Gotta Get a Camera/OR: "Health" Food Gone Gorgeous

3/3/10

The creation:

Sauteed kale with pancetta, butternut squash, pears and poached egg

What's in the fridge:

eggs

pear

frozen baguette

fig jam

rabbit stock

Key ingredients consumed:

egg 

pear

baguette

fig jam

Ingredients purchased:

Kale

Butternut squash

Stilton

pancetta

onion

The creative process:

Somebody at work accused me today, "What's up with you and all this comfort food?" Apparently I've been on a trend. Even if I can't see how you can blame me (we had snow flurries AGAIN today), I realized something feigning healthiness was in order. The solution: a "salad" paired with something else light... um, like bread and cheese. On these days, I take comfort in the fact that, were I to order Chinese take-out or pizza, or even go out for a "well-rounded" Northern Italian meal, I'd certainly be consuming copious calories hidden behind the closed kitchen doors. At least here, I can monitor the amount of pancetta fat I use in quick-sauteeing my "salad."

Step 1) Chop squash and boil until almost fork-tender. Meanwhile, dice pancetta and fry, rendering the fat, until crispy. Remove pancetta pieces with a slotted spoon and then toss some diced onion into the rendered fat. Caramelize. Step 2) Drain squash and quickly sautee/caramelize (*high* heat very important!) in the fat with the onion and some sliced pears. Throw in some spices you like--I used some curry powder and lots of S&P. Remove onions and squash and add chopped kale very briefly--just long enough for it to begin to wilt. Stir briskly and season to taste. Meanwhile, poach an egg. Step 3) In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with the poached egg perched happily on top. EAT, delightfully, with toasted baguette smeared generously with Stilton and dotted with fig jam.

The verdict:

Quite satisfying! And, I felt great for having eaten nearly an entire bunch of kale, plus squash and pear. The addition of the cheese and bread satisfied me when a meal of just vegetables may have felt unfortunate. The poached egg gave the whole shebang a rich, decadent angle. I'd make this again. For my lunch tomorrow, I cooked the rest of the squash down into my rabbit stock along with some diced onion and pancetta. Curry powder and dry sherry and a dash of milk for creaminess made for a really tasty soup that I look forward to!