First of all.
Hi.
I haven't been here in quite a while. I've been very busy working, enrolling in culinary school (YAY!!!), and starting a supper club. I know, poor me, right? Culinary school and supper clubs do not sound like much of a burden, but to be honest I am a feeling a little anxious. Work is demanding and jumping through out-of-state-enrollment hoops is challenging. But really, it's the fried chicken I am serving for dinner tomorrow night that is interrupting my beauty sleep.
I have had the honor of meeting some pretty stove savvy folks and I am thrilled they are going to humor me by joining my supper club. I have offered to host our first dinner together. As hostess, I am responsible for coming up with a culinary theme as well as providing the main dish. Considering I just moved to Tennessee, I chose 'The South' as inspiration for our menu. And what is more southern than fried chicken?! After announcing the theme and my entree to the crew, I fear my decision may have been a little too ambitious. Besides a few egg rolls this one time -- which I can't entirely take sole credit for, I have yet to add deep-frying to my repertoire.
Between consulting with Chef John, researching recipes, and watching countless Youtube videos on proper techniques for frying chicken, I think I have finally come up with a game plan for tomorrow. As I write this, six fryer birds are resting in buttermilk in my fridge and a gallon of peanut oil is waiting patiently on my counter top. My own spice blend has been concocted and is ready to moderately coat each piece of chicken under a healthy dredge in all-purpose flour-- this prevents the paprika from burning in the hot oil (thanks Alton Brown).
I am hoping to get some sleep tonight...
...Dara called the other day wondering if I have been cooking lately, and if so, why I hadn't been sharing it here on my blog. Of course I have been cooking. I cook every single day. Whether it be breakfast before a long brunch shift at work or a simple, quiet meal in the evening just for myself. I don't often think of sharing it here because I figure it's kind of silly. Then she told me that she looks forward to my posts and feels connected with me through reading about my adventures in living and cooking in my new city. I guess I didn't realize that this blog means something to them too. So, for Dara, and the rest of my friends and family who actually read this, I promise to keep you 'posted' more often. :)
Tonight, keeping in mind that tomorrow night's menu is featuring calorie laden Southern Fried Chicken, I wanted to keep it light. I did what I normally do when cooking dinner for myself. I take inventory of my pantry and fridge and then swing by the Farmer's market to pick up a few fresh veggies to embellish my dish.
Quinoa, bread crumbs, parmesan (the ghetto kind in a plastic jar with the bright green lid), and red chili flakes graced a shelf in my pantry. At the market, I picked up some yellow summer squash and Swiss chard. It being the middle of June in the middle of Tennessee, my options for fresh produce were fairly limited-- at least compared to my Santa Cruz, California standards. My veggie depression passed though, and I created this lovely meal.
Quinoa and Swiss Chard Stuffed Summer Squash with Parmesan Bread Crumbs
My original recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 large yellow summer squash
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium white onion
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 bunch Swiss Chard
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese divided
- salt, pepper and red chili flakes to taste
Directions
- Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds and pulp from each squash half, leaving a large cavity for stuffing. Set seeds and pulp aside.
- Brush each squash half with olive oil and bake at 350ยบ F for 15 minutes to soften.
- Warm 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and garlic, cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining squash and chopped Swiss Chard to the mixture.
- Saute until the chard is wilted, 3-5 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper and red chili flakes.
- Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Remove squash from oven let cool enough to handle.
- Heat oven to 400°F. Place equal amounts of filling in each squash half, piling it high in center. Mix bread crumbs with Parmesan, then sprinkle mixture over squash and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.
Serves 3 as an entree or 6 as a side dish.
P.S. Wish me luck with the fried chicken!!!
LOVE
