Meatless Monday

Tonight we are going to enjoy the bounty from the farmer's market and our CSA goodies. We got a bunch of strawberries, and last night I made strawberry shortcake with them. Yum! The difference between a strawberry from a local farm and a strawberry from the grocery store is astounding.
We also got a few sprigs of asparagus, damn that short-lived season. Mostly we got greens, spinach and such. So tonight we are having big salads and these goat cheese and herb souffles. I found some seriously delicious goat cheese at the Farmer's market, it is a tad expensive but I can't help myself and have bought some every week. I can justify it because I get the fresh herbs out of the garden and don't have to pay $3.00 for a litte bunch at the grocery store. So I think it works out.


Ingredients

7 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Large pinch of cayenne pepper
4 large egg whites

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes. Place 1 tablespoon Parmesan in each dish; rotate dishes to coat with cheese, leaving excess in dishes. Place dishes on baking sheet. Whisk milk and yolks in bowl to blend.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Add flour; whisk 1 minute. Whisk in milk mixture. Whisk soufflé base until thick and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add 1/2 cup goat cheese, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper; whisk until cheese melts. Beat whites in bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into base in pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup goat cheese and 1 tablespoon Parmesan over. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Divide mixture among dishes.

Bake soufflés until puffed and beginning to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Meatless Monday

Happy Meatless Memorial Monday.

I had big concerns over how much opposition I was going to encounter on this meatless Monday. My Guy is a big griller, and especially on such a holiday. It seems Memorial Day is not really about honoring our veterans, but about lighting up the BBQ grill. My dad would freak if he knew that we weren't eating some sort of red meat today. Never the less, I have found an acceptable alternative that didn't cause too much of an uproar when I posed it to My Guy.

So here ya' go. I haven't tried the mushrooms yet, but it seems pretty straight forward. I am going to be serving them burger-style with a slice of cheese and an onion bun from our local bakery. The Marinated Barbecued Vegetables are a staple and they find their way onto the grill every time we light it. Even E likes them. I think they are yummy served warm or cold.


Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

3 portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup canola oil
3 Tblsp. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar

Clean mushrooms and remove stems, reserve for other use. Place caps on a plate with the gills up.
In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour mixture over the mushroom caps and let stand for 1 hour.
Grill over hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.


Marinated Barbecued Vegetables

1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
2 red or green bell peppers, seeded and cut into wide strips
3 zucchinis, sliced
3 squash, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, minced

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, basil and garlic. Pour the mixture over vegetables, cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

Place the vegetables on hot grill and cook about 2 or 3 minutes per side, brushing with marinade.

Meatless Monday

Well, Saturday morning was spent running around like a chicken with my head cut off!
My little ones are not even to the soccer game/ballet lesson/birthday party/etc. age yet and I still was super busy Saturday morning. I did make it to the farmer's market bright and early to pick up my "bushel" of goodies from the CSA I signed up for last week. What a serious disappointment. My so-called bushel contained two small sprigs of oregano, a bunch of chives and a few asparagus spears. I am heart broken.

I was whining about it to my mother and she basically told me to suck it up, and that when signing up for the CSA I should have known that I was "participating in the risk". I hate it when she is right. The weather has been really, really mild here. I don't know what I was expecting...he can't magically coax food from the earth just because I cut him a check. The thing that really got my blood boiling though, is that he charged me for the plants I bought from him. I wanted to get a few more tomato plants and a couple more herbs to squeeze into the empty spaces in my garden. Couldn't he have throw in the marjoram for good will?

I am still optimistic about next week, and the items we did get look great so hopefully in the end we will all come out on top. The eggs are awesome, it is too bad I broke three of them on the way to the car wrestling L and E and the stroller and the plants and the eggs and, you get the idea. I am still supporting a local farmer with a family of his own, so maybe I will just consider this a charity case this week.

At any rate, here is what's for dinner tonight. It is Meatless Monday and the ingredients are all in my fridge and pantry.


Spring Tabbouleh

1 cup fine bulgur
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup peas, freshly shelled

1 garlic clove, crushed to paste with 2 big pinches of salt
juice of one lemon
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil.

Put the bulgur in a medium bowl, add boiling water to the surface of the grains and let stand for about 15 minutes, just until tender. Drain and press out any remaining water and toss with a couple pinches of salt. Set aside.

Return the saucepan to the heat and bring the remainder of the water back up to a boil. Salt the water and cook the asparagus and peas for just about 20 seconds, just long enough for them to brighten up and lose a bit of their bite. Drain, run under colder water to stop the cooking, and add to the bulgur.

For the dressing, whisk the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil together and season with more salt if needed.

To the bulgur, asparagus, and peas add 1/2 the chives and walnuts. Toss with a big splash of dressing. Taste and add more dressing if needed. Adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining chives, walnuts and chopped egg.

Serves 4-6.

Meatless Monday

We hit the farmer's market this weekend. On this meatless Monday, I am incorporating some ingredients I found there. It has been unseasonably cool here, so the pickins' were slim. However, I did finally get signed up for a CSA! *woohoo*
We did come home with a few more plants for the garden, including some blackberry bushes. We won't have blackberries until next year, but I think the girls will have fun picking them. We plan on putting them in along the fence and just letting them go wild.
The hot item at the market this weekend was asparagus, it was everywhere. And I just can't stop buying strawberries! So here is what's for dinner...............

Grilled Asparagus Salad

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tblsp. lemon juice
12 fresh asparagus spears
6 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 Tblsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tblsp. seasoned slivered almonds

Combine lemon juice and olive oil on a plate. Place asparagus on the plate, and roll around to coat.
Grill asparagus for about 5 minutes, turning at least once and brushing with the olive oil mixture. Remove from the grill and place back on the plate with the oil. (You can also broil these, it takes about 7 minutes that way.)
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, Parmesan cheese, and slivered almonds. Cut asparagus into bite size pieces, and add to the salad along wiht the lemon juice and oil from the plate. Toss to blend, then serve.

Possible add-ins include
-cooked penne (If you need something a little more hearty)
-chopped tomato

And for dessert.........

Balsamic Strawberries

1 Tblsp. butter
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1/4 cup (or less) sugar
1 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar
Organic plain yogurt or low-fat vanilla ice cream

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the strawverries, sugar, and vinegar. Cook until the strawberries are heated through and darkened to a ruby red.

Place yogurt or ice cream into dessert bowls or stemmed glasses. Spoon strawberries over the ice cream and serve. Serves 4.

Um, yum.

Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I thought I would share one of my favorite super easy recipes. It is not authentic in any way, but tastes yummy none the less. My mother and I make our own salsa from all the tomatoes in the garden, this is a great way to use it.

Black Bean Soup

-16 oz of black beans, prepared (Or if you are short on time, 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed)
-1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I also make this homemade and freeze it, however you can use the store bought stuff, if you must)
-1 cup chunky salsa
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-sour cream (or I like to use organic plain yogurt, it is so good for you!)
-thinly sliced green onion

In a food processor or blender, combine beans broth, salsa, and cumin. Blend until fairly smooth. I like to leave it a little chunky.

Heat mixture in a sauce pan over medium heat until thoroughly heated.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with sour cream and green onion. (you can top it with anything you have on hand, i.e. tomatoes, avacado, ect.)

Serves four.

I like to serve this soup with homemade Guacamole (I got avacados at ALDI for .49 a piece, score!)and Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas, yum! Have a happy Cinco de Mayo!

Meatless Monday

In my attempt to live a less-consuming lifestyle, we have cut back some on our meat consumption. We never really ate all that much meat to begin with, if it is missing in our dinner it is not a big deal. We rarely eat it during the day. So I have decided to post some of my favorite vegan or vegetarian recipes. They are usually pretty healthy, good for the environment, and good for the wallet. It is amazing how much your grocery bill drops if you avoid the meat and dairy cases. Yesterday I did all of our shopping for the week and only spent about $60, that is every meal for the family. (We NEVER-well almost never- eat out) I don't use/advocate coupons. They are generally for things that we don't buy anyway, over-processed junk food that you do not need. It is not saving money if you are buying something that you don't need or even worse, may not use. Big deal if you can save .45 cents on 2 Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls, you shouldn't be eating that crap anyway! Make it from scratch,if you must have it, at least you know what is going into it.Okay, enough of that rant.


So, here is what's for dinner tonight....Yum!
BTW, I am not a huge fan of "meat substitutes" I usually just skip them, this recipe is just as good w/o the tofu. If I make it without tofu, I usually chop up about half a head of cabbage and throw it in. I also just go ahead and add some of the ingredients from the marinade straight in the stir-fry, i.e. the garlic and ginger. It is a very easy and flexible recipe.


Tofu and Vegetable stir-fry

Marinade:
1 lb. tofu, cut into 1" cubes
3 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tBsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tBsp sesame oil
2 tBsp dry sherry
1/4 hoisin sauce

Vegetables:
2 tBsp olive oil
medium onion, chopped
carrot, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 lb snow peas
red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tin sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 tBsp cornstarch
2 tBsp flax seed, ground

-Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Gently stir in tofu cubes, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
-Heat oil in frying pan and add onion, cooking until soft. Add other veggies, from slow to fast cooking and fry until desired.
-Add tofu to the veggies. Stir 1 tBsp cornstarch into marinade and pour over vegetable mixture. Heat until tofu is hot.
-sprinkle flax on top for garnish

Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting

This statement is from the EPA's Fact Sheet on the insect repellent DEET.

Consumers can reduce their own risks when using DEET by reading and following products labels. All DEET product labels include the following directions:


Read and follow all directions and precautions on this product label.
Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
Do not apply to hands or near eyes and mouth of young children.
Do not allow young children to apply this product.
Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing.
Do not use under clothing.
Avoid over-application of this product.
After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water.
Wash treated clothing before wearing it again.
Use of this product may cause skin reactions in rare cases.


So, it doesn't seem that bad. If you use it correctly the EPA has found DEET to be safe for everyone, including children 2 months and up. However, when your are spraying it, does it accidentally get near your little ones hands or mouth? Do you run into the house and give everyone a bath to wash the chemical off treated skin? What exactly is "over-application"?

Symptoms of DEET Exposure
- Eye and mucous membrane irritation.
- Ingestion can cause CNS disturbances.
- Desquamation about the nose, dryness of face, a slight tingling sensation. Contact urticaria.
- Toxicity is primarily neurologic (encephalopathy, seizures, movement disorders, coma) and may occur via oral or dermal exposure, most commonly in children.
- Bradycardia is rare but has been reported after dermal exposure to deet. Hypotension has been reported after large ingestions.
- Eye contact may result in a smarting sensation. A burning sensation of the lips, tongue and mouth may be noted.
- Confusion, ataxia, hypertonicity, and clonic jerking progressing to coma and seizures may occur after acute oral or chronic dermal exposure.
- Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

(source:Hazardous Substances Data Bank, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. March 2003)

Ummmmm, I think I will take my chances with the ticks and mosquitoes. Luckily for us, there are alternatives to the chemical laden repellents on store shelves. Here are a few of our favorite recipes for tick and mosquito repellent. The ingredients are all basically the same, it just depends on what type of essential oil you use.

Start with
-2 Tablespoons vegetable or Olive oil
-1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera gel
-add 20 drops of your choice of the following

Tick repellent
-rose essential oil or
-eucalyptus essential oil

Mosquito repellent
-lemon balm essential oil or
-thyme essential oil or
-lavender essential oil

Mix the ingredients together, shaking to blend them well, and keep in a glass jar. (we reuse small food jars) Use a few drops on you skin or clothing. (safe for Fido, too)