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

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

Enchiladas
I used this recipe for the enchiladas.

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

Black Beans
In the crockpot.

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

Total: $35.00. Not too bad.

Mediterranean Salmon Salad and Buttermilk Potato Salad

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

Mediterranean Salmon Salad
from Martha Stewart Living

12 oz canned salmon

1 celery stalk, diced, leaves reserved

1 tsp lemon zest

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped

S&P

1/4 c. fresh dill

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

Buttermilk Potato Salad

from Martha Stewart Living

3 lbs small red potatoes

1/4 c. plus 1 tsp sour cream

1/3 c. low-fat buttermilk

2 tbsp prepared horseradish

S&P

1/4 c. fresh dill

1/4 c. finely chopped fresh chives

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

Stir all ingredients together.

Potato and Rosemary Bread

Grapes

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

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

Curry Filo Tarts

from the Chopra Center Cookbook

1 tsp plus 1 tsp ghee or olive oil

1 tbsp Braggs or tamari

1 pinch black pepper

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

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

1/4 cup vegetable stock

2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp dill

2 tsp garam masala

4 sheets filo pastry

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

Garlic and Sesame Greens

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

about 4 cloves garlic

Olive Oil

Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Balsamic Vinegar

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

Stovetop Rice Pudding

from the New Moosewood Cookbook

1 cup short-grain brown rice

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

1/2-3/4 tsp salt

3-5 tbsp mix of agave nectar and maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

a dash of nutmeg

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

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

3. Serve at room temp or cold.

Total Cost: 25.50

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

Tomato Basil Soup, White Bean Spread, Bread, Salad

Tomato Basil Soup, not for the feint at heart!

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

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

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

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

Stir-fry with Brown Rice and Spring Rolls

From Holly and Chris

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

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

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

Tangy Vietnamese Sauce
Sirach or Chili Paste, to taste

6 TBSP Bragg

6 TBSP Rice-wine vinegar

3 TBSP Sugar

1 Tsp Ginger

2 Garlic Cloves

1 tsp corn starch

2 TBSP water

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

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

Brown rice

I added some lemon grass to the rice cooker.

Spring Rolls

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

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

Cook rice stick noodles - be careful not to overcook.

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

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

Total Cost = $33

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

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

Cajun Macaroni and Red Beans

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spinach salad with vinaigrette

straightforward.

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

Tomato Sauce

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

Pickled Vegetables

from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen

2 cups distilled white vinegar

2 tbsp. salt

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

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

2 cups cauliflower florets (about half a small head)

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

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

1.2 cup kalamata olives

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

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

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

**I added brocolli in with the cauliflower.