Not to be Debbie Downer or anything, I’m just really bummed out right now. I woke up Monday morning with a sharp pain in my left foot – the pain went away for a little while, then later on in the day it came back, and has gotten progressively worse as the week has wore on.

So, after three miserable days of hobbling around in total discomfort, which I’ve tried my best to rid with a self-prescribed concoction of Advil and unoaked-chardonnay (White Truck, if you must know), I bit the bullet and went to the doctor this morning. Turns out, I have a stress fracture in my left foot. My first broken bone in 41 years, and it’s a total drag!

Here’s the deal. I need to be off of my feet today, and for what appears to be a few more days to come. No grocery shopping, no standing in the kitchen, no gym….basically, a lot of sitting around. But I hate to abandon you, my faithful ten readers, so in the short term I’m going to re-visit some dishes from my personal collection and photo archive. I hope that’s all right with you all…I hope you’ll bear with me and my gimpy self! One catch, the ingredients might not be in the current sale ad. But in keeping with my frugal theme, I promise you we won’t break the bank. Here we go.

Of all of the cooking magazines I subscribe to, Food & Wine is one of my favorites. Their recipes are consistently good; I’ve never had one bomb on me (this is saying a lot!). One of my favorite F & W recipes is this fantastic Shrimp Saganaki. Large shrimp are sautéed along with onions, fresh tomatoes and olives, then finished with fresh basil and a sprinkle of feta cheese….wow. I think I’m in love!

I like to serve the Saganaki in shallow bowls, on top of a bed of orzo. I usually toss a romaine salad and serve toasted pita alongside…..again, wow. I would even go so far as to call this a restaurant quality meal – certainly good enough for entertaining, and definitely one for the ‘keeper’ file. Wish I was able to make it for myself tonight!

SHRIMP SAGANAKI

Source: Food & Wine Magazine, March ’09

Serves: 4

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 box grape tomatoes, halved
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 lbs. shelled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/2 c. pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c. sliced fresh basil (or dill)
• 3 oz. crumbled feta cheese, plus additional for garnish if desired

• Cooked orzo or rice, for serving
• Toasted pita bread, for serving

In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste and cook until softened, crushing them with the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and olives and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil and half of the feta and cook just until the feta is hot, about 1 minute. Transfer to shallow bowls, sprinkle with remaining feta, and serve with toasted pita. Enjoy!

There’s a hilarious scene where the two of them are discussing the wedding menu (or, ‘monyu’); flamboyant Franck tries to convince stressed-out George (or, ‘Mr. Bonks’) that he must serve either veal (‘vol’), seafood (‘sah foot’), or the lowly, cheaper chicken (‘the chipper chocken’).  George, who is trying to pinch pennies, of course opts for the ‘chipper chocken’.  He then rips his old ‘tux-ah-doh’ straight down the back,  heads off to the grocery store in a huff, and proceeds to rip the stockboy a new one over the outrageous cost of hotdog buns.  A crazy shopping cart chase through the aisles ensues, where product displays tumble left and right, and  George lands himself in jail, where poor Nina (Diane Keaton) has to come to bail him out.

Remember that scene?  You don’t?  Well then you must go rent the movie.  It’s delightful from start to finish!

You’re probably asking yourself where this conversation could possibly be headed.  And so, before I digress much further (like, by busting out the complete soundtrack for you), I want to tell you about this ‘chipper chocken’ recipe that I made tonight.  It’s my favorite dish to make out of plain old, boring ‘chocken’ breasts.

The refreshing Greek flavors of oregano and fresh mint really liven up these pretty skewers.  The whole meal came together quite quickly – you’ll just need a little time to marinade the chicken.  While the chicken marinates, pull together the delicious Greek salad, prepare a box of couscous or rice pilaf, and toast some pita bread.  Dinner is served!

GRILLED CHICKEN, RED ONION, & MINT KEBABS WITH GREEK SALAD

Serves:  4

Source:  epicurious.com, originally published in Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2001

• 1 ½ lbs. skinless boneless chicken breast halves (on sale!), cut in to 1-inch pieces
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. dried mint
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh mint (one clear plastic box from the produce department)
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 metal skewers (or wood, just soak them for an hour beforehand so they don’t burn up on your grill)
• Greek Salad, below

Mix chicken, oil, garlic, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Let marinate 30 minutes (mine went two hours with no trouble).

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.  Pull off the large mint leaves from their stems.  Alternate chicken, onion, and mint leaves on skewers, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill until chicken is just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 9 minutes total.  Serve with Greek Salad.

GREEK SALAD

Yields:  about 4 ½ cups

• ¾ lb. stemmed tomatoes (on sale), seeded, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 c. diced seeded peeled cucumber (about 1 large, on sale)
• 1 c. diced red bell pepper (from 1 large)
• ¼ c. pitted kalamata olives, halved
• ¼ c. diced red onion
• 3 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 ½ T. red wine vinegar
• ½ t. dried oregano
• ¼ c. crumbled feta (half of a 4 oz. box)

Toss the first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend.  Gently mix in cheese.  Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the Chicken Kebabs!