Swiss Chard with Pancetta and Hard Boiled Eggs

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Here is a great way to serve Swiss Chard that even your kids will eat, must be the pancetta. Pancetta is like Italian bacon and you can substitute bacon or even diced prosciutto, or even dare I say smoked tofu of you like, but then you will need to up the oil a little.

Ingredients
2 bunches Swiss Chard
salt and pepper
1/4 pound pancetta or bacon or prosciutto
3 tablespoons evoo
1 clove minced garlic
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
5 peeled, hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Procedure
Cut the ribs out of the chard then chop the ribs and the leaves. Blanch the ribs in boiling water with a good dose of salt in it and cook about 7 minutes till tender. Using a slotted spoon remove the ribs and now add the leaves and cook briefly 3-5 minutes till tender then drain well and rinse under cold water till cool. Squeeze out the excess water and chop a little finer and squeeze out again. In a frying pan cook the pancetta or bacon about 5 minutes. If you use bacon pour off the fat at this point. Now add 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic and continue to cook till golden. With a slotted spoon remove pancetta pieces and garlic to paper towels and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons balsamic to the same pan and de-glaze it which means using a wooden spoon scrape all the burnt bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Now pour this yummy mix into a bowl. Into this same bowl add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar and the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil to the bowl and mix well. Now add the chard, pancetta and garlic, parsley, and remaining oil and vinegar. Season to taste. Gently fold in the eggs, garnish with a little more parsley and a pinch of cayenne pepper. This recipe makes 4-5 servings.

Kale with Pancetta, Cream and Toasted Rosemary Walnuts

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I found this recipe for on Food 52 — one of my favorite food sites. It’s simply delicious. You can substitute other greens like collard or Swiss chard and it is great!

Ingredients for Kale
4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
4 large shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch kale, roughly torn
1/4 cup white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream (let's just say a healthy splash)

Ingredients for Toasted Walnuts with Rosemary and Fleur de Sel
3/4 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
generous sprinkling of fleur de sel

Procedure
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat renders and the pancetta is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the kale (in batches, if necessary), and toss to evenly heat. When the kale is mostly wilted, add the wine. Lower the heat and simmer until the wine is almost entirely evaporated, 4-5. Toss the kale occasionally as it cooks. Season the kale with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Add the cream and stir well to combine. Add some more cream, if desired (I usually do). Keep warm.

In a large bowl, toss the walnuts with the olive oil well to coat. Add the rosemary and fleur de sel and toss well to combine. Transfer the walnuts to a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly, and roughly chop. Fold the pancetta into the kale, transfer the to a serving dish and top with the walnuts. Really nutritious and delicious!

Asparagus with Pancetta

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Asparagus: I like to cook it many different ways. Sometimes I just blanch it in salted water for 3-5 minutes and squeeze some lemon on it. Sometimes a drizzle it with a tiny bit of olive oil and garlic and roast it in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Alton Brown on The Food Network the other day rolled it in wet paper towels and cooked it for 3 minutes in the microwave and swore that was the best way to cook it. The French serve it with hollandaise, because they are French.

So why eat asparagus? Besides the delicious flavor it is super nutritious. Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium.

This is a very decadent way to prepare asparagus with the addition of bacon — which, frankly, makes everything taste better. For those of you who enjoy the king of vegetables, Brussels sprouts, this recipe is divine with them as well.

Ingredients
4 ounces pancetta, cut into a fine dice (or use bacon)
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced into 2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cup leek, thinly sliced crosswise (white and pale green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1-2 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Procedure
In a large non-stick pan, sauté pancetta, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until crisp and lightly golden. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Add asparagus pieces and leek and sauté until asparagus is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, lemon, orange zest, toasted pine nuts and parsley and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper and salt and serve immediately.

Pasta with Endive and Pancetta

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I thought I would go Italian to keep with the program, this is a simple pasta recipe from Evan Kleinman’s book Pasta Fresca and it uses endive, which I love sautéed with pancetta, which I love even more. Now in Italy, she notes, this would be done with Trevisio which is like red thick endive but that is not always available, so this is a substitute but sometimes we can get Trivisio here so you have options.

Ingredients
3 Belgian endive heads
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
2 slices pancetta, coarsely chopped
12 fresh basil leaves
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pound fettucini
Freshly grated Parmesan

Procedure
Trim the endive root ends off and remove any blemishes. Cut each head in half lengthways and wash and dry leaves. Cut the endive into julienne strips and set aside. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, add and onion and cook covered for 3 minutes. Now add the pancetta and cook till it gives off some of its fat. Now add endive, basil salt and pepper. Cook just till endive wilts. Deglaze the pan with the wine and chicken broth and set aside. In the meantime, you should have been bringing the salted pasta water to a boil. Now cook the fettucini till it is al dente. Drain and mix 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl. Toss in the endive mixture and top with freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago and serve. Yum!

Braised Red Cabbage with Chestnuts, Apples, and Pancetta

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Cabbage is one of my favorite winter vegetables. From simple coleslaw like they make at Bobcat Bite, to wilted cabbage with onions and garlic, it always tastes great and it cheap and easy. But here is a recipe from one of the greats, Craig Claiborne, for braised red cabbage with roast chestnuts and apples. It's downright elegant, because sometimes Bubble and squeak just won’t do!

Ingredients
1 3 lb red cabbage
12 fresh chestnuts
1/4 lb pancetta or bacon, diced small
1/4 cup diced onion
3 cooking apples (about 1 lb)
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Procedure
Preheat oven to 450. Shred the red cabbage and set aside. Score the chestnuts and place on a sheet pan and bake in hot oven for 10 minutes or until they open. Let the nuts cool a little so you don’t burn your hands, and then peel them. Heat the bacon or Pancetta in a sauté pan. Once the fat is released, add the onion and cook briefly. Meanwhile peel and core the apples and cut them into quarters. Add the apples to the sauté pan. Now add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, salt ,and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the brown sugar, and the chestnuts. Simmer 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Now transfer the mixture to an ovenproof casserole or leave in the sauté pan and place mixture in the oven. Bake 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 and bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours, till cabbage is thoroughly tender. Stir occasionally while cabbage is in the oven. Finish by blending in the butter and the vinegar. Serve hot with a nice stew! This makes 8-10 servings.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup with Tomato and Pancetta

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Who doesn’t love a great bowl of homemade soup? There is simply no romance to cranking open a can of "Campbell's" for lunch. Try this instead!

Ingredients
6 ounces diced pancetta or bacon
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium chopped onions
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash
1 tablespoon Mexican Oregano
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups tomato juice or V8
4 chopped ripe Roma tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
In a large stock pot saute the pancetta or bacon till it gives up its fat and crisps. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Add butter and saute the onion, carrots and celery over low heat till they are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cubed butternut squash, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute 10 minutes more. Add chicken broth, diced tomato and tomato juice and simmer for 20 minutes till squash is squishy. Carefully puree soup in blender or use wand blender and puree in pot. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cooked pancetta. Nice with some crusty wheat bread and a salad. Wow... lunch is served!

Pasta Carbonara

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I know this is a seriously heart-challenging recipe, but every once in a while I crave Pasta Carbonara. It's like sex, but with more calories. Here’s the recipe for 6 servings.

Ingredients
1 pound Italian Pancetta or good quality bacon
1 medium diced onion
8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
5 large eggs room temp
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley

Procedure
Fry the panchetta or bacon, in a large skillet, over medium heat. Remove bacon from pan, drain on paper towels and crumble. Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet. Cook onions in the fat for 7 minutes, over medium heat. Add mushrooms a wine and cook 5 minutes. Put up big pot of boiling salted water to cook pasta. Whisk eggs and cream together in mixing bowl, stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta till al dente. Drain and return to same pot you boiled it in. Immediately combine pasta with egg mix, crumbled bacon and onion. Toss thoroughly. Stir in chopped parsley and serve. Top with more cheese. Always keep number for paramedics close to the phone.