Grub n Glug

This is a fairly simple, easy to make condiment that goes great with chicken, pork or vanilla ice cream. Usually I have it with pork loin over creamy polenta with some braised kale or collard greens on the side. You can also change things around easily. Don’t like rhubarb? Omit it, or use something like figs instead. You can also fool around with the jelly, use fig paste or mint jelly or anything else you think would make a good combination. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.

• Apple Rhubarb Chutney

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 apple (fuji, braeburn, or granny smith works best) peeled, cored. and diced medium
• 3 stalks rhubarb (or less or more, you want the same ammount as the apple) halved lengthwise and sliced into pieces the same size as the apples
• 2-3 tbsp. apricot preserves (simply fruit or low sugar is best)
• 1-2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar (if you want the chutney sweeter, add the higher amount of apricot, more sour – more balsamic)
• 2 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the apples and cook for 1 minute to soften slightly. Add the rhubarb and cook 1 minute while stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to low and add remaining ingredients. Let it cook to combine about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly and serve.

This is a really nice light pasta dish that is very healthy, equally good hot the night of cooking, or cold as leftovers the next day. As you’ll see from this and future posts, I’m really bad about exact measurements when I’m cooking. I tend to just chop things up and then throw them together without figuring out whether it’s one cup of this, half a cup of that, etc. When it comes to spices, I’ll usually say something along the lines of a pinch of this, a dash of that. Always remember that everything should be to your taste. If I love smoked paprika (and man I do) and you hate it, then don’t use it, or use a smaller amount. That said, on to the recipe.

Meyer Lemon Penne with Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. or so dried penne rigate pasta ( a little over 1/2 of a typical package)
• 1 large or 2 small heads broccoli cut into small florets
• 1/2 bulb of a large fennel sliced thinly and cut into small pieces (about as long as the pasta or slightly shorter)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 meyer lemons
• parmesan regiano
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Boil the water for the pasta in a large pot. While waiting for the water to boil, zest and juice the lemons keeping them separate. Grate about an equal amount of parmesan as you have zest and combine them. When the water has come to a boil, throw in the broccoli and blanch for about 45 seconds to 1 minute until broccoli is tender-crisp then remove with a spider (hopefully you have one, if not try to get the broccoli out without dumping the water) into large bowl filled with ice water. Cool, drain and pat dry. Next cook the pasta in the large pot filled with boiling water according to package directions, usually about 10-12 minutes for al dente. As soon you throw the pasta in, place a large skillet or saucier over medium low heat. Add about 2 tbsp. oil to the skillet and then saute the fennel for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute additional minute. Add lemon juice to the saute pan and simmer, reducing slightly until pasta is done. Add the pasta to the simmering sauce along with the broccoli and the zest and cheese mixture. Toss around to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve. I also grated some extra parmesan on top with a little drizzle of extra virgin oil over the top as well, a bit of feta could be really tasty also.

Wine pairing: A nice crisp dry white to accentuate the lemon. Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, or Gruner Veltliner would all be good.