love Dinner Co-op

I've got the night off -- by myself. Curled up with the dog and a book on the sofa. Eating baked beans, lovely homemade bread, and carrot salad (not shown) added just yet another layer of great to the night. I added left-over bits of brie from Sunday. It's as good as a dinner could possibly be. And I thought worthy of a photo op. I wish I'd thought to take a photo of Zoe and Marc's beautiful salad with the tinier-than-I would-ever-bother apples that arrived last night. I love dinner co-op.

Tempeh and Wild Mushroom Fricassee, Roasted Root Vegetables, and Salad

Tempeh and Wild Mushroom Fricassee

This is a great recipe. We made it as the main vegetarian dish on Thanksgiving and loved it - so I thought I'd make it for co-op too. We had 4 of the recipes from this article over the Thanksgiving weekend - thanks Cynthia!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html?ref=health#Tempeh_and_Wild_Mushroom_Fricassee

Rosemary Roasted Vegetables

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rosemary-Roasted-Vegetables-236313

Peas Pilau, Cucumber Salad, and Naan

This is one of our favorite meals and from the feedback I think everyone else really enjoyed it too! My sister got me Cooking with my Indian mother-in-law for my birthday (yay!) so the library will finally get its copy back. Really one of the best cookbooks I've ever used. I feel like every meal I've made from it is really good restaurant quality. Plus it's been a bit of a cooking course with fun pastes and spice mixes.

Peas pilau

I tripled this recipe to make sure there would be leftovers too. I'm including the recipes with my modifications (e.g. brown rice, no chilies, potatoes with skins, etc...)

2 c. brown rice

5 cloves garlic

1 1/2 in ginger

2 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 in cinnamon stick, broken into 2 pieces

6 cardamoms

4 cloves

8 peppercorns

3 tbsp oil

1/2 onion, quartered and thinly sliced

4 sm potatoes, cut into 2 in dice

1/3 can of diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 c frozen peas

4 eggs, boiled for 6 minutes and shelled

Wash the rice in several changes of water, then soak in warm water for at least an hour. Use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic, ginger, and salt into a paste and set aside. Put the cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, and peppercorns in a glass filled with water and soak for 5 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large stock pot and fry the onion over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown. This step takes longer than you think especially if you are using non-stick pans - so make sure and keep at it for at least 10 minutes. Drain the soaking spices (reserve the liquid and add to water you'll be using in a few steps) and add them to the onion. Cook for a few minutes and, when aromatic, add the garlic-ginger paste. Stir well, reduce the heat and cook gently for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and turmeric and bring up to simmering point. Cook over medium heat until the oil pools around the sides of the pan. Add the 3 cups of water (including the reserved liquid) and the frozen peas, and bring to a boil.

Drain and add the rice, stir and bring back to simmering point. Cover and cook for 5 minutes before reducing the heat to low to cook the rice slowly, for at least 30 minutes, without stirring. Then gently tuck the eggs into the rice and continue cooking with the lid on until the rice is just cooked. Don't stir the rice yet, but watch the water level - take a spoon and gently part a little of the rice from the side of the pan to allow you to peek down at the bottom. If the water has been absorbed before the rice is cooked, add more boiling water (say half a cupful at a time) and continue cooking and checking the water until the rice is just cooked.

For Sunday before Thanksgiving

We are still working on Monday but we have a plan for Sunday...
Tofu a la Bourguigonne on a bed of quinoa and spinach (recipe from allrecipes.com)
Beet salad with almonds and chives (also from allrecipes.com)

Halloween Dinner

Deviled eggs
Eggs
Smoky paprika
smoky salt
mustard
water
bit of olive oil
bit of lemon


Brussel Sprouts with pecan and cranberry pesto

(written for four)

1.5 lbs brussel sprouts
3 T olive oil
3/4 t salt
.5 t pepper
1/4 c pesto (see below)

pesto:
1/2 c almonds, toasted
1/2 c dried cranberries
3 cloves roasted garlic
parsley
1/2 c olive oil
(and I add garlic chives)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut and trim brussel sprouts.
Toss with oil.
Roast in oven 25 min on baking sheet. Interior should be fork-tender and there is a bit of browning.

Make pesto, adding oil through the mayo spot in the processor slowly. Toss with brussel sprouts.




Lemony Quinoa
3/4 c pecans, toasted
1 c. quinoa
2 c water
salt
1/4 c lemon juice
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 sweet or red onion, chopped
bit of cayenne, cumin
parsley

Cook and cool quinoa water and salt. Add rest and serve.


Apple Betty
4 c. sliced apples
1/4 c orange juice
3/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
pinch salt
1/2 c butter

Preheat to 375. Grease 9 inch pie plate. Mound apples in plate. Sprinkle with OJ. In bowl, mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until it reaches "course crumbs." Scatter over apples. Bake 45 min.

Recipes! Vinaigrette and Lentil Soup

Basic Vinaigrette Dressing (stolen from Mark Bittman)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons or more good wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large shallot, cut into chunks

1. Combine all ingredients except the shallot in a blender and turn it on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon at a time until it tastes balanced to you. (I actually had to add more olive oil - I guess our white wine vinegar was too strong.)
2. Add the shallot and pulse the blender on and off a few times until the shallot is minced. Taste, adjust the seasonings if necessary, and serve.

I added about a 1/4 cup of chopped parsley to the dressing. He also suggested adding basil, dill, rosemary, tarragon, or thyme.

This dressing will keep, refrigerated, for a few days. Just bring it to room temperature and whisk it before serving.

==============================================================================

Lentil Minestrone (from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra virgin oil to finish
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 chopped garlic cloves
3 diced carrots
1 cup diced celery or celery root
salt and freshly milled pepper
1 cup French green lentils, sorted and rinsed
aromatics - 2 bay leaves, 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme sprigs
9 cups water or basic vegetable stock
mushroom soy sauce to taste
1 bunch greens - mustard, broccoli rabe, chard, or spinach
2 cups cooked small pasta, like shells or orecchiette
thin shavings of parmesan-reggiano

Heat the oil in a wide soup pot with the onion. Saute over high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomate paste, parsley, garlic, vegetables, and 2 teaspoons salt and cook 3 minutes more. Add the lentils, aromatics, and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. If it needs more depth, add mushroom soy sauce to taste, staring with 1 tablespoon. Remove the aromatics.

Boil the greens in salted water until they're tender and bright green, then chop them coarsely. Just before serving, add the greens and pasta to the soup and heat through. Serve with EVOO drizzled into each bowl, a generous grind of pepper, and the parmesan.

I heart Deborah Madison. I've loved everything we've tried from her book - she's my hero!

Chickenless Dumplings, Salad, and Fruit

Chickenless Dumplings

This was a Martha Stewart recipe I've been looking at for years and finally decided to modify and try. I think it was one of my best co-op meals to date...hope you enjoyed. I made it again for Chris's birthday and now I'm finally posting because my sister has been asking for the recipe. I can't believe how much like chicken soup this tastes to me - especially the next day. I need to keep batches of this in the freezer since it's all I want when I'm sick...or cold.

1 package Quorn chik'n tenders

4 medium carrots

1 medium onion, thinly sliced into half moons

2 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 in pieces

1 garlic clove, minced

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 c. low-sodium stock

1 tsp coarsely chopped fresh thyme

1/4 c plus 2 tbsp yellow cornmeal

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp finely chopped shallot

1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest

3/4 c finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tbsp finely grated pecorino

1 1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 c. low-fat milk

Bring 2 quarts of water, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, stock and 1/8 tsp salt to boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, shallot, zest, parsley, and cheese in a medium bowl. Add butter, and blend in with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk, and stir with a for, until a dough forms.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls; add all at once to simmering broth. Cover; simmer, undisturbed, until the dumplings are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

While dumplings are cooking, cook Quorn in a pan with a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Add salt and pepper. Once Quorn is lightly browned and heated through, add to the broth.

Okra Curry, Dal, Brown Rice

Here's another few recipes from the best Indian cookbook I've ever used - Cooking with my Indian mother-in-law. It was back at the library on my last trip and I was so excited to get to borrow it again. I feel like I'm taking a cooking course when I use this book - great descriptions and good pictures walk you through different steps.

Curry Okra

This was local organic okra from Greenling - so delicious!

12 oz okra

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Large pinch of fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1 tsp dhana jiru (recipe below)

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

3 cloves garlic, crushed with 1/2 tsp salt

Wash the okra pods and dry. Top and tail and cut into 1/2 in thick rounds.

Heat the oil gently in a wide pan (one with a lid). Add mustard, cumin, and fenugreek seeds. After 20 sec, add the asafoetida and increase the heat slightly. When the seeds start to pop, add the okra pieces and toss them in the spiced oil until thoroughly coated.

Reduce the heat to low and add the dhana jiru, chili powder and turmeric, and stir gently. Cover with a lid and cook gently, stirring from time to time, taking care no to break up the pieces. The juices from the okra will run out - keep cooking until they evaporate and the okra is quite soft. The curry should be quite dry. Add the garlic paste and stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes, then serve.

Dhana Jiru

I used a 2:3 ratio of cumin seeds to coriander seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake seeds on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. I ground them with a mortar and pestle.

Dal

The recipe calls for yellow and red lentils. I had a bunch of bags with a just a few lentils - so my version had yellow, red, brown, and green lentils. Alas, the conversions in the recipe book were wrong on the amount of water so the spices ended up being diluted. I think it turned out pretty well...but it could have been even better! I've tried to correct the amounts in the recipe below.

1 cup moong dal (yellow split mung beans wtihout the skin)

4 tbsp masoor dal (red split lentils)

4 green chilis

1 fat garlic clove

1 inch ginger

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 small onion, diced

1/2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp dhana jiru (see recipe above)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro stems

Lemon juice to taste

1/2 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro leaves

Wash dal in several changes of water until water is clear. Drain and put them in a pot with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil without the lid. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface of the water. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the dal for 20 minutes or until it is soft and has broken down completely.

While the dal cooks, make the masala (spice mixture). Top and tail 2 of the green chilies, cut into short lengths and use a mortar and pestle to crush them with the garlic, ginger, and salt. Add the tomatoes and pound the mixture to combine.

Heat the oil in a separate pan, add the mustard seeds and onion and fry until pale gold (cook for at least 10 minutes - onions should start to break down). Add the butter and, when melted, add the dhana jiru and turmeric. Cook the spices for a few seconds, then add the tomato mixture and the coriander stems. Increase the heat and simmer the masala until the tomatoes break down and oil pools around the sides of the pan. Set aside.

When the dal is cooked, take a whisk (I used an immersion blender) and beat the mixture to make it as smooth as possible. then add it to the cooked masala with the remaining 2 chilies (left whole). Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary - it should have the consistency of thin soup.

Taste the mixture, adding more salt and some lemon juice to sharpen the flavor as you like. Scatter the cilantro and serve.

Baked brown rice

I am loving this recipe - best rice ever!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

Total cost = $26 for 4 families

Lentil Salad, Tabbouleh, and Saffron Rice

Warm Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese

This is a long time family favorite from Martha Stewart. It's so quick, flavorful, and low in fat. Usually it includes a bell pepper - but dang since they are on the dirty dozen I keep substituting celery for bell peppers. I can't afford $4-5/organic bell peppers for co-op meals.

3/4 c. green lentils

EVOO

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, diced

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

6 oz spinach, coarsely chopped

4 oz goat cheese

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add lentils, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat small amount of EVOO in pan. Add shallots, and cook stirring occasionally until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add carrot and celery, continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley, vinegar, and a little EVOO. Transfer to a large bowl.

Drain lentils, and add to bowl with veggies. Stir in spinach, and season with S&P. Crumble goat cheese into bowl, and toss gently to combine.

Tabbouleh

Another low-fat family favorite from Martha Stewart.

1 c. bulghur wheat

4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped with juice

2 bunches parsely, finely chopped

4 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

3/4 tsp coarse salt

EVOO

I buy the bulk organic whole wheat bulghur wheat from Central Market and follow the preparation instructions that print out on the label.

Add tomatoes with juice, parsley, and scallions to the prepared bulghur wheat. Add lemon juice, salt, a little EVOO, and S&P.

Saffron Rice

I lost the instructions to my rice cooker and haven't been able to cook brown rice properly since. Then I came across Alton Brown's baked brown rice recipe. I've never been a fan...but this is a great recipe that makes perfect rice every time. I added veggie bouillon cubes and pinches of ground saffron to the rice too.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

Total cost for 4 families = $36.00 (I did a food tree this week...finally. I've been in arrears.)

Salad Night!

Sorry about the late delivery! We owe great thanks to Martha Stewart this week.

Quinoa-and-Apple Salad with Curry Dressing
Per serving: 304 calories, 14 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 38 g carbs, 154 mg sodium, 8 g protein, 5 g fiber

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4.

1/4 cup raw whole almonds
1 cup white quinoa
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dried currants
1 small McIntosh apple, cut into 1/8-inch-thick wedges
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop nuts.
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine sieve; drain. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa; return to a boil. Stir quinoa; cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until quinoa is tender but still chewy, about 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork; let cool.
Whisk together honey, shallot, curry powder, salt, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until dressing is emulsified. Add quinoa, currants, apple, mint, and nuts; toss well. Garnish with mint.

White-Bean Salad with Zucchini and Parmesan

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4.

2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 pound zucchini (about 2 small), trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced on the diagonal
4 ounces green beans, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal (3/4 cup)
2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, place cannellini beans, zucchini, green beans, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest and juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Squash Frittata, Wheat Bread, Carrot Medley

Squash Frittata

This is one of our family favorites we adopted from a Martha Stewart recipe and it's pretty low fat too. We like frittatas over quiche since you save calories and fat from skipping the crust.

Onion, squash, zucchini sliced 1/8 in

Feta cheese, crumbled

Dill

6 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 remaining veggies and sprinkle with cheese.

Reset oven to 400 degrees. While oven cools, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, S&P, and dill. Pour over veggies and bake for 20 minutes until the eggs have puffed.

Wheat Bread

Chris is the bread baker of the house. He started with a free bread machine from Freecycle but has moved on after great success with Bread Alone by Daniel Leader. We checked it out from the library numerous times and it definitely changed his bread making for the good. He got Local Breads by the same author for Father's Day and this was the whole wheat sourdough. And if you ever want a pinch...we've always got a batch of sourdough starter on the counter-top that Chris would be happy to share.

Carrot Medley

Chris and I had a date at Monica Pope's T'afia in Houston last weekend. She was on Top Chef Masters so we had to try her restaurant out! I ordered this carrot side dish and was shocked with how tasty and simple it was. This was my attempt to re-make it and I was happy with the results.

Carrots, sliced and steamed

Sun-dried tomatoes

Parsley, chopped

Pepperocinis, sliced

Heat olive oil and add ingredients with S&P to taste.

Total cost for 4 families = $25

Tofu Egg Salad, Brown Rice Salad, Veggies and Ranch

Tofu Egg Salad

Heather and Courtney have made tofu spreads recently and I loved them on sandwiches and then eating the leftovers with crackers. I think this is such a tasty, easy, and light summer treat. I love egg salad and was really happy at how similar this tasted with less fat and no cholesterol.

Crumbled tofu, scallions, chopped celery, a little miracle whip, dijon mustard, fresh dill, apple cider vinegar, tumeric, garlic powder, S&P.

Brown Rice Salad

I lost the directions to my rice cooker - so I made this on the stove. It turned out really gummy but since it was going into a cold salad I just rinsed it in a wire mesh sieve and was okay with the resulting texture. I reduced the oil in the recipe by half.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/505

Veggies and Ranch

The third dish has to be a no-brainer for co-op to not kill me - so tomatoes, carrots, and ranch it was!

Total cost for 3 families = $17

Our first go at it...

Better late than never. A late post about what we made yesterday:
*Tomato salad (tomatoes from the yard, basil from the yard, mozzarella we had nothing to do with)
Cost: probably about $7 once I add the balsamic and oil.
*Three corn grits (from a piece about a vegan chef in Oprah's magazine). I'm so glad Zoe said she liked it. We didn't think much of it. It had grits, cornmeal, fresh corn, ground cashews, and spinach. Corn must be coming into season, it looked great. It was about $1o to make.
*Cucumber salad (mint, cucs, yogurt, garlic, salt). It was $5 to make. And easy. And good.
*Watermelon salad (for dessert). That was our favorite. It was just watermelon chunks in a dressing of lime zest, lime juice and sugar. Maybe $5 to make.

Guesstimated total: $27

We learned a lot about getting portions right. We thought we'd made a lot more grits than we actually had once we had it portioned out to the Pyrex.

Roasted Corn and Edamame Salad

Stolen from Epicurious. Maybe next time we'll try swapping out olive oil for the mayo.


2 ears fresh corn, unhusked, or 1 1/4 cups cooked corn kernels
1/2 cup shelled edamame
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup small-diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped or grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soak fresh corn in cold water about 30 minutes. Heat grill on high. Grill corn in husk, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once. Let cool. Remove husks. Cut corn from cob into a bowl; combine with remaining ingredients. Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Corn-and-Edamame-Salad-238346

Corn Stir-Fry on Soba Noodles with General Tso Sauce, Chinese Green Beans, and Fruit

Corn Stir-Fry on Soba Noodles

Adapted from Martin Yan's China.

2c. thawed frozen corn

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tomato, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

4 scallions, diced

1/2 jicama, diced

1 block of tofu, baked in teriyaki marinade

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Place wok over med-high heat. Add th oil, corn, tomato, bell pepper, onion, jicama, tofu, and stir-fry the vegetables until tender crisp. Add the General Tso sauce, toss to combine and serve hot over soba noodles.

General Tso Sauce

Adapted from Martin Yan's China.

1/4 c. Hoison

2 tbsp + 1 tsp bragg

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tbsp grated ginger

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp of water

Combine the Hoison, bragg, rice vinegar, sugar, and chili garlic sauce in a samll bowl and mix well.

Place a wok over high heat. Add the oil, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the seasoning and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute.

Chinese Green Beans

1 pound green beans

Sauce:

1 tablespoon bean sauce

1 tablespoon bragg

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

2 scallions, chopped, white part only

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Wash the green beans and drain thoroughly. Trim the ends and cut on the diagonal into pieces approximately 2 inches long.

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Total Cost for 3 families: $25

Chickpea Salad

(stolen from Orangette: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2007/01/brown-bag-it.html; I did some editing of the recipe description)

Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Parmesan

This little salad only has five ingredients, so make sure that they’re all of good quality. There’s no room for second-rate pantry closet cast-offs here, so don’t even think about it, missie. First of all, be sure to use a good brand of chickpeas. The best canned chickpeas are produced by Goya, Bush, and Trader Joe’s. Other brands, such as generic supermarket ones, can be mealy, bland, and / or mushy, rather than firm, fat, and earthy-sweet. Also, get out your best olive oil – one you’d want to eat from a spoon, if you’re into that sort of thing.

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. olive oil
A pinch of salt
¼ cup loosely packed shredded Parmigiano Reggiano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently to mix. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, until serving.

Yield: 2 servings

Pasta Salad, Broccoli, and Fruit

This was a super easy meal - thank goodness! We just got back from Kansas City yesterday and I hadn't done any meal planning. Lucy is out of school for the summer so we all shopped together today. Everything has gone surprisingly well...especially considering that Lucy wouldn't take a nap today. Please let that just be a little jet lag...

Pasta Salad

Whole wheat pasta

Garbanzo beans

Sun-dried tomatoes

Parsley

Zucchini

Scallions

Feta

Broccoli

Mix together and dress with 1:1 red wine vinegar and olive oil

Steamed Broccoli

Honeydew Melon and Grapes

Wow the honeydew tastes like its name...so good!

Total cost for 3 families: $20

Wheat Roast, Roasted Carrots, Spinach Salad

Hi all,
Yet once again, Orion is showing no signs of letting me put him down. So, we have another simple meal. I tried to make plenty for leftovers, too.

Slow Cooker Wheat Roast
With the leftovers, make a roast "beef" sandwich tomorrow for lunch. Yum!

Roasted Organic Carrots
1 Tablespoon EVOO
1 pound organic carrots
salt and pepper

Mix altogether. Roast on 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Spinach Salad with cranberries, almonds, and avocado

Total for three families: $18. Wow!

Tabbouleh, Hummous, Green Bean Salad

Tabbouleh

1 c. bulghur wheat

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 bunches of parsley, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)

EVOO

Prep bulghur wheat according to packaging. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, and scallions. Add lemon juice, salt, and EVOO. Season with S&P.

Hummous

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

Tahini

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Garlic

Cumin

Salt

Green Bean Salad

1 lb green beans

1 lb grape tomatoes

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp mined fresh parley

1/2 c. feta, crumbled

EVOO

Soak green beans in cold water and ice for 30 minutes. Bring several quarts of water to boil in a sauce pan. Add green beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain and let the beans cool to room temperature. Combine tomatoes, EVOO, lemon juice, parsley, and pepper to taste in a large serving bowl. Add the beans and adjust the seasoning. Top with feta.

Total Cost = $43 (for 5 families)

Veggie Enchiladas, Slaw, Chips and Mango Salsa

Hi all,
Sorry for the lack of rolling up the enchiladas. Orion is not letting me do a lot these days and it was all I could do to get the casserole layered! Plus I was a "single" mom on Tuesday and had to get the kids to bed myself. Rough day. Anyhow, here's my recipe collection:

Enchiladas

Sauce:
1 onion
3 cups of tomatoes, chopped
1 pepper (I did 2 chipotles for a quadrupled recipe)
3 cloves garlic
1 T sugar
3 T lime juice

Saute onion and garlic in a wee bit of oil. Add the rest of the ingredients when the onions are soft. Blend this altogether with a hand blender and then you have enchilada sauce.

Veggies: saute sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, peppers, onions, and garlic together. Add some black beans and salt and pepper. This is your veggie layer.

I layered the sauce and veggies in corn tortillas. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve.

Slaw
1 head of cabbage
1 bunch of swiss chard
sesame seeds

Dressing:
olive oil, lime juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper

Thinly slice the cabbage and swiss chard. Top with sesame seeds. Mix with dressing.

Tomato-Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 medium mango
1 jalapeno
cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice

Whack it all together in the food processor.

Total for four families: $28.

Creamy Orzo Casserole with Vegetables, Corn, and Fruit

Creamy Orzo Casserole with Vegetables

from The Greek Vegetarian cookbook that I checked out from the library. Everything but the onion was organic in this one.

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups chopped carrots

1 lb orzo

3 c. canned tomatoes

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh oregano

3 med zucchini

2 garlic cloves

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Heat EVOO in a large heavy skilled. Add onions and cook uncovered, stirring, over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the cinnamon, stir, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. The onions should be tender and slightly caramelized. Remove and wipe the skillet clean. Heat more EVOO and cook the carrots, uncovered and over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but al dente, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of salted water to a rolling boil and add orzo. As soon as the water begins to boil again, remove the pot from the heat and pour contents into a casserole dish. Add the onions, carrots, tomatoes, EVOO, bay leaves, oregano sprigs, S&P, and toss to combine. Cover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring up the mixture every 7 to 10 minutes to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the dish.

Meanwhile, heat EVOO in the skillet and cook the zucchini until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 mintute. Toss the zucchini and garlic with the orzo, combining well. Uncover the pan and continue to bake for another 50 minutes - stirring throughout to keep orzo from sticking. You'll likely need to add extra water as well.

Just before serving, remove bay leaves and oregano and mix in remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Served hot, sprinkled with feta.

Fresh local organic sweet corn

Blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple

Farewell appearance for conventional fruit (except the pineapple which is on the clean 15)

Total cost = $55 (for 5 families)

Ratatouille

Mark Bittman's Oven-Baked Ratatouille

WHAT YOU NEED

10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 large eggplants, about 2 pounds total, sliced 1/2-inch thick and salted if time allows

4 red or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, peeled if desired, seeded and sliced into 3 or 4 pieces each

4 ripe red tomatoes, cored, skins and seeds removed and cut into thick slices

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, rosemary or savoury leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil or chervil leaves for garnish

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

==========================================================================

WHAT YOU DO

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a casserole, make a layer of onion, followed by one of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Repeat.

Drizzle the ratatouille with oil and place it in the oven. Bake for about an hour, pressing down on the vegetables occasionally, until they are all completely tender.

Garnish and serve, hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Cost:$$. Garlic is expensive when your husband gets "bulb" and "clove" of garlic confused!

Asparagus Pesto, Bread, and Salad

Asparagus Pesto

This was fast, easy, and delicious! I modified an online recipe to make it lower fat. Also, since I was making this for 5 families I used sliced almonds - the pine nuts were way too expensive. The almonds make it kind of crunchy - but they sure taste good.

1 lb asparagus, cut off the tips - then cut the non-woody stems into small pieces

few handfuls of baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 c. pecorino

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 sliced almonds, toasted

2 tbsp EVOO

sea salt

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop the spears into the pan. Cook for only 2 or 3 minutes, until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain under cool water to stop the cooking.

Add the asparagus stems, spinach, garlic, Pecorino, and almonds to a food processor. Purée and, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the lemon juice and salt, taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve pesto over whole wheat pasta and the asparagus tips.

Vinegar and Oil Dressing

1:1 oil to vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano

Bread

Whole grain from Costco

Swiss Chard Pie, Roasted Broccoli, Rosemary White Beans

Ok, I am trying very hard to recommit myself to the blog and calendar. This was our meal for Tuesday, May 4th by Courtney.

Swiss Chard Pie
Mark Bittman's recipe. I doubled this recipe for the three pies.
2 TB butter
Swiss Chard (a bunch from our garden)
1 onion
salt and pepper
1/4 cup fresh herbs (I used rosemary and oregano from my garden)
6 eggs
1 cup yogurt
3 TB low fat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute the onions in the butter, add swiss chard for only a minute or so. Add salt, pepper, and herbs. Meanwhile, hard-cook 3 of the eggs then shell and coarsely chop. Add these to the swiss chard mixture.
Combine the yogurt, mayo, and remaining eggs. Add the baking powder and flour. Mix until smooth. In a lightly buttered casserole, spread half the batter, top with the swiss chard filling, and then smear the remaining batter on top.
Bake for 45 minutes.


Rosemary White Beans
Cooked navy beans
1 TB olive oil
Rosemary sprigs, chopped

Heat up the oil in a pan, add the rosemary and let mingle until it cools off. Mix in with the cooked beans.

Roasted Broccoli
Broccoli Florets
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 450. Mix the broccoli, oil, salt and pepper together. Spread onto a pan and cook for 8 minutes. Serve with lemons or limes.

I lost my receipts but will be better next week!

Cauliflower, Potato, and Pea Curry

Cauliflower, Potato, and Pea Curry

from Cooking with my Indian mother-in-law by Simon Daley (great book that I checked out from the library)

I thought this was so tasty!! And it was super easy - which was great since this was my first time to shop and cook with me and the new baby.

1 tbsp canola oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Pinch of fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1 med cauliflower, broken into florets

2 potatoes, pealed and cut into pieces

2 tsp dhana jiru (recipe below)

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 c. frozen peas

3 cloves of garlic, crushed with 1 tsp salt

5 oz crushed canned tomatoes

1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a wide pan (one with a lid), getting it quite hot before adding the mustard, cumin, and fenugreek seeds. When they begin to pop, add the asafoetida and cook for a few seconds before adding the cauliflower and potatoes. Turn the vegetables in the spiced oil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the dhana jiru, chili powder, and turmeric and stir vegetables carefully to coat with the ground spices.

Add 6 tbsp of water into the pan, then cover and cook gently for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are almost cooked. At this stage, add the peas, garlic paste and the tomatoes. Stir gently and cook for 5-6 minutes longer without the lid, until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle the cilantro and serve immediately.

Dhana Jiru

I used a 2:3 ratio of cumin seeds to coriander seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake seeds on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. I ground them with a mortar and pestle.

Wild Rice

I didn't have enough brown rice so I used wild rice - but I thought it complimented the dish really nicely.

Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

We used a 1:1 ratio of balsamic vinegar to olive oil and added S&P and fresh basil and thyme.

Total Cost = $20

prepared by Holly and Chris

Gaeng Khae (Spicy Thai Vegetable Soup) and Salad

Gaeng Khae (Spicy Thai Vegetable Soup)

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11178?section=

I used 7 peppers for 2 batches and I think that was probably too much for most folks - though I loved it! I also used regular salt bouillon and would use no-salt next time.

Salad with veggies from the Farmer's Market

Total cost = $30

Dinner 2/28/10

Black bean soup, corn cakes, and fruit by Heather and Ernest

Black bean soup-- $8
black beans
onion
carrots
celery
garlic
bay leaf
oregano
salt/ pepper
olive oil

Saute carrot, onion, celery, garlic and bay leaf. Add black beans (soaked overnight) and veg stock. Season with s, pepper and oregano. Blend and top with sour cream.

Corn Cakes-- $4

Strawberries and grapefruit-- $6

Total-- $18 (wow!!)

Valentine's Dinner 2/14/10 by Heather and Ernest

Miso Glazed Salmon-- $30

Braised baby bok choy and green beans- $6
the bok choy cooked down so much, I had to add some green beans...

Brown rice--$3

Heart-shaped ravioli for the kids-- $5

Total for 5 families-- $44

Gong Hay Fat Choy and Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2/2 Walnut Miso Noodles, salad, pumpkin bread

Walnut Miso Noodles
(I used a dark miso paste)

Salad with red wine vinaigrette

Pumpkin bread-- whole wheat flour, cane sugar, yogurt, canned pumpkin, spices, flax meal, olive oil, eggs.

Dinner 1/31/10

Mushroom Bolognese, salad, bread by Heather and Ernest

Mushroom Bolognese-- $20
tomatoes
mushrooms
onion
garlic
celery
carrots
thyme
bay
oregano
olive oil
s&p
red wine

Sautee the onion, garlic, celery, onions, and mushrooms until onion is translucent, de-glaze with red wine, add herbs, tomatoes and simmer until reduced 4-5 hours. Serve over whole grain pasta!

Salad-- $4

Bread--$3

Total-- $27

Cashew Curry, Brown Rice, green salad 1/26

Cashew Curry

(I did not make curry powder from scratch-- used punjab curry from CM). I also added twice as much tofu and a little less water than the recipe called for.

Green salad-- organic mixed greens, baby carrots, tomatoes, bean sprouts, walnuts. Vinaigrette- olive oil, prepared mustard, apple cider vinegar.

Peanut Noodle Salad, green salad, melon

From January 19.

Peanut Noodle Salad

Salad- organic greens and baby carrots with miso dressing (olive oil, miso paste, rice wine vinegar, agave nectar)

Cantalope

Dinner 1/17/10 by Heather and Ernest

This was a super simple dinner, hope it was good for everyone!

Lentil soup-- $8
lentils
carrots
onions
celery
veg. stock
tomatoe sauce
green beans
spinach

saute carrots, onions, celery, add lentils, veg stock and simmer altogether... add green beans and spinach at the end!

Bread and cheese-- $7
baguette and sharp cheddar

Celery and carrots with ranch-- $4

Total for 5 meals-- $20

Vegan: Potato Soup, Salad, Bread

So, I need to be more simple around here for dinner co-op until I get into the swing of things with two kids. Since I do the whole meal from shop to drop by myself, I need simple, simple, simple.

Everything is vegan.

Potato Soup

Bread: Whole Wheat Bread in my bread machine.

Salad with pecans, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, spinach. Red wine vinaigrette for dressing.

Total for 4 families: $21.00

Dinner 1/10/10

Penne al Greco, Spinach salad, bread by Heather & Ernest

Penne al Greco--$14

Spinach Salad w/ beets, oranges, feta, and walnuts--$6

Bread-- $4

Total-- $24

Pumpkin Coconut Soup, Edamame Salad, Bread

from Amy and Ethan, 1/12

Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Edamame Salad

Bread from Central Market

This may have been the easiest meal ever. Hope it worked out for you guys.

Red Lentil and Tofu Curry with Brown RIce and Salad

from Tues the 5th, by Amy and Ethan

Red Lentil and Tofu Curry

1 small onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup red lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups water
1/2 pound firm tofu
1 tsp cumin seeds (I subbed cumin powder-- it is way better with seeds!)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt, plus extra to taste
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, then add lentils and water and bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. (I did this in crock pot)

Stir fry tofu with cumin and curry, then transfer to lentils, simmer together for 5 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Salad-- organic greens, blue cheese, walnuts, baby carrots, grape tomatoes. Dressing- olive oil, balsamic vinegar, prepared brown mustard, garlic.

Vegan Meal: "Meatloaf" Muffins, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Beet Salad

My vegan meal courtesy of Vegweb and Everyday Food.

"Meatloaf" Muffins

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Beet and Carrot Slaw
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T EVOO
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium bunch of beets with greens
2 medium carrots, grated

In a large bowl whisk together the juice, oil, vinegar and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Cut the greens off the beets; discard stems and cut leaves into 1/4 inch wide strips. Peel and grate beets. Add to bowl along with beet leaves and carrots. Toss.

Total cost of meal for four families: $22.00 Wowzers!