Dinner 1/3/10

Gobi Matar (cauliflower and pea curry), Brown Rice, strawberries and oranges by Heather

Gobi Matar-- $12
(I tweaked this a bit, left out the chiles and potatoes, added carrots)

Brown Rice-- $3

Strawberries and Oranges--$6

Total Cost-- $21 (my record!!)

Corn Chowder, Kalamata Olive Hummous, and Veggies

from Holly and Chris

Corn Chowder - gluten free

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 large carrot, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 celery stalk, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 ears of sweet corn, kernels removed from the cobs (about 2 cups), cobs reserved
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 1/2 cups milk, fat-free milk
• 1 medium Red potato, or Russet, peeled and diced
• 1/4 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon strip (skip this step for vegetarian option, just add more butter) and fry until the bacon renders its fat, but doesn't begin to brown, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 4 or 5 more minutes.

Break the corn cobs in half and add them to the saucepan. Add the milk and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. Make sure the heat is as low as can be and still maintain a gentle simmer (on our stove we had to use the "warm" setting) to prevent scalding the milk on the bottom of the pan.

Discard the cobs, the bacon strip, and the bay leaf. Raise the heat, add the potatoes, red pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, fresh ground pepper to taste, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork tender.

Raise the heat, add the corn kernels and the thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Kalamata Olive Hummous

Garbonzo beans - soaked and cooked with sage, oregano, and thyme

Tahini

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Garlic

Cumin

Salt

Kalamata Olives

Total Cost = $ 15 (for 5 families)

Mushroom Polenta Pie topped with Tomato Wine Sauce and Spinach Salad with Italian Tomato Basil Dressing

from Holly and Chris

these are lowfat recipes from the Moosewood low-fat cookbook

Mushroom Polenta Pie

3 c. water

1 c. cornmeal

1/2 t salt

3 t EVOO

1 large onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove, pressed

3 c. sliced mushrooms

4 c. stemmed and chopped Swiss chard leaves

S&P

grated Pecorino

Bring 2 c. water to boil in med saucepan. While the water heats, stir the remaining cup of water into the cornmeal. When the water boils, whisk the wet cornmeal into it. Add the salt and 1 t oil, cover, and simmer on very low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Prepare a 7x12 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the polenta evenly over the bottom.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Warm the remaining 2 t of oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and garlic and saute on med heat until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until they are tender and have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Swiss chard, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes, until chard is just wilted.

Spread the sauteed vegetables evenly over the polenta and top with Pecorino. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sizzling hot. Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Tomato Wine Sauce

2 t EVOO

1 c finely chopped onion

2 med garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 t salt

2 t ground fennel

2 t italian seasoning

1/3 c red wine

3 c canned tomatoes (28 oz)

S&P

In a saucepan, warm the EVOO. Add the onions and garlic, sprinkle with the salt, cover, and saute on very low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to soften. Add the fennel, italian seasoning and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Whirl the tomatoes in a blender until just pureed and add to the pan. Cover the sauce and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add S&P to taste.

Spinach Salad with Italian Tomato Basil Dressing

Sorry about the spinach it wasn't great for the salad...but I really loved the dressing.

6 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

1 tomato, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/4 c loosely paced, coarsely chopped basil

1/4 c water

2 T basalmic vinegar

1/4 t salt

Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Combine the chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, water, vinegar, and salt in a blender or food processor. Add softened sun-dried tomatoes to other ingredients and blend until smooth. Covered and refrigerated this dressing will keep for about a week.

Total Cost = $37

Christmas Dinner 12/20/09

Vegetarian Tamales, Borracho Beans, Homemade salsa, chips, biscotti by Heather and Ernest


I wanted to do a Mexican Christmas dinner for everyone before the holidays, unfortunately I didn't have the time to make the tamales myself :(... hope you all enjoyed it!


Vegetarian Tamales-- $20 (Mr. Natural, I thought they were great)
Borracho Beans--$4
Chips and Salsa--$6
Biscotti and pumpkin muffins--$3


Total--$33
Happy Holidays!!!

Dinner 12/13/09

Ginger-tempeh pasta salad, celery and carrots, pear-apple crisp by Ernest and Heather

Ginger-tempeh pasta salad-- $30 (tempeh is kinda pricey, ern made this from the wheatsville recipe!)

carrots and celery w/ ranch--$5

pear-apple crisp-- $5 (I halved the butter and left out the brown sugar)

Total for 5 meals-- $40

Quesadillas, Spanish Rice, and PB Choc. Chip Banana Muffins

Quesadillas

• Cook-at-home tortillas from Costco
• Homemade Refried Pinto Beans
• Shredded Mexican Cheese Mix
• Baby Portabello Mushrooms
• Spinach

Mango Pico de Gallo

Dice/Chop all, toss together with lime juice

• 2 large mangos
• about 4 roma tomatoes
• 3/4 purple onion
• Cilantro
• Lime Juice

Spanish Rice

I used vegetable broth, and added carrots and peas.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup w/ avocado & Salad w/oven-roasted tomatoes and goat cheese

This soup totally rocked my world, I hope you all liked it, too. I thought that the soup was sort of meal by itself with the chops and avocado, so hope it was enough for everyone.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I added some sauteed tofu corn, and carrots to make it a little heartier.

Served with tortilla chip strips, avocado and lime juice.

Salad

Artisan Greens

Goat Cheese

Oven-Roasted tomatoes (done the same way as in the recipe for the soup)

Pumpkin Soup, Corn and Couscous Salad, and Bread

From Chris and Holly

Jamaican Pumpkin Soup in the CrockPot

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-299.html

Corn and Couscous Salad

Martha Stewart

1 t curry powder

2 t coarse-grained mustard

1 T plus 1 t white wine vinegar

3 T EVOO

3/4 c. couscous

1 c. boiling water

1 onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 fresh red chili, minced

3 c. corn

1/4 c. finely chopped cilantro

In a med bowl, whisk together curry powder, mustard, and vinegar. Season with S&P. While whisking, drizzle in 2 T EVOO, whisk until emulsified.

Place couscous in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with a plate and let steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Heat remaining oil in large skillet over med-high. Cook onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and chili, cook about 2 min. Add corn and cook until tender, about 2 min.

Stir corn mixture into couscous. Add curry vinaigrette and cilantro and season with S&P. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Seed Bread from Central Market

Total cost = $28 (for 5 families)

Dinner 12/6/09

Vegan Pesto Pasta, Spinach Salad with blue cheese, pears, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette, bread by Heather

Pesto Pasta-- $12

I de-veganed it with some feta at the end, it needed something!

Spinach salad w/ blue cheese, pears, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette-- $9

Bread-- $3

Total for 5 families-- $24!!

Sweet Potato Chili, Corn Muffins, Crudités

from Holly and Chris - I hope it wasn't too spicy...we really enjoyed it...hope you did too!

Sweet Potato Chili

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/05/sweet-potato-chili-vegan-crockpot.html

Corn Muffins

http://southaustindinnercoop.blogspot.com/2009/11/pinto-beans-corn-muffins-salad-with.html

Bell Pepper and Carrot Crudites

Total Cost = $11 for 5 families ( I had a bunch of stuff and CM didn't charge me for the sweet potatoes...so incredibly cheap)

Orange/ Ginger glazed Salmon, Roasted fingerling potatoes, Roasted Asparagus by Heather

Orange/ Ginger Glazed Salmon--$30

1 jar orange marmalade
3 Tbs. ginger, coarsely choppped
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. orange juice

mix in pot and simmer on stove on low, brush on salmon and roast at 350 for 20 minutes

Roasted asparagus-- $6
Roasted fingerlings--$6
toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, roast at 350 for 20 minutes

Total Cost-- $42

This meal was so simple to prepare (good thing since both kids started melting down at the end!) you'll be seeing variations of it ALOT!!! Hope you all liked it :)

Vegetable Frittata, Sweet Potato Barley Risotto, salad

Vegetable Frittata

2 tbsp veg oil
2 cups diced veggies (can't remember what we used aside from red pepper)
3/4 cup onion
6 large eggs
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cubed bread
6 oz shredded cheese
salt
garlic (several cloves)
pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease quiche or 9 inch pan. Saute veggies/onion. Beat eggs, cream cheese, milk until smooth, then combine with cooked veggies. Add bread and cheese. Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Barley Risotto

In crock pot, low for 8 hrs- I think I doubled this

1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups veggie stock

add freshly grated parmesan and serve immediately

and... don't really remember the salad, but we got our greens!

Pumpkin French Toast, Home Fries, & Fruit Salad

Pumpkin French Toast

(recipe for 5 families, all measurements are approximate)

24 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 can organic pumpkin

2 tsp. vanilla

freshly grated nutmeg

cinnamon

ground cloves

chopped walnuts

2.5 loaves of whole grain sliced bread

-Whisk ingredients, dunk bread, pan fry with small pat of butter ( I used maybe 1 tbsp for the whole thing)

Home Fries

Russet Potatoes, diced

chopped garlic

salt

pepper

a few tbsp canola oil

-Toss all together, pan fry in hot skillet with olive oil.

Fruit Salad

cantaloupe

large red grapes

strawberries

lime zest

agave nectar

Vegetable Lasagna, Salad, and Bread

from Chris and Holly

Lasagna with Fall Vegetables, Gouda, and Sage Bechamel

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549977

I substituted Gouda for Gruyere, used whole wheat noodles, and only did one layer of sweet potato/mushroom and one layer of spinach. I tripled the recipe to make 5 8x8 dishes.

Homemade Wheat Bread from Chris

Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Martha Stewart

Artisan lettuces from Costco

1 tbsp champagne vinegar

1tbsp rice vinegar

chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp lemon zest

6 tbsp olive oil

S&P to taste

Total cost = $50

I delivered to a food tree - so cost is for 5 families

Dinner 11/15/09

Minestrone Soup, Organic Pears and Apples, Bread and Cheese with Walnuts by Heather

Wow, so this was my first week back and I thought I'd start with something simple.... it wasn't easy with two kids to juggle this though. My soup was alot more prep than I expected, hope it was good and hope I can get the hang of this again!! It's good to be back : )

Minestrone Soup (my own)
veg stock (2 cartons)
2 can tom. sauce
1 1/2 can kidney beans
handful of pasta
4 carrots
5 sticks celery
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch kale
2 bay leaves
oregano
salt and pepper

Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil, add tomato sauce and veggie stock to boil. Add kale and cook until tender. Add kidney beans and pasta at the end.

Organic pears and apples- Costco $8

Bread, Cheese, and Walnuts-- $10

Total for meal -- Probably around $40, but I made a ton (2 batches of soup frozen) and I delivered to Courtney, so overall a very affordable meal!

Plantain Wraps w/Tangy Black Bean Spread, Cole Slaw, Rice

cooked by Summer

Plantain Wraps

Tangy Black Bean Spread

I added some Cholula sauce to one dish of the spread for each family.

Cole Slaw

1 head cabbage

1 head red cabbage

about 1 lb. carrots

**I made up the dressing as I went, so don't have measurements

Olive Oil

Walnut Oil

Rice Wine Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar

Agave Nectar

Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt

Stone Ground Mustard

Pepper

Celery Seeds

Shred cabbages and carrots in food processor, emulsify all other ingredients besides celery seeds with blender, add celery seeds to dressing, pour dressing over slaw, and toss.

Baked Ziti, spinach salad, Chickpea salad

Baked Ziti

• 2 pounds dried ziti
• Kosher salt
• about 8 cups homemade sauce
  
• 2 cups grated Parmesan
• 2 pounds grated mozzarella
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper or to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Drain.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, 1 cup of the Parmesan, and the mozzarella. Season with the black pepper to taste, and mix until well combined. Transfer the pasta to an oiled 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with more mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chickpea Salad

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small red onion finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated then grinded into a paste with salt
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped, a few sprigs
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine chick peas with onions, peppers, garlic, and rosemary in a medium bowl. Dress salad with vinegar and oil, salt and pepper.

Spinach salad-- pretty standard stuff.

Herb Onion Tomato Quiche, Pesto Pasta, Two Bean Succotash

Herb Tomato Onion Quiche

3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (we used organic 2%)
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley ( I think we subbed cilantro?)
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1.5 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1.5 tsp chopped fresh basil
4 oz shredded cheddar
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
1 tomato, sliced

Preheat oven to 425. Melt butter in skillet. Saute onions, stir in flour. Beat eggs and milk in small bowl, add herbs. Put onions and cheese into pie crust. Cover with egg mixture. Bake 15 min, reduce heat to 350, bake another 15 minutes. Place tomato slices on top of pie and bake another 10 minutes.

Pesto Pasta

I don't measure for pesto, but this was just yard basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, and parmesan, combined with whole wheat gemelli pasta.

Two Bean Succotash

1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp red onion
1/4 cup green beans or haricots verts
1/4 cup fava beans
1/4 cup frozen corn
salt
freshly ground pepper

Saute onion, add the rest for one minute.

Tofu with Noodles and Lime-Peanut Sauce, fresh fruit, salad

Okay... so sorry that I got so behind on posting these! Boo for me. This was from weeks ago. We doubled it, possibly tripled it.

Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup snowpeas
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 jalapeno (we used a variety with no heat)
1/2 pound extra firm tofu, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup organic peanut butter
1/4 cup veggie broth
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1.5 tsp sesame oil
juice of 1-2 limes
2-3 tbsp cilantro
1 pound ww spaghetti

Heat oil in wok or skillet. Add ginger with tofu, onions, peppers and cook for about 3 minutes. Lower heat and whisk in peanut butter, broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, cilantro. Remove from heat and add to just-cooked noodles.

I don't really remember the green salad or fruit salad that we made. Probably you don't either.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup, 3 Bean Quinoa/Amaranth Salad, Roasted Garlic Bread

So, I realize the bread was a little redundant with the croutons, sorry! How did the plastic wrap work as far as containing the soup? I'm not usually big on using plastic wrap, but I'm less big on a car or bag full of soup. Let me know how it worked.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

3 Bean Quinoa/Amaranth Salad

adapted from this recipe

The quinoa/amaranth mixture got goopy for some reason when I cooked it. I wonder if next time I should cook them separately? Or maybe I got the grain-water ratio wrong...

Roasted Garlic Bread

from Costco, sliced and warmed in the oven.

Sloppy Lennies, Chips and Green Beans

I had to work all day on Tuesday, so my Mom made this meal entirely by herself. Rock on, Mom!

Sloppy Lennies: Stole from Heather

Chips from Costco

Green Beans my mama cooked.

Total: $23.00

Pinto Beans, Corn Muffins, Salad with Ginger Dressing

from Holly and Chris

Crock Pot Pinto Beans

from Fields of Greens (with modifications)

Pinto Beans

Bay Leaf

Sage

Canned Chipotles

Dried Chilies

Onion

Cumin

S&P

Soak beans overnight. Cut onion into quarters and slice in food processor. Add beans, onion, and water to crock pot with a few bay leaves, sage leaves, and salt. Turn crock pot to high. Soak dried chilies in a bowl with boiling water until soft. Blend chipotles and other chilies in food processor. Add cumin and chili puree to beans until desired level of heat. S&P to taste.

Corn Muffins with Smoked Cheese and Chilies

1/2 stick butter

1 ear of corn, about 3/4 cup

1 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour

1/2 cup course cornmeal

1/2 cup fine cornmeal

1 tbsp baking soda

2 tbsp sugar

2 eggs

1 cup grated smoked cheese

1/2 jalepeno, diced

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease muffin tins. Melt 1/2 tbsp butter in saute pan and add the corn and diced hatch, pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat the milk and remaining butter together over medium heat until the butter has melted. Remove from heat. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir unti well mixede. Whisk the eggs together, then whisk them into the warm milk mixture. Pour them into the dry ingredients. Add the corn mixture and cheese; stir until just blended. Do not overmix - should be moist like pancake batter.

Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Salad - I happened to have the"Artisan" greens from Costco - so I just stole Summer's recipe...since I thought it was so good!

Ginger-Sesame Dressing

from the New Vegetarian Epicure

about 2 inches fresh ginger root (about 2 tbsp. minched)

2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice (I used bottled lime)

2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed orange juice

2 Tbspdark sesame oil

1 Tbsp soy sauce ( I used Bragg's)

1 Tbsp Rice vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

Total cost = $17.00

Focaccia Pizza, Ginger&Sesame Artisan Salad, Apples&Dates

Focaccia Pizza

Simple Focaccia

from the New Vegetarian Epicure

**I split this recipe for each pizza

1/4 oz (one envelope) dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

pinch of sugar

1 tsp. salt

3 tbsp, Olive Oil

3-3 1/2 cups flour - (white, whole wheat, or a combination)

In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with the sugar, and leave it for about 15 minutes, until it starts to foam. Add the salt and half the olive oil, then start stirring in the flour, a scoop at a time.

When the dough is too stiff to stir with a spoon, turn it our on a well-floured board, sprinkle more flour on top of it, and begin kneading. Knead it gently, working in as much more of the flour as you must to keep it from sticking. When the dough is smooth and elastic, form it into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, turning it once to coat it. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or with plastic wrap, and leave the dough in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes, or until almost double in size.

Punch the dough down, lift it out of the bowl onto an oiled baking sheet, and pat or roll it out into a large, thick oval, about 12x16 inches. Cover it with a tea towel and leave it to rise again for at least 30 minutes, or until almost doubled.

Brush the focaccia delicately with the remaining olive oil, and sprinkle it with some coarse sea salt (I didn't do this, since I added toppings). If you like, you can cut shallow diagonal slashes in the top with a sharp knife, in a crisscross pattern. Or dimple the top of the focaccia with your fingertips, but don't be too aggressive-you don't want to punch it down again.

Bake the focaccia in a preheated 450 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it is golden on top and sounds hollow when the bottom crust is tapped.

Toppings:

Tomato sauce (homemade, frozen from the spaghetti I made a few weeks ago)

mozzarella

goat cheese

mushrooms

caramelized onions

Salad

"Artisan" greens from Costco-(I thought these were really good, and I hope they keep stocking them)

chives

toasted sesame seeds

Ginger-Sesame Dressing

from the New Vegetarian Epicure

about 2 inches fresh ginger root (about 2 tbsp. minched)

2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice (I used bottled lime)

2 Tbsp fresh-squeezed orange juice

2 Tbspdark sesame oil

1 Tbsp soy sauce ( I used Bragg's)

1 Tbsp Rice vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

Apples & Dates

I made this up, hope it was okay

2 green apples, sprinkled with key lime juice

about 20 dates, quartered

toasted walnuts

all drizzled with agave nectar

Mushroom Spinach Enchiladas with Cilantro Cream Sauce, Black Beans, Corn Salad

Hmmm... I'm on a heavy cream kick you guys. I guess I must be trying to make everyone's fat stores ready for the winter!

Enchiladas
I used this recipe for the enchiladas.

Corn Salad
My basil is going mad right now with all the rain, so I used this recipe. For the dressing, I put the basil, oil, vinegar, and salt in a bowl and used the hand blender to emulsify.

Black Beans
In the crockpot.

So, next week, I need to start honking the horn to have you guys come and get your bags out of the car. By the time I cook the meal, get it and Freya in the car, I am exhausted. The up, down, lugging a heavy bag is really hard on this big 'ol pregnant lady. For the next two weeks, please listen for the honk.
Thanks!

Total: $35.00. Not too bad.

Mediterranean Salmon Salad and Buttermilk Potato Salad

from Chris and Holly
We loved this meal - I hope you enjoyed it. We had a sandwich with the salmon but also made lettuce wraps with it - which were super delicious too.

Mediterranean Salmon Salad
from Martha Stewart Living

12 oz canned salmon

1 celery stalk, diced, leaves reserved

1 tsp lemon zest

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped

S&P

1/4 c. fresh dill

Combine salmon, celery, lemon zest and juice, almonds, oil, capers, S&P. Mix in dill and celery leaves. Serve with lettuce on bread.

Buttermilk Potato Salad

from Martha Stewart Living

3 lbs small red potatoes

1/4 c. plus 1 tsp sour cream

1/3 c. low-fat buttermilk

2 tbsp prepared horseradish

S&P

1/4 c. fresh dill

1/4 c. finely chopped fresh chives

Cover potatoes with water by 1 1/2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes can be pierced easily, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool completely. Cut potatoes into halves or quarters.

Stir all ingredients together.

Potato and Rosemary Bread

Grapes

Total cost = $50 - jeez it seemed like it was going to be a lot cheaper!! At least it was a quick one.

Curry Filo Tarts, Garlic Sesame Greens, & Stovetop Rice Pudding

Curry Filo Tarts

from the Chopra Center Cookbook

1 tsp plus 1 tsp ghee or olive oil

1 tbsp Braggs or tamari

1 pinch black pepper

1 3-inch head cauliflower, coarsely chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup vegetable stock

2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp dill

2 tsp garam masala

4 sheets filo pastry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or brush cupcake pan or 4 8-ounce custard cups or oven-safe bowls with oil (I used a giant muffin pan). Heat a large saute pan over medium heat; add 1 tsp oil, and then add the leeks, aminos, and pepper. Saute until the leeks (onions) are translucent. Keeping the heat on high, add the cauliflower and carrots. Saute for 4 or 5 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but not soft. Add 1/4 cup vegetable stock as needed. Add the broccoli and the spices and continue to saute for another 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside. Lay out the sheets of filo pastry on the counter. Spray lightly or brush with the remaining tsp. oil. Fold in half , then in half again. Line the prepared cups with the folded filo sheets. Using a slotted spoon, fill the pastry cups with the vegetable mixture, straining off excess liquid. Bring up the ends of the filo pastry and twist together at the top. Spray lightly with oil and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Garlic and Sesame Greens

1 bunch each of kale, mustard greens, and collard greens

about 4 cloves garlic

Olive Oil

Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Balsamic Vinegar

Saute chopped garlic in a medium heat pan with olive oil and sesame oil, add greens, cook and flip until just wilted, but still bright green. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and sesame seeds.

Stovetop Rice Pudding

from the New Moosewood Cookbook

1 cup short-grain brown rice

3-3 1/2 cups milk ( I used almond and soy)

1/2-3/4 tsp salt

3-5 tbsp mix of agave nectar and maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

a dash of nutmeg

1. Rinse the rice in a strainer. Drain well, and place in a saucepan with 3 cups milk. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat as much as possible. Simmer until the rice is very tender. This will take up to 1 1/2 hours.

2. About 1 hour into the cooking, stir in the salt, sweetening, vanilla, and spices.

3. Serve at room temp or cold.

Total Cost: 25.50

(had a few of the ingredients on hand already, but still pretty good!)

Tomato Basil Soup, White Bean Spread, Bread, Salad

Tomato Basil Soup, not for the feint at heart!

Spinach, Apple and Pecan Salad. I caramelized the pecans. Freya called them candy pecans. Um, yep, they are.

White Bean Spread
navy beans
olive oil
rosemary
salt and pepper
Whack it all together until you get the consistency you want. I didn't measure anything. Not helpful. Sorry!

Fresh Bread
I've been experimenting and you guys got Whole Wheat, Flax, Amaranth Bread.

I made enough for 6 meals (4 of us and 2 food trees). Total: $25.68. Huh? Ok, I already had the basil, rosemary, garlic and all the bread ingredients. Wow, this was a cheap meal, folks!

Stir-fry with Brown Rice and Spring Rolls

From Holly and Chris

Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry
Tofu, cubed (I almost forgot to prep the tofu!)
Chinese 5 spice
Canola oil
Bragg
Broccoli, cut into small florets
Bell peppers, cut into strips
Scallions, sliced
Cilantro
Sesame Seeds

Cube the tofu, cook the liquid out, and brown in a little canola oil. At the end of the browning, add Chinese 5 spice and Bragg to the pan to add flavor. Set aside to add to the stirfry.

Heat canola oil in a wok over meduim high heat and add veggies. Stirfry until turns bright green. Spoon over brown rice and top with tofu, Vietnamese sauce, cilantro, and sesame seeds.

Tangy Vietnamese Sauce
Sirach or Chili Paste, to taste

6 TBSP Bragg

6 TBSP Rice-wine vinegar

3 TBSP Sugar

1 Tsp Ginger

2 Garlic Cloves

1 tsp corn starch

2 TBSP water

Juice of two limes ( at end, once cooked and starch added)

Add chile paste through water in ingredient list above to a pan and stir over medium heat. Once it thickens, add lime juice.

Brown rice

I added some lemon grass to the rice cooker.

Spring Rolls

Rice paper wraps
Rice stick noodles
Tofu, cut into 1/2 in. cakes
Bragg
Garlic
Ginger
Bean sprouts
Mint, remove stems
Cilantro, remove stems
Hoisin sauce
Peanut butter

Quickly marinate the tofu in Bragg, garlic, and ginger. Use a grill pan to grill the tofu cakes. After they cool, cut into strips.

Cook rice stick noodles - be careful not to overcook.

Soak a wrap in hot water until pliable (a few seconds - they will disintegrate if you soak for too long) . Add noodles, herbs, tofu, and bean sprouts.
Wrap into spring roll shape. Repeat.

Serve with sauce of 2/3 Hoisin to 1/3 peanut butter. I added water to thin the sauce further.

Total Cost = $33

Cajun Macaroni and Red Beans, Roasted Potatoes with Green Beans, spinach salad

This came from a recipe book (Vegetarian Times Pasta), but I modified it so much that I am just going to go from memory. I have never made it before.

Cajun Macaroni and Red Beans

1 bag of whole wheat gemelli pasta
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 14 oz cans stewed tomatoes
3 tbsp cajun spice (bulk section of CM)
2 onions
4 stalks organic celery
2 organic green (bell) peppers
3 14 oz cans red kidney beans
6 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil

Combine everything but pasta in the obvious way, fold in cooked pasta at the end.

Roasted Potato and Green Bean Salad
(Ethan made this, I believe he doubled the following recipe. We had enough to take to a small potluck, for us for dinner tonight, plus leftovers)

2.75 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 pounds organic potatoes (calls for new potatoes, but we just used russset)
1 pound fresh green beans
6 oz blue cheese crumbles
4 oz pecan halves

vinaigrette
4 oz veg oil (he probably used olive)
2 oz vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter and in a small bowl, combine with garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Coat potatoes with butter mixture, roast for 45 min. Cool them in fridge.
Meanwhile, steam green beans, put them in ice bath. Combine all with vinaigrette in bowl.

Spinach salad with vinaigrette

straightforward.

Spaghetti w/ tomato sauce, Pickled Vegetables, & Whole Wheat Rosemary Baguettes

Tomato Sauce

Caramelize yellow onion and garlic in olive oil, stir in tomato paste, add crushed red pepper, canned crushed tomato, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer, add lemon zest. Pour over cooked whole wheat spaghetti and garnish with basil, parmesan cheese, and more lemon zest.

Pickled Vegetables

from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen

2 cups distilled white vinegar

2 tbsp. salt

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 x 1/4 x 2 inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)

16 small pearl onions, peeled and cut in half (about 1 cup)

2 cups cauliflower florets (about half a small head)

2 medium celery stalks cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and sliced 1/3 inch thick (1 generous cup)

1.2 cup kalamata olives

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Pour 3 quarts of water into a 5-quart pot, add vinegar and salt, and bring to a boil. Add the carrots and onions; cook 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower and celery; cook 2 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and continue cooking until all the vegetables are softened but still quite firm, about 1 minute. Drain the vegetables well and transfer them to a bowl large enough to hold them comfortably. Cool to room temperature.

When all the vegetables are cool, season them with salt, toss in the olives, and drizzle the olive oil over everything. Toss well and let marinate at least 1 hour at room temperature, or 1-2 days in the fridge, before serving.

**I added brocolli in with the cauliflower.

Mac and Cheese, Raw veggies with Cheese Dip, Applesauce

Kid friendly meal!

Mac and Cheese
1 box whole wheat elbow noodles
3 TBL. butter
3 TBL. flour
2 cups milk
salt, pepper
3 cups or so grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Boil noodles until they need about 1 -2 more minutes. Drain. In sauce pan, melt butter, add flour and whisk. Let the flour mixture turn brown. Slowly whisk in milk. Strip while cooking until sauce is thick. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Pour over pasta, add parm, salt, pepper, stir. Pour into 8 by 8 buttered pan. Press bread crumbs on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.

Raw Veg and Cheese Dip
Raw veg
Dip:
In food processor, whack together:
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese
parsley
herb/spice blend
salt, pepper

Total for four meals: $32.50

Edit:
While some of you might strip down naked while cooking, it really should read "Stir until sauce is thick." Stripping might work, though!

Italian Lentil and Vegetable Soup, Pumpkin Muffins, Fruit

Italian Lentil and Vegetable Soup

7 cups water (vegetable broth)
1 1/2 cups french green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 cups Italian green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup (packed) chopped basil (or 2 teaspoons dried)*
salt to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
parsley for garnish (optional)

Put all of the first set of ingredients, water through black pepper, into a large soup pot. Cook, covered, for about 35-45 minutes, until lentils and potatoes are tender. Add water as needed during cooking to keep soup from becoming dry.

Add the tomatoes, basil, and salt and cook for at least 10 more minutes. Just before serving, add the balsamic vinegar and serve, garnished with parsley (optional).

SOURCE: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

Pumpkin Muffins

2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cups mashed cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat or spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil muffin tins. Beat in pumpkin and oil. Stir baking soda and vanilla into yogurt or buttermilk. Sift flour and spice together. Stir flour mixture and baking soda mixture into pumpkin mixture. Fold in nuts.

Pour batter into muffin tins. Bake about 25 to 30 depending on the muffin size, until tester inserted in center of muffin comes out dry. Cool completely before slicing.

Total Cost = $30

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup with Coconut, Honey wheat bread, and spinach salad with balsamic

So it was our first week filling in for Heather. We tried very hard to not let it take over our Sunday, but it sort of did. Hopefully, we get a bit better! Didn't help that we somehow made way too much soup, but we will freeze some and bring some to Heather. We quadrupled the following recipe, which is from a crockpot cookbook that I have had for years.

Red Lentil and Carrot Soup with Coconut

2 cups red lentils (I used organic)
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
2 thai chilies finely chopped
1 28 oz can tomatoes (I used organic, combo of crushed and diced)
2 large carrots, peeled and cut (I used a few extra)
6 cups veg broth (I only used 12 total, and added water)
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
Finely chopped cilantro garnish-- but I forgot to add

1. In a skillet, combine onions, cumin seeds, turmeric, and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. This stage can be skipped if you are in a hurry

2. Put all ingredients into slow cooker. Low for 8-10 hours, or high for 5 hours. Stir in coconut milk and cook on high for 20-30 min.

You can also make this on the stovetop in about an hour-- red lentils cook very quickly, faster than other lentils.

Spinach salad

er, totally straightforward. Organic baby spinach, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, red pepper, grated parmesan. Dressing was just extra virgin olive oil, prepared mustard, and balsamic vinegar.

Honey wheat bread

pretty obviously store bought. I do have a brand new unleashed breadmaker, that you all may wind up being guinea pigs for, if I can ever get it together to try it out.

I did not do the cost on this, but it had to be pretty cheap, right?

Vegetable Barley Soup, Raw Seed Crackers, & Baked Apples1

Vegetable Barley Soup

my own recipe

2 white onions

1 small purple onion

1/2 head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed

about 1 lb. baby carrots

5 lbs. potatoes

3 ears corn

1 bag frozen brocolli, thawed

1 bunch celery stalks

white mushrooms

2 quarts organic low sodium vegetable broth

about 4 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/4 lbs. pearled barley

dried sage

all-purpose seasoning

spinach pesto

freshly ground pepper

:::Chop all vegetables, saute onions and garlic with olive oil until translucent. Add carrots and potatoes, cover, and cook until a little tender. Add the rest of the vegetables and broth, cook to a simmer, and add barley and seasonings. Simmer until barely has expanded and is tender.

**When it was done, I thought it needed a little more flavor, so I added some dollops of pesto (I made a whole bunch when I did the salmon a couple of weeks ago, so I've been using it in everything. Who doesn't like pesto, right? I hope ya'll aren't tired of it!):::

Raw Seed Wafers

The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook

(a fantastic book, by the way. Available at the library)

1/3 lentils

1/3 cup whole buckwheat groats

1/3 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds

1/4 sesame seeds

1/4 cup flax seeds

Place lentils, buckwheat, and seeds in a quart-size jar or bowl. Fill bowl with water (about 3 1/2 cups) and let soak overnight.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (everytime I've used parchment, it sticks and is a mess, so I just spray my baking sheet generously with olive oil and works much better). Drain seeds. Place soaked seed in blender or food processor with just enough water to allow mixture to puree. Blend until smooth. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for an hour or two. When mixture is stiff enough, remove wafer with parchemtn paper from baking sheet and place it directly on oven rack. (I don't do this since I don't use parchment. It works fine to leave it on the pan.) Bake until crispy (about 4-7 hours more). Break into pieces. Eat plain, with butter, nut or seed butter, or cream cheese).

**I didn't have sesame seeds, so I used pumpkin seeds and sunflower seed. I've made these with cheese, and seasoned different ways, and they've all worked really well. These are great nutritious snack for a pregnant mama who can only keep crackers down!**

Baked Apples

Core and halve apples, dredge in cinnamon and sugar, drizzle with maple syrup, bake in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until tender.

**These sure were ugly, but I thought they tasted good. I think I'll peel them next time.**

Cost: $14 !!!

But I had the stuff for the crackers, potatoes, carrots, and brocolli, garlic, and maple syrup already.

Lasagna, Salad, Bread

Cheesy, spinachy goodness, eh?

Lasagna recipe made up by me.
Tomato sauce: drained chopped tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, fresh basil. Saute the garlic in olive oil, add tomatoes. Bubble away for an hour or more. Add fresh basil and whip out the immersion blender. Whack it all up.

Tomato Sauce
No Boil noodles
Ricotta cheese
eggs
spinach
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Beat an egg in a bowl, add ricotta cheese. Mix well. Stir in spinach, salt and pepper. Layer the lasagna with sauce, noodles, cheese layer, mozzerella, repeat. End with noodles and then sauce. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand to set up.

Salad: spinach, strawberries, sunflower seeds

Bread

Again, I cooked for 5 families this week. I love an excuse to see a new baby! Total: $41.04
I knew it was going to be a more expensive meal because of all the cheese, but it's worth it.

Cabbage Rolls, Brown Rice, Roasted Beets, and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

From Holly and Chris

Cabbage Rolls

Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites

1 large head green cabbage

2 medium onions

2 tsps olive oil

3 ½ c. chopped mushrooms

1 cup grated carrots

6 garlic cloves, pressed

¼ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried dill

¼ c. minced fresh parsley

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp miso

12 oz cake tofu, pressed and mashed

1 c. tomato juice

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, core the green cabbage and finely chop the onions. Carefully plunge the cabbage into the boiling water, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the leaves pull away easily from the head. (Use 2 forks to test the readiness of the cabbage, one to steady the head in the water and the other to try to loosen a test leaf). Set aside 12 leaves to cool while you prepare the filling.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme, dill, and parsley and continue to cook until the mushrooms become soft and juicy. Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, miso, and mashed tofu and mix well. When the tofu is heated through, remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Assemble the rolls. Put about ½ c. of filling at the broad end of each cabbage leaf, fold the side edges toward the center over the filling, and then roll up lengthwise. Place the rolls, seam side down, in an unoiled baking pan and pour the tomato juice over them. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and steaming.

Baked Beets and Shallots

Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites

2 pounds fresh beets

½ pound shallots, peeled and quartered

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets and trim the stems and tails. Peel the shallots. Place the beets and shallots on a large sheet of foil and fold the edges together to seal tightly. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the beets are tender and easily pierced with a knife.

Remove the packet from the oven and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub them to remoe the skin, then cut them into chunks or wedges. Place the beets and shallots in a serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing over them and toss well.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cut peppers in half, seed and stem. Lightly toss in oil. Place cut side down on baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes. Place peppers in bowl and cover with plastic until room temperature. Remove the skins from the pepper.

Puree 2/3 cup roasted peppers with 1/3 cup buttermilk.

thai pumpkin soup, tempeh "chicken" salad, peanut butter krispy treats

thanks mama's for having me sub the past three weeks! it has been a pleasure to share this culinary experience! bon appetit!

thai pumpkin soup

i referred to the following recipe but made these changes:

add garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and cilantro
used veggie broth
not as much coconut milk - 2/3 of a can??

thai pumpkin soup recipe

tempeh "chicken" salad

steam tempeh 20 minutes

onion
celery
cilantro
cashews
mandarin oranges
grapes

dressing -
veganaise ~ 1/2 - 2/3 cup
squirt of brown mustard
squirt of braggs
capful of apple cider vinegar
1 T orange marmalade
red pepper flakes
salt
pepper

peanut butter krispy treats

peanut butter krispy treats recipe

Lentil Burgers with Naan "Buns" & Spinach/Strawberry/Candied Walnut Salad

So, I've been really wanting to make naan lately, and thought this would be a good way to use it. Mostly, I just like saying "naan buns." Some of ours were a little tough. The pesto spread is great with chips, too, by the way.

::::Also, did everyone's spinach taste okay? We realized tonight that our fridge isn't cooling very well...::::

Lentil Burgers

Naan "Buns"

Pesto Spread

Speedy Spinach Pesto (with a little basil from home)

Greek strained yogurt (Fage fat free)

Salad

Organic Baby Spinach

Strawberries

Candied Walnuts (sugar on the stove 'till in caramelizes, toss in the walnuts, chop up after they cool)

Agave Balsamic Vinaigrette blend all with hand blender until emulsified

Olive Oil

Walnut Oil because it's so good for you pregnant mamas

Agave Nectar

Balsamic Vinegar

sea salt

pepper

chives

Southwestern Frittata, Bread, and Fruit

Dinner 9/28/09 from Holly and Chris

I hope no one minded a cold frittata. Every other Monday we have to make our meals in advance and I've always thought this meal was just as good the next day. Turns out it was fortuitous this week since Heather had her baby early Monday morning and Roman hung out with us for part of the day.

Southwestern Frittata

onion, sliced 1/8 in

potato, sliced 1/8 in

1/2 c. sweet corn kernals

Smoked cheese, sliced

1/2 roasted poblano, diced

oregano

7 eggs

milk

garlic

olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place onion in bottom of baking dish with a few glugs of olive oil, bake for 10 minutes. Add garlic on top of onions. Rub potatoes with olive oil, layer on top of garlic, sprinkle with salt, bake for 10 minutes.

Reset oven to 400 degrees. While oven cools, whisk together eggs and milk. Add corn, roasted poblano, oregano, and cheese slices to the baking dish and cover with the egg mixture, bake for 20 minutes until the eggs have puffed.

Garlic and Herb Pecan Bread

1 c. milk

5/8 c. water

4 tbsp EVOO

5 1/4 c. bread flour

2/3 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. chopped pecans (I'd add more next time)

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp basil, chopped

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp yeast

Pour the milk, water, and EVOO into the bread machine pan. Sprinkle the flour over and rolled oats, ensuring they cover the liquid mixture. Add the chopped walnuts, garlic, oregano, and basil. Place the salt and sugar in separate corners of the bread machine. Make a shallow indention in the center of the flour and add the yeast.

Set the bread machine to the dough setting. Remove, divide into 2 loaves, and let rise for at least 3o minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes.

Fruit Salad

Cantaloupe, blackberries, and strawberries

Total cost = $25

Sausage and Peppers, Farfalle with Mushrooms, Spinach Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

I made many, many sausages yesterday from this recipe. Today I put it all together for a feel good in the belly dinner.

Sausages and Peppers
Brown the sides of six veggie sausages
Saute 1 onion and 3 bell peppers in olive oil. Salt and Pepper. Serve with pepper mixture on bottom and sausages on top. Dijon mustard is great with these!

Farfalle with Mushrooms
10 - 12 oz farfalle, prepared
12 oz. mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
salt, pepper
1/2 cup parmesan

Saute mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Scoop over farfalle, mix with cheese and serve.

Spinach salad with dressing
Organic baby Spinach, tomatoes. Basic.

I cooked for Heather and family today, too. Total for 5 meals: $41.50.

yellow curry tofu, jasmine rice, egg rolls & honeydew

self admittedly i have been in a cooking rut. it seems like i make the same few dishes over and over and over..... thanks to the co-op i have been inspired to branch out again. so, what to do? ah yes, one of my true loves, thai food!!

yellow curry tofu

ingredients:
tofu
karee yellow curry paste - 1 can (maesri brand purchased from thai fresh)
coconut milk - 1 can (mai ploy brand purchased from thai fresh)
cauliflower
broccoli
carrots
raw cashews

press tofu to remove water. cut in cubes and marinate in dark sesame oil, tamari, orange zest and fresh ginger. place just a touch of dark sesame oil on a rot iron skillet and cook the tofu slowly on medium low heat until browned. set aside. scrape off the top "fatty" part of the coconut milk, place in a pot and saute the curry paste in it for 5 minutes. then add the remaining coconut milk and 1 can of water. add your veg and simmer until done. garnish with raw cashews.

rice

ingredients:
jasmine rice
cilantro
sauteed garlic, onions, ginger

place equal parts rice and water in a pot. bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, put the lid on and don't open for 20 minutes. finely chop some garlic, ginger and onions and saute. add to rice after it is cooked along with chopped fresh cilantro.

egg rolls

Ingredients: amounts are my best guess :)
Egg roll wrappers
Celery (3)
Carrots (3 grated)
Onions (1)
Cabbage (1)
Garlic (5 cloves)
Ginger (1" fresh)
Ground pepper (several turns)
Egg (2)
Tamari (3-5 T to taste)
Sugar (1T)
Cilantro (handful)
Mint (handful)
Lime juice (1)

Canola oil (for deep frying)

Saute onions, celery, carrots, garlic, ginger cabbage, soy sauce ground pepper and sugar. Add egg, herbs and lime juice and put aside. Once cooled, stuff this filling (about 2 tablespoons) into the spring roll wrappers and seal. Fry egg rolls in hot oil until golden brown and drain.

sweet and sour dipping sauce (recipe from thai fresh)

Ingredients:
Water ½ cup
Sugar 1 cup
Vinegar ½ cup
Minced garlic 3 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Finely chopped chili 1 tsp
orange zest

In a small heavy sauce pan, combine the sugar, water, vinegar, garlic and salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the liquid thickens slightly to light syrup. Remove from the heat and add the chili peppers and orange zest. Cool to room temperature.

honey dew

cost ~ $30

Pesto-Crusted Salmon, Broccoli & Asparagus, and Grains

The wild-caught pacific salmon was on sale at Sprouts, and we haven't had any in a while, so I couldn't resist. I haven't added up the cost of this meal yet, but I think it was okay considering we got to eat salmon! It cooked a little quicker than I expected and I found out that the smoke alarms in our apartment DO WORK, and they are deafening! So if you try this, keep a close eye on it (we don't have a window on our oven door :( ), and turn your vent on! I was in such a hurry to get them out of the oven that I touched one of the lids with one of the pyrex dishes, and it melted it, so I'll get a new one soon and take the melted one out of rotation:\-. I apologize for how hard I expect it will be to clean them, too! Anyway, here are the recipes, total to follow:

Pesto-crusted Salmon

Speedy Spinach Pesto

Roasted Broccoli and Asparagus

Grains

Mix of brown rice, quinoa, whole oat groats, and millet, cooked in vegetable stock for flavor

"Meatloaf", Potatoes, Carrots

So sorry, you guys! I had to stick my meatloaf and potatoes in the oven again as they were undercooked. So sorry!!! And I was late dropping off. Ugh!

Once the meatloaf cooked a bit and the potatoes became softer, they were pretty yummy, in my opinion. All recipes are from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

Meatloaf
makes a 6 cup loaf
2 onions
2 cups walnuts or other raw nuts
2 cups oats
2 eggs
2 TBL miso, ketchup, tahini, etc. Something to bind.
2 TBL spice (I used New Mexico Chili Spice blend)
Salt and Pepper

Whack it all together in the food processor without getting it too mushy. Cpread in greased loaf pan, cover with foil, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. I think this should be baked longer covered or at a higher temp.

Baked Potatoes
Wash and rub potatoes with olive oil. Cover in salt. Bake at 425 for 1 hour.

Glazed Carrots
1 lb. carrots
2 TBL butter
1/3 cup water
salt and pepper

Put in pan, simmer with lid on for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until most liquid is gone.

I did cook for 5 families tonight because I delivered food to Heather. Who wants to cook when they are so pregnant? Total: $28.17. Better!!

Tacos, Green Rice, and Watermelon

Tacos

2/3 c. TVP

1 Poblano

1 onion

3 garlic gloves

1 can of black beans

1 can of stewed tomatoes

1 goya azafran spice package

Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Chile Powder, Smoked Salt

Saute the onion, poblano, and garlic. Once soft, add goya packet to coat veggies. Add tomatoes with juice and turn the heat to low. Add TVP and drained beans. Add water as necessary and seasoning to taste.

Serve with avocado, grated cheese, sour cream, and whole wheat tortillas.

Green Rice

from Rachel Ray

1 c. brown rice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 pound spinach leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 limes, zested, juiced

1/2 cup veggie stock

Place the cilantro, spinach, scallions, lime zest, half a cup of stock in food processor and process into coarse green paste. Stir into your rice pot in the last 3 to 4 minutes of its cooking time.

Watermelon

Total Cost = $24.00

"chicken" & biscuits, corn on the cob, carrot juice

wOw! you mama's rock! cooking for four families was certainly a challenge and a learning experience for me!

"chicken" & biscuits (this recipe is for one family)

2/3 package quorn "chicken" tenders (on sale at whole foods!)
sautee frozen tenders in olive oil, s&p until browned and set aside
------------

2 1/2 cups no-chicken stock
place in small sauce pan and heat until hot

----------------------

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 onion
2-3 celery stocks
3-4 garlic cloves (add towards end)

1/3 cup flour

In a large pot melt the butter and saute the onions and celery over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.

Add the stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick.

---------------------

1 t salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup medium-diced carrots (i steam them until almost done)
1 cup peas (i like petite frozen)
fresh thyme & oregano

Add salt, pepper and the heavy cream. Add the tenders, carrots, peas, onions, and herbs. Mix well.

Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. top with biscuits, brushed in egg wash, and bake for 15 minutes @ 375 degrees or until biscuits are done. i didn't have time to make biscuits so i used the natural ones in the tube from central market.

corn on the cob
bring pot of water to a boil add corn and cook for ~15- 20 minutes
season with butter and salt

organic carrot juice
we have a champion juicer. organic carrots from costco.

total cost $43.39

oops! i didn't really know what the budget was but looks like i went over! oh well, hope you enjoyed it! :)

Bye Bye, we'll miss you!

So we just wrapped up our last week of filling in for you guys, and I have to say, it was amazing. First of all I have cooked dinner once this week instead of 5 times which has freed up about 2 hours a day which is huge when you have 2 kids! Secondly, it has really branched us out as far as vegetarian eating... we were a bit worried when we started that we would miss our chicken that we eat almost every night, but we never once felt like we were missing anything, it was all so satisfying and delicious. It also broadened my horizons when it comes to cooking with vegetables. I usually just use the same old things, same old steamer, same old spices, and this has shown me that there are so many more things to try if I am a bit more adventurous. My favorite part was getting to try new things that we had never eaten before! We thank you ladies from the bottom of our hearts, and would love to fill in again sometime if you need us! Hopefully we'll be getting our own dinner share set up soon, and I'm sure we'll be modeling it after what ya'll have set up. Good eats!

Spinach & Grain Gratin, Moroccan Carrot Salad, & Steamed Broccoli

Sorry for any kalamata olive overload here. I didn't realize that the casserole and the carrots both had them when I planned the menu.

-Summer

Spinach and Grain Gratin, adapted from this recipe.

In place of the rice, I used a mix of brown rice, quinoa, whole oat groats, and a little millet. I replaced the pine nuts with walnuts and used parmesan cheese because that's what I had on hand.

Moroccan Baby Carrot Salad

I used regular baby carrots in this.

Steamed Broccoli

Frozen broccoli, a few chopped cloves of garlic, steamed with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Wraps, fruit salad, chips, and fresh veggies

So, I tried out the Good For Life Gluten Free tortillas for the wraps but I found they were pretty crumbly. Bummer! I hope the wraps were still good, though!

Wraps
tortillas
goat cheese
roasted red and yellow peppers
cilantro

Fruit Salad
cantaloupe, figs, plums, apples, strawberries

Fresh Veg with Ranch
Honey tomatoes
baby carrots
Ranch Dressing

Chips

Cookies

Total: $37.51. Ok, my meals are becoming expensive!! Time to cut down on the expensive ingredients.

Lentil Bake, Rosemary Sweet Potatos and salad

Ok, we'll see how this turns out. My friend said her kids love it, but it looks really really soupy in the oven right now, so I'm holding my breath.

Lentil Bake: ( I doubled this recipie, but it still doesn't look like that much...)

Mix together:

1 3/4 cups Lentils, 2 cups water, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp margoram, sage, thyme, 2 large onions-chopped, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups canned tomatoes

Cover and Bake 30 minutes

Uncover and add 2 large chopped carrots, 1/2 cup celery. Re-cover and bake 40 minutes.

Stir in 1 green pepper-chopped, 2 Tbsp chopped parsley. Sprinkle cheese on top

Rosemary sweet potatoes:

Cut up 8 potatoes, sprinkle with salt, drizzle olive oil and rosemary, Bake covered for 45 minutes or until soft!

Salad: mixed greens with Walnuts and craisins!

Cost-

onion- 1.80

sweet potatoes- 5.00

green pepper- 1.00

celery- .50

cheese- 4.00

carrots- 1.00

tomatoes- 2.00

lentils- 1.50

spring mix- 4.00

Walnuts, craisins, spices, I have already and don't know what they cost...

Total- $20.80

Green Chile and Cheese Egg Casserole - 9/13/09

Posted by Ernest. Last dinner from the Salaz family for a little while. :(

This dinner was very easy to make, and as Stella will most likely arrive this week (knock on wood), we didn't put as much prep time as we usually do. Hope it was still satisfying!

We love this coop and we're going to miss it, but we will be back!! All the dishes have been awesome by the way.

Green Chili and Cheese Egg Casserole
2 dozen farm fresh eggs
32 oz. sour cream
3 cups cheddar cheese
5 cans green chiles (fresh would have been tastier)
salt and pepper

Baked till golden brown for 45 minutes. 4 servings total.


Mixed Salad
Organic greens, English cucumber, grape tomatoes, carrots, pitted black olives and just a bit of red onion. We found a few surprise pits so I hope you all didn't get any.

The dressing was left over vinaigrette from last week's quinoa salad. Shhh don't tell anyone.


Watermelon Delight
Cubed, seedless watermelon with coconut shavings, golden raisins and a pinch of salt. Was this an odd epicurean choice? I kinda dug it.

Total - about $25 bucks

Dinner 9/6/2000

Vegetable Chili, Quinoa Salad, Fruit by Heather

Sorry it has taken me sooo long to post this, we have been computer-less at home and it has been a rough week all around... on the up swing now!

Vegetable Chili
2 onions
4 hatch chilies
3 poblano chilies
4 bell peppers
6 corn on the cob
3 cans kidney beans
3 cans black beans
chili powder
cumin
oregano
garlic
paprika
cayenne
salt pepper
2 cans tomatoe sauce
4 cans water
masa (for thickening)

Ernest did all of the chopping for this (the main job), It made alot of chili, I took some to a friend who just had a baby.

Total (for 5 meals)-- $20

Quinoa Salad
Cooked quinoa
bell peppers
purpple onions
cucumbers
vinaigrette (parsley, lemon, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar)

Total--$6

Fruit (strawberries and grapes)-- $9

Total cost of entire meal (5)-- $35

Caramelized Tofu and Sweet Potato Fries ::: 9/10/09

Cooked by Summer

Caramelized Tofu

from 101cookbooks.com. I added some bok choy to this.

Rice Pilaf

a mix of brown rices and some white rice seasoned with turmeric and some "all-purpose seasoning

Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Lime Sauce

I wish these had been crispier...

Vegetarian Tagine, Cucumber Salad, Green Beans

Vegetarian Tagine
Veggie Mixture:
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons tumeric
some Vietnamese Cinnamon Bark
2 carrots
1/2 head broccoli
2 zucchini
1 cup garbanzo beans
1 can diced tomatoes

Stew all ingredients together until veggies are softish.

Couscous:
1 1/2 cup veggie broth
1 cup couscous

Boil veggie broth. Add couscous, stir. Turn off heat and let steam for 5 minutes.


Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream Dressing
Cucumbers, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TBL. white wine vinegar
salt/pepper
fresh dill

Green Beans
- steamed with salt, pepper, and a bit of butter.

Again, I cooked for 6 families (our 4 plus 2 food tree mamas). So the total is for 6 meals and not 4. Total: $45.82