Leftover greens make for a quick quesadilla lunch

The crisp kiss of autumn welcomed me this morning when I went out to check the garden faithfuls. I found a handful of raspberries, a few tomatoes that didn’t get bitten by the frost and are trying their best to ripen on the vine, and the happy greens—arugula, kale and Swiss chard. There’s something so substantial and reliable about Swiss chard. The green leaves are sturdy without being tough. When you grow a variety, you can also discover beauty in the combination of orange, red and white stems with the green leaves. Once I brought it in, even storing it was a pleasure.

Greens can also provide a quick lunch. I had leftover kale and onions in the fridge, so I put a whole-wheat tortilla on the griddle to warm and crisp up while I heated the kale and leftover chicken in the microwave. I shredded cheese and put it on half of the tortilla, added the warmed food, folded half of the tortilla on top of all that goodness, and continued cooking until the outside was nicely crisped. It didn’t take more than five minutes, honest. I find quesadillas especially tasty when I eat them with salsa, guacamole or sour cream.

Creativity and Cooking

One of the reasons I like to cook is that it’s a tasty outlet for my creativity. But when I need to channel that creativity in another direction, I have to quiet the urge to cook so I’ll have the energy I need for my words.
That’s what I did this week. I’ve spent Monday through Friday at a beautiful retreat house for women artists. I came with two novels to revise so I spent hours researching, rereading, revising and reinventing scenes. With no cooking to do, no laundry calling, no dirty floor to vacuum, I was able to focus all of my energy on my goal. And I succeeded. What a gift!
When my brain called out for a break, I took a walk or warmed up some of those leftovers I prepared on Sunday. Last night I had the pasta with butternut squash that I had prepared. Pastas prepared with something other than a red sauce tend to suck up the sauce, leaving dry leftovers. To remedy that, I added a little chicken broth to my pasta bowl when warming it up.

For the delicious recipe, go to The Splendid Table site. (I substituted Swiss chard for the greens recommended.) And if you’ve never heard the show, tune in. It’s an hour of fun for anyone who loves food.

Monday’s leftovers: Jim’s Chili

It does take time to preserve fresh vegetables and cook from scratch, but one way to free up your week is to cook batches of foods on the weekend that you can munch on all week. That approach can save time and money while still providing nutrients you need.

With that in mind, I enjoyed the chili Jim made on Sunday for supper last night. For him to prepare the chili, I bought from the grocery canned kidney beans, chili seasoning and onions (unfortunately we used the last of our garden onions last week). From the freezer, he pulled packages of ground beef we had bought with our portion of a local, grassfed cow. Then he gathered tomato juice and whole tomatoes we had canned.
Last night, his tasty combination satisfied my hunger and warmed me from the inside out! It took only a few minutes to warm it up and to wash the dishes afterwards.
Health note: Tomatoes provide lycopene, an important cancer preventing phytochemical. Although many people enjoy tomatoes fresh from the summer garden, studies have shown that people who eat cooked tomatoes actually absorb more lycopene. So add chili to your list of health-supporting dishes.