Rutabaga. It's just fun to say.

Ever had a rutabaga? On purpose? It's been years for me. My family used to participate in historical interpreting/re-enacting at Fort Michilimackinac when I was in high school, and I recall making a pot pie that included rutabagas during the "harvest" weekend--that's the last time I remember rutabaggin' it.

Tonight when I made this frittata for dinner, I was excited to use one again. Not because I remember being over the moon for the lumpy brown veggie, but because I couldn't remember what it was like, and I felt like I was trying it for the first time. I like trying new things--food things, that is. I'm a creature of habit everywhere else. ;)

Here's a play-by-play.

It was ugly.

With the ends sliced off and this rocklike veggie in half, it was time to peel.
  
It was easier to peel than the butternut squash I prepped next. (Love that Rosle peeler! You can find it on Amazon; it's also in the Kitchen Gadgets section of my aStore, which is linked to the right).

Because of the way I wanted to use it, cubed was the best shape.

I was surprised to see that my "rutabaggy" (as I called it at the Fort) turned a lovely golden color.

 

It was a fantastic addition to this frittata; I told The H that one day I'd like to eat just the filling, sans eggs--though the whole thing was really, really good.















Rutabagas are similar to potatoes in texture (the website I referenced for cooking tips likened the flavor to a turnip, but really, how many people would be like, "Oh yeah, I know exactly how a turnip tastes; good comparison!"?) but with more flavor, almost a touch of sweetness.

Oh, and this was my first experience with collard greens, too. Thanks for posting and blogging this great recipe, Local Cook!

I'm going to crack open my copy of History from the Hearth, a cookbook that the lead interpreter wrote (for which my sisters, friends, and I modeled*), and see what other uses I can find for this surprisingly tasty root veggie. I think it would be fantastic mixed into homemade mashed potatoes or sliced into a casserole of scalloped taters.  

*Yep indeed, pics of an awkward tween Clean Eating Machine have been published for the world (ok fine, "the few random people who've ever seen this book") to see. And that's how I rock it, rutabaggy style.

Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken

The first time I made this recipe was about two years ago. Each time we have it, I think of another way to improve upon an already-good thing. What follows is my latest iteration, modified for the CrockPot.



Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
heavily modified from this recipe on allrecipes.com
serves 2-4

1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
8oz canned pineapple chunks with juice reserved
1 1/2 Tbsp Sucanat
1 tsp jerk seasoning
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder*
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes*
1 medium onion, cubed
2 bell peppers (different colors), seeded and cubed
4oz mushrooms, cut in half
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups cooked brown rice
(*I didn't have these separately today, so I used 1/2 tsp taco seasoning instead)

1. In a medium bowl, combine cubed chicken with 1/2 Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp pineapple juice, sucanat, jerk seasoning, cinnamon, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Set aside to let flavors combine.



2. Meanwhile, chop the onion, peppers, and mushrooms, and place in crock with pineapple chunks.



3. Heat the remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken in small batches and cook until lightly browned but not cooked through, turning over to brown the underside. Make sure not to crowd the pieces. As they brown, transfer them to the crock.



4. Once all the chicken is in the crock, deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup water. Add 2 Tbsp of the reserved pineapple juice and let reduce for 1 minute. Pour over the chicken and veggies in the crock.

5. Cover crock and cook on low 3-4 hours, or until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve over hot cooked rice.



The H really enjoyed this. I didn't care for how soft the peppers got, but that's my own fault for socializing too much after running group! This was on low for almost 5 hours before we ate it, and it was just too long. The chicken wasn't dry, but the peppers were too soft, and that was my only complaint.

Burn-the-house-down tofu

My poor baking sheets will never be the same. This is the first Clean Eating Magazine recipe in a long time that I can recall not enjoying. Did I choose the wrong tofu again? Have the wrong kind of broiler? Either way--it was passable but not a keeper. And since I'm not about only showing you the good/pretty/successful recipes, here's how it turned out.

Broiled Tofu

from Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2010

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

4 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 lb mushrooms (white, cremini, shiitake, or a combination of your choice), halved (remove stems if using shiitake)

Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler. Position one rack 4 inches below heating element, and another rack in the bottom third of the oven.

2. In a small bowl, whisk broth, vinegar, mustard, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the sauce. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with remaining sauce. Arrange mushrooms on a large rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

3. Cut tofu lengthwise into 6 slices and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each slice in half diagonally, making 12 triangles. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange tofu on baking sheet and brush the top with half of the reserved 3 tablespoons of sauce.

4. Place sheet with mushrooms on bottom oven rack, and sheet with tofu on the upper oven rack. Cook for 6 minutes. Remove tofu (leaving mushrooms in the oven), turn pieces over, and brush with the last of the reserved sauce. Return tofu to top rack and continue cooking until tofu is dry and browned and mushrooms are tender, about 6 more minutes.

5. Divide tofu among plates and top with mushrooms. Drizzle with juices from baking sheet, and serve.

Umm, as you will observe, my sheet(s) have next to no juices with which to drizzle. I did the best I could.

Had the pieces not been partially charred, I imagine they would have tasted all right, but there was an odd *crunch* to every other bite that I couldn't place and didn't want to continue enduring. So I pitched the rest of my serving.

Please note, I thoroughly enjoyed my side of fresh mango. :)

Nutrition information per serving (3 triangles tofu, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1 Tbsp sauce):

Calories - 180

Total fat - 7g

Sat. fat - 1g

Carbs - 11g

Fiber - 3g

Sugars - 4g

Protein - 18g

Sodium - 230mg

Cholesterol - 0mg