fortify

i'm sitting on the cusp of one full week of being sick. this is not my normal sick. once a year i usually get a head cold of gross proportions - gooey, snotty, phlemy, stuffy - general head cold. it's miserable and annoying but definitely do-able. this year, i found myself with no voice for four full days, which morphed into a nasal passage issue, followed by a cough of epic proportion. admittedly, i'm running myself pretty hard. it's the holidays and there seems to be someone to see, someplace to be, or things to cook and clean every day. yes, i'm prolonging this agony.

but as the adage goes - misery loves company. so my roomie joined in the fun! the two of us had a lovely, snotty and cough-filled cocktail party. in preparation, we cleaned the whole kitchen and swept the entire fridge of it's old contents. so last night, my night to recoup after such a long weekend, i found myself facing the options of: ramen, spreadable cheese, crackers. that's it. somehow, among all the festivities, i neglected to shop for staples! after such a salty (yet, secretly, i love it) meal, tonight needed fortification.

c!!! i need vitamin c! and green things and protein! i stopped at the store on the way home from work and grabbed any veggie that appealed to me. and thusly, i fortified:

1/2 c. chopped brussels sprouts
1/2 c. slivered shallots
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms
1 giant handful of turnip greens, washed and spun dry
1/2 c. eggplant, diced
olive oil
red pepper flakes
splash of chicken stock
glug of milk
salt & pepper

i sauteed the first three ingredients in a pan with olive oil (that had warmed with the red pepper flakes). then i added the greens & eggplant, tossed to integrate, and added the stock, milk, salt & pepper. i set it to a simmer and covered til the eggplant was cooked through - about 5 min.

served over trader joe's harvest grains (israeli couscous w/ quinoa, dried peas, and millet), topped with fresh grated parmesan, this "stir fry" was heavenly.

it was everything i wanted in a meal! it was spicy (turnip greens have a pleasant bite to them, and the red pepper flakes give the whole thing a kick), it was healthy, and it had the feeling of comfort food. fortification, complete! now, hopefully, i will wake up in perfect health, with all my presents wrapped and cards written!

here's to wishful thinking....