CSA - Week 2

As some of you may know, Blogger was down for a few days last week. That, my friends, is my excuse for the frightfully long delay in my posting. Yep. And I'm sticking to it!

So, as my previous post mentioned, our CSA has just recently kicked back into gear. Mr. Maestro and I have renewed our dedication to consuming 100% of our share each week - and so far {after one week} we're doing a great job! Wanna know what I ended up making last week?

Ok, you twisted my arm...

As excited as I was about the Sorrel Pesto, I had a last minute change in my game plan and decided to make this instead:

Sorrel Soup! Want the recipe? Click here
The soup was delicious, although Mr. Maestro and I decided that it would be great as an appetizer - perhaps served as a "shooter" in a shot glass. The taste was lemony and bright...or as I described it: "Green." Definitely worth a try, however, perhaps not the best consumed in large quantities.  I used some of our spring onions in place of the shallots.

We served it with some delicious savory roasted sweet potatoes and spring onions {tossed in olive oil and seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and some garlic powder prior to roasting} and a delicious chicken quarter. Hello, Chicken Quarter! Where have you been all of my {married/cooking} life! You are so CHEAP, and oh so tasty! I rubbed these bad boys down with a bit more oo {olive oil - extra virgin if you must know-  I am refusing to use RR's famous "EVOO" tag-line!}, and then sprinkled with a bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, and some chopped fresh rosemary. They do still have skin {remove prior to eating to reduce Calories and fat}, but I rubbed the spice mixture up under the skin to be sure the meat was flavorful. I cooked @ 350 for about 40 minutes {or until the internal temp reaches 180}.  FEAST!

 And for dessert? Angel food cake with some of those yummy fresh strawberries!

I used the salad greens to make a couple of killer salads - and we enjoyed the fresh baked bread with a few different dinner meals. That wraps up week one of our CSA!

Now, on to week two!

I'd show you what came in our bag, but I seem to have deleted the photo! Oopsies!

I'll tell you instead.

We got more spring onions, more salad greens, more sweet potatoes, some radishes, some fresh rosemary, and a loaf of fresh homemade whole wheat bread!

We love radishes cut up and served with hummus. Want a great hummus recipe? Ok!
Try this one: 5 Minute Hummus

We have baked a few of the sweet potatoes and served with cinnamon {yum!} but we've roasted most of the so far.

The salad greens have made us some more great salads, and the onions have been used both cooked and raw.

I love the aromatic nature of rosemary and I've used it this week to season both meat and vegetables!

I still have a few ingredients yet to use before we pick up week 3 on Thursday!  Can't wait to see what's inside!

Happy National Nutrition Month!

Today, March 1st, marks the first day of National Nutrition Month.  Since 1980, the American Dietetic Association {the worlds largest organization of food and nutrition professionals - with over 70,000 members!} has been the key sponsor of this month-long celebration - which is intended to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.   This year's theme is:

You might wonder what "eating right with color" means. Simply stated, this is a call to return to the basics of healthy eating. When you look at your plate, what do you see? Do you see a plate filled with mostly yellow, brown, and white colors? An easy trick for making your meals more healthy is to fill your plate with a rainbow of {naturally occurring} colors. Different colored fruits and veggies have different health benefits. Here is an easy breakdown of the benefits of each color:

Red produce contains properties that can heart health, increase immunity, maintain vision, and may even reduce cancer risks. Examples of red produce:

• Fruits: cherries, cranberries, pomegranate, red/pink grape fruit, red grapes and watermelon
• Vegetables: beets, red onions, red peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb and tomatoes

Orange and deep yellow produce contain nutrients that support healthy vision and promote immunity, they can also reduce the risk of certain cancers. Examples of orange/deep yellow produce:

• Fruits: apricot, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mango, papaya, peach and pineapple
• Vegetables: carrots, yellow pepper, yellow corn and sweet potatoes

Green fruits and vegetables indicate antioxidant potential and may help promote healthy vision and reduce cancer risks.

• Fruits: avocado, apples, grapes, honeydew, kiwi and lime
• Vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green peppers and leafy greens such as spinach

Purple and blue  produce also have antioxidant and anti-aging benefits and may help with memory, urinary tract health and can aid in reducing the risk of cancer.

• Fruits: blackberries, blueberries, plums, raisins
• Vegetables: eggplant, purple cabbage, purple-fleshed potato

White, tan and brown foods sometimes contain nutrients that may promote heart health and reduce cancer risks.

• Fruits: banana, brown pear, dates and white peaches
• Vegetables: cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, white-fleshed potato and white corn

So what are you waiting for? Tonight for dinner, be sure that your family "eats the rainbow!"

Read more about National Nutrition Month here: American Dietetic Association

Kitchen Hints - circa 1965

Last night, a dear friend of mine lent me a cook book she thought I would find interesting.  The best I can tell, this cook book was published in the 1960s. One of my favorite sections is titled "Kitchen Hints" and it lists dozens of not-so-common-sense tips to help solve some common cooking dilemmas.  Some of my favorites are the tips to "solve" kitchen mishaps that I never considered a mishap! I thought I'd share a few of these helpful tips with you today.

• To make a "perfect" meringue, use room-temperature egg whites and always spread on a hot filling
• When cutting a meringue-topped pie, using a greased knife will keep the meringue from tearing
• Using 8 inch cake pans instead of 9 inch pans will help cakes "look as thick as those advertised in cake ads"
• Use greased muffin tins as molds when baking stuffed green peppers
• Add one grated raw potato with each pound of ground meat for "luscious, juicy hamburger"
• To keep lettuce and celery fresh longer, keep stored in a paper bag instead of plastic
• Onions kept in the refrigerator will not have an odor and there will be no tears when cutting {definitely trying this! "no tears" seems to be a pretty big promise...}
• Notch edges of bacon before cooking to prevent curling {really? I thought bacon was supposed to curl!}
• To keep the yolk in the center of hard cooked eggs, stir eggs while they are cooking 
• Flouring raisins and nuts before adding to batter keeps them from sinking to the bottom
• Boiled over food in the oven or on the stove will not smoke or make an odor if covered with salt
• Sprinkle lemon juice over sliced bananas to keep them from turning black {this also works to keep apples, pears, and peaches from turning brown when sliced}
• When cooking strong-smelling vegetables like cabbage, brussel sprouts, or greens, place a cup of vinegar on the stove near the vegetable and it will absorb the odor
• Frost cupcakes by dipping the top into soft frosting, twirling slightly, and then quickly turning right side up
• Adding bread crumbs to scrambled eggs will improve the flavor and "make larger helpings possible"
• Rub melted butter down the back of a fish to be cooked and the bone can more easily be removed after cooking

Have a happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope that you will take this day to enjoy and appreciate ALL of your valued relationships - not just the romantic ones.

Decadent Valentine's Day Dessert

This year, Mr. Maestro and I decided to stay in for V-day (and celebrate a couple days early) and cook a special meal together. We had a delicious meal, but the best part was dessert. DISCLAIMER - this is not a dietitian approved recipe.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

6 Tbsp butter
3 squares semi-sweet chocolate (cut into pieces)
1/2 cup sugar
6 Tbsp all purpose flour
Pinch salt
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat the inside of 4 ramekins with butter and then sprinkle with sugar.

Microwave butter and chocolate pieces on high for 45 seconds. Stir with whisk until smooth. Add in sugar, and flour - continue to whisk until blended. Next, beat in eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Evenly spoon into the four prepared ramekins. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to bake.

Bake for 13 minutes or until the edges are firm and the middle is still slightly soft. Be careful not to over bake. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen edges with knife and then unmold onto individual serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar.

This is yummy by itself or served with strawberries or raspberries. Mmmmmmm....delish!

Basic Ingredient Substitutions

Sorry, I couldn't think of a catchy name for today's post. I'll keep working on it.

Anyway, on with the show...

How many times have you come home from work with an idea of something you want to make for dinner only to discover {while furiously shuffling through your fridge or pantry, destroying any semblance of organization that ever existed} that you don't have one of the necessary ingredients? This is SO frustrating! Shamefully, dear reader,  my response is often to say "Fine! I didn't want to make ___ anyway! Humph!" {who, exactly, I'm sticking it to, is yet to be determined} The last thing I want to do is get back in the car and go to the grocery store...ugg.

Ingredient substitutions to the rescue!!

I thought I would share some of my favorite ingredient substitutions with you today, if that's alright.

If the recipe calls for:	Use:
1 tsp baking powder	1/2 tsp, baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1 Tbsp cornstarch	2 Tbsp flour
2 egg yolks	1 whole egg
1 cup milk	1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water  or 1/3 cup powdered milk {fill with water to make 1 cup}
1 cup buttermilk	1 Tbsp or lemon juice plus milk to make 1 cup {I use this every time I make buttermilk pancakes - I never have buttermilk on hand} or 1 cup plain yogurt {yes, yogurt!}
1 cup sour cream	7/8 cup buttermilk, or yogurt plus 3 Tbsp butter {for baking} or  cup plain yogurt {for casseroles, dressings, and desserts}
1 cup vegetable oil	1 cup applesauce {great way to reduce the fat in a recipe!}
1 cup sugar	3/4 cup honey, pure maple syrup, or molasses. Also, reduce liquid {milk or water usually} in the recipe by 1/4 cup, add 1/4 tsp baking soda and reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees. This may not yield perfect results in light/airy cakes, but usually works just fine in breads, cookies, and moist cakes.
1 cup margarine, butter, or shortening	7/8 cup oil {olive or canola}
1 square {1 oz} unsweetened coco	3 Tbsp cocoa powder plus 1 Tbsp butter

Happy Friday Everyone!
                            
                          

Quick and Tasty 4 Ingredient Dinner

Tuesday nights are busy at our house. My typical schedule includes going straight from work to the University - where I teach a nutrition course. By the time I get home, Mr. Maestro and I are both STARVING! Unfortunately, if I don't already know what we'll be having for dinner by the time I go to class, I typically remain uninspired - and we end up ordering take-out.  Tonight, I have a plan!

My plan involves using up some more of the gazillion new potatoes I have left over from last years CSA {If you aren't involved in Community Supported Agriculture in your area, I recommend you check it out! Our CSA is from Whitton Farms}. In addition to the potatoes, I'll be using three ingredients I try to always keep on hand: Frozen Tilapia {it is a mild fish that thaws and cooks quickly}, fresh lemon {great to have hanging around to add zing to fish and chicken, to combine with olive oil and red wine vinegar for a delish salad dressing, or for any number of household uses}, and Kalamata olives.

Like the Southwestern Chicken Soup, my recipe inspiration is again from Real Simple.

Roasted Tilapia, Potatoes, and Lemon

What you'll need:

• One pound of new potatoes, halved or quartered {quarters will cook faster}
• 1 lemon, sliced thinly
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp dried thyme {or 8 sprigs fresh thyme} 
• 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil 
• Salt and Pepper {I prefer to use sea salt  or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper }
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted {here's  how to pit an olive}
• 4 6oz skinless tilapia fillets {thawed, if frozen}
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Here's how:

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, lemon, thyme, 2 tablespoons oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer.
3. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Toss the olives with the potato mixture; nestle the fish in it. Drizzle the fish with the remaining oil and season with paprika and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
5. Continue to roast until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp and the fish is opaque throughout, 12 to 15 minutes.

To balace out the meal, serve with a small green salad.  Tasty!

Real Simple Recipes

My fish is already thawing in the refrigerator and Mr. Maestro will prep the potatoes when he gets home from work so they can start roasting. When I get home from class, we'll just throw the remaining ingredients together and pop them in the oven for the final 15 minutes.  What are your favorite quick and easy meals?

Need a last minute Appetizer?

If you are like me, you may have plans to gather with friends tonight to watch the Super Bowl.  If you haven't thought about what to bring until now, you're in luck! You still have plenty of time to whip something up that tastes great and only requires a few ingredients. You can make this dip ahead of time and refrigerate it, or make it right before the party starts.  Yum!

Mexican Layer Dip:

1 can refried beans {fat free - no need for the added lard in the original recipe}
1 tsp cumin
generous 1/3 cup sour cream
chopped or diced olives {optional}
salsa {or individual ingredients such as chopped chilies, tomatoes, cilantro, etc}
cheese {you can use shredded cheddar, colby-jack, or Mexican blend}


Mix the can of beans with the 1 tsp cumin. If you don't have cumin on hand, you could use taco seasoning as well.

Next, spread the beans into your serving dish. I typically use a tart or pie plate, but both have mysteriously broken or disappeared in the past 6 months and I have yet to replace them. I'm using a 9x9 Pyrex serving dish.

Now, add your olives. Spread evenly over the bean and cumin mixture.

Now, add your salsa -or if you are like me, you can add some of the salsa-esque individual ingredients. 

I am adding green chilies here.

Remember to spread each ingredient evenly over the whole surface of the dip. You want each bite to taste consistent with the next.  Now add the sour cream.

Once that is spread on top, add your pre-grated cheese {or grate the cheese on top}. Just add enough to cover the top. 

Next top with tomatoes {this step is optional if you added salsa under the sour cream layer}. If you have fresh cilantro on hand, it will look nice sprinkled on top. I didn't - so I used a bit of dried cilantro.

That's it! 

Pop it in the refrigerator until time to eat. I'm serving mine with Frito's Scoops {I like that they are made with only three ingredients: corn, corn oil, and salt. This doesn't make them "healthy" - but choosing foods made with fewer REAL ingredients does tend to be healthier for our bodies then pumping them full of unpronounceable preservatives.}

I know I've been a bit recipe heavy this week, but I've got several projects in the works. Stay tuned next week for a DIY throw pillow tutorial as some simple DIY gift ideas. 

Happy Sunday!

To Broth or Not to Broth - there is NO question!

Broth, of course!

If you've never made your own chicken, vegetable or beef broth before, I'd encourage you to give it a try! Sure, every now and then I find myself picking up a box or two of broth to have on hand {if I buy it, I prefer to buy the organic low sodium broths}, but if I have a choice, I will ALWAYS choose to use home made broths for cooking. They add a wonderful depth of flavor, are lower in sodium {my fingers swell just thinking about store-bought broth!}, are money savers, and are really very easy to make. The only trick is remembering to make it when you have the appropriate items on hand and to remember the three "Rules of Broth".

Here are the rules:
1. Start with COLD water
2. Don't stir the broth!
3. Don't let the broth boil

And here are the basic items:
Chicken bones {rember that rotisserie chicken we used here? I use the whole carcass}
Enough cold water to cover the bones
That's it - those are the basics!

If you have these on hand, they are nice to add:
1 large white or yellow onion. I've used red too, but it can give a slight purple hue to the broth. It's totally fine, it just may look wierd.
2 medium carrots, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cleaned and cut into one inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

If you are feeling adventurous -
Add any other veggies {yellow squash and zucchini are great} that are about to go bad in your fridge. You do NOT want to use starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, or beans - they will make the broth cloudy. Also, if you use things like tomatoes, expect a reddish orange colored broth. Don't use lettuces either, but cabbage would be fine.

If you are feeling fancy -
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 parsley stems, crushed
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

• Once you have all your ingredients gathered, place the bones in a large stock pot {at least 8 quart} and cover with cold water.
• Bring the water to just under a boil {a few bubbles is fine, just try to avoid a rolling boil} and then immediately turn the heat down to a simmer. You can stop here for the most basic broth. If you have the optional ingredients (veggies, herbs, etc), add them now.
• Continue to let the stock simmer for at least 4 hours {I often let mine simmer overnight}. Remove from heat.
• Strain the stock through a collander to remove the bones, and then again through a fine mesh strainer to remove any other particles.
• Place the now strained broth in a sink full of ice water to rapidly reduce the temperature {to avoid prolonged time in the temperature danger zone} and then place in the refrigerator. I do this in the morning and then when I get home from work in the afternoon, I take it out of the fridge and remove the fat layer from the top {it will solidify with the cool temp and be easy to remove}.
• Measure out 2 cup quantities and put into quart sized freezer bags. Place the bags flat in the freezer {if you have room to lay them on a cookie sheet in your freezer that is the easiest}. Once they are frozen solid, stack them on up!

To make beef broth, substitute beef bones for the chicken bones.
To make veggie broth, add more veggies and follow the same steps.

The longer you let the broth simmer, the more the flavor will develop.

It may seem like a lot at first, but really it's just a  few steps, spread out over several hours. There is no such thing as whipping up a batch of broth; but just because it isn't fast, doensn't mean it isn't easy!

Oh yeah, you can make this in a crock pot too!


Do any of you make broth? How do you do it?

What's For Dinner?

Brrrr! It's cold outside! 

If you're like me, nothing says cold weather comfort like a nice steamy bowl of soup. On a day like this {with MORE expected snow tonight - what is up with this weather?!}, I thought it would be timely to share with you, dear reader, one of my favorite {and healthy!} soup recipes.  The best part about this recipe? Besides the fact that it's mouth-watering good, it's also SUPER easy, and DELIGHTFULLY quick!  Rotisserie chicken and cannellini beans {white kidney beans}make this a protein rich and fiber packed soup, and the added avocado chunks add some heart healthy fats. YUM! 

 I can't claim ownership of this recipe (just some modifications). 

You can find the original recipe here: Southwestern Chicken Soup

Here's what you need:

• 2 cans Cannellini Beans {rinsed and drained}
• {bonus tip, did you know that rinsing off your canned beans removes over 1/3 of the sodium! Yippee!}
• 1 12-16 oz jar Salsa Verde {the more authentic the brand, the better the taste!}
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded {skin removed, of course. Save the bones for broth!}
• 3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth {home made is the best. Don't know how? I'll teach you!}
• 1-2 tsp cumin

• Chopped cilantro, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream to garnish. Tortilla chips.

Pour the salsa into a deep saucepan or stockpot. Stir while cooking over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Next add the broth, chicken, cumin, and beans. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes.

Divide into bowls (makes 6-8 servings) and top with dollop of sour cream, chopped avocado, and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips. Mmmmm Mmmmm Good!

Real Simple