Easter Lunch

Here is our Easter Menu:

Ham
Carrot and Beet Salad
Green Beans
Bunny Pasta Salad
Biscotti
Fruit and Jello Parfaits


Carrot and Beet Salad

carrots and beets from the csa box

Comments: We threw stuff in as we had them, not paying much attention to the measurements. Still turned out great. My mom made the pasta salad, which was yummy, but I don't have a recipe for it. We had the light flesh beets, which are a bit sweeter and less "beety".

Verdict: ****

Ingredients:
3 cups grated carrots
3 cups grated, uncooked beetroots
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
Tabasco sauce to taste
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Serves approximately 6

Directions:
Trim, peel, and grate the carrots and beets. Place the rest of the main ingredients, from garlic to black pepper, in a large salad bowl, add the grated carrots and beets, and toss until well combined.

Taste, adjust the seasoning, and let stand for 30 minutes, if you can, before serving: the beets and carrots will render juices that will make the salad moister. You can add lemon juice to it at the end to make it more moist. :)


Easter Biscotti

Oranges from the csa box

Comments: My mom has been making this biscotti recipe for years. I think she said she got it from a Sunset Magazine, or Better Homes and Gardens, or something like that. Here is the recipe to the best of my knowledge. I recommend not using whole wheat flour and it is really dense and hard to eat.

Verdict: ****

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange peel
3 cups flour (or a bit less)
2 tsp baking powder
cinnamon
raisins

Directions:
Beat 2 eggs and 1 yolk. Reserve egg white for end. Beat in butter and add vanilla and orange peel. Slowly add in flour and baking powder. Add cinnamon and raisins as desired. Shape dough into a bunny, duck or egg shape on a greased cookie sheet. Add additional raisins, shape dough accents, or 'draw' with a fork/knife to decorate your shaped dough. Brush finished product with reserved egg white. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Break off pieces to enjoy with coffee, milk, or tea.

Burgers and Artichokes

Odd combination, I know, but that is what you get when you ask multiple people for the dinner suggestions.

Artichoke, mustard greens, parsley, and green onion from CSA box

Comments: Yum! I also made a butter, lemon, garlic dip for the artichokes that was good, just not the winning dip. :)

Verdict: *****

Hamburgers

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
4 green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

Burger toppings we used:
Sliced tomato
Mustard greens
Sliced cheese
grilled mushrooms
grilled onions
ketchup
mayonnaise

Directions:
Broil 3-4 min each side until done.

Serve on a bun with your preferred toppings.


Artichokes

Ingredients

3 lemons
3 whole artichokes
4 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

Fill a large pot with just 5 cups of water. Squeeze 2 fresh lemons into water. Bring to a full boil over high heat. While water is heating, trim and discard the stems and tough outer leaves of artichokes. Tuck slivers of butter and slices of garlic into artichoke leaves. Drizzle with fresh squeezed lemon.

When water is boiling, place steamer insert in pot and set artichokes in steamer, stem-side down. Cover pot with lid and allow artichokes to steam for approximately 30 minutes, or until tender- can easily pull off a leaf.

While artichokes are cooking, mix together mayo, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and pepper and set aside for dipping the leaves and heart. Enjoy!

Chard Tacos with Lime Cilantro Chicken

Cilantro, limes, chard from csa box
chicken from Sprouts

Comments: I would have made more chard for the tacos, or eaten my children's share. It was really good. We ate the tacos with black beans, guacamole, olives, and salsa. The chicken isn't in the recipe, just had it lying around and figured at least everyone would eat that if the tacos were a disaster. :) I added less red pepper flakes, but might full Tbsp next time

Verdict: ***1/2 All the adults ate it up and wanted seconds. The kids all said they didn't like it, but my 4 year old ate his without complaint (possibly just copying his brother in the protesting?) Also, additional star for my mom, who joined us for dinner.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
3 Tbsp garlic
Juice of 5 small limes
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix together cilantro, oil, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add to chicken and marinate for approximately 5 hours.

Broil 4-5 min on each side or until done.

Let rest for 3 minutes and slice into strips. If desired, drizzle with fresh lime juice.


Chard Tacos

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed and leaves cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch slices
1 pinch salt
12 corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
3/4 cup salsa
Directions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth, Swiss chard, and salt. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until chard is nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to medium, stirring until the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat another skillet over medium-high heat. Warm the tortillas in the skillet for about 1 minute per side. Fill the warmed tortillas with the chard, and top with the queso fresco cheese and salsa.

Orecchiette with Broccoli Liscia

Broccoli Liscia and Unidentifiable greens from csa box
orecchiette - hard to find and unfortunately no whole wheat option

Comments:
I got this recipe off the website for my local csa. I changed it a bit because I didn't feel like measuring. So, the recipe below is an approximation of what we actually ate.

Verdict: ****** (my mom ate with us, hence the additional star)



Orecchiette with Broccoli Liscia

INGREDIENTS
1 cup chicken stock
1 lb orecchiette
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb broccoli liscia
1 lb seasonal greens (perhaps chard or kale or collard)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 lb sweet Italian sausage, cooked & crumbled
3 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated

DIRECTIONS

• Cook the orecchiette in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain well. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. 
• Add the garlic and cook over moderately high heat until golden. Coarsely chop the greens. Add the greens, crushed red pepper and salt; cover and steam for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Stir in the chicken stock, sausage and butter and cook over high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. 
• Add the orecchiette to the skillet and toss gently. 
• Sprinkle half the Parmigiano on top and toss again. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining cheese.

Fontina, Fennel, and Onion Pizza

Fennel from csa box.

Comments: I changed up this recipe that is originally from Martha Stewart. I used a mixture of whole wheat and white flours, doubled the recipe and mixed up the toppings on our pizzas. All in all, I loved that I could make the dough and the onion/fennel earlier in the day and just had to put them together at dinnertime. Also, we did not grill the pizzas as recommended, although it would be even yummier if we had. We used a pizza stone in the oven. I preferred our second pizza, as the original recipe was a bit to bland for my liking. The carmelized onions and fennel were yummy and sweet, but it need a punch of something. I added in the sundried tomatoes but still not enough punch.

Verdict: *****

Fontina, Fennel, and Onion Pizza


Ingredients

Makes 2 18-inch pizzas

2 teaspoon sugar
2 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl and brushing
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces shredded fontina
fennel fronds
extra-virgin olive oil
Sundried tomatoes (not oil packed)
Pepperoni
Sliced olives
Favorite pizza sauce


Directions

Step 1: Pizza Dough

• Pour 1 cup warm water into a medium bowl; add sugar and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, 5 minutes.
• Whisk oil and 1 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until liquid is incorporated (dough will appear dry). 
• Turn out onto a floured work surface. Knead until dough comes together in an elastic ball, 2 minutes. 
• Transfer to an oiled medium bowl; brush lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; set in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, 45 minutes. Punch down dough and cover; let rise another 30 minutes.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces. (To store, refrigerate dough pieces, covered, up to 2 days, or freeze, up to 1 month.) Let rest 15 minutes before using.

Step 2: Caramelized Fennel and Onions

• In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high. Add fennel and onion, and season with coarse salt and ground pepper. 
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes. 
• Uncover, add 1 tablespoon water, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and soft, 2 minutes. (To store, refrigerate, up to 3 days.)

Step 3: Make the Pizza

• Heat oven and pizza stone to 425 degrees. Stretch 1/2 dough into long oval or other desired shape. Sprinkle stone with corn meal (if desired) and then place formed crust onto stone. Brush lightly with olive oil. 
• Bake for 5-8 minutes until starting to brown. Add desired toppings. We used fontina, caramelized onions/fennel mixture, fennel fronds and sundried tomatoes on our first pizza. On our second pizza, we put a light coating of sauce, fontina, caramelized onions/fennel, fennel fronds, and mini pepperoni. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until done. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Fennel and Potato Bake

Potatoes and fennel from csa box. Random cheese assortment that needed to be eaten from my fridge

Comments: I pretty much used the original recipe as a launching pad since I realize now, I really didn't follow it very well. It was quite tasty, so I am not complaining. Just wanted you to know that the original link below and what I actually made are not quite the same. I accidentally omitted the butter from the layers, but did add more cheese intentionally. I think it was all for the best. We are indeed a cheese family.

Verdict: Unclear.  We are not big potato people over here. I don't actually purposefully buy potatoes and never order them when we are out. So, a definite lack of exposure around here. Also, I am not sure if the boys were being truthful when they said they didn't like it. Sometimes they make decisions about things too early and don't change their minds, even after they finish it all. But, I would give it 2 stars if I could, so we'll just say:
   Verdict: ****

Fennel and Potato Bake
a la Martha Stewart


Ingredients

Serves 6

Butter for pan
2 medium fennel bulbs
5 large red potatoes, peeled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup grated cheese (I used a mixture of Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Provolone)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Trim fennel bulbs; halve, and core. Slice bulbs and potatoes very thin (1/8 inch thick).
3. Add potatoes to prepared dish in three layers, alternating with two layers of fennel; season each layer with salt and pepper, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese.  Omit cheese from final layer as it will be added later.
4. Pour cream over top. Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Grapefruit Upside-Down Cake

Grapefruit from CSA box

Verdict: **** (there were 7 of us, and we all liked the cake, but only 4 liked the grapefruit portion)

Comments: I think using another fruit would have made this better. We all loved the spice cake, even with it being whole wheat... but the grapefruit was a tad off-putting for some. I personally liked the combo. I guess it is all personal preference. :) The only modification I made was to exchange the white flour for whole wheat. Oh, and we don't have allspice for some reason, so I used nutmeg.


Grapefruit Upside-Down Cake
a la Martha Stewart
Serves 8

Ingredients:
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 small pink grapefruit
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 4 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch round baking pan. Place the pan in the oven just long enough to melt the butter. Remove pan from oven; scatter 1/2 cup brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
2. With a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit, removing all pith, and slice. Arrange the slices to cover the bottom of the pan.
3. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and allspice. 4. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter until creamy. Add granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar; beat until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
4. Pour batter over grapefruit in pan. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; turn cake out onto serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

Whole-Wheat Butternut Squash Ravioli

Used a butternut squash from our csa box. Our side salad was mixed greens from out csa box, as well.

Comments: Next time, I will use a pasta-maker, or just not do it, because rolling out pasta is a huge P.A.I.N. Also, I used whole wheat flour, which made it especially tough, so next time (if there is a next time) I would add more water to the dough. The filling was too sweet and butternutty for my liking, so adding more ricotta and perhaps a bit of salt and other spices would be a nice addition. Finally, I did a terrible job of measuring for this recipe, so the recipe listed below is my "best guess" plus any modifications based on the end result.

Verdict: **** (**) One child did NOT like the ravioli. The other two children ate it without enthusiasm, which I suppose is good? And, my mom and sister were over, and they liked it, but agree that a pasta maker would be a necessity if I were to do this again. :)


Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli

For the Pumpkin-ricotta filling
1½-2 cups butternut squash, cubed and roasted (400F oven until tender) I used a medium-ish and didn't measure the roasted cubes.
1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Pulse in food processor until smooth
Can be prepared in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use

Pasta with whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup white flour
1 1/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1 Egg
1 egg white
12-16 tbsp water

Mix flours together. Make a well in the center and add eggs and 6 tbsp water. Mix with a spoon until starting to come together, adding more water as necessary. Pasta dough should be fairly dry. Finish mixing dough by hand, gathering it into a ball. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes before working with it. Dough and pasta can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.

Roll dough out very thin (basically as thin as you can manage if you don’t have a hand cranked pasta maker) and cut into strips, depending on how much pasta-to-filling ratio you’d like. Place teaspoonfuls of filling along a strip, cover with a second strip and seal tightly around each ravioli. Be sure to get all the air out of the pocket around the filling. You can wet the pasta strips with a little water around the fillings so they’ll stick together better if your pasta gets dry as you’re working with it. Let ravioli dry on a towel for at least 30 minutes – flip them over to dry both sides - before cooking to avoid clumping. Cook in boiling, salted water for approximately 5-7 minutes (longer time needed for thicker pasta).

Top with melted butter or olive oil, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a handful of toasted pistachios (or pinenuts). Strong sauces will overpower the filling.
Makes 3-4 dozen ravioli, depending on size.

If you have some pasta dough left over, you can also cut the pasta into noodles or shapes. Let pasta dry on a rack or on a towel for about 30 minutes before cooking to avoid clumping. If you’re just making noodles, cook in salted, boiling water for 1-2 minutes.

Frittata and Beet Roesti

Various greens (mustard and broccoli liscia), beets, rosemary from csa box

Frittata comments: would definitely use onions (I HAD green and red onions, and yet, somehow forgot to use them). Also, I would add less salt that I did (which I, of course, did not measure so how will I know???). I could probably have added more greens and will next time. Again, didn't measure... silly me.

Beet comments: I would not say beets are my favorite food, I would never choose them. But, as they come frequently in our csa box, I am always on a search for new ways to eat them. As it was valentine's day, what a great opportunity for something red for dinner. SOOOO... beet pancakes. They were pretty darn good, for beets. I did use 4 small yellow beets and 1 medium red beet. This may have made it slightly more sweet, which was probably good. I really enjoyed eating a bite of beets roesti with a bite of the over-salted frittata... the sweetness counteracted the salty. Perfect.

Verdict: Frittata - ***** Beets: ** (children were bribed with chocolate to finish their beets, and they did, too)



Both recipes from NPR. The recipes below include my changes for "next time".

Frittata
Makes 4 servings
Time: About 30 minutes

• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Broccoli greens, mustard greens, kale, chard, etc.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the butter or oil in a medium-to-large ovenproof skillet, preferably non-stick, and turn the heat to medium. Add onions and saute until just soft. While it's heating, beat together the eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add greens to mixture. When the butter melts, pour the egg mixture into the skillet and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, undisturbed, for about 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the frittata is firm.
3. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake, checking every 5 minutes or so, just until the top of the frittata is no longer runny, 10 to 20 minutes more. (To speed things up, turn on the broiler, but be very careful not to overcook.) Serve hot or at room temperature.

Beet Roesti with Rosemary
Makes 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Trim the beets and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in a food processor or by hand. Begin preheating a medium to large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. Toss the grated beets in a bowl with the rosemary and salt, then add about half the flour; toss well, add the rest of the flour, then toss again.
3. Place the butter in the skillet and heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape the beet mixture into the skillet, shape it into a nice circle, and press it down with a spatula. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom of the beet cake is nicely crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Slide the cake out onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and slide the cake back into the pan. Continue to cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the second side is browned. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Fire Roasted Artichokes

Went for an impromptu trip to Trader Joe's for some milk and eggs and came home $50 poorer... BUT, I did come home with some smallish artichokes. I was immediately inspired to make the roasted artichokes from Claim Jumper that I fell in love with this past week. (As a side note, we went to the Claim Jumper for the first time and it was yummy, a bit more expensive that we are used to, but VERY family friendly. It was a successful evening out.)

Since we were at my mom's house this evening, I didn't use anything from my csa stash or things I had in my fridge. BUT, we did use up my mom's garlic and a bunch of butter. :)

Verdict: *****(**) My mom and sister ate with us and both enjoyed the artichokes.

Comments: I didn't measure precisely and apparently I used too much lemon juice (or it was too lemony) so next time, I would use a lot less. We used dried basil as we had no fresh basil on hand. Also, since we were having ravioli for dinner, we didn't want to fire up the grill JUST for the artichokes, so we faked it with a grill pan. Worked well! I also think that bigger artichokes would have been better/sturdier. The relish was good, but hard to eat with the artichokes with the flimsy leaves. Anyhow, overall a success for everyone.


Fire Roasted Artichokes

Ingredients:
1 large artichoke
1 tablespoon butter, melted

***Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise***
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 dash salt

***Tomato Relish***
1 medium tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced onion
2 basil leaves, minced
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash ground black pepper

Directions:

Roast the head of garlic by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Cut the top off of a head of garlic and cut the bottom (the root end) so that the garlic will sit flat. Remove most of the papery skin from the garlic, but leave just enough to hold the garlic together. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the garlic, then place it in a small oven-safe casserole dish.

Cover it with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour or until the garlic begins to brown.

While the garlic is roasting prepare the tomato relish by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

Prepare the artichoke by cutting about an inch off the top with a sharp knife. Use scissors to clip the thorny tips off of all the outer leaves so no one gets poked. Cut the artichoke in half down through the middle, then bring some water to a boil in a large saucepan to steam the artichokes.

The water should be a couple inches deep in the pan, but not so much as to cover the artichokes. If you have a steamer, that will work as well. When the water is simmering, add the artichokes, cover, and steam for 40 to 45 minutes or until the artichoke is tender. Preheat your barbecue grill to high heat.

Squeeze about 1 tablespoon of roasted garlic from the head and combine it with the mayo, lemon juice and salt. Stir well.

When the steamed artichokes are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scrape out the fuzzy choke inside each half. Brush melted butter over the entire surface of each steamed artichoke half and place each half, flat side-down on the preheated grill. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes or until dark charring marks appear on the face of each half. Serve grilled-side-up with tomato relish (strain the liquid from the relish before serving) and roasted garlic mayonnaise on the side.

Chinese "Hot Drop" Soup

We are not Chinese, but being festive, we decided to have a little Chinese New Year dinner to use up some of the things in my fridge. I love a few different chinese soups. My favorite might be the hot and sour soup. My kids are tolerant of spice, but probably not that much "hot". I also really like egg drop soup and my kids have had this and tolerated it. And... we have a bunch of bok choy... so, I am making a mish mash soup. I know mixing the flavors might turn out to be terrible, but we'll see how it goes. Egg drop soup is so bland, and 2 of my kids are sick, so we might need a little more flavor (like the hot and sour). It will just be an experiment.

Bok Choy from CSA box
tofu left over from potstickers
white onion subsituted for green since we have white on hand
ginger i bought for an orzo recipe, but didn't end up using because we had this instead - plus i have 2 sick kids, and I hear ginger helps.

Verdict: ****** (my mom joined us for the celebration!)

Comments:
I didn't measure anything, but approximated my made-up recipe. I probably added closer to 1/2 cup onion and 3 tsp red wine vinegar, but feel free to make yours how you like it.


Chinese "Hot Drop" Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
8 oz tofu, small cubes
1/4 cup finely diced onion
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
3 heads baby bok choy, leaves only, thinly sliced
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
Bring the chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, red wine vinegar, ginger, bamboo shoots, and the chopped garlic.

Add the bok choy. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, until the bok choy leaves turn dark green and are wilted and tender. Remove soup from heat. Very slowly pour in the eggs in a steady stream. Stir egg in a clockwise direction for approximately 1 minute.

Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta

swiss chard from csa box
all other items in fridge, believe it or not.

Verdict: ****1/2 (the 1 year old ate everything-with coaxing-except the pasta as she still has trouble with long noodles)

Comments: I made modifications to use up some of my ingredients in the fridge... the link below is to the original recipe.

Creamy Swiss Chard Pasta


Ingredients:

1 lb swiss chard
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup fat free sour cream or 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup 2% low-fat milk
1/2 cup romano cheese
8 ounces whole wheat angel hair pasta, cooked according to package

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
1 Wash swiss chard, discard stems, cut leaves into small pieces.
2 Heat oil in large 2 quart saucepan over medium high heat, 1 to 2 minutes.
3 Add swiss chard, garlic and onion; cooking 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4 Add tomatoes, sour cream, milk, parmesan cheese, cooked pasta; stir well.
5 Serve warm.

Vegetable Potstickers and Oriental Cabbage Salad

Cabbage, carrot, and bok choy from CSA box
Also, I made kung pao chicken with some leftover bottled kung pao sauce... cheated there, but used up something in my kitchen. Also, added in the rest of the bunch of green onions used for other recipes, and a green pepper that needed to be eaten soon.

Verdict: ****

Comments: My 1 year old only liked the potsticker wrapper. The rest of us ate it all with grins. The kung pao was just spicy enough for my oldest to complain but he still ate it.... bottled sauce, though, so maybe next time I will opt for making it from scratch or make him suck it up again? The vegetable potstickers were kinda bland, so I might add in a bit more flavor -- perhaps some hoisin sauce, or more soy sauce, or maybe some spices???


Vegetable Potstickers

1 package firm tofu
1 large carrot, shredded
1 cup finely shredded baby bok choy
1/4 c finely chopped water chestnuts
1/4 c finely chopped bamboo shoots
1/4 c finely sliced green onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 package potsticker or gyoza wrappers
2 Tbsp oil for frying dumplings

Directions:
Drain tofu, cut into cubes and mash. Wash and prepare veggies. Combine tofu and the remainder of ingredients. Lay out a wrapper in front of you and moisten edges with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in middle of wrapper. Fold wrapper over filling and pinch edeges to seal. (I highly recommend the "heaping" as the ingredients cooked down and left a lot of noodle with little filling)

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in large skillet or wok. When ready, carefully add dumplings and cook on high heat until golden brown (approx 1 min). Without turning dumplings over, add 1/2 cup of water and cover. Cook for about 1 minute to cook the raw filling, then uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Oriental Cabbage Salad

1 package of chicken flavor ramen noodles
1/2 head of shredded cabbage
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Dressing:
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:
Crush noodles slightly and place in colander. Pour boiling water over noodles to soften slightly. Drain well. In a large bowl, combine noodles, cabbage, onions and sesame seeds. For dressing, combine seasoning packet from noodles, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss. Cover and chill for several hours or overnights. Before serving, stir in almonds.

Mustard Chicken And Orzo Casserole With Dill And Capers

Celery and dill from csa box
chicken tenders used instead of breasts (from Sprouts)

Comments: I used more chicken and orzo to make the dish a two-nighter. :) Ground nutmeg was used instead of fresh (who has fresh nutmeg on hand, anyway?) Also, I found some whole wheat orzo, and used that instead. I had a hard time with the sauce part, but that could be that I had to leave part way through to pick my son up from school and the broth might have chilled too much, or that my butter was not unsalted... or something... Anyway, all turned out well in the end as far as I am concerned. It did take a long time to prepare due to all the steps, so I highly recommend making a large portion (as I did) so that you get multiple meals of enjoyment!

Verdict: *****(**)
My mom gave it a positive review as well as my daughter, who required 2 forks, so as to feed herself just as fast as she possibly could.

Mustard Chicken And Orzo Casserole With Dill And Capers
Gourmet | December 2002
Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 3/4 hr

3 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard
3 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup sour cream
6 celery ribs, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

Special equipment: a 2 1/2- to 3-quart flameproof gratin dish or shallow casserole dish (1 1/2 to 2 inches deep; not glass)

Bring broth to a simmer in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add chicken and simmer very gently, turning once, 6 minutes total. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool and keep broth warm, partially covered.
Melt butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then add flour and cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes. Add warm broth all at once, whisking, and simmer gently, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in cream and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mustards, capers, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and dill (to taste).
Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl and stir in sour cream to make topping.
Shred chicken with your fingers and stir together with remaining sauce in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook celery in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking and return cooking water to a boil. Drain celery in a colander and add to chicken mixture. Cook orzo in same boiling water until just tender, then drain in a sieve.
Stir orzo into chicken mixture, then transfer mixture to gratin dish, spreading evenly. Spoon sour cream topping over top and spread evenly. Bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until heated through and sauce is bubbling around edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
Preheat broiler.
Remove foil from dish and broil about 3 inches from heat until top is speckled with brown spots, 3 to 5 minutes.

Cooks' note:
• Casserole can be assembled (but not baked or broiled) 6 hours ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled, covered with foil. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before baking.

Epicurious.com © Condé Nast Digital, Inc. All

Creamy Tomato Soup

An old favorite. My oldest son LOVES this soup! I make it a lot, so I wanted to include it here as a reference. Not a new recipe for me, but maybe for you!

Comments: I use reduced sodium soups and tomatoes with added spices. You can adjust spices as desired. I also use reduced fat cream cheese, but it does not melt as thoroughly, so you might have white bits in your soup. I have omitted the milk on occasion, and used vegetable broth, and is still quite yummy.

Verdict: *****

Creamy Tomato Soup
(Taste of Home's Quick Cooking -- March/April 2000 issue)

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, cubed


Directions:
In a saucepan, saute onion and butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, soup, milk, sugar, basil, paprika, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Serve immediately. Tastes delicious with grilled cheese sandwiches or bread from our favorite bread store.

Souplantation Broccoli Madness Salad

I found this recipe in a coupon book that came in the mail. I had not even tried the broccoli salad at Souplantation, but will the next time I go in. :)
Comments: I would add less sugar, it really isn't needed. Also, I have tried the recipe with Splenda... wouldn't recommend it!
Verdict: *****


Souplantation's Joan's Broccoli Madness Salad

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 bunch of uncooked broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup cashews
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped red onion

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Mix the broccoli, bacon, cashews, raisins and onions in a large bowl. In a second bowl, beat dressing ingredients together gently until smooth.

About 10 minutes before serving, toss the salad with the dressing to allow flavors to meld.

Apple Stuffed Pork Chops

Pork chops from costco... I made this whole recipe and will freeze the second half for a later date.
Whole wheat panko bread crumbs purchased from Sprouts on sale.
Shallots left over from a previous dinner, and used instead of onions.

Comments: The recipe below includes my adjustments based on the original recipe. I felt there were too many bread crumbs and not enough apple. I had originally intended on including craisins, but forgot when making it. I would DEFINITELY add them next time for that extra punch of flavor. The finished dinner was just delicious... very tender.

Verdict: *****
(I must be on a roll)

APPLE STUFFED PORK CHOPS

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup butter
2 cups whole wheat panko bread crumbs
2 cups chopped apples
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup craisins
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp salt
6-8 thick cut pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large skillet, saute shallots in butter until just tender. Remove from heat and add bread crumbs, apples, celery, parsley, and salt. Mix all together. Cut a large pocket into the side of each pork chop. Season inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon apple mixture loosely into pockets.
3. In skillet, heat oil to medium high and brown chops on both sides. Place browned chops in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish (or two). Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15-20 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Multi-Grain Waffles

Okay, so this is a breakfast, but we often have breakfast for dinner, so here goes:

Ingredients: all on hand, except buttermilk, but we had powdered buttermilk, so worked out well.
Verdict: *****
Comments: I have modified the original recipe but the link is the original recipe. I would definitely make a double recipe next time as this fed our family of 5 perfectly, and I enjoy having leftover waffles for school mornings.

Multi-Grain Waffles

INGREDIENTS
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

PREPARATION
Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Stir eggs yolks, sugar, oil and vanilla into the oat mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; wisk ingredients until moistened. Let batter rest. Meanwhile, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter.
Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-fourths of the surface (about 2/3 cup for an 8-by-8-inch waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Chicken Apple Sausage with Cabbage-Apple Slaw

Chicken apple sausage from Sprouts
Cabbage from weekly csa box
Apples from vons (because we already ate through apples from csa box)

Verdict: *****

Chicken Sausages with Cabbage-Apple Slaw
Dan Roberts By: Erica Policow


INGREDIENTS:
3/4 pound green cabbage, thinly sliced (3 cups) 2 apples, such as granny smith and mcintosh, cut into matchsticks 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup buttermilk 4 teaspoons grainy mustard 2 teaspoons sugar Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 fully cooked chicken sausage links (about 9 ounces), halved lengthwise DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, combine the cabbage and apples. In another bowl, whisk together the vinegar, buttermilk, mustard and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Toss with the cabbage.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Prick the skin side of the sausages with a fork, add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes. Serve with the cabbage-apple slaw.

Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan

Spaghetti Squash from Vons

Comments: Usually I will cook spaghetti squash and serve with marinara, but this meal gets 1.5 stars as I tolerate it and the husband will eat anything. All others dislike greatly. Thought I would try something new. I found this recipe online, but don't recall the source. I have modified it only slightly.

Verdict: *****

Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan

1 large spaghetti squash (6-8 lbs.)
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. Rosemary Garlic Rub (or use other seasoning of your choice)
2 T basil pesto
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash outside of spaghetti squash if it's dirty, then cut squash in half lengthwise. Use a sharp pointed spoon to scrape out seeds and stringy gunk that's around the seeds.

Cut ends off squash if desired, then rub inside surface with a small amount of olive oil and Rosemary Garlic Rub. Put squash on baking sheet and pour 1/4 cup water around bottom of squash. Roast squash, starting to check after about 40 minutes and removing when squash is still firm but strings apart fairly easily into spaghetti-like strands.

Let squash cool a few minutes if needed, then scrape out strands into a plastic bowl and discard skins. Gently mix in pesto and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, then pour squash/cheese mixture into a gratin dish and top with 1/4 cup more parmesan cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes more, until mixture is slightly bubbling and cheese is melted. Serve hot.


Rosemary-Garlic Rub:
4 T sea salt
2 T dried and chopped rosemary
2 T granulated onion
1 T ground black pepper
1 T Mrs. Dash seasoning