It's that time of year when we expect winter to be done. We long for it to be done and here in the Pacific Northwest we do crazy things like wear flip flops and shorts when the sun comes out and the temperature breeches 45. It is our way of saying, we are ready for something new, fresh...unexpected. This morning, unexpected came in the form of snow, the seals barking excitedly in the darkness of the early morning, as if to say "Look, look! The groundhog was right!"
In these last winding days of winter, as I wait in expectation, trying to observe some Lenten practice that holds me through the tiring darkness, my thoughts of course go to food. It seems that when the cold weather first comes, I celebrate! I make my first pot of chili, enjoy the tart sweetness of seasonal pears, and reach for a robust red wine in place of my favored light pinot gris. Somewhere, in the celebration of Thanksgiving and Advent the rituals of winter eating become rote. The green earthy smells of fresh chard, the endless variations of weekly soup pots, lentils, lentils and more lentils become less endearing as we ring in the New Year. I begin to tire of the food, more than the darkness and the weather.
Or perhaps I tire of them both and it is this fatigue that sends me on ventures of creativity to comfort my longing for spring. For me, this inevitably means an enjoyably conversation on Facebook with my lovely community of friends who share my wit, palate, and yes, a collective boredom and tiring of being indoors. In these conversations, I have learned how to poach an egg (I was coached and cheered along in what turned out to be a virtual cooking show!), discovered new sources of dark chocolate, and combined some of my favorite Northwest dishes with yummy Southern influences. (most recently, Cioppino and sweet cornbread...fantastic!)
Last Friday night, this desire for a change ultimately led to The Farmer and I dining on a "meal" of something I heretofore thought a contradiction in terms: healthy pigs in a blanket...
I can hear the collective gasps of a few of my friends from the Midwest, but dear ones, I am here to tell you, it CAN be done!
It all started with a query on Facebook wondering if such a recipe existed? And to myself I wondered if it would be good, would it satisfy the restlessness of another dark, cold evening. I meandered about on Google searching for an answer while frivolity abounded on my Facebook timeline. It was great fun, but no concrete answers so I took my wanderings out into the bleak winter night and headed down the street to PCC. I knew if I was going to find healthy substitutes I had to stick with the purists!
PCC on a Friday night is filled with a wonderful assortment of weary folk, last minute moms and dads searching for dinner, folks getting off work and looking to self-soothe as I was, and people whose mission seemed to comfort not just their bellies but the loneliness a Friday night alone can bring. Because of their high standards in purchasing/supplying products, I never have to worry/question the ethics employed by the makers of the food I am purchasing.
In the midst of these observations my antiquated 3G Blackberry was erupting with Facebook notifications, humorous, but not helpful! Although, it is true that the reading of the comments as I perused the available, more healthy options had me laughing aloud in the store, blowing bits of winter's dust off my brain in the process. In fact, I felt quite refreshed and ready to tackle my challenge!
In the kitchen as I assembled my findings, The Farmer said, "what are we having?" I knew from his comments he had seen my status update. "Pigs in a blanket!" I exclaimed. "You're serious?" Who jokes about pigs in a blanket on a Friday night? About 30 minutes later (thanks to The Farmer's preheating of the oven while I was down the street) a plate of yummy pigs in a blanket accompanied by a small salad (yes, this is part of how you make them healthy!) graced the dining room table, and dear ones I have to say they were quite delicious!
These are the simple, healthy and satisfying products I used to make a comforting meal that could be used for a snack, lunch, or party anytime. Very little mess and quick to make, so for us, they made the perfect Friday night dinnah!
1. All beef hot dogs - living in Seattle, we are fortunate to have available, a multitude of organic meats from which to choose. I picked 3 Sisters because they are local (Whidbey Island). It was interesting for me to note the difference in color between the organic beef hot dogs and the "all natural" hot dogs. Most of us know by now that "all natural" has a vague meaning. However, it was still startling for me to see what the visual difference that exists between the two meats. The organic beef hot dogs were richer and deeper in their color than their all natural counterparts, making the decision to go organic very easy. We were not
disappointed!
2. Crescent rolls - I was overjoyed to find a non-trans fat ready to use crescent roll that took me back to my Pillsbury years! They were delicious and even the name is heavenly! Immaculate Baking Co.! Leave it to a baking company in North Carolina to come out with a product that was delicious, had ingredients that I could recognize/rationalize/pronounce, and was easy to use. I did not get the snappy "pop" sound upon opening the can. But that's a small sacrifice to make when I get to support a small independent company over the more commercial ones.
3. Spicy brown mustard - any good stout mustard will do, but this was imperative for me to make the "pigs" both comforting and authentic. The less healthy meats are heavily salted and artificially flavored to make us want more. And that works! While I liked the idea of eating the all beef hot dog, I knew I would need to substitute that flavor some how and the mustard proved to be the perfect addition!
4. Salad greens assembled and packaged by the lovely folks at PCC, zero work for me! The organic greens were a nice balance to the richer flavors of the meat, bread, and cheese.
5. A healthy ranch dressing - we tried the PCC brand, and I have to say, I remain addicted to the less than natural flavors of Hidden Valley Rance. I realize that this is one of the most unhealthy products n Earth and I eagerly await the recipe that satisfies me and That Girl as much is the Hidden Valley. Bring it!
Served on the side, slices of aged white cheddar. The cheddar served the purpose of adding both comfort and depth/flavor to the meal. Serving it sliced meant I could control the portion size an option that's not available when it's in the "blanket".
...as always more will be revealed.
