Produce Box is back and so the menus begin!

February 28-March 6

The Produce Box began actually last week but our family passed on ordering a box.  This week's box was filled with deliciuos foods as well as additional add on items I threw.  Since TPB is starting earlier then in previous seasons, they have decided to expand their farmer's radius for the first few boxes.  Currently some items are from other states.  Personally I didn't mind since that meant Florida clementines/oranges made an appearance in my box this week!

Other items included: starwberries, broccoli, carrots, bibb lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers and zucchini.

The oranges and strawberries have been healthy sweet snacks and the berries were polished off over the weekend served over homemade french toast.  I served fresh carrots with dinner Friday evening and blanched the rest to freeze for later meals.  The tomatoes have been great accompaniments to our sandwiches.

I plan on baking up some Zucchini Bread tomorrow.

 Zucchini Bread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Sift together flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, baking powder.
3. Beat eggs. Add and mix well sugar, vanilla, and oil. Add zucchini to egg mixture. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in nuts if desired. Pour into 2 ungreased loaf pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. 

Friday, March 28-  I had picked up premade refrigerated chicken cordon blue from BJ's earlier in the week.  I served these with the carrots from my box along with mashed potatoes.

Saturday, March 1-  I made up Asian Lettuce Wraps using the bibb lettuce from my box.

Asian Lettuce Wraps WW 9 pts (2 wraps with 2 small scoop beef)

• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T soy
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T chile paste

Mix ingredients and spoon desired amount over wrap before rolling.

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped peanuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Add desired amount of sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4 (2 wraps)
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 388 Total Fat: 22.3g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 580mg Total Carbs: 24.3g Dietary Fiber: 4.7g Protein: 23.4g

Sunday, March 2-  Dinner was comprised of mac n cheese, roistierre chicken and leftover potatoes.

Monday, March 3-  Dinner will be leftover Lettuce Wraps, mac n cheese, ham steaks and chicken along with fresh sliced oranges.  

Tuesday, March 4-  With the green peppers from my box I'll be using them for fajitas tonight.

Wednesday, March 5-  I plan to use one of the previous frozen crock pot meals for dinner this evening.

Thursday, March 6-  Currently I am contemplating Chicken Pot pie for dinner tonight.  I'll use some of the frozen carrots I blanched and I might throw in some diced green pepper too.

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.

August 22- August 28

Today's Box contained: Chambourcin Grapes, Bibb Lettuce, 6 ears of Corn, Butternut Squash, 4 Field Tomatoes and 2 cucumbers.

Since the butternuts keep well, I still have some from last week.  One will be used in place of pumpkin puree in my Pumpkin Bread recipe.  The grapes will be great for snacks.  The lettuce, tomato and cucumber will make great lunch and side salads this week.

 With some leftover Sweet Potatoes from an earlier Box, I intend to make this week Sweet Potato Cake.

Sweet Potato Cake

2 1/2 self rising flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 cups oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup Hot water
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated sweet potatoes
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together flour and cinnamon.  In another bowl mix oil and sugar; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add water and sweet potatoes; mix well.  Add pecans and vanilla.  Add flour mixture; beat til smooth.  Pour into 3 9" layer pans or one 9x13 pan (greased and floured)
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Frost after cooling.
Recipe reprinted from Michelle Gemmel

I did not have self rising flour on hand but was able to make my own. (For every cup of self rising flour add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.)

Wednesday, August 22-  I fell behind last week and never made the chicken pot pie.  So tonight I will make that up for dinner, using some of the fresh corn from my Box.

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.

Thursday, August 23-  It's just us girls tonight.  I'm thinking of turkey meatballs over pasta and sliced bread.

Friday, August 24-  Golf night which usually means take out.

Saturday, August 25- We decided to go out for BBQ.

Sunday, August 26-  I have Thanksgiving on my mind and with the delivery of my butternut squash, I am thinking a little Thanksgiving in August sounds yummy!  I will slow cook a garlic turkey breast.  I hope to make up a turkey breast and serve it along with my Butternut Squash Casserole and green beans (frozen from an earlier Box).

Butternut Squash Casserole- from Williams-Sonoma

Casserole:

4 cups butternut squash puree

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp orange extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Topping:

1 cup vanilla wafers, crushed

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly grease a casserole dish (4 - 6 cup capacity).

2. Combine squash puree, sugar, milk, vanilla, orange extract, salt, flour, eggs and melted butter. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until set.

3. Meanwhile, make the topping. In a medium bowl, combine crushed vanilla wafers, melted butter and the brown sugar. Sprinkle over top of the cooked casserole and return to the oven to brown for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Monday, August 27- With the leftover turkey I will use Pampered Chef's recipe and make their Turkey Cranberry Wreath for dinner.  I'll make a box of mac n cheese since my girls aren't huge fans of this meal.

Leaner Turkey Cranberry Wreath

Servings: 8 (approximately 2 crescent triangles per stuffed sandwich)
Weight Watchers: 10 PointsPlus per serving

• 2 cups light meat turkey, chopped or shredded (no skin)
• 5 ounces reduced fat Swiss cheese, shredded or diced up
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tubes (16 rolls total) reduced fat crescent rolls
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten, for wash

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In medium sized mixing bowl, combine turkey, cheese, celery, cranberries, parsley, mayonnaise, mustard and pepper.  Mix well.  Set aside while preparing the crescent roll wreath, braid or ring.
3. Scoop filling evenly over the crescent roll wreath, then finish assembling the wreath.  Brush wreath with egg white.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Tuesday, August 28- Using the Bibb Lettuce I will make Asian Lettuce Wraps for dinner tonight.  Since I believe the kids will not particularly care for this meal I'll make Ramen Noodles and green beans from my box for them.

Asian Lettuce Wraps WW 9 pts (2 wraps with 2 small scoop beef)

• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T soy
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T chile paste

Mix ingredients and spoon desired amount over wrap before rolling.

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped peanuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Add desired amount of sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4 (2 wraps)
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 388 Total Fat: 22.3g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 580mg Total Carbs: 24.3g Dietary Fiber: 4.7g Protein: 23.4g

July 11- July 17

This week our Box consisted of:

• 1qt. Peaches 
• 1 pint Blueberries
• 6 ears of Sweet Corn
• Large Share of Green Beans
• Tomatoes
• Bell Pepper Mix
• and an add on of Bibb Lettuce

The peaches and blueberries are always great snacks on hand.  I may even try making Peach Muffins.

Peach Cobbler Mini Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1-2 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line the mini muffin tin with mini muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar. Stir the oil mixture into the flour mixture just until moist. Fold in the peaches. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups

3. Bake 17-20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Makes approximately 24 mini muffins. **I plan to make regular sized muffins**

Wednesday, July 11-  Using the Bibb Lettuce I will make Asian Lettuce Wraps for dinner tonight.  Since I believe the kids will not particularly care for this meal I'll make Ramen Noodles and green beans from my box for them.

Asian Lettuce Wraps WW 9 pts (2 wraps with 2 small scoop beef)

• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T soy
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T chile paste

Mix ingredients and spoon desired amount over wrap before rolling.

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped peanuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Add desired amount of sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4 (2 wraps)
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 388 Total Fat: 22.3g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 580mg Total Carbs: 24.3g Dietary Fiber: 4.7g Protein: 23.4g

Thursday, July 12-  Although it's just the girls tonight, I plan to cook up some greens beans along with Southern Fried Chicken and gravy.  This recipe reprinted from Southern Living, orginally calls for cube steaks but I substitute boneless chicken breasts instead.  I will be blanching the remaining green beans to freeze for a later date.

Southern Fried Chicken and Gravy

• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 3/4 teaspoons black pepper, divided
• 4 (4-ounce) cube steaks (I use chicken breasts)
• 38 saltine crackers (1 sleeve), crushed (in a pinch I have substituted bread crumbs)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 3/4 cups milk, divided 
• 2 large eggs 
• 3 1/2 cups peanut oil
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper evenly over steaks. Combine cracker crumbs, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, red pepper, and baking powder. Whisk together 3/4 cup milk and eggs. Dredge steaks in cracker mixture; dip in milk mixture, and dredge again in cracker mixture.
2. Pour oil into a 12-inch skillet; heat to 360°. (Do not use a nonstick skillet.) Fry steaks 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and fry 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove steaks to a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan. Keep steaks warm in a 225° oven. Carefully drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.
3. Whisk together remaining 4 cups milk, 1/4 cup flour, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add milk mixture to reserved drippings in skillet; cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Serve gravy with steaks. Garnish, if desired. (**This makes alot of gravy, consider halving recipe**)

Friday, July 13-  No cooking tonight because it's the Company Picnic with fireworks!

Saturday, July 14- I came across tonight's shrimp dish and the side I plan to make, Black Bean Salad, on simplyrecipes.com  I have made the salad previously and we have enjoyed it.  I may decide on serving these on soft tacos with a garnish of the salad.  In that case I will half the salad.  I will also omit the avocado from the salad.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe

If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them by placing them in a bowl of ice water or cold water. Adding a little salt to the water will help the shrimp retain their briny flavor.

• 2 Tbsp high smoke point oil such as grape seed oil, or canola oil
• 1-2 Serrano chiles, sliced into thin rings
• 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1-2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Place a large sauté pan or a wok over your strongest burner on high heat. Let the pan heat up for a minute and then add the oil. Use a high smoke point oil since you will be cooking the shrimp on very high heat. Let the oil heat until it's shimmering. If it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat for a moment.
2 Add the chiles to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat with oil. Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1 minute before tossing again so they get a little bit of a sear. Stir-fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.


3 Turn off the heat and mix in the cilantro, then the lime juice.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve alone, over rice, or in a folded heated flour or corn tortilla.
Yield: Serves 3-4.
  

Black Bean Salad Recipe

• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions or shallots
• 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded)
• 3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.
In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chile peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.
Serves 6 to 8.

The remainder of the corn I do not use to make the salad I will freeze for later use. How to Freeze Corn http://www.pickyourown.org/freezingcorn.htm

Sunday, July15- I plan to make the Stuffed Peppers I have made a number of times now and we all enjoy, using the Bell Peppers from my Box.

Stuffed Peppers  WW Pts: 7

• 4 large peppers (8 banana peppers)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs

1. Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
4. Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour. (optional- last 15 minutes sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese)

Amount Per Serving
Calories:310 Total Fat: 24g  Dietary Fiber: 1.9g

Monday, July 16-  Ballet and Golf Night with all of us literally in different directions and all in the midst of meal time, it will be breakfast for dinner, leftovers or even take out.

Tuesday, July 17-  Marinated Grilled Sliced Steak over Brazilian Rice Beans will be this evening's meal.

The steak will be marinated in lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and chili pepper.  After marinating it will be grilled and served over Brazilian Black Beans (Feijão) and Rice.

Feijao WW Pts: 1

1-2 cans black beans

2 cloves garlic (pressed)

bacon (chopped)

black pepper

1. Fry up bacon until crispy
2. Add garlic and saute
3. Add beans with juices and add about 1/4 cup water to pan
4. Simmer for 10 minutes
5. Serve over rice.

Rice WW Pts: 3

1 small onion diced

1-2 garlic cloves minced

1 cup long grain rice

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1. Saute onion until soft
2. Add garlic and saute.  Add rice and stir fry.
3. Add water and salt, bring to boil.
4. The water level will begin to drop.  Cover and reduce heat.
5. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let the rice rest for about 10 minutes.

Last Box this Season

Sadly, this was our last Produce Box delivery for the season until next Spring.  After this week, I will have to conjure up my weekly menus without the aide of my Box for inspiration.

This week we recieved:

• Green Beans
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• 2 Broccili
• Butternut Squash
• 7 Granny Smith Apples
• 5 medium Sweet Poatoes

The sweet potatoes and the butternut squash )along with another butternut from an earlier delivery) will be saved for our Thanksgiving Feast.  I will most likely blanch and freeze the green beans for future use.

Wednesday, November 16-  With the fresh spinach from my box I will try out a tweaked recipe I discovered on allrecipes.com.  I will serve this with mashed potatoes.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts WW 9pts

• 1/2 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup cream of chicken soup
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/2 inch thickness (soaked in buttermilk)
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan.  Add pressed garlic and saute.  Add spinach and saute until wilted.
3. Mix soup and sour cream.
4. Remove spinach from heat and stir in 1/2 the cream mixture until combined.
5. Lay the chicken breasts out on a clean surface, lay a slice of swiss cheese onto breast and spoon some of the spinach mixture onto each one. Roll up chicken to enclose the spinach and secure with toothpicks.  Arrange in a shallow baking dish. 
6. Pour remaining cream mixture over chicken.
7. Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes in the preheated oven. 

Thursday, November 17- We will be doing pizza and a movie at the Halle Cultural Arts Center tonight.

Friday, November 18-  I made Lettuce Wraps last time we had a head of romaine lettuce so I am thinking Asian Lettuce Wraps tonight.

Asian Lettuce Wraps WW 9 pts (2 wraps with 2 small scoop beef)

• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T soy
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T chile paste

Mix ingredients and spoon desired amount over wrap before rolling.

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped peanuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Add desired amount of sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4 (2 wraps)
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 388 Total Fat: 22.3g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 580mg Total Carbs: 24.3g Dietary Fiber: 4.7g Protein: 23.4g

 Saturday, November 19-  I think I will roast a chicken tonight.  I'll season it with garlic cloves, oregano and thyme.  I'll serve green beans from my Box and perhaps roasted or baked potatoes.

Sunday, November 20-  I think grilled hamburgers along with homemade macaroni salad and sliced apples will round out this evening's meal.

Monday, November 21- Pork Chops and my favorite, Potato Pancakes served with applesauce will be tonight's meal. (I'll post the pancake recipe later)

Tuesday, November 22- I am contemplating making again from an earlier summer post,  Chicken and Tortellini Salad which I found in my June issue of Southern Living.  If not this recipe I may just make tortellini with vodka sauce.

Chicken and Tortellini Salad

• 2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

 1. Prepare tortellini according to package directions.

2. Process olive oil and next 4 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Toss olive oil mixture with tortellini, chicken, and next 3 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Southern Living
JUNE 2011

October 26- November 1

This week we received:

• pint of Raspberries
• 3 Zucchinis
• large head of Napa Cabbage
• 6 apples
• 4 Poblano Peppers
• Fresh Rosemary
• Add on of Romaine Lettuce

With my zucchinis, I will use my Grandmother's recipe for Zucchini "Apple" Pie.  I will also be baking later in the week a Sweet Potato Cake using the sweet potato from an earlier Box.

Zucchini Apple Pie

9" pie                                                                                                          

 

4 cups sliced, peeled, cored zucchini cooked til tender crisp             

2 T lemon juice                                                                                       

dash salt                                                                                                  

 

Mix together:

 

1 1/4 cup sugar                                                                                     

1 1/2 t cinnamon                                                                                    

1 1/2 t cream of tartar                                                                           

dash nutmeg                                                                                           

3 T flour                                                                                               

                                                                                                               

Add Zucchini

 

Mix well. It will be runny but that's ok. Dump the filling into a 9 inch crust and dot with butter. Add top crust and bake at 400* for 40 minutes

Sweet Potato Cake

2 1/2 self rising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 1/4 cups oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup Hot water
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated sweet potatoes
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  In another bowl mix oil and sugar; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add water and sweet potatoes; mix well.  Add pecans and vanilla.  Add flour mixture; beat til smooth.  Pour into 3 9" layer pans or one 9x13 pan (greased and floured)
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Frost after cooling.

I used vanilla cake frosting and omitted the pecans because I didn't have any on hand.  This cake was moist and delicious.   I did not have self rising flour on hand but was able to make my own. (For every cup of self rising flour add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.)

Wednesday, October 26-  I have left over beef stew and with my husband not home, I will try to invent tonight's leftovers.  I will add some cooked white rice to the stew.  A little something different than egg noodles.

Thursday, October 27-  Tonight I will use the add on of romaine lettuce to make Asian Lettuce Wraps.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com but have adjusted the basic recipe with suggestions from other reviewers.
Asian Lettuce Wraps

• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T soy
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T chile paste

Mix ingredients and spoon desired amount over wrap before rolling.

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped peanuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Add desired amount of sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 388 Total Fat: 22.3g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 580mg Total Carbs: 24.3g Dietary Fiber: 4.7g Protein: 23.4g

Friday, October 28-  I never made the Marinated Pork Tenderloin I had plans for last week.  Therefore, tonight I will bake the Marinated Pork Tenderloin and serve it along with green beans and mashed potatoes.  I found the pork recipe at allrecipes.com add altered the recipe based on other reviewers comments.
Marinated Pork Tenderloin

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons sherry
• 1/2 small onion minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
  
• 2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins (I will be using just 1)
  

Directions

1. Place soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, onion, cinnamon, olive oil, and garlic in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal, and shake to mix. Fork the tenderloin.  Then place pork in bag with marinade, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place pork in baking dish, reserve marinade.
3. Bake pork for 50-60 minutes, or to desired doneness. Let rest 5-10 minutes covered in foil.  
4. While meat rests, place reserved marinade in a saucepan and heat.  Add cornstarch to thicken, bring to boil and let simmer until sauce has thickened.
5. Slice into medallions, and serve with gravy.

Saturday, October 29-  With my large head of Napa cabbage, I will make my cole slaw and serve it along with grilled cheeseburgers, fries and onion rings.

Cole Slaw
1 head of Cabbage shredded
1/4 pound shredded or julienne Carrots
1 Onion finely chopped
1/2 cup Mayonaise
1 tablespoon Vinegar
2 teaspoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Mix Mayo, Vinegar, Sugar & Salt in non-reactivate bowl. Add shredded Cabbage, Carrots and diced Onion. Mix well. Chill before serving.

Sunday, October 30-  I am thinking of making Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili tonight.  I will add the recipe later.

Monday, October 31-  Since it is Halloween and my children will be anxiously awaiting Trick or Treating, dinner must be simple and quick.  I will either throw together quesidillas and steak fajitas or opt for pizza take out.

Tuesday, November 1-I plan to make the Stuffed Peppers I have made a number of times now and we all enjoy, using the Poblano Peppers from my Box.

Stuffed Peppers  WW Pts: 7

• 4 large peppers (8 banana peppers)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs

1. Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
4. Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour. (optional- last 15 minutes sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese)

Amount Per Serving
Calories:310 Total Fat: 24g  Dietary Fiber: 1.9g