Giada/Chicken and White Bean Chili

Goodness, I love Giada DeLaurentiis. I don't think I have ever come across a recipe I didn't like in my Giada cookbooks. She makes light, delicious, healthy foods that I just can't get enough of. There's my favorite lemon risotto recipe, several pasta dishes that cook up light and healthy, decadent desserts, and now a chicken and white bean chili that manages to include a very large portion of kale and still be awesome.

For Christmas I received my third Giada cookbook and promptly cooked chicken cacciatore for my parents. They decided it was a good meal but too much work for them (although there was so much extra sauce that I made them freeze it so they could whip up a new batch at their leisure). She tends to remove super fatty ingredients and add in large portions of veggies, thus remaking foods that could be dastardly into dishes that are light and yummy.

Tonight's chili is no different, with lean ground chicken used as the protein and combined with cannellini beans, one of my go-to vegetarian proteins. Lots of spice is used (cumin, oregano and chili powder) and she adds in some corn and kale. You end up with a rich chili that manages to get you all the nutrition you need! The real test was my neighbor, Jerry. He is your basic Ron Swanson, desiring nothing more than a giant serving of steak or a plate full of spaghetti and meatballs. I figured if he liked the chili, than everyone would! His official answer was, "I like it", said with a moderate level of enthusiasm. The chili gets an official "like" all around.

The bonus part of my evening was using my roommate's fancy Dutch oven to cook the chili. It's a very heavy, cast iron pot with a similarly heavy lid. One of the more widely known brands is Le Creuset, although my roommate's happens to be a Staub. It cooks very evenly and is a wonderful way to make soup. Thanks Lena!

Fresh Pasta

I just want to write a quick shout-out to Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Square. What an incredible place! I'm not a frequent flier at Dave's because, quite honestly, I can't afford it, but I do truly enjoy every experience I have at this place.

For those readers not in the Somerville/Boston area, Dave's Fresh Pasta is an amazing store offering freshly made pastas, sauces, sandwiches, breads, and interesting artisinal/specialty foods. They also have weekly events like wine tastings and cooking lessons with the chef. The fresh pasta and sandwiches are probably the best part - everything I've tried has been absolutely delicious.

Most recently a friend came to visit and we got the butternut squash ravioli and artichoke and ricotta ravioli. Once you remove the pasta from the box you have to shake off the flour and cut them into their squares. Then simply boil and serve! Nellie and I stirred in some olive oil and spinach leaves and chowed down (with a simply cooked chicken breast, served with reduced balsamic vinegar and dried cranberries).

I wish I had a decent income so that I could frequent Dave's more often!

Bradley Palmer State Park

I visited Bradley Palmer State Park today, as promised! Even though it was supposed to be windy and gray, I left the house and made the short trip north to the park (a trip I used to make daily while working at Crane Beach, except a good 15-20 minutes shorter).

It's a beautiful place, with miles of trails that include wide paths through open fields and thin trails climbing up hills and over roots. Many people were out and about - which is not necessarily a good thing - but clearly it is a well-loved place. There were runners, walkers, people with kids and dogs, bikers, and horseback riders. It was hard to find a place to sit in peace with no human interaction. I was constantly passing or being passed by other park users.

This experience is a double edged sword for me. I want people to get out and see the world, to explore what's beyond their own back yards and take a walk somewhere a little bit wilder. But at the same time being outside can be such a wonderful solitary experience that when my walk is punctuated by passing people I get annoyed. Sometimes I just want it to be me and the trees, not me + trees + someone's giant dog sniffing my pant leg.

My walk was very pleasant. I liked being able to explore different trails in such a short span of time (1.5 hrs). I started out walking through fields edged with trees, then took a much smaller trail through some deciduous forest, then ended up walking along the Ipswich River surrounded by evergreens and picking my way over stones and roots. The day got brighter as I walked, and the river sparkled to my right as I returned to the main parking area. I even found some great fungi growing on a log!

I'd definitely like to return and explore the other sections of Bradley Palmer, maybe even make the trip up for a trail run (lots of people were out running and it actually looked pretty fun!). This weekend take a walk outside and get yourself some fresh air - it'll revitalize you, I promise!

Welcome, 2012!

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope the holidays flew by in a rush of excitement and happy feelings. I, for one, got to fly back to Michigan and spend about a week with family and friends. The big downer was getting a fierce sore throat and having to visit the doctor. But the plus side was squeezing in some reunion time with friends before really falling ill.

And now it is 2012 and what do I have to say for myself? I've got a few more gift bags and sheets of tissue paper in my cabinet, to use next year. I've got some goodies stored away for future use (a tent! a sleeping bag! a new cookbook!) and a little extra cash I can invest in my rent for the month. There is one more can of pumpkin pie in the cabinet I must use. Otherwise, it's another fresh start!

My First Day Hike planned for this morning didn't work out as I was both a) still a sickie and b) parked into my driveway. But tomorrow I will complete my First Hike and report back, I pinkie swear! I'm going to drive up to Bradley Palmer State Park and do a short little walk among the trees and river (as much as my sickly little body can handle, although to be honest I am almost 100% at this point). So check back soon for some lovely photos!