The Chef Lightens Up

Stuffed after a couple of days of hard-core Thanksgiving eating? No worries! Susan Spungen, this weekend's Chef on a Shoestring on The Saturday Early Show, has a light, meat-free meal for four, on a budget of $40. As a bonus, nothing on the menu takes long to prepare.

Spungen was the founding food editor and editorial director for Food at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia from its launch in 1991 until 2003. During her 12-year tenure, Spungen helped create the bright, clean look that defined the brand and is emulated by so many today.

She wrote a bimonthly column called "Easy Entertaining" for the magazine until June of 2004, and helped launch MSO's first all-food title, Everyday Food. Spungen worked on the many books published under the Martha Stewart imprimatur, and was co-author of the award-winning bestseller, "Martha Stewart's Hors d'oeuvres Handbook"

She released her cookbook, "Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook," last winter. It won an IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) award last spring for Best General Cookbook of 2005, and was also included in Food and Wine magazine's "Best of the Best" Cookbook, which features recipes from the top 25 cookbooks of the year.

The Saturday menu:
Orange and Endive Salad
Whole Wheat Penne with Swiss Chard & Walnuts
Pear Melba

FOOD FACTS

Black Olive Paste: This is exactly what it sounds like: olives that have been pureed into a paste, often mixed with some olive oil. The paste is different from olive tapenade which contains many additional flavoring ingredients. The paste can be purchased in a jar or in a tube.

Melba Sauce: Created by the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier for Austrian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, the sauce is a mixture of pureed and strained fresh raspberries. It's classically used to adorn the dessert Peach Melba. In her dessert, Spungen substitutes pears for peaches, and sorbet for vanilla ice cream.

RECIPES

ENDIVE AND BLOOD ORANGE SALAD
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 blood or navel oranges
3 Belgian endive, outer leaves removed and bottoms trimmed
2 tablespoons black olive paste
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cut off the ends of each orange with a sharp knife. Place orange cut end down and slice off the peel from top to bottom as close to the flesh as possible, making sure to remove all the white pith. Slice each orange crosswise into five or six 1/4-inch rounds. Set aside.
2. Break off the leaves from the endive and transfer to a large bowl. Arrange the orange slices on top of the endive.
3. Whisk together the olive paste and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking. Season salad with coarse sea salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Ingredients
1/2 cup walnut halves
Kosher salt
1 pound whole-wheat penne rigali
1 bunch rainbow, green, or red Swiss chard
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Large pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups ricotta
8 ounces fresh goat cheese
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a large baking sheet and place in the oven. Shake the pan every few minutes so the nuts toast evenly and do not burn, for about 10 minutes. Immediately transfer nuts to a bowl and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta, using the package directions as a guideline, stirring occasionally, until al dente. During cooking, remove a piece of pasta and taste for doneness.
3. Wash and dry the chard, and strip the leaves from the stalks. Chop the stalks into ½-inch pieces and set aside. Tear the leaves into medium sized pieces. Set aside.
4. In a large sauté pan, sauté the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until golden brown, about three minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, rosemary, chard stems, and salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté until the stems are tender, about three minutes. Add the leaves, cover the pan, and cook until the leaves have wilted, about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from the heat and set aside until the pasta is done.
5. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 to 2 cups of the pasta water. Add the ricotta and goat cheese to the chard, and stir to combine. Add the pasta and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add pasta water as needed to moisten the pasta. Transfer to warmed bowls and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and walnuts.

Ingredients
1 pint raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
3 ripe Comice pears
About 1 pint raspberry sorbet
Almond Shortbread or other cookies (optional)

Method:

1. Combine half of the raspberries, the sugar, and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar melts and the mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and fold in the remaining raspberries and transfer to a bowl to cool. (This can be made several days in advance, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
2. Peel and core the pears. Cut each pear into slices. Sprinkle with a little sugar and allow the pears to sit for a few minutes to release some of the fruit's juices.
3. To serve, divide sliced pear between 4 stemmed glasses or tumblers. Place about 1/4 cup raspberry sauce on top, and top with one generous scoop of sorbet. Serve immediately with cookies or shortbread.