The Kind Blog: 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

The joy of cooking with my mom :)

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Friday, January 14, 2011

Semi-homemade pizza, food matters, and Nashville

This year has already been full of change! In just four weeks from now I am moving away from Santa Cruz, California for the first time in my life. For almost 30 years I have worked, lived, and played in the same town (yes, that means I am almost 30 years old!!). I gave notice at my rented condo (for real this time), and I am moving to Nashville, TN. I figure now is as good a time as ever to give my dream of becoming the next country music sensation one last shot :)

Plus, Monica and Ryan have offered to let me stay with them in Nashville while I break in my boots!

I am thrilled to be starting the next chapter of my life in a new city! I can't wait to learn how to cook some good 'ole southern comfort food and blog about it. I have even been researching culinary schools in Nashville! The world is my oyster, and this time the pearl inside is a black eyed pea.

Other changes include the possibility of a new blog! I have been racking my brain to come up with a title but have yet to decide. I feel like I have grown out of The Kind Blog. My foodie-ism has flourished since the days of cooking nothing but quinoa and kale.

Learning about food, where it comes from, and how it's produced, cooking and eating vegetarian (and maybe sometimes non-vegetarian), and eating local as well as keeping an open mind and maintaining my zest for adventure, are all things I want my new food blog to represent. Plus, I have a new food guru, whose philosophy on eating a responsible diet, personally and for the planet, I couldn't agree with more. I feel like I have finally found my place in this modern day food world full of controversy and debate.

Anyway... new blog, new city, new chapter. Maybe THIRTY won't be so bad after all.

With my kitchen half packed and not wanting to order take out, Mandy and I decided to go semi-homemade and jazz up an otherwise boring store bought cheese pizza. We served it with a pile of fresh spinach with vinaigrette. I have been getting better at homemade vinaigrette. Buying it now seems so silly - and don't even get me started on my new obsession with vinegar!! There are just so many wonderful vinegars out there!

Ingredients

1 prepared, uncooked, large size cheese pizza (Whole Foods has a decent one for $9.99)
1 Italian style chicken sausage, casing removed.
1 orange bell pepper
1/2 large white onion
1 clove of garlic
8 crimini mushrooms
2 large handfuls of spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
Red chili flakes to taste

Directions

Dice onion and garlic and saute in olive oil until fragrant. Cut bell pepper into 1/2 inch strips, slice mushrooms, add to onion and garlic. Once the vegetables are limp, add two heaping piles of spinach. Saute until the spinach is wilted. Spread the hot veggie mixture over the cold, uncooked cheese pizza. Remove the casing from sausage and using the same pan, cook until brown. Garnish the pizza with sausage and cook it as directed. 15-20 minutes in a 425 degree oven.

It came out crisp and delicious. With little effort, the ordinary and not so nutritionally impressive cheese pizza, became a healthy, balanced meal. Loaded with veggies and a little extra lean protein from the chicken sausage. I recommend trying this as home!

Serves 3 girls plus a leftover slice for 1 boy.