April 4- April 11

Our box this week consisted of:

• Carrots plus a substitution of carrots for grapefruits
• Green Beans plus extra add on of green beans
• Kale
• Strawberries

Friday, April 4-  Due to the first golf lesson of the season, we opted to go out to dinner after lessons.

Saturday, April 5- I had intentions of cooking but with the husband working on an outdoor project all day, take out was easier.

Sunday, April 6- I picked up marinated steak tips which we grilled along with oven baked red potatoes and roasted asparagus.

Monday, April 7-  I put aside a few carrots to add to my risotto this evening from our box.  The other carrots were blanched and frozen for later use.  I will serve the risotto with shrimp and sliced bread.

I usually use the recipe on the side of the Harris Teeter box but I misplaced that recipe.  Tonight I am adapting a basic risotto recipe found online at Chow.com

Risotto

• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Juice of half a lemon

1. Place the broth in a medium saucepan over low heat and keep it at a very low simmer. 
2. In a large wide pot or Dutch oven, heat the measured oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the kernels start to crackle, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and let simmer, stirring often, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 to 4 minutes. Pour a ladleful of the simmering broth over the rice. Let simmer, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding broth, stirring and letting it absorb, until the rice is al dente, about 20 to 30 minutes (you may not use up all of the broth). Taste as you go for doneness, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
4. When the rice is done, remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and parsley. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, and Parmesan as needed. Just before serving, loosen the risotto to the desired consistency with a little more broth or hot water and serve immediately. Drizzle each serving with olive oil.

Tuesday, April 8-  We have enjoyed the Kale with Orzo recipe many times and it allows any protein accompaniment.  Tonight I serve it with Italian sausage.  I may eliminate the beans in tonight's meal.

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

Wednesday, April 9-  I reserved some of the blanched green beans for this evening's meal, Chicken Pot Pie.

 

Chicken Pot Pie

• 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)
• Combination of fresh & frozen veggie mix- about 2 cups
• 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.

Thursday, April 10-  A simple pasta  meal will be tonight's meal considering we have another activity right after dinner.

Friday, April 11-  Tonight is golf lessons and I will need to stay the entire lesson, which means most likely take out tonight.

Abbreviated Week of Menus May 6- May 9

On Friday my Box was comprised of:

• Carrots
• Kale
• Strawberries
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Add on of Collards
• Add on of Asparagus

The carrots will be used as a side this week but they are also great for a healthy school snack!  The strawberries have been great with breakfast as well as for dessert with a little whip cream!

Since I am late composing my weekly menu I will just pick up with Monday.
Monday, May 6-  Grilled chicken, grilled asparagus and cous cous. 

Tuesday, May 7-  We have enjoyed the Kale with Orzo recipe many times and it allows any protein accompaniment.  Tonight I serve it with Italian sausage.  I may eliminate the beans in tonight's meal.

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

 

Wednesday, May 8- Collards, grilled pork chops and mashed potatoes will be dinner.  (of course if the collards are still good, I may have waited too long to prepare them.  In which case I will grill some more asparagus instead.  Since my girls don't care for collards, I will serve carrots from my box to them.)

Collard Greens (from allrecipes)

1 tablespoon olive oil 3 slices bacon 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper 3 cups chicken broth 1 pinch red pepper flakes 1 pound fresh collard greens, cut into 2 -inch pieces

Directions:

1.	Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan. Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
2.	Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

Thursday, May 9- Book Club tonight so a fairly simple dinner is needed.  I will need to give this a little more thought.  Maybe Swedish Meatballs over egg noodles but it all depends on what veggies I still have in my box.

Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Kale Oh My!

Week 2 of the Produce Box is off to a great start.  My box on Friday consisted of:

• Sweet potatoes
• Kale
• Carrots
• Strawberries
• Baby romaine
• Cucumber

I also got tomatoes and radishes.
The strawberries were a delicious after school snack for my girls and their friends.  Saturday morning they topped off our homemade pancakes perfectly!  The romaine and cucumbers have been used to make some lunch salads with grilled chicken.

Friday, April 19-  Golf lessons were cancelled but too late to throw together dinner.  So we indulged in take out.

Saturday, April 20- I took a suggestion from the recipe newsletter included in my box and made slow cooker veggies to go with our meat house steaks.  A bottle of wine and garlic bread round out our dinner.
Slow Cooker Vegetables
3 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
4 carrots peeled and sliced
1 large rutabaga peeled and cubed
1 onion chopped
3-4 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon each dried oregano, rosemary and basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix above ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours.  Stir veggies once every hour or so.
This recipe can be tailored to any veggies you have on hand.  Seasoning can be adjusted to your liking as well.  Be creative!

Sunday, April 21- Grilled chicken was planned but that didn't defrost in time.  So we opted for hamburgers on the grill, potato salad, and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes from my box.

Monday, April 22- grilled chicken served over orzo with kale and sliced tomatoes will be our dinner tonight.

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

 

Tuesday, April 23- It's GNO tonight, which means i 'm not cooking!

Wednesday, April 24- Simple and easy for the three of us, breakfast for dinner tonight.

Thursday, April 25- A simple meal of spaghetti and meatballs will be tonight's dinner.  Any remaining romaine, cucumbers and tomatoes will make a nice side salad.

July 31- August 6

This week my Box includes:

• 1 qt. Peaches
• 1 pint Blueberries
• 4 Mixed Sweet Peppers
• 6 Ears of Sweet Corn
• 1 qt. Irish Potatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes

Tuesday, July 31- Since last week while forming my menu I didn't know what I would be preparing tonight, I have decided to include tonight's meal on this menu posting since I have finally decided!
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'll add Italian Sausage to this dish to bulk it up and create a main course.  I may substiute the kale with spinach as well.  This recipe without the addition of tomatoes and beans yields 4 WW Pts.  for 1 cup.

Orzo with Kale

• 1/2 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
Wednesday. August 1- With company arriving and delivering for the Produce Box, I want a simple meal tonight.  Therefore, I will serve hamburgers and hotdogs along with fresh corn on the cob from my Box and baked beans.

Thursday, August 2-  With company in town, tonight's meal is always a crowd pleaser and works great for the masses.
Chicken Enchiladas  approx. 7 WW Pts.
1 lb chicken
4oz can of chopped green chile peppers (I'll be using my hot green chiles from last week's Box)
1 small onion
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp chili powder
Small Can of Enchilada Sauce
1 package of large sized soft flour tortillas
1 package Mexican cheese (or cheddar)

1. Heat large skillet on med/high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat pan
3. Cook chicken through about 8-10 minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking chop onion
5. Remove chicken to cutting board, add chopped onion to skillet and chili powder
6. While onion is cooking, dice up chicken
7. In a small bowl combine the can of cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup of sour cream & 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Mix and set aside.
8. Once onion is tender add chicken, green chilies, about 1/4 cup of sour cream mixture & enchilada sauce (add enough to add moisture to skillet about 1-3 tablespoons) Stir and Heat through.
9. In a 9 x 13 baking dish lightly cover bottom of pan with the sour cream mixture.
10. Add chicken mixture to tortillas and roll up, place seam side down in baking dish. (tortillas can be touching each other in dish)
11. Cover tortillas with remaining sour cream mixture and sprinkle with cheese
12. Bake in a 350 degree oven covered for 20-25 minutes then uncover and bake additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

**Meal can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. When ready to bake add 15 minutes to bake time or until heated through.

Friday, August 3-  With indulging in a large lunch today, I am not sure if we will all be in the mood for a heavy dinner tonight.  I will need to play this evening's meal by ear.

Saturday, August 4-  Grilled steaks, lamb and either grilled or roasted potatoes (from my Box) along with green beans (blanched and frozen from an earlier Box) will round out this evening's dinner.

Sunday, August 5-  Depending on my company's preferences, I may make Fish Tacos tonight.  Otherwise, I am thinking of making my Chicken Pot Pie recipe.  Taken from a previous post on this blog comes tonight's dinner, Fish Tacos.  The Fish Taco recipe was taken from allrecipes.com with a few modifications as follows.

Fish Tacos  WW Pts: 9

Marinade

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• 1 pound cod, cut into chunks

Dressing

• 1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
• 1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I might reduce to 1 tbspn)
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™
• salt and pepper to taste

• Chopped Cilantro
• packaged cole slaw mix
• 1 (10 ounce) package tortillas
• 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

Directions

1. To make the marinade, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning, black pepper, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended. Place the fish in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover, and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.
2. To make the dressing, combine the sour cream and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning. Add salt, and pepper in desired amounts. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake fish in preheated oven until it easily flakes with a fork, 9 to 11 minutes. (Fish can also be grilled)
4. Assemble tacos by placing fish pieces in the center of tortillas with desired amounts of tomatoes, cilantro, and slaw; drizzle with dressing.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 416 * Total Fat: 19.2g * Cholesterol: 43mg * Sodium: 709mg * Total Carbs: 38.5g * Dietary Fiber: 6g * Protein: 22.6g

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 
• 1/2-3/4 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.

Monday, August 6-  The last Dance and Golf night!

September 7-September 13

This week in addition to our weekly box we added Spicy Dill Pickles to our order.  Our Box consists of:

• Personal Watermelon
• Kale
• 3 large Sweet Potatoes
• Roma Tomatoes
• Italian Sweet Peppers
• 1 large Zucchini
• 2 surprise Apples
• loaf of bread from La Farm Bakery

Most likely the zucchini will be baked into my Zucchini Bread.  The watermelon will be snacked on as well as the 2 apples.

Wednesday, September 7-  Tonight is a busy evening with lessons and meetings and schedules to keep.  Therefore, I am keeping it simple with sausage, pasta and the bread from my Box.  I am using the frozen tomato sauce I made from an earlier Box's contents.

Thursday, September 8-  Short cut chicken fajitas are dinner.  A late dinner after daugter's book club meeting warrants a quick and easy meal.
 
Friday, September 9-  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.

Orzo with Kale

• 1/2 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

Saturday, September 10-  Sweet Potato Casserole with a roasted marinated Blueberry Salsa (from another Box) Pork Tenderloin and peas will be this evening's dinner.

Sweet Potato Casserole 7 WW Points  
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl, stirring to form streusel. Set aside
3. Place potatoes in pot covered with water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 30 min or until tender. Drain. Mash in large bowl.
4. Stir in 1 cup of streusel topping, sugar, vanilla, egg white and milk.
5. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining streusel.
6. Bake for 45 min.

Serving: 3/4 cup

Calories: 376  Fat: 8.8g  Saturated fat: 1.4g  Monounsaturated fat: 4.1g  Polyunsaturated fat: 2.6g  Protein: 5.4g  Carbohydrate: 70.1g  Fiber: 3.8g  Cholesterol: 1mg  Iron: 1.9mg  Sodium: 115mg  Calcium: 97mg

Sunday, September 10-  I have a dinner party to attend leaving the kids and husband to fend for themselves.  I predict a sports resturant in their future in order to catch some of the NY Giants season opener!

Monday, September 12-  After returning from soccer practice the grown ups will dine on Grilled Steak with grilled peppers and onions and sliced watermelon, along with a bottle of wine.  I'll have fed the children pasta or mac n' cheese earlier along with watermelon.

Tuesday, September 13-  Perhaps leftovers tonight?  It's one of those evenings where the kids will eat earlier and the adults eat after golf practice.  It needs to be simple and not too heavy considering it will be a late dinner. Hmmmm....what to cook?

July 27- August 2 Not a whole lot of cooking going on!

This week my Produce Box consisted of:

• 1 Qt. Peaches
• Green Beans
• 1 Personal Watermelon
• 6 Ears of Corn
• 1 oz. Fresh Basil
• Hot Pepper Variety
• Butternut Squash 

I never made the Peach cobbler last week.  So this week I will use my peaches to make that recipe.  

Delicious Peach Cobbler
4 cups of peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if you don't have any you can easily make some- I did using a google search: 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour mixed with 3/4 teaspoon each baking powder and salt)
1 1/2 cups milk
ground cinnamon, optional

-Preheat oven to 350
-Combine peaches, 1 cup of sugar & water in saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Put butter in a 3-qt. baking dish and place in oven to melt.
-Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if desired.
-Bake for approx. 1 hour
Can be served with whipped topping and/or ice cream. Refrigerate left overs.

I will roast and then puree the Butternut Squash and use it in place of the pumpkin puree in my Pumpkin Bread Recipe.  I will post this recipe separately.

Wednesday, July 27-  Between running to 2 Open Houses and it's my Birthday, I am not cooking dinner tonight.  Not sure what will be for dinner but I know for sure I won't be making it!

Thursday, July 28-  I will use some of the corn and green beans for a side salad, Orzo Salad with Corn, Green Beans and Tomatoes (recipe from myrecipes.com).  I will freeze the remaining corn to have at a later time.  I think my girls have had their fill of corn these past few weeks.  I will also make Apricot Glazed Grilled Pork Chops (whisk 2 tablespoons cider vinegar with 1/4-1/2 cup of apricot preserves, brush glaze on meat during last 5 minutes of grilling).  The meal will be rounded out with slices of watermelon.

Orzo Salad with Corn, Green Beans and Tomatoes (I will halving this recipe)

• 1 pound green beans
• 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta (8 oz.)
• 3 ears fresh corn (10 to 14 oz. each; see notes)
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (12 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, and cut in half

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 2 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse green beans, trim off ends, and pull off any strings. Cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths. Add beans to boiling water and cook until barely tender to bite, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and immerse in ice water until cold; drain well.
2. Fill same pan with 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add orzo and cook until barely tender to bite, 8 to 11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
3. Meanwhile, husk corn, discarding silk; rinse ears. Holding each ear upright in a large, deep bowl, cut off kernels close to the cob.
4. To make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, shallots, mustard, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a large, wide bowl, mix orzo with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Spread level. Layer corn kernels, green beans, and tomatoes over pasta. Pour remaining dressing into a container. Cover and chill both salad and dressing until ready to serve.
6. Shortly before serving, pour three-fourths of the remaining dressing over salad and mix gently to blend. Add more dressing and salt and pepper to taste. 

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 296
• Calories from fat: 46%
• Protein: 6.4g
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated fat: 2.1g
• Carbohydrate: 36g
• Fiber: 3.2g
• Sodium: 106mg
• Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Friday, July 29-  We will be attending my husband's family work event at the Durham Bulls Park.  Hotdogs, popcorn and a glass a beer are in my future tonight!

Saturday, July 30- My husband and I are going on a date night!  Again no cooking, glad those green beans will hold for a awhile!

Sunday, July 31-  Despite the fact that my husband and older daughter will be playing in a golf tournament tonight, I plan on making dinner for my little one and myself. It will simple like spaghetti and meatballs.

Monday, August 1-  I will use the remaining green beans for a garlic saute garnished with chopped tomatoes and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. (Heat olive oil, add 2-3 cloves minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.  After washing, trimming and cutting the beans saute them in olive oil for 5-8 minutes.  You can add chopped tomatoes and saute for another 3 minutes or remove from heat and add tomatoes.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve.)  The green beans will be served with a grilled garlic seasoned steak and a loaf of warmed bread.

Tuesday, August 2- It's Mexican tonight!  I will use some of the peppers in a Mexican inspired dish and the remaining peppers will be frozen for later use in salsas and other meals.

New Season of the Produce Box April 13-19

Hooray!!  It's the start of the Produce Box season!!  This is the first box the new season and I am just as excited as I was last season with the arrival of my box.
This week's box includes Greenhouse Cucumbers, Greenhouse Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Baby Romaine lettuce, Kale and Strawberries.
New to my blog I will be calculating the Weight Watchers Points for each recipe (based on their old points system).

Wednesday, April 13- Since I am not sure exactly when my Produce Box will arrive, I will not make tonight's dinner based on the Box's contents. However, I did manage to acquire another share of strawberries for my Box and will be feasting on Strawberry Shortcake for dessert tonight!  Since it just me and my girls for dinner tonight I am thinking tortellini and a salad for tonight.

Thursday, April 14-  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.

Orzo with Kale

• 1/2 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, April 15- From my sister-in-law I may use her recipe for Cod Cakes. Or Gilled Tuna Steaks or maybe my neighbor's Fish Taco recipe.  There is a fish theme here, I just have to wait and see what fish is on sale at the supermarket before making my selection.  I'll update with the chosen recipe once I go shopping.

Saturday, April 16- Tonight we'll grill.  After soccer games, golf and landscaping work, I'm sure we'll be hungry for a savory dinner!  I'll grill pork chops along with a favorite recipe I discovered last Produce Box season, Grilled Sweet Potatoes.  Of course I'll be using my Produce Box sweet potatoes.  I may serve a green salad along with dinner using the cucumbers and any tomatoes I have left from my box.  WW Points for potatoes and pork (2 oz equals 3 pts.): 8

Grilled Sweet Potatoes  WW Pts: 5
2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
1 apple - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp white sugar
drizzle of maple syrup
1/4 cup butter

Directions
1. Preheat an outdoor grill.

2. In a bowl, toss the sweet potato and apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar. Place on a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with maple syrup and top with butter. Tightly seal foil around.

3. Place foil packet on the grill, and cook 40 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes, until potatoes and apples are tender.

Sunday, April 17- I came across tonight's meal in a Woman's Day magazine.

Italian Sausage and White Bean Bake Recipe WW Pts: 7

* 3 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 1/2 lb Italian sausages, cut crosswise into 2-in. pieces
* 3 leeks (white and light green parts), sliced into half-moons
* 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-in. pieces
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
* 2 15-oz cans white beans, such as cannellini, rinsed
* 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
* Kosher salt and pepper
* 2 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the sausages until browned, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

2. Wipe out the pot and heat 1 Tbsp of the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices; bring to a boil. Stir in the beans, parsley, sausage, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Transfer to a 3-qt casserole dish.

4. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the remaining oil and sprinkle over the bean mixture. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts Yield 8 Servings
Calories 347 Total Fat 16g Saturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 25mg Sodium 1068mg Total Carbohydrates 34g Dietary Fiber 6g Protein 15g

Monday, April 18-  I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com  I will serve it with coucous (WW Pts. 3 for 1 cup) and green beans.  I did take note of the reader's comments and will incorporate them into the recipe this evening.  Total WW Points for meal: 9

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 a grill for medium-high heat.

2. Place the tilapia fillets side by side on a large piece of aluminum foil. Season each one with salt and pepper. Place drizzle olive oil over the top of each piece of fish, and sprinkle garlic, basil and tomato. Pour the wine over everything. Fold foil up around fish, and seal into a packet. Place packet on a cookie sheet for ease in transportation to and from the grill.

3. Place foil packet on the preheated grill, and cook for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Open the packet carefully so as not to get burned from the steam, and serve.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 269 | Total Fat: 13.2g | Cholesterol: 73mg Sodium: 293mg Total Carbs: 3.4g Dietary Fiber: 0.6g Protein: 23.7g

Tuesday, April 19- After a trip to the Meat House of Cary, I will be grilling their Marinated Merlot Steaks tonight.  I would love to grill some asparagus as well (I'll see if it is on sale at the market otherwise maybe corn on the cob).  I'll serve Grilled Garlic and Onion Red Potatoes with our meal as well.