October 4-9

Oct. 4- Oct 9 Squash; Kale; Cabbage

My Box consisted this week of:

• Spaghetti Squash
• Lettuce
• 2 Zucchini
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Tomatoes
• Apples

I am not sure which recipe I will be using yet, I do plan to bake up some of the apples from my Box- apple pie, apple cake?

Thursday, October 4-  I made this recipe earlier in the season and thought it was worthy of a repeat tonight.  I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and added the recommendations from reviewers.  I also halved the recipe since the original made 10 servings!  I will be using the kale and tomatoes from my Produce Box.  This recipe without the addition of tomatoes and beans yields 4 WW Pts.  for 1 cup.  I think I'll grill up some pork chops to serve along with the orzo.

Orzo with Kale

• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 cups uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 cup Chicken Broth or White Wine
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 15oz can of white beans drained and rinsed
• 1 diced tomato or cherry/grape tomatoes halved
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil; sprinkle the turmeric over the boiling water and stir in the orzo; return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Scrape into a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. While orzo is cooking, Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic and red pepper in the hot oil. Add red pepper flakes and broth or wine.  Stir the kale into the broth, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and  add the beans.  Continue cooking and stirring until the kale is tender, about 10 minutes more (add more liquid if necessary). Stir the kale mixture into the orzo along with the lemon juice, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 206  Total Fat: 4.2g  Cholesterol: 2mg  Sodium: 91mg  Total Carbs: 36.1g Dietary Fiber: 2.8g  Protein: 7.9g

Friday, October 5-  Golf lesson night usually means take out for dinner.

Saturday, October 6-  With soccer and Girl Scouts events, I am opting for a crock pot meal tonight.  I am trying the recipe from TPB newsletter.

Slow Cooker Chicken, Apples, Potatoes and Cabbage

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in chuncks

1/2 head cabbage shredded

1 onion, chopped

2 (15 oz.) cans chicken broth

4 or 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 or 3 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon ginger

Dash red pepper or several drops hot pepper sauce

Salt and Pepper

 

Place shredded cabbage in bottom of slow cooker.  Add onion, apple slices, and chicken.  Add salt and pepper and hot sauce to chicken pieces.  Place potatoes on top of chicken.  Add soy sauce and ginger to chicken broth and pour into slow cooker.  Cook 7 hours on high.  If liquid gets low add some water and if the potatoes will not fit into the slow cooker,  add them after recipe has cooked for a couple of hours.  

Sunday, October 7-  I have cooked spaghetti squash before and used it like pasta noodles, but my husband still has an aversion to it.  I am hoping preparing the squash and then baking it in the main dish, this will soften the texture of the squash and my husband will have a fond affection for spaghetti squash!

Baked Spaghetti Squash (reprinted from allrecipes.com)

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/4 cup diced onion 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced

tomatoes, drained 1 cup tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (I'm using shredded mozzarella cheese)

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.	Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3.	Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4.	In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5.	Mix the shredded squash, tomatoes and tomato sauce into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6.	Bake 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Monday, October 8-  Tonight I am using my neighbor's Chicken Pot Pie recipe for dinner.  This had become a favorite simple meal which my youngest enjoys!

Chicken Pot Pie 6 WW Pts

• 2 deep dish pie shells 
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup (per a friend's suggestion I am using cream of chicken with herbs)
• 1or 2 cans of veg-all vegetables (or combination of fresh & frozen veggie mix- I used carrots, celery, onion, peas & corn)
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken 
• 3/4 cup milk 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

1. Boil chicken in chicken broth.  After it is cool cut in to small pieces 
2. Reserve broth and boil fresh or frozen vegetables for 5 minutes and drain.
3. Pre heat oven 375 degrees 
4. Mix chicken, vegetables, soup and milk in a medium bowl 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste and thyme
6. Pour mixture in pie crust cover with 2nd pie crust 
7. Cook pie for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Tuesday, October 9- Since my husband will miss dinner tonight, I am thinking breakfast for dinner.