Bell Pepper Deliciousness!

As a kid I hated bell peppers! Every time my mom would make Spanish rice with peppers I would cringe.  Well, I hate to admit it, but now I love them!!!  But I must clarify, I love my organic bell peppers, the ones from the store are so flavorless, bitter and give me a stomach ache.  So imagine my delight when I saw this week I had gorgeous bell peppers to enjoy!  These peppers are just so amazing.  One recipe I had wanted to try for years is stuffed peppers.  The only problem was most recipes had meat in them or were weak on flavor.  This inspired me to make a vegetarian version (for those of us who are too lazy to cook meat in the summer!) and I think you will really enjoy this Mediterranean style stuffed pepper. :)   In my version I have used bulgar wheat.  This grain is high in protein and a delicious replacement for ground meat in this dish since it has a similar texture.  The best thing about it is that you cook it like you do couscous.   Simply pour boiling water over it, put a lid on it and let it absorb for a little while.  Very simple.  Happy eating!

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350
4 bell peppers
1 cups bulgar wheat
1/2 red onion (or yellow if you don;t have red) finely chopped
2 small/medium zucchini, chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, or one big tomato chopped
handful of chopped parsley
2 carrots grated
15 kalamata olives, cut in fourths
6 oz. crumbled feta cheese
4 TBSP.  grated quattro fromage, or other grated cheese
1 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Begin by cutting the tops off the peppers and cleaning out the inside.  I like to slightly cut the bottoms of the peppers to make them stable in the pan.  Then spray a 9 in square pan with oil and place the four peppers in the pan.
2. Prepare the bulgar wheat. Place 1 C. of bulgar wheat in a saucepan and pour 1 1/2 C. boiling water over the bulgar and put the lid on for about 20-30 minutes to soak.
3. Saute the onion, zucchini, tomato, and carrots until cooked.  Stir in parsley, bulgar wheat, olives and feta and stir until well combined.  Then turn down the heat to low, out the lid on the pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
4.Stuff the peppers with the mixture.  Be sure to really stuff them.  Then top with a tablespoon of grated cheese. 
5. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

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!