Really good Clean-out-the-Fridge recipes

OK now this is only the story for you, if you:

• don't have any science projects going on in there
• buy fresh produce regularly
• have some meat, cheese, or other protein in there (tofu, for instance) OR
• have nuts or nut butters available
• have some pasta, rice, or grains on hand, preferably cooked OR
• you're OK with some kind of bread as a 'mop' to be your starch 'side'
  

Or at least some of the above are true.

Years ago, I went with my best friend to her aunt's home in San Clemente for the weekend, and from the leftover beef roast we ate on Friday, our hostess made the best taquitos on Saturday. I was in awe, and thought it would be a dream come true if I could work that kind of magic one day in my own home - alchemizing leftovers into completely different and delicious meals.

Well the last however many years have been very kind to me, and now we see that I ought to be careful what I wish for. Granted, taquitos are not my strong suit, but throw-together meals are. For me personally, when I'm ready to eat I prefer to do so as soon as possible, so dinner especially needs to be prepared quickly since it's usually been a while since lunch. For me, 30 minutes is quick because I do not own a microwave.

I typically buy enough of whichever sausage, chops, burger blend, etc., Jim recommends when I do my weekly grocery shop at Huntington Meats on Saturdays.

When the weather is not too warm, I positively love the following for dinner. This you can make with any fresh vegetables you have. You don't need to add a lot of seasoning unless you want to, because the protein is already well-seasoned just by its own virtue. I recommend that all vegetables be cut in pieces that are about the same size, and that an ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) or casserole be used. Recipe is easily multiplied in direct proportion.

Oven-roasted sausages and vegetables with wine, for 2
2 fresh uncooked sausages, spicy or uniquely-seasoned are my favorites
about 4 cups fresh vegetable chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Red or white wine, or chicken/vegetable broth, if non-alcohol is preferred
Place sausages in large oven-proof skillet or casserole in 400-degree oven. Roast for 10 minutes while vegetables are prepared. Toss vegetables with a little oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. Place around sausages, and return skillet to oven. Roast entire mixture for about 25 minutes. Pour some wine or broth over roasted mixture, and toss pan contents slightly. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes. Serve over cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, or on its own, with warm bread to mop up juices from the plate. Yields 2 servings.

I made a similar meal with lamb shanks the other night, only I slow-roasted everything after searing the shanks in olive oil before placing them with vegetables in the oven. Use 325 for oven temperature, and roast for about an hour. This was a good Friday night meal for me, I could allow the hour between prep and eating to finish up work, take a cool shower, and enjoy a well-deservered glass of wine at the end of the day (just as I doused the lamb&vegetables in red wine to finish the dish. It tasted very 5-star, I promise you!)

If you prepare a meal without animal protein, those can be quickly whipped up too.

I love pasta with tofu and vegetables, and now that there are whole-wheat and whole-grain varieties out there, it feels even more virtuous to indulge in a pasta meal on a whim.

Asian-inspired pasta with tofu and greens
1/2 lb. pasta of choice
1/2 lb. firm tofu, cut in cubes
Desired amounts of broccoli, baby bok choy, zucchini or other favorite vegetables, cut in small pieces
Finely chopped celery, green onion, garlic, ginger
Sesame oil
White wine or chicken/vegetable broth
Equal parts pure maple syrup combined with soy sauce (about 1/4 cup each)
Peanut or other nut butter, optional
Cook pasta in large stockpot of boiling water, as directed. When pasta is just about cooked, add tofu cubes and chopped vegetables to cooking water. Drain all contents in large colander once pasta is al dente or cooked to desired doneness. In large skillet, cook celery, onion, garlic, ginger in sesame oil until soft and fragrant. Pour in a little wine or broth and stir to deglaze pan. Add maple-soy mixture and cook until boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and stir in a little nut butter if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning with more syrup or soy sauce. Toss pasta mixture with sauce in skillet (preferred method) or in large serving bowl. Yields 2-4 servings.

You are warmly invited to submit comments here and share ideas for your own healthy made-at-home meals. I will be offering sequels to this story as the weeks whir by!

With autumn arriving officially next week, the 'nesting' season begins again and amazing seasonal ingredients start to lure more of us back to the kitchen.

Wishing you the joy of amazing flavors at the table!

Your Tour Maestra,
Diane Scalia

Ode to Tour Guests

A few months ago, it occurred to me that it wasn't really possible for me to review my tour guests. It didn't seem fair.

By now all of those feelings have passed, and the only thing that seems unbalanced now, is that up til this moment, I haven't been able to sing the praises of my tour guests.

Melting Pot Food Tours officially celebrated its first birthday in July. We are very, very flattered by the reviews we've been receiving and, I promise that a lot of that credit deserves to be passed back to the guests who really, really add to the joy the tours have rendered ... especially in the last couple weeks.

Quite honestly, when temperatures soar to a steamy 112 degrees and, for 3.5 hours at least one of us is required to be Miss Mary Sunshine, it's tricky business! And, for weeks now, I have been blessed beyond measure, to host some of the loveliest people, truly, in the world...considering they have vacationed in LA from Australia, Wales, Washington DC, Canada, Iowa, and beyond! And many of them have joined us to play tourists in their own city! They have made my job so incredibly pleasurable, to express my gratitude here seems like such a small token of appreciation.

Take my group a couple Saturdays ago, for instance. Some of them were from 'the (San Fernando) Valley' and humorously reminded me more than once that 112 was "cool" compared to their neighborhood. They came equipped with mini- and not-so-mini- spray misters, and kept all willing guests 'misted' and cooled off, and extended that free, generous service to me as well. As usual, we sat outside, we were sometimes welcomed indoors, we were in the sun, we were in the shade, and devil-may-care ... everything was more than fine with them. What a fabulous group!

Same deal this last weekend. It was a little cooler, but not much. Groups of 12 and 13, each person more enthusiastic, kind, complimentary, patient, cool-and-collected, than the last. We waited a long time for the bus at the end of the tour, postponing what relief I thought they'd be craving. No problem. We laughed and chatted more, they eagerly asked for what else there was to do in LA that would be this much fun.

Blew me away!

A lovely couple from Las Vegas joined us last Friday. She was a wringer for Serena Williams (and, we all liked her better). The first question he couldn't wait to ask me right at the beginning of the tour, was if I had a restaurant where they could go and eat, after the tour!? No, I was sorry to say, but I suggested that if they still liked me after the tour (I wasn't sure I'd even like me, lol!), and some of my recipe suggestions, maybe they'd like to come to my home for dinner!

Another wonderful young man was visiting LA for the very first time and told me this was one of the very best experiences of his entire visit. He can't wait to come back to LA because now he loves it so much.

Another young lady from the East Coast got very badly lost on buses trying to find her way, and didn't catch up with our tour until it was nearly over. When I told my group to kindly take care of her while I went to order another sample for her, by the time I returned they had broken out all of the leftovers they were toting and shared them all with her, telling her all the stories she'd missed. Afterward she and I spent one-on-one time around Farmers Market and I made sure she had both the Bob's donut she missed earlier, and everything she needed to carry on and enjoy the rest of her time in LA...which she ended up extending another 4 days.

There was the beautiful young woman earlier this year who told me the story of how she was named for Racquel Welch.

There was a four-generation family who all came to town for a graduation and made my tour a party of their own!

Another big Irish family, whose members had flown in from all over the map (Ireland, Scotland, France, NYC), enjoyed the tour immensely and, because they were staying at a big beach house, they stocked up on all the groceries I recommended for their family bbq that night. Their menu included a big box of Bob's donuts for dessert!

An adorable couple from Perth, Australia, also endured intense heat and smiled, laughed, and were profoundly grateful for the experience from beginning to end.

It would take a very long time to cite everyone who joined my tours and touched my life over the last 14 months, even in a mere blog post. So kindly forgive me if you are reading and I have appeared to overlook you because in truth, I have not taken any of this for granted.

I love to say that my work is really about meeting the angels in LA and introducing them to each other. As a native and now an ambassador of my great city, it is a post I take very seriously, responsibly and, with gratitude and great joy.

LA is a big city and it can be overwhelming to find one's way, it's true. But just because a place is big, doesn't mean its visitors don't deserve old-world, authentic, sincere hospitality.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone who came to visit felt like the young man who can't wait to return to our City of Angels because he felt so welcomed and just loves it here so much?

I think it would.

Til next time, I remain your Tour Maestra,
Diane Scalia