I had 2 skinny Italian eggplants, a few tomatoes, a sweet vidalia onion, garlic, and some mushrooms.

Out came the kitchen knife and a stockpot to cook in.  Vegetables were chopped, put into the pot with some olive oil, seasoned with  oregano, salt and pepper.  I simmered the vegetables for 20 minutes on low heat.   Voila, a great veggie dish for dinner tonight, and a clean refrigerator.

You can make ratatouille with any leftover vegetables you have.  Enjoy!

Chicken paprikash is an old time Hungarian stew - rich in flavor, beautiful in color, and easy to make.  It’s a great weeknight meal, and if you make enough, you can have leftovers for another meal.  I like to serve it over rice, but the traditional way is to serve it over egg noodles.  Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS

1 cut up chicken

1 sliced onion

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon paprika

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 thinly sliced red bell pepper

1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce) with juices

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Brown the chicken skin side down about 4-5 minutes.  Turn over for another 3 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

3. Drain most of the fat from the Dutch oven.  Cook the onion and bell pepper for 2 minutes.  Add the broth and stir, cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes and paprika.  Bring to a simmer.

4. Put the chicken back in the pot and put in the oven for 30 minutes.

5. Serve over rice, noodles, or polenta.

Not actually DO gardening, it’s still too cold, the risk of snow and inclement weather is still too great.  But it’s a good time to start thinking about your garden, and considering what to do this year that’s new, different, or just the good ol’ same.

I started my gardening reading with an inspiring story about the Leopoldo Urban Vegetable Garden.  It’s a small, flat-pack recyclable steel structure which makes garden easy and fun.   What makes this small gardening space so inspirational is that it is starting to be used as a therapeutic tool in hospitals and clinics.   You can read all about it at Treehugger.com.

And start dreaming about your fresh tomatoes and herbs.  It’s never too early.

Healthy and Delicious Recipes for an Asian-Inspired Meal

  H Mart, a Korean-American supermarket chain, recently opened another Atlanta location. I couldn’t resist a visit and a reason to make vegetable springs rolls and noodle salad again. In addition to a wide variety of Asian, Hispanic and American foods, H Mart offers an extensvie food court and a cafe/bakery - so make your list and plan to spend some time exploring, shopping and having a nibble. You’ll find an extensive array of fresh produce, herbs (Thai basil!!), spices, sauces, oils, prepared food, fresh fish, a large  produce section and more. Bring your menu plan and a grocery list to make the most of your visit. This Asian-inspired dinner builds upon the vegetable spring rolls and noodle salad to include a savory soup, pan-seared fish as a main course along with the uber-delicious bok choy recipe from Black Tie Barbecue, a full service catering company, in Atlanta.

If you like a bit of spice and little heat try the #11 Den-Jahng-Jigae (soybean paste stew) from the Korean Cuisine store in the food court. A delicious lunch for under $10.

An Asian-Inspired Dinner Menu

• Spinach and Mushroom Soup (recipe below)

• Vegetable Spring Rolls (click to view)

• Delicious Asian Vegetable Noodle Salad (click to view)

• Black Tie Barbecue’s Bok Choy (click to view)

• Fish with Ginger-Garlic Sauce (recipe below)

Spinach and Mushroom Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 28 ounces vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (about 5 ounces)
• 1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 10-ounce bag ready-to-use spinach leaves
• 1 can diced water chestnuts
• 3 green onions, chopped

Preparation

Combine first 7 ingredients in large stockpot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add tofu, spinach, water chestnuts and green onions and simmer until spinach wilts and tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Recipe Inspiration: Bon Appétit | October 1997/epicurious.com

Fish with Ginger-Garlic Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 6- to 8-ounce fish fillets (flounder, orange roughy, red snapper, sea bass)
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon oriental hot sesame oil
• 1 ladle soup broth (Spinach and Mushroom Soup) or 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add fish and cook until cooked through, turning once, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plates using slotted spatula. Add ginger and garlic to same skillet and sauté over high heat 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add soy, vinegar, hot sesame oil, broth and stir to combine. Mix in cilantro.  Spoon over fish and serve.

Recipe inspiration: epicurious.com/Bon Appetit

Dessert? Fresh fruit - pineapple and mandarin oranges.

The Great Hang Up

Our kitchens and dinner tables tend to be places that we gather with family and friends to share the news of the day. We encourage you to make some time to talk about the risks associated with people are getting in accidents and even losing their lives because of texting or talking on the phone while they are driving. 11Alive, the NBC affiliate in Atlanta, recently started a campaign to inform the people of Metro Atlanta of the dangers of distracted driving and encouraging them to join the movement to put down the phone while driving. It’s the Great Hang Up!

We are spreading the word to our extend friends and family. Print out The Great Hang Up Pledge and have a conversation with those you hold dear about the risks of driving while distracted.