Veggie Pizza - whatever is in the fridge

Something that I have loved learning from being a freshie in the restaurant industry is learning how to use whatever you have in the store. If one special isn't selling on fish, we'll change the special the next night. Or make salmon cakes. Or if we have extra risotto from the night before, we make fried risotto balls as an appetizer special. The list goes on. It has been a helpful practice to develop at home - I am so finicky some weeks and I don't have an appetite, other weeks I go out with my friends too often and I don't hit the grocery store, or old groceries are sitting there going bad. Today I needed lunch and the smartest lunch is a lunch that you've already paid for, at the grocery store.

I had half of the pizza dough from last week's margherite as well as some cut veggies from a primavera I made for lunch earlier this week. Some marinara I saved from raviolis, a garlic clove, an overripe tomato, and some fresh mozzarella also left from the margherite. A little bit of Parmesan, which exhausts my cheese supply (sad), and some dehydrated mushrooms I bought last week and never used. Mushroom trick: I have always marveled at how quickly mushrooms go bad. I do most of my shopping at Publix, which breaks down their cardboard boxes of mushrooms and packs them into tiny plastic containers, tightly wrapped with plastic. I inquired about why my mushrooms go bad so quickly (slimy fishy) and why our cardboard-stored mushrooms at work last for a long week. The answer? Mushrooms need to breathe, and moisture makes them go bad. If they are stuck in a plastic container tightly wrapped (like we do for everything else to keep O2 out), they will sit in their own moisture and go bad. The solution? Take off the plastic wrap and leave them open air (thus the dehydration of my little guys) or better yet, throw them in a paper sack.

I am definitely taking a risk with the old marinara - highly acidic and highly basic foods are the first to go bad (thus, soft cheese. On the other end of the spectrum, tomatoes). But it smelled fine and let's be honest, it was probably packed with so many preservatives that marinara could live on in my refrigerator for a year and still be fine. So, I'll let you know in about 8 hours when the foodborne illness sets in (or not. hopefully not).

On top of my pizza went marinara, chopped garlic, sliced red onion, sliced green and red peppers, sliced mushrooms, a diced tomato, some fresh mozzarella and some shredded parmesan. Anything like this can be made from your leftovers and dwindling food supply - throw some things together that you enjoy together, add a tomato sauce base or an olive oil/salt and pepper/garlic base, and you can have a tasty little pizza without wasting a thing.

Up next: HOMEMADE PICKLES!

Summer Pasta Salad

One thing I have been aiming to do in my eating is to make sure my vegetables aren't losing their enzymes and their nutritious qualities. I have said before that I read once that 118 degrees is the maximum temp for veggies to retain their health benefits. Yesterday I needed a quick lunch before hitting the road to see Veronica and Isaac and I had Piccolini (tiny farfalle) in my cupboard and some veggies in my fridge. I cooked the pasta and strained it, then tossed in light olive oil, some minced garlic (2 cloves), diced tomato (1 vine ripe tomato), a few sliced baby portabellas (maybe 4 or 5) and some spinach (a handful, chiffonade). Don't forget the s & p. I also had some sliced Boar's Head Havarti from Publix deli so I roughly tore it into little pieces and tossed - it was perfect! The veggies were just warm from being mixed with the freshly cooked pasta but they weren't COOKED. Still had full taste, full nutrients, and my oh my it made for a tasty summer side to a turkey sandwich. Today I had the pasta as my main course with a bowl of fresh cherries on the side (on sale at Publix for $2.49/lb). Try it!

Sauteed Zucchini & Squash with Almonds and Garlic

One of my favorite blogs to visit is Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks. A beautiful photographer, a well-traveled writer and an accomplished home cook, her blog began on the premise that "when you have 100 cookbooks, it's time to stop buying and start cooking." Her recipes are all vegetarian with a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/fresh off the farm feel. Yesterday's post was her "Skillet Zucchini" - a saute of thinly sliced zucchini, squash, garlic slivers, almonds and fresh dill. Those ingredients together really intrigued me, so for dinner at work last night I tried her recipe and tossed it with fettucine. She uses it as a side, as a main component, or even on a hand pie. I loved it tossed with the pasta. The sweetness of the lightly seasoned squash and the garlic were the perfect combination with the nutty flavor. I used toasted slivered almonds which was a change from her whole raw almonds (we only had slivered in the store) and I could not put my hands on some fresh dill - I can't wait to try it again with the dill next time.

Easy, simple, healthy - throw some olive oil, the thin slices of zucchini and squash with some salt and pepper into a cast iron skillet or saute pan. After the squash has cooked for a minute or so, add the almonds and garlic slivers - cook until squash has softened and garlic is a light brown/golden color (do not add the garlic and almonds right away or they will burn). Serve with brown rice, pasta, as a pizza topping, on a savory pie crust, or as a side to a fish or grilled meat. So light, fresh and tasty!