Kale and Chard Salad

 

Here is a yummy sounding recipe for Kale and Chard Salad shared by one of our co-op members.

Add to this basic recipe candied pecans (lightly sauteed with butter and sugar) and gorgonzola cheese..or get creative to mix it up!

(Makes 6 servings)

1 8- to 12-ounce bunch chard, thinly sliced
1 8-ounce bunch kale, thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly squeezed Satsuma mandarin juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 or more Satsuma mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented (about 2 cups)

1 Start the salad the day before it is to be served; the greens need time to tenderize a bit. I do the chiffonade thing with the chard and kale, stacking and rolling the carefully washed and dried leaves and slicing them thinly into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons with either a chef’s knife or Santoku.

2 In small bowl, whisk together the juices, sugar and salt; then whisk in the oil. In 3-quart bowl, combine chard, kale and dressing. Cover and refrigerate until next day. Two hours before serving, toss greens and add Satsuma mandarin orange segments.

Enjoy!!!

Fiesta Vegetarian Chili & Pepper Jack Corn Bread

Fiesta Vegetarian Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper chopped

1/2 yellow pepper chopped

1/2 orange pepper chopped

3 large jalapeño chilies, seeded, minced (make sure to leave the seeds out unless you really like the heat!)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

3 cups organic vegetable broth

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans

1 15-ounce can black beans

1 15-ounce can pinto beans

1 cup bulgur wheat

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream

1.  Heat the olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.

2.  Add onion, carrots, bell peppers, and jalapeños and sauté until the onion and carrots are almost tender.

3.  Add the spices and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

4.  Add tomatoes, vegetable broth, beans.  Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-high cover and cook for 30 minutes.

5.  Add bulgur and cook uncovered, until bulgur is tender and mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes.

6.  Ladle chili into bowls. Top with a shredded cheddar cheese and a bit of sour cream.

Enjoy!!

Pepper Jack Corn Bread

1 1/4 cup stone ground corn meal

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

3 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9 x9 inch pan or even better a cast iron skillet!!

2. Whisk together dry ingredients.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and buttermilk (see note below for a great trick if you don’t have buttermilk!)

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

5. Fold in melted butter and shredded cheese.

6. Pour batter into the pan or skillet.

7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean…about 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Note on Buttermilk:  I never have buttermilk on hand so I finally did some research and found this great substitute.

Mix 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and allow to stand for five minutes. This mixture can be used as a buttermilk substitute.  How Cool!!

Bananas, Bananas, Bananas

I’m not sure why but the little monkeys in our house didn’t eat all of the bananas this week so I had a chance to get creative. Last night we devoured Brown Sugar and Rum Sauteed Bananas over vanilla ice cream and this morning the Island Spice Banana Muffins are in the oven for breakfast. They smell so delicious! Hope you enjoy these recipes the next time you have some extra ripe bananas!

Brown Sugar and Rum Sauteed Bananas

4 tablespoons butter
4 ripe bananas sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup dark rum (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced bananas and coat with butter.
3. Add the brown sugar and continue to cook for a few minutes until the sugar is melted into the bananas and butter.
4. Add the rum and continue to cook until the sauce is cooked down into a thick sauce.
5. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!!

Island Spice Banana Muffins

Island Spice Banana Muffins

8 tablespoons butter

1 cup natural sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 ripe bananas mashed

1/2 cup organic milk

2 cups white-whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons ground flax meal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth.

3. Scrape down the bowl and add eggs, milk, bananas and spices.

4. In a separate bowl mix together the remaining dry ingredients and then gently stir them into the butter-sugar mixture.

5. Spoon the batter into 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Sprinkle a bit of sugar or cinnamon-sugar over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!! (We did!!)

Onion Soup

This is a wonderful Onion Soup that uses a chicken broth base and thyme to create a soup that is a bit lighter than traditional beef based Onion Soup. This recipe can also be made vegetarian by changing the base to vegetable stock.

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large yellow onions

1/2 cup dry sherry

1 1/2 quart chicken broth

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons seasalt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

grated Parmigiano-romano

1. Preheat a heavy bottom saucepan. Add the oil. Stir in onions.

2. Reduce heat and allow the onions to brown evenly, caramelizing the natural sugars. Don’t let them burn.

3. Add the sherry and deglaze the pan, incorporating any browned bits of onion.

4. Pour in the stock, herbs and seasonings. Stir together and bring to boil.

5. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for about twenty minutes.

6. Serve with a sprinkling of grated cheese…or top with crostini and cheese and place under broiler to melt.

Enjoy!!

Cranberry Teabread

Here is a wonderful recipe for a delicious cranberry~orange quick bread that will use any cranberries you might have left from last week and the yummy fresh oranges from this week. When I am attempting to make things a bit healthier for my little ones I use Whole Wheat or White Whole Wheat flour instead of white flour and I also add 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed meal. This recipe is hearty anyway so it can stand up to the heavier wheat flour. Either way it is delicious…Enjoy!

Cranberry Tea Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
¾ cup orange juice
Orange rind from 1/3 of an orange
¾ cup walnuts
1 cup cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour a loaf pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and mix well. Add the orange juice and sifted dry ingredients and stir together.
3. Chop the orange rind in a food processor, then add walnuts and cranberries and process until just chopped.
4. Add mixture to the batter. Pour into loaf pan.
5. Bake for about one hour (check at 45 and 50 minutes)
6. Cool before slicing.

Enjoy!

From: The Black Dog: Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook

Morning Glory Zucchini Bread

Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard  is one of our favorite inspirations. This beautiful farm is home to one of the most fabulous “produce stands” I have ever visited. Everyday there is a line out the door waiting for their incredible, fresh baked cookies, pies, breads and quiches. Their Zucchini Bread is the best! Enjoy!!

Morning Glory Zucchini Bread

2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 9×5′ bread pans with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

Beat sugar into the mixutre until thoroughly creamed.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder,salt and cinnamon. Mix until well blended.

Pour batter evenly into pans.

Bake for approx. 1 hour, or until the bread is brown and springs back when gently pressed.

From : Morning Glory Farm and the family that feeds an island, by Tom Dunlop

Almond Milk Blueberry Pancakes

Almond Milk Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½  cups all-purpose organic flour
• 3 tablespoons organic sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed meal
• 1 ½  teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½  cups almond milk
• 3 tablespoons melted organic butter plus more for cooking and serving.
• 2 large organic eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Organic Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• Pure Maple Syrup

 

• Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, except the blueberries.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk together until just mixed.
• Melt a small pat of butter in a griddle pan over medium heat.
• Spoon ¼ cup of pancake batter into the pan for each pancake. Place as many blueberries as you wish into the pancakes. (Our girls like to make smiley faces!)
• Cook until the batter begins to bubble up and bubbles begin to pop on the surface of the pancakes.
• Flip the pancakes and cook for a few more minutes until golden brown.
• Serve with a pat of butter and maple syrup.
• Enjoy!

 

This recipe will work just as well with regular organic milk. We began to use Almond milk because our daughter Sage can’t have milk, but now we like these pancakes even better!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Butternust Squash Soup

(This recipe is not exact. Adjust amounts to taste.)

Ingredients

butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes

onion cut into 1 inch cubes

apple cut into 1 inch cubes

garlic cloves

chicken or vegetable broth

half & half or light cream (optional)

olive oil

curry powder

sea salt

black pepper

preheat oven to 425 degrees

toss butternut squash, onions, apples and garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper

place in roasting pan in a single layer..roast for 35-40 minutes.

puree the roasted vegetables in a food processor with a bit of broth

 place puree inot a soup pot and mix in broth to a consistency of your liking

add 1/2 – 1 tespoon of curry powder, sea salt and black pepper to taste

heat to simmering

turn off heat and add in cream

Enjoy!!

 

Roast Cauliflower and Tomato Bruschetta

Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 large head organic cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons good olive oil (Really good olive oil truly makes a difference in this recipe. (One that we like and is easy to find locally is Newman’s Own Organics Olive Oil.)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup combination of freshly grated Parmesan /Gruyere cheese (Optional)

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees

• Cut cauliflower in small florets.
• Place cauliflower in one layer onto a baking sheet or baking dish.
• Drizzle with olive oil.
• Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Toss well.
• Bake for 30-45 minutes, tossing occasionally. (Begin to check at 30 minutes for your preferred level of doneness. We like it when the cauliflower gets a bit browned.)
• Optional: Sprinkle with cheese and bake for a few more minutes until the cheese melts.

Enjoy!!

Tomato Brushetta

Ingredients:

• 1 Loaf good French bread
• 2 cloves garlic cut in half
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Organic Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 For the crostini:

• Slice bread into ¼ inch slices.
• Place bread slices on a baking sheet.
• Bake until just toasted.
• Remove bread from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes.
• Rub the top of each bread slice with the sliced garlic clove.
• Drizzle each slice of bread with olive oil.
• Sprinkle each slice of bread with salt and pepper.

 For the Tomato topping:

• Remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
• Chop tomatoes into small pieces.
• Chop the fresh basil.
• Toss the tomatoes and basil with good olive oil.
• Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper.
• Serve tomato mixture at room temperature.

 We like to serve this with the tomato mixture in a bowl and the crostini on the side. Top each crostini with tomato mixture just before enjoying. This way the brushetta doesn’t get soggy.

 Enjoy!!

What to do with Green Chard??

 

Green Chard with Red Peppers, Onions and Feta

Green Chard (or Spinach)

Olive Oil

Diced Red Onion

Diced Red Pepper

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

Feta Cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat

2. Sautee the red onion and red pepper until soft

3. Add the chard or spinach and sprinkle with salt,  pepper and fresh squeeszed lemon juice

4. Cook until the greens are just wilted

5. Toss with Feta Cheese

Enjoy!!

Chard- stuffed Manicotti with Creamy Cashew Sauce

            Robin Robertson- 1,000 Vegan Recipes

12 Manicotti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, minced

1 medium bunch Swiss chard, tough stems trimmed and chopped

1 pound firm tofu, drained and crumbled

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup raw cashews

3 cups plain unsweetened soy milk

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs

1)   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside

2)   In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the manicotti over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Drain well and run under cold water.  Set aside

3)   In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, cover and cook until softened about 5 minutes.  Add the chard, cover, and cook until the chard is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the tofu, stirring to mix well.  Season well with salt and pepper to taste and set aside

4)   In a blender or food processor, grind the cashews to a powder.  Add 1 1/2 cups of the soy milk, the nutmeg, the cayenne, and salt to taste.  Blend until smooth.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups soy milk and blend until creamy.  Taste, adjusting seasonings if necessary.

5)   Spread a layer of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Pack about 1/3 cup of the chard stuffing into the manicotti.  Arrange the stuffed manicotti in a single layer in the baking dish.  Spoon the remaining sauce over the manicotti.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle over the manicotti.  Cover with foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.  Serve immediately