South Austin Dinner Co-op

Apple and Celery Salad with Gruyere

2011-04-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

Apple and Celery Salad with Gruyere

serves 4 - 6
3 oz Gruyere
1 tbsp tarragon vinegar
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 tbsp walnut oil
1 tbsp sour cream or mayo
1 cup finely diced celery heart
2 crisp apples, unpeeled, finely diced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts, roasted
2 tbsp chopped parsley, celery leaves, or a mixture

Dice the cheese into small cubes and put the cubes in a large bowl. Season with a little salt and plenty of pepper. Cover and let stand at room temp for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, shallot, 1/8 tsp salt, and pepper to taste in another bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Whisk in the oil and sour cream, then taste for salt. Add the celery, apples, and nuts to the cheese, pour on the dressing, add the parsley, and toss well.

From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, who never lets us down.

Quinoa Mushroom Burgers, Potato Salad, Fresh Corn

2011-04-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Quinoa Mushroom Burgers

I love these burgers and hope you did too! I need to find a better whole wheat bun though. I think the ones from Central Market are too thick. I cut the middle out for my leftovers and it was so much better - I could really taste the burger and cucumbers - delicious!

http://www.marthastewart.com/340249/veggie-burgers

Buttermilk Potato Salad

I thought this was good - but I think I've made another version with more buttermilk and no horseradish that I liked better.

http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/buttermilk-potato-salad

Poblano Squash

2011-01-07T14:38:00.001-08:00

The directions for this one are fuzzy. It isn't from a recipe; it is just thrown together.

Roast 3 poblanos. I use the broiler. Wash them then stick them under the broiler, just inches away. Blacken and turn, blacken and turn, until they are charred all over. Then set them aside. Once they cool, peel the charred skin layer, core, seed, and chop. You are going to use just the nice fleshy part.

Bake two acorn squash. Cut them in half, core them, then put them cut side down in a baking dish on top of some butter or oil and salt.

Once the squash is very tender, scoop them out, add the chopped poblano and crumbled white Mexican cheese. Mix, leaving the squash as chunky or as blended as you see fit. That's it.

love Dinner Co-op

2010-12-14T15:50:00.001-08:00

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

2010-12-02T05:19:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

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

2010-10-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-07-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

(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

2010-06-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-01T15:24:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-09T11:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-14T12:13:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-14T09:35:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-07T18:40:00.001-08:00

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!

Dinner 1/3/10

2009-12-30T08:15:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-22T07:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-29T13:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-19T04:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-03T16:04:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-26T17:43:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-15T08:18:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T04:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-18T14:05:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-12T06:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

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

Falafel, Hummus, Taboule and yogurt-cucumber salad

2009-09-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

Yogurt salad:

plain greek yogurt-$5

1 cucumber .50

a bit of mint (I had it, so free)

Taboule:

Near East taboule salad-$5.50

3 tomatoes- $1.00

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Hummus:

4 1/2 cups Chickpeas $2.00

1 1/4 cup Tahini $1.50

1/2 cup olive oil

some cumin, paprika, salt, garlic, lemon juice (I just put it in until I think it tastes good!)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hummus-237832

Falafel:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Falafel-231755

here is the recipie I used... I usually use a box but decided to try my hand at Falafel from scratch, and now I see why I use the box! We'll see how they end up...

parsley-.50

onions-$1.00

Ezekiel tortillas to wrap it all up! $5.50

Organic spring mix and baby spinach- $4.00

Total- $26.50

Tuscan White Beans and Foccaccia ::: 9/3/09

2009-09-03T15:02:00.001-07:00

Tuscan White Beans w/ Sage

from Recipezaar

Simple Foccaccia Bread

from The New Vegetarian Epicure

(the link is a different recipe because it would take me forever to type it our here. If anyone wants it, let me know)

Salad

::: Are you guys tired of the salad? I know it's kind of a fall-back, and they may always seem the same. I thought it might help to make a dressing as well) :::

Organic Mixed Greens

White Mushrooms

Cucumber

Kalamata Olives

Honey Mustard-Yogurt Dressing

(I made this up as I went, so no specific measurements)

Olive Oil

Walnut Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

honey

dried mustard

prepared dijon mustard

turmeric

thyme

dried onions

Dinner 9/1/09

2009-09-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to September!! Yippee!
These recipes came from one of my favorite's: The Vegetarian 5-ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas. I call this meal "Fancy Rice and Beans."

Gingered Coconut Rice
one can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 garlic cloves
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
salt to taste

Combine 2 cups water with the can of coconut milk, boil. Stir in rice, garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Cover and simmer about 35 minutes.

Garlicky Black Beans
1 TBL olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minces
4 cups black beans, cooked
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro

Heat oil in pan, add garlic ans saute. Add the beans, 1/2 cup of water, and lime juice. Cover over medium heat until a gentle simmer. Mash some of the beans and simmer for another 5 minutes. Top with cilantro.

Tomato Mango Salsa
1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes
1 medium to large mango
3-4 Hatch chilis
several sprigs of cilantro
1 to 2 TBL fresh lime juice

Whack it all together in food processor.

Red Bell Peppers
For some veggies.

Now, i made 6 meals of this because I had 2 food trees to deliver to. So, my price is for 6 meals, not 4.
Total: $46.00

Dinner 8/31/09

2009-08-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

Pasta Salad, Hummous, and Carrots by Holly

Pasta Salad

Pasta

Olives

Sundried Tomatoes

Capers

Salad Dressing

Gouda

Bell Peppers

Parsley

Hummous

Garbonzo beans

Tahini

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Garlic

Cumin

Salt

Carrots

I feel like the last 2 weeks I have finally hit a good balance on cost and preparation time. My inclination is to make overly complicated meals. Slowly but surely I am moving towards meals with fewer ingredients and steps. Cooking for 4 families is definately a learning process!

Total cost for 5 (including food tree delivery) = $32

Dinner 8/30/09

2009-08-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Carmelized Onion, Roasted Pepper, & Goat cheese quiche, Carrot Ginger soup, baguette by Heather

Caramelized onion, roasted pepper, & goat cheese quiche (for 5)-- $ 20
I roasted the peppers, caramelized onions, and just followed a basic quiche recipe using 2% milk (maybe that's why it didn't set well??)

I hope that this was okay for you guys, when I cut into ours it wasn't set very well... we have a really crummy oven, or maybe the roasted pepper had too much liquid???

Carrot Ginger Soup-- $8

Baguette from Central market-- $6

Total cost-- $34

Dinner 8/27/09

2009-08-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Zucchini-Crusted Pizza from The New Moosewood Cookbook

:::I topped this with tomatoes, mushrooms, kalamata olives, bell peppers, goat cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan. I hope the zucchini crust wasn't too much for Mark, Courtney!:::

Shelley's Potato Salad from Vegetarian Cooking for Good Health, by Gary Null

2 cups red potatoes, steamed 15-20 minutes and sliced.
1 cup sliced hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup diced onions
2 tbsp mustard
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I used 1 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
*I also added fresh green beans and corn off the cob

Toss all ingredients together and serve cold or room temperature.

Sweet and Salty Honey Nut Bars

1/3 cup honey
2 cups seeds, nuts, or coconut ( I used a mix of sesame seeds, coconut, almonds, and some macadamia nut meal).

Heat honey on stovetop to soft ball stage (240 degrees), then mix with nuts and press into pan. Refrigerate or freeze, then cut into bars. Store in freezer or refrigerator.

::::This was a little salty for my taste. The macadamia nut "meal" was from some nuts that I bought in the bulk section. I thought I was being clever using it in this recipe, but I think it was mostly salt :(. I also think maybe I should try heating the honey to almost hard ball stage, so that the bars will hold together better.::::