Welcome

This is my first blog which was inspired by joining The Produce Box, a local community supported agriculture group. With a weekly delivery of fresh produce, I have been challenged to create healthy nightly meals using ingredients I may not have purchased on my own.

Below is a compilation of weekly meals using the produce delivered by The Produce Box as well as some other recipes which have inspired me.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

August 17- August 23

This week's Produce Box consisted of: 
  • Chambourcin Grapes
  • Mixed Bell or sweet Peppers
  • Peaches
  • Cucumbers
  • Mountaintop Vine-ripe tomatoes
  • Spaghetti Squash
The grapes will be eaten as snacks and in school lunches.  The peaches will also be snacked on and I may make a Peach Pound Cake. 

Wednesday, August 17-  Breakfast for dinner tonight.  I'll dice up some of the pepper and tomato to add to my egg scramble or omelet.

Thursday, August 18-  We'll grill Peach Pork Chops and serve them with Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes (using the red potatoes from last weeks Box)
Simple Peach Sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1-2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup sliced peeled fresh peaches
  1. In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Add peaches. Bring to a boil; boil another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve warm over pork chops. 
 
Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes- my own original recipe
10 Red Potatoes
3-4 cloves minced Garlic
1/2-1 onion thinly sliced
Rosemary
Olive Oil
  • Boil potatoes until tender.  Rinse under cold water
  • Quarter potatoes and place in lightly sprayed heavy duty foil packet
  • Add sliced onions and Sprinkle with rosemary and the minced garlic
  • Drizzle with olive oil
  • Seal packet and place on preheated grill
  • Grill for about 10 minutes on each side 
Friday, August 19- Tonight I will use the spaghetti squash and pepper from my Box to make our meal.  I'll also serve this meal along with a side salad using my tomato and cucumber from my Box.

Baked Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Style- (reprinted from Allrecipes.com with my additions)
  • 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 to 1 bell pepper diced
  • 1lb of ground Italian sausage (chop meat may be substituted)
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 cube chicken bouillon
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with a thin layer of cooking spray. Place squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet.
  2. Bake squash 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife can be easily inserted. Remove from oven, and cool.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic until golden brown. Add sausage and cook til no longer pink (you may wish to drain some of the fat out of the pan).  Stir in tomatoes, basil, bouillon cube, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until you have a medium thick sauce.
  4. Remove squash strands with a fork. In a baking dish, layer with the sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash strands and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with Parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until Parmesan cheese melts. 
Saturday, August 20-  We'll grill Haitian Voodoo Sticks and serve them in tortillas with sour cream and fresh diced tomato from my Box.  On the skewers I'll add cut onion and cut peppers, from my Box.  A side salad will round out this meal.  These beef kabobs are spicy but delicious.  However, the heat is too much for my girls.  
Sunday, August 21-  Fish is this evening main course.  I made this recipe on the grill before in foil packets and felt it was "too fishy" for my palette.  So I have altered the recipe and will bake it tonight.  I'll serve the fish with couscous and green beans (perhaps fresh green beans if I can find them at the farmer's market).

Easy Tilapia with Wine and Tomato  WW Points: 6
* 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
* salt and pepper to taste
* olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, pressed
* 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped (can substitute dried)
* 1-2 large tomato, chopped
* 1 cup white wine

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Place the tilapia fillets side by side in a lightly sprayed baking dish. Season each one with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the top of each piece of fish, and sprinkle garlic, basil and tomato. Pour the wine over everything.
3. Place in preheated oven, and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Monday, August 22- Tonight is my youngest daughter's first soccer practice.  It's of course smack in the middle of our family dinnertime.  So the girls will eat earlier and after practice the adults will have dinner.  Since we are eating in shifts, the girls will have something easy and simple.  The adults will have hamburgers and homemade macaroni salad.
Tuesday, August 23- Tonight will be marked for leftovers.  Should none exist it will be pasta and meatballs.

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