Cauliflower Summer Squash Tomato Curry

Light Summer Dinner

In an effort to eat up all my summer squash and not do it in the ordinary way (read fried zucchini), I combined a delicious cauliflower tomato curry dish with some squash as well as a few other items from this week's box.  It proved to be a DELICIOUS summer lunch/dinner meal!

Cauliflower Summer Squash Tomato Curry

1- medium onion
slivers of fresh ginger to taste (I used about a pinkie sized piece and sliced it into tiny match stick pieces)

     Saute above in about a teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt for about 10 minutes.
     Then add:
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. allspice
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

     Saute for about 5 minutes.
     Stir in;
1/2 c. water
1-2 chopped summer squash
1 head of cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces (I tried to make the squash and the cauliflower about the same size)
1/2 tsp. salt

     Cover and cook over medium heat or until cauliflower is tender. (about 10 minutes)
     Stir in:
4 c. pureed stewed tomatoes, or 1- 1lb 14oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 c. baby spinach (or chopped spinach)

     Serve over hot rice.  Will be a little soupy, so serve in bowls.

I enjoy my curry very spicy, so I added red pepper flakes, and if you like a more curry flavor, I would double all of the spices.

Veggies as dessert!

Carrot cake to indulge!

It's fairly easy to have vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the challenge comes when trying to incorporate my CSA veggies into dessert.  Always up for a challenge, I decided to start first with an easy veggie dessert, carrot cake.  When I searched through familiar recipes (including my grandmother's decadent recipe from the 1950's), I realized that carrot cake was perhaps the most over sugared and fatrfilled cake out there.  All recipes contained 2 or more cups of sugar and 1-2 cups of oil... simply too much to enjoy eating, plus the shock my body would have when consuming.  I decided to convert my grandmother's recipe to a modern day healthy version that doesn't taste flavorless and like rubber.  Luckily, it was very simple!  I promise you WILL NOT miss the sugar and oil and will be bringing this cake to your next gathering!

Simply Carrot Cake        (Preheat oven to 350)

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (plus 1/2 tsp. each of other spices of your choice- nutmeg, cardamon, allspice, etc)
     Mix above ingredients in a LARGE bowl and whisk to remove lumps.
     In a separate bowl combine:
1 c white sugar
1 1/2 c. nonfat yogurt (I used the TJ's organic nonfat European style)
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon

     Mix together and mix into dry ingredients until combined, do not over mix.
     Fold in:
2 c. grated carrots
1- 8 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice.
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Pour into 9 X 13 greased pan.
Bake 35-50 minutes depending on oven, I started checking for done-ness at 35 minutes.  Look for dark golden on the top.  It's great if you cook it in a glass baking dish so you can see how it's progressing.

I made this simple poured icing.  I only used 2/3 of the recipe to keep it lighter, but if you like icing, you'll love this!

Lemony Poured Icing

1 block reduced fat cream cheese (room temp.)
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
3 c. powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients with mixer.  Pout over carrot cake.  Enjoy!!!