Thin Mint Smoothie

You know those subscriptions services that you can subscribe to where you pay a fee and then you get a box filled with goodies (like clothes or pet supplies or beauty items) delivered to your door? They are all over the place these days.  You can even order a "man box" to be delivered to a favorite man in your life.  There is something exciting about getting that box filled with who-knows-what that someone else put together for you.  That is exactly what getting my CSA is like for me!  I get a bag filled with the best fruits and veggies around, along with recipes to try.  This week was my first pick-up and I was thrilled!

One of the reasons I like the CSA is also one of the reasons I liked the clothing box service that I tried once - it pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I would not have bought that sweater, but I loved it once I had it on!  Likewise, I would not have bought mint or scapes this week, but goodness gracious am I glad they were in my CSA.  This shake that I made with the mint is incredible...just what I needed on a hot summer day.  My daughter had a friend over and when I shared with the three kids, she told me I should give her mom the recipe. (I didn't bother telling her how healthy it is.) Win!!

(P.S. Don't know what a CSA is? Here is a link to try: What is a CSA?)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 oz spinach
• 1 banana
• 1 apple
• 3-5 sprigs fresh mint - stemmed
• 1 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp cacao nibs (I couldn't find any at my grocery store, so I used dark chocolate chips)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup ice

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all ingredients except for the cacao nibs for 1-3 minutes.  Add the cacao nibs and blend for 30 seconds more.

Difficulty: easy

Time: 4 minutes

Source: https://greenblender.com/smoothies/recipes/thin-mint

Sausage and Brown Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

I was a bit sad to pick up my CSA today, as it was the last bag for the season.  I love getting my fresh-from-the-farm veggies, and though I felt it was a bit of a challenge to figure out what to do with everything when I first started to get the CSA, now that I have a number of go-to recipes to use, I love having the produce dictate my menu.  Our CSA had an awesome crop of squash this year, so I have been working on a number of recipes to use them.  One great thing about squash is that it has a shelf life that is way longer than typical produce; if I don't use them right away, they are still great.  I love all of the flavors in this recipe, and I love that when I made it, my kids said, "You know, I really like squash!" As if they wouldn't. ;)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 acorn squash 
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage (bulk if you can find it, otherwise remove casings)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp thyme leaves (fresh) (or use 1/2 tsp dried)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (I use the microwavable bags)
• Shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Halve squash and remove seeds. Place squash halves, cut side up, on the baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook rice.
3. Brown sausage over medium heat, adding the onion, garlic, and pepper just when the sausage begins to brown.  Saute until sausage is browned and veggies are tender, add the rice and thyme.
4. Once squash is roasted, spoon the sausage mixture into the halves until they are overflowing.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over each half.  Return squash to oven and roast for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown slightly.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: a bit more than an hour, total

Source: adapted from http://www.thebusybaker.ca/

Fresh Fridge Pickles

I like cucumbers.  My daughter LOVES them.  My husband won't touch them.  My son can't even stand to be in the same room as them.  Very rarely does a food cause such a divide in our house.

We've had a decent amount of cucumbers come our way this summer, and with only two of us eating them, I was definitely tiring of the chopped-on-salad variety and ready for something new.  This easy pickle recipe almost seemed too good to be true.  With so few ingredients, there was certainly no harm in trying.  I absolutely loved them, and so did my neighbors who helped taste test with me. They were so good that I made a second batch.

Note: This recipe uses and yields 2 quart-sized mason jars.  I halved the recipe based on the number of cucumbers I had.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-10 pickling cucumbers or 5-6 regular cucumbers
• 6 cloves of garlic, cut in half
• 2 cups seasoned rice vinegar*
• large bunch of fresh dill, washed.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and trim ends off cucumbers and cut into ⅛ inch slices.
2. Put garlic slices in each mason jar and fill halfway up with cucumbers.
3. Stuff a large handful of dill into jars.
4. Add the rest of the cucumber and pour 1 cup of seasoned rice vinegar into each jar.
5. Tightly put the lid on the jar and shake 2-3 times to blend the flavors.
6. Place in fridge for 1 hour, shake again. The salt in the seasoned rice vinegar with draw out the cucumber juice so the jar will be full of liquid in a few hours. After about 2-3 hours, they taste pretty good, however they are far superior if left overnight.

*Please note: Seasoned Rice vinegar has both salt and sugar in it. If you prefer a more savory taste, use white vinegar instead and add 2 teaspoons of kosher or sea salt to each jar.

We may have eaten a few before this picture was taken...oops.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 10 minutes prep, 3+ hours resting time
Source: http://nancynewcomer.com/2014/09/01/fresh-easy-fridge-pickles/

Kale and Fontina Panini

When my family first started getting the bulk of our fresh veggies through a CSA, we had to open our minds and taste buds to some new flavors.  Kale - hailed as a super food - was one that I really wanted to like but had a hard time in doing so.  I tried it many different ways - kale chips, in smoothies, in combination with other greens, and more - but the first recipe that I tried that I absolutely loved that had kale in it was this one.  Honestly, you could use just about any cheese that you have, but we really enjoyed the not-so-cheap fontina as a special treat.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 cups chopped kale
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8-10 slices country bread (1/4 inch thick), preferably whole wheat
• 1 cup fontina or Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1-2 medium tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 5-7 minutes.  Add vinegar and cook until almost evaporated, about 1 minute.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  
2. Add kale, water and salt (the pan will be full).  Stir, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.
3. To prepare panini: Preheat panini maker to high.  Coat one side of each slice of bread with cooking spray.  With the sprayed side down, spread the kale mixture on 4 slices of bread (about 1/2 cup per sandwich).  Top each with 1/4 cup cheese and 2 slices of tomato.  Top with the remaining bread, sprayed-side up.  Press in the panini maker until crispy, 3-5 minutes.

Note: If you do not have a panini maker, make these sandwiches in a skillet.  Place a medium pan on top of them and add four 15 oz cans to the pan to weigh it down.  Cook 2-3 minutes per side.

Difficulty: medium

Time:  ~40 minutes

Source: eatingwell.com magazine May/June 2014

Roasted Beet Pesto Pizza

Beets and I have a long and sordid history.  I will not go into details, but let's just say that though I don't mind the taste of beets, that is about all on which we agree.  In fact, I have declared myself "beet sensitive" without going to the point of saying that I am allergic.  And yet, I keep trying.  I want to like beets, and I want them to like me.  I guess I am stubborn like that.

I have actually requested substitutions for beets with my CSA, but recently there was a mistake and I received beets in my produce bag.  I decided that it was an opportunity to forge ahead with my relationship and give it another go.  I came across this beet pesto recipe and the accompanying pizza recipe that used it and I decided that pizza may just be our common ground.  I was so right.

The pesto appealed to me because the beets are roasted first and then combined with many other yummy ingredients.  When you then put it on naan flatbread and top it with mozarella, spinach (or kale), and goat cheese?  Mmmmm...a match made in heaven.  And for the record, my kids couldn't get enough of this and my mom, an avid beet hater, loved it, too!


INGREDIENTS:

Pesto:

• 1 cup red beets, chopped and roasted (about 1 medium beet) 
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 
• ½ cup walnuts, roasted 
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated 
• ½ cup olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
• Salt to taste 

Pizza:

• Naan bread
• Mozzarella cheese
• spinach or kale
• Goat cheese
• Pesto from above

DIRECTIONS:

For the pesto:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Wash and scrub the beet and pat it dry. Chop it into ½” cubes and place it on a sheet of foil. Wrap the chopped beet in foil, making a foil packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet. 
3. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes, or until beets are soft and juices are seeping out. Allow beets to cool completely. (I did this the day before I made the pesto, while I was making another meal.)
4. Add all ingredients except for the oil to a food processor or blender and pulse several times. 
5. Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is too thick for your blender to process, add a small amount of water until desired consistency is reached 

For the pizza:

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees.
2. Spread the pesto on the Naan bread or pizza crust.  Top with Mozzarella, spinach, and goat cheese.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted appropriately.

Difficulty: easy, though a touch time-consuming if you don't plan ahead
Time: Pesto - Prep Time: 5 minutes, Cook Time: 50 minutes (there is also cooling time involved); Pizza - Prep Time: 2 minutes, Cook Time: 10-15

Source: http://www.theroastedroot.net/roasted-beet-pesto/

Marinated Kale Salad

My husband and I devoured this salad at a recent banquet. We even had a conversation about the salad with our table mates. I emailed the host on the drive home requesting this recipe.

The first time I made it I skimped on the infused vinegar and just used what I had at home; it was good, but when made as directed, it is amazing.  Kale is usually a product in my CSA.  I have used it for smoothies, baked chips, salads, and sauteed. This is by far my favorite use of kale.


INGREDIENTS:

Dressing

I forgot the Craisins.

• 1/3 cup fig infused vinegar
• 1/6 cup blood orange olive oil

Salad

• 1 bunch chopped kale
• 2/3 of a can of Mandarin oranges, reserve 3 T juice
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/3 cup Feta cheese
• 1/4 cup Craisins, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Marinate kale in dressing overnight. If possible, shake container a few times.
2. Top with oranges, juice, Craisins, Feta cheese, and pine nuts.
3. Add salt and pepper if necessary. 

DIFFICULTY: Easy

TIME: 15 minutes, but needs to marinate overnight.

SOURCE: a friend from church

Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers

I have never been a fan of spicy peppers, so I have been nervous when banana peppers show up in our CSA basket.  Generally, I make banana pepper mustard, but it isn't always the occasion for a bowl of dipping mustard and I haven't gotten into canning (yet?).  So, earlier this summer I started to look for alternative recipes using banana peppers. One morning, I decided that I couldn't wait any longer to use the peppers I had and I didn't feel like going to the store, so I used some ideas from other recipes but ultimately made my own recipe for stuffed banana peppers using what I had on hand.  They turned out fabulous.  My husband LOVED them.  And I did too - and that is saying a lot for someone who doesn't like spicy.  They actually weren't very spicy at all due to the boiling.  (Disclaimer:  My kids didn't try this one, because my husband and I ate them before they got the chance, so I can't report on how they liked them.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 or so banana peppers
• 1 small onion
• 1/4 cup of chive and onion cream cheese spread
• 1/3 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, Mexican blend, or whatever you prefer)
• 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.  
2. Begin boiling water.  Slice the peppers lengthwise and clean out seeds.  Dice onion.
3. Boil the peppers for about 5-6 minutes.  Meanwhile, brown sausage with onion.
4. Once sausage is browned, mix in the cream cheese.
5. Remove the peppers from the water with tongs and place in the prepared baking dish.  Stuff the peppers with the sausage mixture.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Difficulty: easy

Time: about 20 minutes

Source:  this one is my own!