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!!!

Summer Veggie Love!

Summer Soup!

This summer I had the great fortune of traveling over much of the Midwest.  It was a very fun and HOT trip!   On my travels I was inspired to try new foods and recipes.  One highlight from my trip was a stop for lunch at the Moosewood restaurant, AKA vegetarian mecca. :)  I had an amazing meal and bought a cookbook with some delicious recipes!  Upon arriving at home I also purchased a few more of Mollie Katzen's books and below you will find two recipes I found to be too yummy for words...

Gazpacho

This recipe is based on Mollie Katzen's recipe in the New Moosewood cookbook.  I made alterations according to what veggies I had in my CSA box.

The best part of this recipe is that it requires no cooking and is refreshing on a hot summer day! 

Best served with fresh crusty bread and butter.


4 cups tomato juice or pureed stewed tomatoes
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, finely minced (or pressed through a garlic press)
1 bell pepper, finely diced
2 green onions, minced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely diced
2 cups fresh diced tomato

juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. fresh, mined parsley
1 TBSP. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste (I prefer the hot sauce from Trader Joe's, made with just red ripened jalapenos!)

Combine all ingredients, puree to desired consistency, ENJOY!!

Marinated Cold Cauliflower Salad (taken from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest)

This is a surprisingly delicious, refreshing cold salad.  It's perfect for a summer picnic since it has no eggs or mayonnaise in it.

First, make this marinade to cook the cauliflower in:

1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. water
3 large cloves of garlic
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves

1 medium cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces (head about 6-7 inch diameter)

Combine all the ingredients above and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender (not soft).

Remove cauliflower with slotted spoon, put into serving dish, cover and chill until cold.

Meanwhile, prepare the following ingredients:

1/2 c. finely minced red onion
1/2 c. minced fresh parsley
handful of minced fresh basil
1 medium carrot, grated

When cauliflower is cooled, toss with other ingredients and serve.  You will be pleasantly surprised!

 

The Ultimate Veggie Pizza!

Let's face it, pizza is one of the best things to have for dinner... and lunch... and breakfast.  But, pizza isn't always the most healthy choice.  In an attempt to create a healthier version of pizza that is a flavor explosion in your mouth, I successfully created "the Ultimate Veggie Pizza!" 

Yes, my friends, it is no oxymoron.  Veggies and pizza do get along.  (And please note, I'm not counting black olives as veggies like some pizza joints do!)  I must admit, I got some inspiration from the amazing food blog Budgetbytes.  I'd like to think this version is even better, (mostly because it has cheese!), but you can be the judge!

The Ultimate Veggie Pizza!

• Pizza Crust (I use Martha Stewart's recipe, but Trader Joe's dough is a great substitution, and you can get whole wheat!)
• 1/2 cup hummus
• 1 leek- slice thin and washed
• 3 summer squash- sliced thin (I used zucchini and crooked neck yellow)
• 1/2 cup Italian cheese blend
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (if using a pizza stone, put stone in oven before heating)

1. Roll out dough to desired shape, brush with a little olive oil.
2. Spray a saucepan with oil, saute leeks.  (I also season them with some salt and pepper)
3. Remove leeks when wilted and some are golden brown.  Spray again with oil and add squash, saute until light golden, or cooked.  Also, be sure to season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread hummus on pizza.  Place one layer of squash over hummus.  Sprinkle half of the cheese.  Put another layer of squash, sprinkle remaining cheese, then sprinkle cooked leeks over the top.  (If you want to add more cheese, please do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
5. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden on edge of crust.

ENJOY!!!

PS.  This pizza was EXCELLENT for breakfast the next morning!

I can practically smell summer!

Got Veggies?

Over the past few weeks life has gotten quite hectic!  As a middle school teacher nearing the end of the school year, my days are full!  Some days it seems I cannot get one moment to sit down to relax, let alone prepare some fabulous meal.  It's days like this that I fall back on time tested favorites like Creamed Spinach/Chard over rice, or basic salads highlighted with roasted pickled beets and cheese, or my new favorite kale pizza.  But even old favorites start to get boring, especially when I see all the wonderful veggies missing out on great recipe opportunities each week.
Fortunately, some of my students have been participating in a program with Join the Farm! called Rooted Futures.  In this program my students are given access to healthy foods through field trips, special guests, and projects... opportunities that would not be available to them otherwise.  Their enthusiasm and genuine excitement about eating "greener" has certainly renewed my own enthusiasm for seeking out new and exciting ways to prepare food from my CSA box.  If you have the opportunity to ever help out with a school garden or wellness program in your area, I encourage you to do so.  It may change your life... just sayin'!

With my renewed excitement, I ran across a delicious carrot slaw and a wonderful risotto.  Both started as recipes from Everyday Food and Cooking Light, but I slashed and modified to meet my CSA box needs.  Enjoy!

Carrot Slaw

(I served this with baked buttermilk chicken, and it was amazing!  Basically soak your chicken- breasts or cut up chicken- in buttermilk with a splash of hot sauce, then dip into a mixture of equal parts flour and Parmesan cheese with a little black pepper and dried thyme.  Bake at 400F for about 35min. or until golden brown.)

1/4- 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
3-4 carrots, grated
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
Juice of 1-2 limes (or lemons)
1/4 c. chopped cilantro and/or parsley (a combo of the two is great!)
1/2 tsp. cumin
drizzle of good quality olive oil (to your taste and diet specifications)
1/4-1/2 c. golden raisins

Combine all ingredients.  Let sit a few minutes so the raisins plump.  Best the next day and serve with baked buttermilk chicken.  This is also a great picnic food for summer, since there are no eggs or mayonnaise.

Risotto with Greens

4 C vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large leek, thinly sliced, soaked to remove grit, dried on a towel
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 small zucchini, sliced thin
4-5 handfuls greens... kale, chard, spinach (chopped)
1/4 c. Romano cheese, or Italian shredded cheese blend
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 C uncooked Arborio rice

1. Bring broth to a simmer in small saucepan (do not boil); keep warm over low heat.
2. heat large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and cook zucchini until cooked through and slightly browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add leeks and saute until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. (You can add a little salt at this point)
4. Add rice, garlic and cook, stirring, for one minute.
5. Stir in wine and scrape pan to loosen brown bits.  Start adding broth, 1 C. at first, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed.
6. Continue adding broth 1/2 C. at a time, stirring constantly.
7. Once all broth is used, remove from heat, add zucchini and chopped greens, stirring until they wilt.  Top with cheese and serve.

I enjoy this risotto with a light white summer wine mixed with some seltzer, for a lovely late spring/summer meal.

Holy Kale!

Confession time... the first time I got a CSA box I had to look up what the mysterious, bumpy, green-leafy thing was!!!??? I'd like to say I fell in love quickly with kale, but it took a while for us to become "friendly" with each other.  Now, thankfully, we are well acquainted, and I can say that my week never feels the same without a bit of kale.  I'm thinking that the folks at Join the Farm! heard my heart longing for kale and decided to play a joke on me and give me three weeks worth!  Good thing I love this stuff! :)

Kale is now the "in" food... every food publication on the planet features some sort of kale recipe, food television programs tell about the benefits of kale, and even movie stars are singing it's praises.  I'm concluding that I am super "hip" because I am totally down with kale.

The easiest place to start is kale chips, but if you don't cook them right they can taste slightly like old shoes.  I prefer to saute it and throw it in all sorts of pastas and casseroles.  It really is a simple veg to add to anything to give it a nutritional boost! (Haven't tried it in brownies yet, but thinking I might soon!) Today I'm enjoying it chopped up into tiny pieces in my egg-white egg salad sandwich. YUM-O!  But my new comfort food is creamed kale.  Super easy and the recipe can be used for spinach and Swiss chard.

Creamed Kale and Brown Rice

1 bunch kale de-stemmed and chopped
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 TBSP olive oil (or more, depending on your dietary needs
2 TBSP flour
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. 1/2 and 1/2
salt to taste
(additional flavor options... curry powder, red pepper flakes for kick, zatar seasoning for more middle eastern flavor)
Brown Rice - cooked (I cheat and use the Organic frozen cooked brown rice from TJ's)

1. First, put olive oil and minced garlic in a skillet (I like to use a deep one with a lid), cook on medium heat until garlic is sizzling...
2. Next, sprinkle the flour over the oil/garlic and, using a wooden spoon, saute the flour for about one minute.  (This process helps to make your milk thicken in the next step.)
3. Pour the cup of milk and 1/2 and 1/2 (you can do a whole cup of milk of you don't have any 1/2 and 1/2, the 1/2 and 1/2 just makes it slightly richer), and whisk briskly until four is combined.  Simmer over medium heat until it starts to thicken.  This is a good time to add additional herbs and/or seasonings. 
4. Add chopped kale and stir to combine.  I like to put the lid on my skillet at this point to let the kale wilt and cook into the sauce.
5. Serve over brown rice, add salt to taste!  I hope it becomes your new comfort food!

Spring Boxes Have Arrived!

Welcome Spring!

I don't know about you, but this week's box blew me away!  Sometimes I feel like the Join the Farm! folks are in my head (which may be a scary place to be, they may want to get out quick!) :)... Before I get into all the exciting things I am (hopefully) going to make with this week's box, I thought I'd take this opportunity, since it is the beginning of a new season, to tell you how I eat an entire box each week, by myself. 

First, you need to know that I do have people over for dinner frequently, so that helps me out, and when I have an abundance of something I do try to gift it to someone I know will use, need, or appreciate it.  I use those "abundance" times as an opportunity to feel giving, and less wasteful.  Also, I do a lot of preserving and pickling to make sure I have some items on hand for when they are not in season and I get a craving for tomatoes in April, or broccoli in July.

Each week when I get my box, I treat it like a present that someone has given me, (and really it is!).  I never peek inside until I get home, get into my comfy clothes, (read put on standard yoga pant uniform), and make sure that my kitchen and sinks are clean,and clear of dishes/garbage.  I find that when there is less chaos, I can really enjoy and appreciate the box.  The other thing I do is block time on Wednesdays for ME. It is my time for me to prep my veggies and it is VERY important.  No meetings allowed.  (It's also a great time to do other things for myself, like a pedicure/manicure, face mask, or television show that is a guilty pleasure (Dance Moms!). 

I begin by filling my sink with cool water and placing dish towels on the counter.  I always being with the greens and the lettuces.  Separating the leaves and soaking for a few minutes.  I recently learned a trick from Rachel Ray about how to separate the tough stems from the leaves of the kale and Swiss Chard.  In one hand hold the bottom of the stem and then with your other hand put the stem between your index and middle fingers and pull quickly.  It really works and saves TONS of time.

I then wash and prep everything for cooking that week.  This saves lots of time and I actually use the items when they are ready.  I use ziplocks, and some really great veggie keepers made by Progressive, but the trick is to use freezer ziplocks with the slider closure, these can be rinsed, turned inside out and dried to be used again.  I can use the same baggie for an entire season.  This cuts down on cost and waste.

Another thing I do to limit waste s to make veggie stock with my cuttings.  I simply fill a large stock pot with the cuttings, add a roughly cut onion, a few cloves of garlic, some salt to taste and perhaps a few dried hers if I need to.  Then add water and simmer on medium low for about 30-45 minutes.  When the cuttings are cooked down pretty well, you can strain the liquid and you have the most delicious organic veggie broth!  I haven't bought veggie broth in years, and it's saved me TONS of money.  I found some plastic (BPA free) containers made by Ball that are for the freezer.  They come in many sizes and stack nicely in the freezer for veggie broths.

Here is a great recipe from budgetbytes.blogspot.com that I LOVE!
http://www.budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/03/kale-swiss-tomato-pizza-522-recipe-131.html
Kale Pizza
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Pizza Dough (either homemade or store bought)
2TBSP Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic (minced or paste)
6 oz Mmozzarella cheese
2 oz. Parmesan cheese
1 large bunch of kale
1-2 tomatoes or a handful of dried tomatoes (if using dried tomatoes, rehydrate by pouring boiling water over them and letting them steep for a few minutes)

1. Begin by rolling out dough into pizza shape you prefer.
2. Brush pizza dough with combination of olive oil and minced garlic.  (I also add 2 frozen basil cubes from TJ's)
3. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese on the pizza.
4. Saute kale (de-stemmed) in a skillet with a spray of olive oil and, if you want, more minced garlic.  Saute until wilted, then place on the pizza.
5. Cover kale with remaining cheeses and top with tomatoes (or other veggie toppings you enjoy).
6. Bake until crust is golden.
ENJOY!

It really is delicious!!!