside.

If necessary, add an additional teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet and sautee the garlic over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Begin adding the chopped chard, a few handfuls at a time, and sautee the chard and garlic together, adding more chard as it cooks down, until all of the chard fits into the pan and it begins to wilt. Add the chicken broth, raise the heat slightly and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, the nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and stir. Cut each turkey sausage link into pennies and return to the pan with with the card, stirring well to combine. Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. You may add additional chicken broth as needed or desired. Just prior to serving, sprinkle in a dash or two of red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more of any of the suggested spices as desired.

Serve the chard and sausage over the cooked egg noodles or pasta, topped with the Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

As written, this recipe will serve 4 very happy people, but can easily be doubled. Its nutricious and delicious. I hope you'll try it.

I must say that this is one of my most favorite recipes. I may not have wanted it last night, but the circumstances were unusual. Normally, I'd be happy to scarf down a bowl of this and go back for seconds. Its an easy and satisfying meal. As for the rest of the harvest? Stay tuned. There will be more veggie based greatness later in the week!

How Much Chicken Can One Diva Eat?

As it turned out, we dined at La Mirabelle on Saturday night, a lovely local place and a favorite of the Diva family. Papa Diva chose the restaurant and a fine choice it was. La Mirabelle is a traditional French bistro and both the food and the dining experience there are throughly satisfying. The menu is not overly ambitious, its full of the classics one would expect, and the food is simply prepared and beautifully executed. We've been dining there for 13 years and have never had a bad meal. The wait staff is so gracious and charming, it almost feels like you are dining in someone's home ... and, in a sense, I guess you are. The Le Douaron family has owned and operated La Mirabelle for years and its clear they love what they do.

Needless to say, I had the chicken. It was glazed with a savory wild mushroom sauce and served with some steamed veggies and a decadent, garlicy potato galette. No, that's not one of the South Beach Diet approved foods - and, yes, I ate it. It was magnificent! I further enhanced the meal with some rich chocolate gelatto for dessert ... but I shared it with pixelgal ... and neither of us were sorry about that!

La Mirabelle is one of the treasures of the Upper West Side of Manhattan - and I recommend it, highly. Be sure to have dessert if you dine there - the fresh fruit tarts are spectacular and not to be missed.

As previously mentioned, we dined at Perry Street last night. Its restaurant week here in New York, and we were happy to take advantage of the summer slow-down and book an early table there. Perry Street is part of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ever expanding empire and it is altogether delightful. As a destination restaurant, it has everything to recommend it: sleek, modern decor, beautiful views of the Hudson River, simple and elegantly prepared food ... and, perhaps, the skinniest mirrors in all of New York City!

I'm not kidding. I took one look at myself in that restroom mirror and thought: "Damn, I look good!" I'm seriously considering taking up residence in that bathroom and giving up this diet thing altogether. It was all I could do *not* to strip down to my undies and spend the rest of the evening in there admiring myself. These mirrors are *that* flattering! The last time I looked this good in a mirror I was shopping Macy's in Herald Square and ended up purchasing an ill-advised, empire-waist, white eyelet top. Ugh. The top is a disaster and will soon be heading to Good Will - but I digress.

We began our meal at Perry Street with a selection of their wonderful cocktails. I had the passion fruit - chili cocktail, made with bourbon and a hint of spicy chili pepper syrup. Outstanding! The husband (and his sister) had the cucumber martini - which tastes like summer in a glass, M had the spicy and delicious ginger margarita and K chose the thyme infused vodka lemonade. Although said cocktails were woefully late in their arrival, there were no complaints upon tasting them. I've been to Perry Street for the drinks alone and would happily go back just for that passion-chili cocktail. Its a marvelous combination!

No surprise, I had the chicken! For the record, I am capable of ordering and eating other things, but I had opted to go with the restaurant week menu and the choice of entree was limited ... chicken or red snapper. Anyone surprised I didn't choose the fish? No? I didn't think so. In this case the pan-roasted chicken breast was served atop a buttery mound of fresh, sweet corn and drizzled with a rich, smoky jus. The combination of the savory jus, crisp sweet corn and succulent chicken was heavenly. I hear the red snapper was delicious as well, but you'll have to take my dining companions' word for it. ~wink~

Much to my surprise, delight and chagrin ... the afore mentioned chocolate pudding with candied violets was offered as a dessert option and you'd be crazy if you think I passed it up. All three women at the table chose the chocolate pudding while my brother in law opted for the cherries jubilee - further proof of my theory that men will always choose a fruit based dessert, and women will always go for the chocolate. Its a biological certainty. My second rendezvous with this unusual pudding did not disappoint. It was every bit as luscious, interesting and indulgent as I remembered and this time it came with a sparkly, silver candle for me to wish on. M's pudding came with one as well. Nice!

Both the meal and the company were divine and it was a delightful way to cap off my month of never-ending birthday celebrations. Special thanks to M who made it all possible. So happy to have shared our July birthdays in this way and looking forward to doing it again next year!

All of which brings us to the question of the day: how much chicken can one Diva eat? A lot. And, at this point, I think I've had my fill of it. What's for dinner tonight you ask? Who knows ... stay tuned and I'll answer tomorrow!

Shout Out: Papa Diva Edition

Mama (a.k.a. pixelgal) and Papa Diva were in town this weekend to help install the final piece of the *wonderful* wall unit that Papa Diva built for me. He is a Master Cabinetmaker extraordinaire and the following pictures simply won't do it justice. Papa Diva designed and built this extraordinary piece of furniture for us and it is magnificent! I am besides myself with happiness and wanted to share the end result with you. I'll have a wrap-up of our dining adventures to post later this afternoon, but for now, please enjoy the photos of my spectacular new media center / wall-unit.

The first is of Papa Diva and the husband installing the top portion. The next shows the final product - TV and all!

Isn't it spectacular? It changes the living room completely and adds some much needed architectural detail and interest. I could not love it more! I am truly blessed to have such a talented and creative dad, and I love looking around our home and seeing all of the special pieces he's created for us over the years. This wall unit is certainly his Pièce de résistance and I can't thank him enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Papa Diva! Mwah!

House Keeping: Weekend Update

You already know that I'll be dining out and about for the next three nights. Tonight we'll be at Landmarc, prior to taking in Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed at the Rose Theater. I already know what I'll be having: chicken burger, no bun, extra greens on the side, hold the fries. I love Landmarc's menu, and I especially love the chicken burger. Its so savory and delicious ... really!

Saturday night's venue has yet to be determined, but on Sunday we're dining at Perry Street, with a friend who shares a July birthday. Its a belated celebration of sorts and I can't think of a better place to have it. We dined at Perry Street last year and I'm still thinking about the insanely good dessert I had - a luscious chocolate pudding with a hint of violet flavor. Interesting combination to be sure - but boy does it work! I'm kind of hoping it won't be on the menu this summer ... because I'd be hard pressed to resist its siren's song.

Look for my restaurant wrap-up on Monday - I'll have details from the weekend's dining indulgences and will be back to cooking at home on Monday night for sure.

Meanwhile, if you're surfing about this weekend, be sure to check out my updated blogroll on the right hand side under "The Diva's Favorites ..." I've added some new bloggers to the list, many of whom have been kind enough to stop in here and leave a comment. I'd like to return the favor, so hit them up when you're ready to leave.

Have a great weekend and, as always, make it Divalicious!

Great Food, Poor Service

Given all the restaurant eating of late, I was initially excited about our plans to dine at home last night ... until 6:30 p.m. rolled around and I realized that there was no one here to take my order. I searched high and low for the waitress, but she was no where to be found. What kind of restaurant is this? Oh, that's right, *I'm* the waitress tonight ... and the chef. You know what that means ... chicken!

I knew I needed to make something easy and hearty so I turned to The South Beach Quick & Easy Cookbook and decided to adapt one of its chili recipes. The original called for turkey cutlets, but I opted to substitute some ground chicken breast. I upped the amount of chili powder, added some tomato paste for richness and also added some cocoa powder. This last addition may sound strange to you - but I never make chili without the addition of some form of chocolate. It adds depth and balance to the chili / tomato flavors and is a complete necessity in my book. I use whatever I've got on hand - sometimes its cocoa powder, other times I may add a small square of bittersweet chocolate and let that melt into the chili. Sooooo luscious. Try it, you'll like it!

I served it over some brown rice pilaf, with a side of steamed summer squash, and it was an altogether delicious meal. The husband loved it too. As you may have guessed ... there was no busboy here to clear the table and the dishwasher seemed to have taken the night off as well. Leading me to conclude that while the food at this particular "restaurant" was magnificent, the service leaves something to be desired!

Chicken and White Bean Chili:

• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken breast
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes*
  
• 1 heaping tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder*
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• one 14.5 oz. can of Petite Diced Tomatoes with Jalapeño
• 2 tsp. roasted garlic tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  
• one 15 oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnishes:

• minced fresh parsley or cilantro
• shredded, reduced fat cheddar cheese
• minced red onion
• non-fat sour cream

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautée until the onion is just translucent, but not browned, @ 4 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and the ground chicken breast. Stir the mixture to combine, breaking up the ground chicken into bite-sized bits. Continue sautéeing and breaking apart the chicken until it is cooked throughout and no longer pink, @ 5 or 6 minutes. Add the chili powders and the cumin and stir to combine. Add the can of tomatoes, with their juice, the tomato paste, cocoa powder and the chicken broth and stir to combine well. Rub the oregano between the palms of your hands to crush it and add to the chili. Stir. Raise the heat and let the chili come to the boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer the chili, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Add the rinsed and drained beans, and let the chili simmer for an additional 15 minutes or so, until the beans are warmed and the mixture has thickened slightly. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding salt, pepper and whatever else you like. If the chili becomes too thick at any point, you may add additional broth to your liking.

Serve topped with any and all of the suggested garnishes and enjoy!

* Notes - As written, this combination of spices will yield a very spicy chili. If you're heat-averse you can omit both the crushed red pepper flakes and the chipotle chili powder. If you opt to leave out the chipotle, you may need to add some additional chili powder - let your taste buds be your guide. I like it spicy, but YMMV. Lastly, feel free to use whatever sort of beans you like in this chili, any kind will do.

According to the book, this recipe will yield 4 one and a quarter cup servings, but it can certainly be doubled if you like to batch-cook.