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.

Mini Menu October 1 & 2

I neglected to buckle down and consistently develop a weekly menu.  As a result, there has been more trips to the grocery store, more take out and ever expanding waist lines!  So with the start of a new month, comes the hope of being better at consisently developing a weekly menu. (With the delivery of my Produce Box Wednesday, this is a very short menu.)

With the 2 zucchinis that came in last week's Produce Box, I plan on baking 2 loaves of Zucchini Bread this afternoon.

 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.

Monday, October 1-  With the rain coming down and the cool gloomy weather and 3 butternut squashes sitting on my counter top, I am inspired to make Risotto with Butternut Squash and White Beans.  I may serve this with Italian sausage or ham along with a loaf of bread on the side.

Risotto with Butternut Squash and White Beans (reprinted from Allrecipes.com)

• 1 butternut squash - (roasted and mashed)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 3 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
• 6 cups chicken broth, or more as needed
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can small white beans, drained
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Roast butternut squash in oven seasoned with butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Transfer squash to a bowl and mash.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in the hot oil until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir tomato into onions until onions become translucent, 3 to 5 more minutes. Add Arborio rice to onion mixture and stir to coat with oil; cook and stir until rice becomes translucent with a white spots in the middle of each grain, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir white wine into rice mixture; cook and stir until wine is completely absorbed, 2 to 4 minutes; add marjoram, oregano, and basil. Pour chicken broth into rice mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed, until rice is creamy but firm to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir squash into rice mixture until fully incorporated. Remove from heat.
4. Stir hot pepper sauce, white beans, Parmesan cheese, and parsley into risotto until cheese is melted. Season with salt and black pepper.

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 8

Calories: 437, Total Fat: 8.6g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 1062mg, Total Carbs: 77.1g, Dietary Fiber: 6.7g, Protein: 11.2g

Tuesday, October 2-  I need a relatively simple and quick meal tonight since one of my children has an evening activity.  Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken served in tortillas sounds like the way to go!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

• 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
  
• salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice or in a tortilla (extra pts).

June 26- July 2

I am volunteering at VBS this week and couldn't deliver for The Produce Box, which means I didn't get a box this week.  But I decided to try out DJ's Berry Patches CSA Boxes.  I ordered a half share of their produce box and picked it up Tuesday.

The Box consisted of:

• 1 Tomato
• 4 ears of Sweet Corn
• Zucchini
• Squash
• 2 Cucumbers
• 10 Pickling Cucumbers
• 1 Onion
• 1 lb. Red Potatoes
• 1 white Eggplant 
• 2 Bell Peppers 
• 4 Jalapeno Peppers
• 2 Banana Peppers
• Okra
• 1/2 lb. Green Beans

I also purchased a quart of Peaches, a quart of Plums and a Cantaloupe.  I think I will make some Zucchini Bread with the zucchinis from my Box.  If I don't get to serving the fresh green beans then I will blanche and freeze them for later use.  My husband will pickle the pickling cucumbers this week.

 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.

Tuesday, June 26-  I plan to grill some sausage and serve it with some cooked peppers and onions from my Box.  I'll also cook of an ear of corn to serve along with it.  While I was at DJ's Berry Patch I also picked up some fresh fruit which will accompany our dinner tonight as well.

Wednesday, June 27- I intend to make one of my favorites, homemade Eggplant Parmigiana.  I will defrost some homemade sauce which I made with the previous season's stock up tomato box.  Perhaps, a basil oil and vinegar tossed cucumbers and tomatoes from my box along with a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine will round out tonight's meal.

 Basil Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and whisk well.  Serve over greens or other fresh produce.

Thursday, June 28-  Although it's just the girls tonight I still intend to create a homemade meal (this was usually an excuse for take out or breakfast for dinner).   I'll cook up some of the corn from my box and serve it along side grilled chicken breasts.  I will take any leftover vinaigrette from last night and marinate the chicken breasts in it!

Friday, June 29-  Since I have to drop my order daughter off with my husband for a Durham Bulls game, I think the little one and I will use this as an excuse to go out for dinner.

Saturday, June 30-  With all the peppers in my produce box, it is just screaming for steak fajitas!!!

Sunday, July 1-  I came across a recipe in my Southern Living magazine which used Okra (a veggie I am NOT fond of) in an unconventional way.  Tomato and Okra Cornmeal Patties!  I found a similar recipe on allrecipes.com and merged the best of the two into the one found below.  I am thinking some grilled sausages would make an excellent accompaniment to this meal. I'll also create grill packets for some of the squash and zucchini.  I will add a few dabs of butter, minced garlic and salt and pepper. .

Tomato and Okra Cornmeal Patties

• 1 cups plain yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2-1 pound fresh okra, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 large egg
• 1 pound tomatoes, diced
• Fresh basil leaves, minced
• 3 cups vegetable oil for frying

1. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, okra, jalapeno, onion, salt, pepper, water and egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and cornmeal; and stir that into the okra mixture.
3. Carefully drop spoonfuls of the okra batter into the hot oil, and fry on each side until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. 
4. Combine diced tomato and basil sprinkle with olive oil mix well.  Serve tomato mixture over okra patties. 

Monday, July 2- I'll make up Camper Potatoes with the red potatoes from my Box.  I will make Peachy Pork Chops and perhaps serve some green beans along with it.

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. 

  
Camper Red Potatoes

• sliced red potatoes, dabs of butter, sliced onion or onion powder- Make foil packets and grill until browned and crispy about 30-40 minutes on low heat

October 12- October 18

Our Produce Box consists of the following:

• Raspberries
• Grape Tomatoes
• Kale
• Green Peppers
• Zucchini
• Sweet Potatoes
• Spaghetti Squash

My oldest daughter enjoys snacking on the raspberries.  I will make Zucchini Bread with my zucchinis.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 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)

Directions

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.

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 216  Total Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 26mg Sodium: 165mg Total Carbs: 29.4g Dietary Fiber: 0.7g Protein: 2.6g

Wednesday, October 12- I made this recipe before and it was well received.  On a rainy day the idea of making this soup seems appropriate.
 

Italian Sausage & Potato Soup

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 slice pancetta bacon, diced
• 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 cube chicken bouillon ( I will be using Better than Bouillon)
• 4 cups water
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups kale, rinsed and julienned
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Place sausage links on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. Cut each link in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside for later.
3. In a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions and the pancetta for 10 minutes, or until onions are almost clear. Add the garlic and saute for one more minute. Add the chicken base OR bouillon, water and potatoes and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Puree 1-2 cups of soup add back to saucepan.   Add the kale, cream and reserved sausage, simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 348  Total Fat: 26.6g  Cholesterol: 68mg  Sodium: 693mg  Total Carbs: 15.3g  Dietary Fiber: 2g  Protein: 12.1g

 

Thursday, October 13-  I have volunteered to deliver dinner to one of my neighbors after she recently gave birth.  I chose a meal which not only makes great leftovers but is simple to make for the masses.  I will be making Baked Ziti not only for my neighbor, but for our dinner as well.  I serve it along with fresh bread and a side garden salad.


Friday, October 14-  Last week we received Purple Sweet Potatoes in our Box.  I decided to let them "sit" for awhile to sweeten up.  Tonight, I will use them to make Sweet Potato Fries which will be served along with a grilled steak and green beans (which I had frozen from last week).  I found a simple sweet potato fries recipe on the food network which I will try.  After reading some of the reviews, I will increase the oven temperature for a crispier fry and reduce the chili powder in hopes that my girls will eat the fries!
Sweet Potato Fries (foodnetwork.com)

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium chili seasoning(I will reduce the measurement)
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.

Use peeler to peel sweet potatoes. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise then cut into 1/2-inch thick fries.

Place sweet potato fries in a large mixing bowl. Add oil and spices. Toss until they are thoroughly coated with spices.

Spread fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes turning once to ensure even cooking. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Saturday, October 15-   With a late afternoon soccer game, I am thinking chicken fajitas and quesedillas for dinner.  I will use some of the green peppers from my Box to fry up along with onions to garnish the fajitas.

Sunday, October 16-  I am leaning towards an Alfredo sauce with the spaghetti squash along with the grape tomatoes and maybe even some zucchini (if I have any left after baking the bread). 
Alfredo Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.

 Monday, October 17-  Tonight would make a good leftover evening.  I am assuming I will have some leftovers. 

Tuesday, October 18-  I am thinking pork and maybe my mother's Potato Pancake recipe (one of my favorite dishes!).  Depending on the weather I may grill the pork chops or bake them.  I will add the pancake recipe later.

Zucchini Bread

The Zucchini Bread Recipe I used:

 Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 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)

Directions

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.

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 216  Total Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 26mg Sodium: 165mg Total Carbs: 29.4g Dietary Fiber: 0.7g Protein: 2.6g