Acorn Squash and Apple Soup

Every now and then I try a recipe with no expectations and it shocks me with its deliciousness.  I had no idea what to expect with this soup - I am a lover of soups, but usually they are thick and filled with chunky veggies and meat and pasta or rice.  This one fell far from my typical choice, but I happened to have the ingredients on hand and no plans for lunch on a Saturday.  I threw the veggies in the oven while I was doing my usual Saturday morning cleaning and finished it up at lunchtime.  When I took that first spoonful, I was shocked at how amazing it was.  I finished that bowl.  And then another.  My kids were skeptical at first, but they did the same.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium acorn squash (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2 medium tart cooking apples (Granny Smith, Greening or Haralson), peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth (4 cups)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Heat oven to 350°. Cut squash in half; remove seeds and fibers. Place squash, cut sides up, in rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Pour water into pan until 1/4 inch deep. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until tender. Cool; remove pulp from rind and set aside.
2. Melt butter in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in apples, thyme and basil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes.
3. Remove 1 cup apples with slotted spoon; set aside. Place one-third of the remaining apple mixture and squash in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth; pour into bowl. Continue to blend in small batches until all the soup is pureed.
4. Return blended mixture and 1 cup reserved apples to saucepan. Stir in half-and- half, nutmeg, salt and pepper; heat until hot.

Difficulty: easy
Time: about an hour and 20 minutes, though much of it is hands off
Source: www.bettycrocker.com

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

Lunchbox Meal # 2 and Bentgo Kids Giveaway

We are excited to share with you our first video clip!  You can get a peek inside our kitchens -  messes and all.  For your listening pleasure, our family dog, Marley, makes an appearance too.

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Lunchbox Meal #1 and Bentgo Kids Giveaway

We are excited to announce a new addition to our blog and thrilled to pair it with an awesome giveaway!  Family meals are important to both of us and so are healthy lunches for our kids.  While we don't make lunches everyday, we try to as often as we can.  We like to keep things easy and nutritious, and though the fancy lunches with cookie cutter shapes, food markers, and themes are awesome (and make us a bit jealous), we tend to lean more towards the simple side.  So, on occasion, we would like to share with you our simple packed lunches.

Recently, we were contacted by Bentgo to test out a new product that they are launching today - Bentgo Kids - a durable and leak-proof children's lunch box designed with kids ages 3-7 in mind.  We have tried it and it is a hit!  The age range is appropriate, as the lunchbox has compartments sized just right for kid-sized portions.  My nearly eight-year-old (?!) son needs a bit more than the Bentgo Kids can hold, but it is just right for my 5-year-old daughter.  She LOVES this lunchbox - it is easy for her to use, and everything has its own place.  Plus, it fits inside the canvas lunch bag that she picked out at the beginning of the school year that she is not willing to give up.  I love it, too, because it is so easy to use and to clean - just pop out the insert and throw it in the dishwasher (top rack).

We are thrilled to share with you our first lunchbox post - and that we have one of these great Bentgo Kids lunchboxes to giveaway to a lucky reader!  Just enter at the bottom of this post!

The Bentgo Kids fits nicely inside my daughter's lunch bag for easy carrying, but it would also fit easily inside her backpack.

 INSIDE THIS LUNCHBOX:

• 1/2 of a sandwich - turkey, salami, american cheese on whole wheat bread
• grapes
• carrots and cherry tomatoes
• ranch for dipping
• half of a package of Annie's Bunny Grahams

The Bentgo Kids lunchbox goes on pre-sale at www.bentgo.com TODAY (11/13/14)! Enter to win one below!!


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Tomato and Gorgonzola Pasta Salad

I seriously cannot express how much I love this pasta salad.  The flavors of the arugula, Gorgonzola, and homemade Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette are amazing together.  This uses an entire box of pasta, so you can definitely serve a crowd if using this as a side dish; it would be perfect to take as a contribution to a picnic or another get-together.  (Use whole wheat pasta for an added healthy twist.)  I have also taken the leftovers as a stand-alone lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 16 oz package penne or rigatoni pasta
• 1/2 cup Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette (click here for the easy recipe)
• 1 1/4 lb beefsteak tomatoes (I used what I had available), seeded and chopped
• 4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 (4 oz.) package arugula 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.  (If you haven't made the vinaigrette, there is enough time to do so while the pasta is cooking.)  Toss together hot pasta and vinaigrette in a large bowl.  Cool.*  
2. Stir tomatoes and cheese into pasta mixture.  Just before serving, stir in arugula; stir in salt and pepper to taste.

*The recommended cooling time from the original recipe is 30 minutes; I don't always wait so long.  The difference is that the cheese may melt a bit when you add it.

Difficulty: very easy

Time:  about 30 minutes

Source:   Southern Living magazine, July 2014

Mini Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Dill Sauce

My husband researched 5K races for our family to do while on vacation.  John found the Mt. Trashmore YMCA race to be held on the Fourth of July; three of us registered. The arrival of Hurricane Arthur late the night before kept Emma and me at the beach house while John and about 300 other brave runners trudged on.  The force of the wind actually stopped his forward progress as he was finishing!

Emma and I enjoyed our race bags nonetheless; she-the American flags and Statue of Liberty crown; me-the Farm Fresh recipe magazine.  The recipes were somewhat intimidating because they looked fancy, but the lighter, summer fare would be great for cookouts and summer poolside snacks.  I gave it a try.

We enjoyed these burgers and cucumber sauce with a salad and serving of blueberries for lunch.  To save prep work next time, I may put my burger mixture between two pieces of wax paper, roll with rolling pin, and cut into patties using a pizza cutter. A great trick my husband learned while watching Alton Brown on Food Network a few years ago.


INGREDIENTS:

Camera problem-take 2 but no ground turkey

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, divided
• 1 1/2 T sour cream
• 1/8 cup finely diced, peeled, and seeded cucumber
• 1/4 feta cheese crumbles, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh baby dill
• 1 tsp minced garlic, divided
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/4 cup finely minced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup finely chopped baby spinach
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• slider buns

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine 3 T yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, 1 T feta, 1/2 tsp dill, and /2 tsp garlic. Set aside (this is the cucumber dill sauce)
2. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Gently mix until combined.
3. Form into 6-8 patties.
4. Spray large skillet; place over medium-high heat. When hot, add burger patties. Cook turning once until done (8-10 minutes).
5. Spread buns with sauce.  Garnish as desired.

For the larger appetite, two patties on a regular bun

DIFFICULTY: Medium (the words finely chop/dice reappear, BUT a few mushrooms and 1/4 of a cucumber I can handle)
TIME: 30 minutes

SOURCE: Fresh Ideas from Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy

Lemony Tuna Toss

I generally take leftovers to work for lunch, but we have been on a toasted turkey and avocado sandwich kick lately (and we have been doing our best to squeeze out an extra evening meal using our leftovers).  Knowing that I will soon tire of that easy lunch and that avocados won't be so inexpensive for much longer ($0.49 at Aldi!), I decided to try something new.  The origins of this recipe are foggy - I remember reading an article on healthy living that I stumbled upon while I was checking my e-mail one day, seeing a variation of this recipe, copying and pasting it into a doc to check out later, and then forgetting about it for quite a while.  When I finally made my own version of it, I vowed to make it at least once a month.  It doesn't take much to throw together and then lunch is already ready to go for several days.  It is a nice change of pace and makes for a delicious, healthy, and filling mid-day meal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans (4-5 oz) tuna
• 1 can artichoke hearts - chopped
• ~20 halved grape tomatoes
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

 Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Serve with a whole wheat roll.  (This makes about 4 nice-sized servings.)

Difficulty: Easy

Time: ~10-15 minutes

Source: sorta kinda from a recipe on Yahoo!

Knock-off Spinach Power Salad

Despite the fact that I don't go there often, I am a huge fan of the soups and salads at Panera.  During the Christmas shopping season, we stopped in to get some gift cards and decided to grab a bite while we were there.  My husband commented that he had tried their Spinach Power Salad at lunch some time back and he got it again.  It looked delicious, so I investigated.  I don't know how well this matches the original, but what resulted from my experiments was an awesome, delicious salad that even my kids loved.  This salad can be as healthy as you want it to be by modifying the amounts of ingredients; just a touch of dressing, french fried onions, and bacon will do!  Load up on the spinach - did you know there are only 14 calories in 2 cups of spinach?

INGREDIENTS:

• Baby spinach
• Hard Boiled Egg
• Bacon (cooked)
• Mushrooms
• Butter
• French Fried Onions
• Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute the mushrooms in a small amount of butter to desired tenderness.
2. Top a bed of baby spinach with chopped egg, mushrooms, a sprinkle of bacon, and a small amount of french fried onions.  Drizzle the dressing on top.

Difficulty: easy
Time: if the hard boiled eggs are made ahead of time, prep is about 10 minutes
Source: inspired by Panera's Spinach Power Salad, made in my own kitchen

Creamy Crockpot Tortellini Soup

I always thought that my family wasn't big on soup.  Recently, I realized the truth:  We/they aren't big on canned soup.  But if I make a batch of homemade potato soup in the slow cooker, for instance, that is another story.

Enter this tortellini soup...this amazing tortellini soup. Full of good stuff (like carrots and spinach) that blends so well with favorite flavors, this hearty soup is easy to make and has become my new favorite, for sure.  I guess we are soup people, after all!

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce 
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup diced onion (or 1 small)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp)
• 1/2 cup diced carrots (or 2 medium)
• 1lb ground beef, browned
• 4 cups of loosely packed fresh spinach leaves
• 4 cups beef broth (or 1 carton)
• 8 oz cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
• 16 oz refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini 

DIRECTIONS:

1. If using frozen tortellini, put bag in refrigerator to begin to thaw.  Combine all other ingredients in the slow-cooker.
2. Cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 5 hours.  (I have only cooked this recipe on the LOW setting, personally.)
3. Before adding tortellini, break up chunks of cream cheese with a whisk.  Stir in tortellini.  Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender and hot.

Difficulty: easy
Time: ~20 minutes prep, 5.5 - 7.5 hours cooking
Source: http://www.familyfreshmeals.com

Couscous with Swiss Chard, Raisins, and Feta

Though Kelly has gotten fresh produce through a CSA for several years, this is the first summer that my family has signed up to participate in one.  I wanted to support local agriculture and enjoy some fresh-from-the-farm foods.  In addition, I knew that it would expand my family's food horizons, and I was looking forward to that, too.  It is really fun to see what is going to be in the basket when we pick it up.  Having never tried swiss chard before, my husband and I were astounded by how delicious this healthy, fresh recipe was.  I am hoping that we get more swiss chard in our basket this summer!  (Full disclosure:  My kids each had a bowl with little complaints, but I think that it will take a few tries before they enjoy it as much as my husband and I do.  As with all kids, it generally takes a couple exposures before they are totally accepting of new foods...but they get there eventually!)


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1 1/4 cups couscous (I used French)
• 1 14 oz can vegetable broth
• 2/3 cup golden raisins 
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 bunch swiss or rainbow chard, stems and leaves chopped separately 
• 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed 
• 2 oz crumbled feta cheese 

DIRECTIONS: 

1. In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add half of the garlic and the couscous and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. 
2. Add the vegetable broth; bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer until the broth has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the raisins; season with salt. 
3. While the couscous is simmering, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and the swiss chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. 
4. Add the swiss chard leaves, chickpeas and 1/2 cup water, cover and cook, turning, until the chard is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Serve on the couscous and top with the feta.

Difficulty: Medium
Time: 20-25 minutes total
Source: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/

Avocado-Chicken Salad

One of my self-imposed summer projects is to figure out school lunch ideas for my upcoming first grader; packing lunches is something I am really not looking forward to.  If he had a microwave handy, I would be golden...I am pretty good at maximizing leftovers.  I am also good at grabbing random ingredients from the fridge in the morning, throwing them in a bag, and making my lunch on the spot at work.  Unfortunately, these are not options for my son.  I am intent on providing at least a few healthy packed lunches for the week (other days, he may have to buy) that don't take me forever to prepare the night before.  I made this amazing chicken salad twice already this summer and plan to make it several more times while my cilantro is still growing and avocados are a reasonable price.  I may have to bite the bullet in the fall and buy the herbs and off-season avocado, though, as this lunch is that good.  (Oh, and my son loved it, too...and we put it on the lunch ideas list.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes. 
2. Serve on your favorite bread, crackers, pita pocket or on a bed of lettuce.

Difficulty: very easy - even easier if you make extra chicken while cooking dinner (like Pulled BBQ Crescents)
Time: 5 minutes (after cooking and shredding the chicken)
Source: www.familyfreshmeals.com