A new year and one year older are two things in common for me in this New Year. Resolutions are promises we make when we ring in the New Year but I think they can be made at anytime. Do you want to eat more fresh vegetables? Then go out and do it! Do you want to exercise more? Stop reading and run in place for 10 minutes. Then sit down and write down a recipe for eating more vegetables. I may sound like a drill sergeant trying to get you motivated but all that is holding us back is ourselves. Trying to improve yourself does take hard work but the end result will make you feel better. I can attest the results of my advice. A glimpse of the steps for improving my health and the ones who dine with me.
Our produce box this month includes the following items:
2 Delicata Squash
1 Cauliflower
1.5 lbs Potatoes
.5 lbs Shallots
.5 lbs Mushrooms
1 Leek
1 Broccoli Bunch
1 Nantes Carrots
1 Assorted Kale Bunch
1 Red Leaf Lettuce Bunch
My approach with using a produce box in my menu planning is to use up as many vegetables as necessary.At the start of each week I try to create a rough draft of a menu that is constantly changing as to what I have on hand due to consuming of groceries and the grazing of vegetables. I do not think of the long, hard work of prepping of raw vegetables. I think of the nutrients my body needs and in order to remain healthy. I use these delightful morsels made from the Earth to sustain me. Back in time - people prepared food and used less package food. We want to spend time on other things and less time in preparing; however, in the modern day of conveniences it is now even easier to spend more time on preparing than using a package. Just imagine a day without having to make sure you are sitting on the couch in front of a television waiting for your program only on at a certain time. Or washing dishes right after dinner instead a machine does it for you while you multi-task with another machine to do the laundry. All these wonderful items of technology has saved us time to do other things - why not it be cooking healthy meal?
1/2 Onion, diced 1/2 Fennel Bulb, diced 1 Shallot, minced 1 pinch of Red Pepper flakes a handful of small mushrooms 1 Celery, diced 1 Carrot, diced 28oz of tomatoes - I choose to use a can in my cupboard but when in season use about 3-4 tomatoes. pepper, oregano, and garlic powder for seasoning My preference is to add about 1-2 tsp of balsamic vinegar and a few drops of Tabasco. If you would like it a little sweet add in a few pinches of sugar. Let the sauce simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Turn it off. Boil your pasta according to package. If you have on hand, add in a few whole garlic cloves. It will add a nice garlic taste and cook up the garlic to spread into a paste to add to your pasta. It is truly a wonderful flavor or you can add it to bread for garlic bread. My sides for tonight's dinner will be meatballs, a slice of garlic bread and a garden salad.
Meat Balls
This recipe is so easy that you think twice about grabbing that package of meatballs in the freezer section next time you want meatballs. 1 lb of your choice of ground meat. I like to you turkey or pork. With an Italian dish then mix a 1/2 pound of ground turkey and 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage. Add in 1 egg Add in a teaspoon of garlic, minced Add in pepper and salt to taste Add in 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs A tip with seasoning your meatballs-- more flavor can be created with adding in fresh herbs like basil, spinach, mushrooms, or sun dried tomatoes. Don't be afraid to experiment. It is worth the taste. Mix all the ingredients together into one big meatball. Split in half. Take one of the halves and split into 8 balls. Continue splitting with the rest until you have a total of 16 meatballs. Brown 8 meatballs at a time in the pan with a little oil. I cook the meatballs until they are brown on all the edges. I then place it in an oven at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until well done. At this point if you decide not to eat all the meatballs you have the option of letting them cool and place then in a bag. Use them in another meal later on in the week maybe like meatball sandwiches.
Garden Salad
Green Leaf Lettuce, Carrots, Broccoli, and Cauliflower. Toss with a little cheese and dressing. A nice side of vegetables to go with my vegetables. I think I have managed to eat all my serving of vegetables in one sitting. Love it! (Plus as a bonus the veggies fill me up faster than the pasta.) I offer a challenge those wanting one just for today... See how many vegetables you can eat in one meal?
Trying new vegetables... I received a vegetable this week in my produce box that I hadn't tried before and it is the Delicata Squash. I thought it might be like a zucchini but it was a cross with butternut squash. The texture was thick and meaty with big seeds in the middle. I looked up recipes on what others my do with the Delicata Squash. Some thought roasting it was good or stuffing it with ingredients. So I decided to use it in my Leek and Potato Stew recipe. This isn't a vegetarian recipe but it can be with the elimination of cheese and sour cream (but I enjoy eating the items so I included it.) You are the chef of your own food. Each to their own when adding ingredients or eliminating them.
Leek and Potato Stew
A thick stew that fills you up when it is cold and miserable outside. On the night I made this stew, the wind was howling and sheets of rain floated across the street. A great night to stay in and have a homemade meal.
Heat up a large soup pot on medium heat. Add in about 1-2 teaspoons of oil. Add in your thinly sliced leeks. Stir and let it cook until brown on the edges. Remove from the pot and place in a bowl until later. Add in the following diced items: 2 large brown potatoes, 2 white potatoes, 2 red potatoes, 1 carrot, and 1 delicata squash. Season with pepper and salt. All it to cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the cooked leeks. Allow to it cook for a few minutes to heat up the leeks.
Remove it from heat and add in about a 1/3 cup of good cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup of sour cream. Mix together and grab your bowl. Spoon in a about cup of it. This is a filling stew. Serve with a piece of toasted bread and a garden salad.
Have Fun Cooking!
