Yaki Nasu: Chilled Roasted Eggplant

I wanted to start cooking more Japanese food so I recently joined a Japanese cooking group called Washoku Warriors. We're cooking our way through Elizabeth Andoh's cookbook, Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen. I'm looking forward to trying new dishes!

This month's challenge was open so I chose an eggplant dish. The only time I buy eggplant is when I make it for get-togethers so I can share it with friends. It's the one veggie that my fam doesn't care for so I hardly ever buy it. I love roasted Japanese eggplant so I decided to make yaki nasu, a chilled roasted eggplant dish for Challenge #12. My Obaa-Chan (Grandma) and my Mom made this dish often so I was looking forward to trying my hands at this as well. It was delicious and I even got Son #2 who has a total aversion to eggplant to eat a few bites. Eggplant obviously isn't an "egg" product, but the name alone makes him cringe due to his egg allergy. I'm glad he tried it and liked it. :) 

This was perfect served alongside Challenge #11's Hiyashi Chuka. It's great over a bowl of rice, too.

Yaki Nasu: Chilled Roasted Eggplant

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 Japanese eggplants
• 1 green onion, sliced

marinade:

• 3/4 c basic sea stock (p 92- kombu, water, katsuo-bushi)
• 3 tbs seasoned soy concentrate, divided (I used garlic and kombu infused soy sauce.)

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler or prepare a hot grill.
2. Wash eggplants and make 3-4 shallow slits in each eggplant. Broil/grill for 5-8 mins or till tender, turning occasionally. 
3. Remove eggplants from heat. When cool enough to handle, cut off stem and remove skin. Slice into lengthwise strips.
4. Make marinade using 1 1/2 tbs soy concentrate (reserve the rest till serving time). I didn't make the sea stock as I was given a tea bag-like packet from my Mom that I added to water to make "instant" sea stock. So easy!
5. Add eggplant to shallow glass pan so the eggplant strips are completely covered by the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hr or overnight for best flavor.
6. When ready to serve, remove eggplants from marinade and place on serving dish. Drizzle reserved/remaining soy concentrate over eggplant and garnish with sliced green onions. ENJOY!

Source: Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh

Coleslaw

My fam really liked this coleslaw. Son #2 couldn't eat this due to his egg allergy (there's egg in mayonnaise) but I set aside some of the coleslaw mix and served his portion with Italian dressing instead. I don't like to exclude him from food I make so I made a special coleslaw for him. He ate it up just like we did our "regular" coleslaw. :)

This coleslaw was similar to Kentucky Fried Chicken's coleslaw but not as sweet. The last time we had KFC was nine years ago when I was pregnant and craved their two piece meal with coleslaw, mashed potatoes and a biscuit. From what I remember, their coleslaw was pretty sweet.

When I decided to make pulled pork sandwiches, I knew coleslaw would be great served with the sandwiches. I looked up coleslaw recipes, ran to the store and gathered up the ingredients. This coleslaw was the perfect complement. I topped my pulled pork with coleslaw and the combination in my sandwich was fantastic! 

I'm not a coleslaw fan but this was good!

Coleslaw

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 14-16 oz package coleslaw mix
• 2 tbs onion, minced (I used dehydrated onion)
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/4 c milk
• 1/2 c Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise)
• 1/4 c buttermilk (I set aside 1/4 c milk and added 1 tbs red wine vinegar in lieu of buttermilk.)
• 1 1/2 tbs white wine vinegar
• 2 tbs lemon juice

Directions:

1. In large bowl, combine coleslaw and onion.
2. If you don't have buttermilk, measure out 1/4 c milk and add 1 tbs red wine vinegar and let it "curdle."
3. In separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix until smooth consistency is reached.
4. Pour dressing over coleslaw mix. Stir well and chill for 1+ hrs. ENJOY!

Source: Adapted from Sugar Cooking

Buffalo Chicken Dip with Celery "Fans"

This is a delicious appetizer! The flavor of hot wings minus the mess yet cream cheesey so it's not too spicy. It's a great way to get friends and fam to eat their celery, too. :) For those who don't care for celery, serve with bread, crackers or tortilla chips. This was really good hot out of the oven but just as tasty when served cold on day 2. It was the perfect spread for sandwiches, too.

Yum.

Buffalo Chicken Dip with Celery

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 c cooked chicken, shredded and chopped
• 3/4 c Buffalo wing sauce
• 6-8 oz Neufchatel cheese, softened
• 1 c Ranch dressing (I used fat-free sour cream)
• 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese (I omitted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In stand mixer bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
3. Transfer mixture to 8x8 baking dish.
4. Bake for 30 mins or till heated through.
5. Serve with celery, sliced bread, tortilla chips, crackers, etc..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To avoid double dippers from contaminating your dip, cut the celery into smaller 1-2" pieces and slice the ends into 3-4 skinnier stalks. Be sure not to cut all the way if you want the "fans." This way, you get more dip on your celery so there's no need to double dip!

Celery "Fans"

Ingredients:

• celery
• bowl of ice water

Directions:

1. Set aside bowl of ice water.
2. Wash celery and cut into 1-2" pieces. 
3. Cut ends of those pieces into 3-4 skinnier pieces.
4.  Place prepared celery into water and allow ends to "curl."
5. Drain and dry before serving.

Source: Adapted from Sauce and Sensibility

Roasted Turnips

When I picked up my CSA basket, the Trade-In basket was full of turnips. Apparently, there are lots of people who don't care for them. I remember eating turnips when I was a little girl so I traded my parsley for more turnips. I wasn't sure if I liked them or what I was going to do with them but I brought them home anyways. I roasted them and made a dijon mustard sauce to toss them in. The turnips were still a bit crunchy, which I liked, but they probably would've been tasty if they were roasted just a little bit longer as the turnips had a bit of a bite. I ate them anyways, and as I took each bite, I wasn't sure what to really think of them. They weren't bad but they weren't spectacular either. I'll have to give them another try at some point.

Roasted Turnips with Dijon Sauce

Yield: 3-4 servings


Ingredients: 

• turnips, 2 bunches
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tbs white balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 F. Wash and prep turnips.
2. In small bowl, mix dijon mustard and vinegar.
3. Place foil on baking sheet and spray with oil.  Place turnips on foil.
4. Bake 45 mins - 1 hr.

Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

When we go out for Italian, we go to Romano's. Let me clarify that it is not affiliated with Romano's Macaroni Grill. Our Romano's is a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a strip mall about 5 mins from our home. I try to order a new dish whenever we eat there and I have yet to be disappointed. So far, EVERYTHING I've tried has been dangerously delicious. My last meal ordered at Romano's was penne pasta in a creamy tomato sauce. It was so good that Son #1 ate my leftovers for breakfast. I had to replicate the sauce so this was my first attempt. Not bad for my first try. The boys ate it up. Yes, the greens and all!!!

E 'delizioso!

I loved this thick, chunky sauce with all the veggies.

Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta
• 1/2 lb chicken (I used leftover Crockpot Chicken)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 c cooked greens
• 1- 15 oz tomato sauce (if you like a lot of sauce, add another can)
• 1- 6 oz tomato paste
• 1/2 - 3/4 c half and half
• shredded parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Boil large pot of water and cook pasta according to directions till al dente. Drain, add a little extra virgin olive oil, toss well, cover pot and set aside.
2. In large pan, heat leftover chicken over med-high heat. If you don't have leftover chicken, boil or grill the chicken you have.
3. Turn heat to low and saute garlic and zucchini about 3-5 mins. Add to chicken.
4. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste to zucchini/chicken mixture and stir well. Add half and half and mix thoroughly.
5. Add cooked greens to sauce mixture and heat through.
6. Place pasta on serving plate, top with sauce mixture and parm and ENJOY!

Cooked Greens

I've had crazy cravings for veggies and greens the past couple of weeks. I can't seem to consume enough veggies lately. How weird is that? Who the heck craves veggies? Better that than chocolate so I'm not complaining but I just found it odd. Luckily, this week was my CSA basket week and I picked up LOTS of yummy fruits and veggies. 

I wasn't in the mood for a salad so I cooked up some greens and made a warm salad using beet greens and kale. It was simple, delicious and fulfilled my greens craving. At least for tonight. :)

I made this after my boys went to bed so I saved half the greens for them to eat the next day. Friends always ask if my boys really eat all the stuff I make. YES. Yes, they do. Even if it's something they don't particularly care for, they'll still eat 3-5 bites just to get their veggies in. They eat it together with something they do like so it goes down easier. I'm super lucky to have boys that love to eat. :)

Son #1 picked out all the garlic so he could eat those first.

He LOVES garlic!

Cooked Greens

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• beet greens, chopped
• kale, chopped
• broccoli
• 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil over med-high heat.
2. Add garlic and saute for 2-3 mins.
3. Add greens, kale and broccoli. Saute for 3-5 mins.
4. Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of sea salt if desired.

Sweet Beets

My boys really love beets. I'm glad because I love beets, too. These turned out so good that we enjoyed them warm and then cold the next day as a pre-dinner snack. My boys love beets because of what it does when they eat it. What's not to like? Red stained fingers, red stained vampire-like lips and mouth, and of course, the bathroom aftermath of redness. Sorry if that was TMI but it's the truth with BOYS. :)

Beets are so delicious but Hubby still thinks they taste like dirt. I prefer them steamed "au natural" but I added a little honey to get the boys to eat more than their usual portion. It worked. :)

Fresh organic beets. Delicious and nutritious!

Sweet Beets

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 6-8 beets, small-medium size (saute the beet greens towards the end if they're fresh)
• 1/4 c water (more or less depending on amount of beets)
• 1 tbs honey

Directions:

1. Wash beets and peel if desired. When I'm feeling lazy, I give the beets a good scrub and leave the skin on.
2. Remove beet greens and slice beets. If beet greens are fresh, wash, chop and set aside.
3. Add beets and water in saute pan over med-low heat. Water should not cover beets completely. Steam for 15-20 mins. Add more water if necessary and give beets a good stir a few times.
4. Add beet greens during last 8-10 mins of cook time.
5. Drain water and drizzle honey on beets. Serve warm or cold. ENJOY!

Chard Chips

I was at lunch with my Mom a few weeks ago when I overheard a conversation at the table next to us about kale chips. Kale "chips?" I was intrigued so I listened as the lady talked about how easy it was to make crunchy kale chips. I also overheard someone at Trader Joe's talking about kale chips and then I got an email the other day from the farm about kale chips, too. It's a healthy and delicious snack so I had to give it a go.

I had 2 bunches of swiss chard in my CSA basket so I used that instead of kale. It was a fast and easy way to eat up the chard. Chard "chips" were actually pretty tasty. It was salty and crispy and reminded us of Korean Roasted Laver (seaweed). 

This was good stuff.

Just try it.

Chard Chips

yield: 4+ servings

Ingredients:

• 1-2 bunches swiss chard (can also use kale)
• sea salt to taste
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Prep swiss chard. Wash, dry and chop.
2. Preheat oven to 250F (I think 300F would've been a better temp). Prep baking sheet(s) with aluminum foil and spray with oil.
3. Place chard in large bowl and toss with oil and salt. Don't overdo the oil or the chard will be soggy.
4. Lay out chard in single layer on baking sheets. Bake for 30-40 mins or till chard gets crispy. ENJOY!

TIP: Also tasty mixed in with salad or on rice. Great as a side to chicken, beef or fish, too.

Eggplant Salad

I LOVE eggplant but the rest of my fam aren't big eggplant fans. Son #2 is allergic to eggs, and though eggplant is not "egg," I think the name alone makes him shun the veggie. Since Hubby's not an eggplant eater either, I only make eggplant when we have friends or family over. 

April 12th was my in-laws' 41st wedding anniversary. Forty-one years...AMAZING, right?! :) We invited them over for their celebratory dinner. On the menu was eggplant salad, thin spaghetti with sundried tomatoes and fresh basil, chicken piccata, panna cotta and oatmeal fudge bars. Everything was delicious. :) 

I LOVE this!

Eggplant Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, roasted or grilled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/3 c red onions, diced
• handful of basil chiffonade
• (This is also very tasty with grilled/roasted 1-2 yellow squash and 1-2 zucchini.)

dressing:

• 2 tbs red vinegar
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (more or less to taste)
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Slice eggplant into 1/2" slices and spray with oil. Grill or roast till tender. If adding squash and zucchini, do the same and grill/roast together. Dice into bite-sized pieces.
2. In med-large mixing bowl, add all chopped veggies and basil, too.
3. Add dressing ingredients to veggies and toss gently.
4. Eat immediately or chill in fridge and eat as a cold salad. Warm or cold...it's delicious! ENJOY!

Serving suggestion: Eat as is, on a salad, mixed in with pasta, with crackers or on toast. Yum.

German-Style Potato Salad

In my beautiful basket of organic fruits and veggies were 6 small Yukon gold potatoes. When I got the email from South Coast Farms with recipes for the basket contents, I was pleased to see one for potato salad. I like potato salad but only eat it at summer picnics. Since Son #2 can't eat mayonnaise due to his egg allergy, I was happy to get a mayo-free potato salad recipe. Yippee! He's not a potato fan (he's probably the only kid that doesn't like french fries) but I try to expand his potato palate when I can and my challenge is to find a potato dish he likes. No success as of yet but I'll keep trying. He probably thinks they're too bland as he loves flavorful fruits and veggies. 

Hubby really liked the potato salad. The addition of the white wine vinegar gave the potato salad that sour taste that is common with German potato salad. Unfortunately, I didn't have bacon that's also typical in German-style potato salad but this modified version was still tasty. 

I overcooked the potatoes a bit so when I mixed the wet ingredients into the potatoes, it became a bit of a mashed salad. It wasn't intentional but I liked it a lot. It still had some bite-sized chunks of potatoes yet also had a creamy, soft texture from the mashiness. Now that I think of it, the texture was very much like that of Japanese potato salad. We liked this. :)

Yum.

German Potato Salad

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 6-8 small Yukon gold potatoes (1 1/2 - 2 1/4 inches in diameter)
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/8 c white wine vinegar
• 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil (I used 1/4 c)
• 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped (I omitted as I didn't have bacon)
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary (I used a handful of chopped parsley instead)
• 1/2 c yellow onion, diced (I used red onion)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil a stockpot of water.
2. Peel and cube potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Boil for 8-10 mins or until fork tender yet firm to the bite. Drain and set aside.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in med. bowl.
4. Pour wet ingredients over potatoes and toss gently.
5. Great served warm or cold. ENJOY! 

Source: Adapted from South Coast Farms' recipe.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This Chinese Chicken Salad is great! I fell in love with the sweet and crunchy flavors of the salad when a family friend brought it over for a potluck dish to our housewarming party back in 2001. I've changed it up a bit over the years but we love it and it's always a hit with friends and family. The boys love it and they'll eat all their veggies with a little Chinese dressing poured over it. When I add all the fixins, this salad is just as good as any Chinese Chicken Salad from a restaurant. Maybe even better. For reals.

I ate my cabbage salad without the toppings and it was very yummy nonetheless.

I usually add a bunch of ingredients to round out the salad but I was in the mood for a simple salad.

If you make a cabbage salad, it will keep well even after it's been tossed in dressing.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 bag coleslaw mix of cabbage and carrots (green leaf lettuce tastes great, too)
• 1 small can mandarin orange slices, drained (or diced apples)
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1-2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced or shredded (or cubed firm tofu)
• 2.25 oz package almonds, sliced/slivered and toasted (I omit due to Son #2's allergies)
• 1-2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 package Top Ramen (I use chicken flavor), crumble DRY noodles and toast (use seasoning packet for dressing, optional...salad dressing recipe below)

Directions:

1. Make Chinese dressing (see recipe below) and refrigerate. Dressing tastes great if made a day in advance.
2. Toast almonds, sesame seeds and crumbled DRY noodles until slightly browned. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add all salad ingredients but reserve a little bit of the ingredients for garnish. Makes for a nice presentation when you add remaining ingredients after the salad's been tossed. :)
4. Add 1/8 c dressing (more or less to taste) and toss well. If unsure of dressing amount, always start with a little to avoid drowning your salad.
5. Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with remaining ingredients and ENJOY!

~~~~~~~~~

Then, there's the dressing. It's SO darn delicious!

This dressing is great on salad, veggies and as a marinade, too.

This is TASTY dressing! It's so easy to make and tastes just as good as store-bought. Actually, I think it tastes better! I've made the dressing with and without the Top Ramen seasoning packet and both versions taste great. To cut down on the amount of sodium, I've been omitting the seasonings lately and nobody's called me out on it yet. This is your typical Chinese salad dressing from the restaurants. At least I think so. ;)

This dressing is great on veggies, too. We invited our friends over for dinner and I made a side of asparagus and tossed it with Chinese dressing. It was the perfect side dish to serve with grilled General Tso's chicken thighs. Just cook the asparagus and toss in dressing. Easy and delicious! YUM.

Chinese Dressing

Yield: ~ 6 oz

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs sugar
• 6 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste (or use Top Ramen Chicken Flavor seasoning packet)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients in a container with lid. One with a pour spout works great.
2. Shake well and keep refrigerated. ENJOY!

Source: Adapted from family friend, M.V.. 

Feta and Red Pepper Dip

We invited friends over for dinner and I wanted to serve a dip of some sort. Since I still have Costco-sized Feta Cheese, Sundried Tomatoes and a mixture of red, orange and yellow peppers, I wanted to incorporate all of that into our dinner menu. I made a Greek feta dip and served it with fresh peppers, carrots and crackers. It got rave reviews from our friends. Because it was so good, I made another batch the next day for our family get-together but used yellow peppers as I was out of the red ones. It was just as tasty as the red pepper batch and I got lots of compliments from the extended fam, too. Yummy yum yum! This has a nice kick...it's similar to Daphne's Greek Cafe's Fire Feta spread. I'll try that next time with homemade gyros. :)

The chilis give the dip a fabulous kick!

Feta and Red Pepper Dip (Htipiti)

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 oz feta cheese
• 2 red peppers, seeded and roasted (This was good with roasted yellow peppers, too.)
• 2 serrano chilis, seeded and roasted
• 6-8 sundried tomatoes in olive oil
• 1 tbs garlic, minced
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/4 c kalamata olives, diced

Directions:

1. Remove seeds from peppers and chilis. Slice peppers and roast peppers and chilis at 350 for 30 mins.
2. Add ingredients in food processor and process until smooth consistency is reached. If mixture is too thick and not blending well, add 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Top with diced kalamata olives before serving.
4. Enjoy with crackers, veggies, spread on a sandwich or a gyro.

Source: Adapted from Closet Cooking

Swiss Chard Soup

The easiest way to get my fam to eat leftover meat is to make soup. It's a great way to use up lots of veggies, too. Soup is so versatile and tastes different every time. We love the smorgasbord of flavors from the various veggies I throw in the pot. Great stuff, for sure!

I had a lot of organic swiss chard so I used quite a bit in the soup. I also had organic rosemary from my CSA basket so I added a sprig to the soup and let it simmer for an hour. The rosemary added a new taste that my fam isn't used to. It was really tasty!

Yummy!

Swiss Chard Soup with White Beans

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 c beef stock (use veggie or garlic broth for vegan soup)
• 1/2 c orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 c red onion, diced
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1- 15 oz can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed (or bean of choice)
• 1-2 c beef, bite-sized pieces (sub cubed firm tofu for vegan soup)
• 4 c Swiss chard, chiffonade
• hot sauce, shredded cheese or parmesan cheese, optional 

Directions:

1. Heat beef stock over med-high heat and bring to boil.
2. Turn down heat to med. and add veggies, rosemary, garlic, white beans and beef. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 1-2 hrs.
3. Add swiss chard and simmer for 10-15 mins or until chard is cooked down. 
4. Serve with salad and/or rolls.

Easy Peasy Potatoes

Pan frying diced potatoes was the first dish I made really well. It's so easy to put together and you can throw in any type of veggies and/or meats you have to make a nice meal or side dish. I used to make this for breakfast every weekend and then I started eating it for lunch or even as a side with dinner. Eat this on its own, served with scrambled eggs or in burritos or a quesadilla. Great stuff! 

Super easy and great to eat any time of day!

Easy Peasy Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 small potatoes, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 tbs garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb mild Italian sausage (remove casings)
• 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 green onions, sliced for garnish
• sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed red peppers, salsa or hot sauce, optional

Directions:

1. In large saute pan, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add 1/2 tbs garlic and diced potatoes and cook for 10-12 mins or till done. Stir occasionally to avoid burning potatoes. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.
2. Saute bell pepper, onion, and remaining garlic for 5-8 mins. When done, add to bowl with potatoes and keep warm.
3. In same pan, cook Italian sausage. When cooked through, add potatoes and veggie mixture back to pan. Saute for another 5-8 mins or until everything is heated through.
4. Serve with tortillas, eggs, in a burrito or as is. It's great with salsa, too! ENJOY!

Swiss Chard

I got another beautiful bunch of swiss chard in my CSA basket. I LOVE that stuff! Like spinach, when you saute the chard, the amount is reduced by about half so it seems like a more manageable portion to eat when cooked up. :)

There was a little marsala sauce left in my skillet from the pork marsala so I gave the chard a quick saute. It turned out GREAT! My Hubby is not a big veggie eater yet he ate 2-3 nibbles of the chard so I KNOW it was delish!

I love greens.

I love chard on its own but this portion got tossed into some bow tie pasta. Yums.

Swiss Chard with Garlic Marsala Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Swiss Chard, washed and chopped

sauce:

• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice, fresh
• 2 tbs Marsala wine

Directions:

1. In med-large skillet, heat sauce ingredients for 2 mins over med heat. 
2. Add chard and saute for 1 min. Turn off heat and continue to stir chard in the sauce.
3. Eat as is or enjoy with pasta.

Wellness & Candied Carrots

What you put in your body is your fuel, and in order to "run right," you need to feed it properly. My goal is for my boys to understand how important it is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables for a balanced diet. When I serve a fruit or veggie they don't particularly care for, we talk about the benefits of it, and they'll always eat 3-4 bites for me. They're very good eaters so I know I'm getting my message across. :) I believe what you feed your body helps maintain good health and helps fend off illnesses, too. Whole foods = healthy bodies. Makes sense to me!

I'm also making healthier food choices because I registered for my second AVON Walk for Breast Cancer walk. Last July, I walked 39.3 miles in San Francisco, and this Sept., I'll walk 39.3 miles in Santa Barbara. I'll raise a minimum of $1800 to participate but I hope to raise much more. Here's a link to my fundraising page. I hope you believe in my cause and will donate towards my walk. A donation does not need to be a large amount. Every bit helps and it all adds up. I thank you in advance! I'm walking for Deanna (1970-2010), my Mom (Survivor) and every woman in my life as we all deserve to be cancer-free.

I must say how happy I am that I signed up for CSA baskets again. I stopped getting baskets a few years ago because I was the only one eating the veggies. It was challenging for me to eat everything by myself so some of it would spoil and go to waste. Now that my boys are older and eating more, we're eating all the veggies and even my Hubby is taking a small nibble here and there. YAY!

This week in my bountiful basket, I received the following: navel oranges, blood oranges, apples, pears, meyer lemon, chard, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, tatsoi, kale, broccoli, beets, onion, carrots, celery, curly parsley, potatoes, beets and an avocado. Yum, right? As soon as I got home, I washed all the veggies and prepped them before putting them away. Yes, cleaning, washing, drying, and putting all the veggies away was tedious but definitely time well spent. Prepping everything takes up less valuable fridge space and having veggies prepped makes them easily accessible and at the ready for munching. :) Now when I want a salad, all I have to do is chop up a few lettuce leaves and throw in the extras to make a nice salad. Talk about EASY! And because the carrots and celery are washed, cut and saved in tupperware-type containers, we grab 'em and munch on 'em anytime we please. I'm telling you, prepping your veggies like this WILL make sure you eat them up. Also, something my Mom shared with me a while back is to wash the lettuce leaves, dry them, stack them on a paper towel (2 squares long) then roll them up and place in a ziploc bag. The paper towel keeps the lettuce fresh and will last up to 2 wks when saved like this.

I had beautiful organic carrots leftover from my first basket and more carrots from this week so I baked them. I knew we'd eat them up faster if they were sweetened and baked. Maybe this isn't a unique side dish but it was new for us. What's not to like about a little sugar and butter? These were delicious!

These are simple and VERY tasty!

Candied Carrots

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• carrots (6-8 regular sized carrots)
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/2 tbs brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Wash, peel and cut carrots into quarters/sticks.
2. Place carrots in foil pouch on baking sheet.
3. Add butter and sugar, close up pouch and bake for 20-30 mins.
4. ENJOY!

Roasted Radishes and Greens

I must admit that when I saw the big bundle of beautiful red radishes in my CSA basket, I considered swapping them for something else. Because I picked up my basket on the later side, the items in the trade-in basket included several bunches of radishes. Obviously, others weren't fond of radishes, either. I like radishes, I really do, but there are only so many you can eat in a sitting. I like them whole on their own or sliced in my salads but I was nervous about getting "stuck" with eating the whole bunch by myself. I certainly don't need to eat that many radishes. My kids have tried them in the past but thought they were too spicy so I knew I couldn't count on them to help me out. What to do, what to do...

Well, while I was at the farm, I decided to keep ALL my fruits and veggies and look for recipes later. I knew that'd be a great opportunity to expand my veggie horizon and try new dishes that I normally wouldn't try on my own. These baskets are going to "force" us to eat more veggies...I LOVE IT! Bring on the veggie challenge!

After the fruits and veggies were put away, I went on my fave recipe site, foodgawker.com, to look for a radish recipe. I knew there had to be something I could do with them other than eating them raw. I wanted to serve them so my fam would eat them, too. I found a recipe! Big thanks to The Bitten Word for posting the recipe. They rocked my radish world and I got the kids to eat radishes with me. YAY! My 8 yr old liked the radishes but didn't care for the greens, however, my 6 yr old and I ate this dish up, greens and all! Delish!

Roasting the radishes mellowed out the spiciness.

Roasted Radishes and Radish Greens

Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-4 bunches small radishes with greens
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 tbs fresh lemon juice (I forgot to add this)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.*
2. Wash radishes and the greens really well and pat dry. Remove greens from stems, chop and set aside. Cut radishes in half but cut into quarters if you don't want any hint of radish spice.*
3. In medium-sized ovenproof skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Add radishes, salt and pepper and cook about 3-4 mins until lightly browned.
4. Transfer skillet to oven and roast radishes for 15 mins or until crisp-tender.
5. Return skillet back to burner and add butter. Add radish greens and stir well in the butter/radish mixture. Cook about 2 mins or until radish greens are wilted.
6. Add lemon juice, season with a little more salt if needed and serve immediately. ENJOY!

Notes: The Bitten Word roasted radishes at 500F and mentioned the radishes lost their spicy zing and ended up tasting like roasted turnips. I still wanted a hint of zip for myself so I left my bigger radishes halved but quartered the others so they would cook through for my kids. I knew they would eat non-spicy roasted radishes...and they did. :)

Source: Adapted from The Bitten Word

Stir Fried Greens

When I got home and went through the contents of my CSA basket, I couldn't identify a couple of the greens so I did a google search to see if I could figure it out. I wasn't sure if the greens pictured below were collard greens or swiss chard and it was hard to confirm via google images. When I was in the grocery store, I stopped by the produce section to check out the differences between the two. Although they look very much alike, swiss chard is a "fluffy" leaf whereas collard greens are a flat leaf. I believe I have swiss chard. :)

I really like greens so this is a great veggie for me. In fact, I'll try using this for wraps next time as the lettuce I use (green/red leaf lettuce or romaine) falls apart because my boys overstuff them. This hearty green leaf should hold up well for them. 

This is swiss chard, right?

Healthy and yummy!

Stir Fried Greens

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 bunch greens, sliced diagonally in 1-2" widths
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 c celery, sliced
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger (use 1 tbs fresh minced ginger if you have it)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Combine soy sauce and sesame seeds in small bowl and set aside.
2. Prep veggies and then heat non-stick skillet over high heat. Add a little sesame oil and cook garlic and ginger. Reduce heat to med-high and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add veggies and stir 2-3 mins or until greens are wilted.
4. Add soy sauce mixture, stir and cover. Steam for 3-4 mins. Serve immediately.

Notes: Next time, I'll leave out the soy sauce and add a sprinkle of sea salt. I'd like to enjoy the flavors of the fresh organic veggies. :)

Source: Adapted from South Coast Farms' recipe

Warm Beet Salad

The first thing I pulled out of my CSA basket was a bundle of beautiful beets. The boys and I LOVE beets as they're naturally sweet and delicious. Definitely nature's candy in my opinion. I was excited to cook 'em up and this time I served the beet greens, too. Those who think beets are gross and taste like dirt need to try real beets. They taste nothing like canned beets. I promise! :) 

I served this as a side dish with Korean BBQ Beef. Son #1 (he's 8) ate the beets and greens in his Korean wraps. Son #2 (he's 6) and I ate the beets and greens on their own. After Son #2 asked Daddy why he didn't put beets on his plate, he reluctantly took a very small beet and didn't even try the greens. Not one little piece. :( Oh well, at least my kids will eat veggies from my CSA basket with me. :)

Oh, the colors and the fresh flavors!

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!

Warm Beet Salad

Yield: 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

• bundle of beets and their greens (about 5-6 beets but I wish I had MORE!)
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbs water (more or less depending on amount of beets and greens)
• sea salt

Directions:

1. Cut beets from greens and wash well. Since I had organic beets, I didn't peel mine, but peel yours if you prefer. Cut in half or quarters depending on size of beets. Wear gloves if you don't want red-stained fingers. :)
2. Cut greens from beet stems, wash, chop and set aside.
3. Add olive oil to medium frying pan and heat over over medium heat. Add beets and saute. Add a little water, cover and cook about 5-8 until beets are tender. Add more water if needed.
4. When beets are tender, add beet greens and cover and cook about 1-2 mins until greens are wilted.
5. Stir beets and greens and add a little sea salt. Mix some more.
6. Put warm beet salad in serving bowl and eat immediately. It's delicious!

Notes: I prefer fresh beets with a sprinkle of sea salt because that's how my Mom serves them. So earthy, sweet and delicious! I'm sure they taste great with a drizzle of honey, soy sauce or sesame oil. Whatever you do, try a bite plain first. You'll be surprised at how fabulous this veggie is! I'm sure this will taste great as a cold salad, too. 

Source: Adapted from my Mom and La Fuji Mama

Mashed "Potatoes"

When my chef friend, Kat, and I were training for the AVON Walk for Breast Cancer walk last year, she mentioned making mashed "potatoes" out of steamed cauliflower. Say what?! I LOVE mashed potatoes so I was excited to learn that pureed cauliflower could pass for mashed potatoes. She claimed that my family wouldn't be able to tell the difference between that and the real deal. She said it was that good. 

Well, I've put my family through the mashed "potatoes" test twice now. I made my first batch last month and thought it was pretty good. I got carried away and didn't measure the garlic powder which made it too spicy for the kids to eat. The second batch I made the other night was delish. I used real garlic cloves this time, minced them up and sauteed in butter before adding to the cauliflower. The second batch was super, duper yummy. BTW, my boys ate this up. They loved it! Don't let the cauliflower scare ya. This really IS good!

I think I prefer fake mashed "potatoes" over real mashed potatoes.

These mashies are very light and delicious.

I don't even like cauliflower but I can eat them when served up like mashed "potatoes."

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Try it!

Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower, medium size
• 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbs milk 
• 3 tbs unsalted butter (add more if you like buttery mashies)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 c shredded mozzarella (or jack) cheese
• chives, amount is up to you (mix in or reserve for garnish)

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water over high heat or get steamer pot ready.
2. Meanwhile, clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Boil for 6 minutes or until well done. I prefer to steam mine. Make sure they're cooked through so they're easier to puree. 
3. Melt 1 tbs butter in small saucepan and saute garlic about 1 minute.
4. Drain cauliflower well and pat it very dry. If steaming, cauliflower should be dry enough to put directly into food processor bowl. Do not let cool.
5. In food processor, puree hot cauliflower with sauteed garlic, milk, 2 tbs butter (or more) and salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth.  
6. Put into serving bowl, carefully stir in shredded cheese and mix in chives or simply garnish with chives on top.

Notes: Breast Cancer information. I'm walking another 39.3 miles with AVON Walk for Breast Cancer this Sept. in Santa Barbara. I'm walking for all the women in my life. We all deserve a life without cancer! I hope for a CURE! If you'd like to make a small donation, it will help me get to my $1800 fundraising goal. Thank you very much in advance!


Source: Adapted from Kat, my chef friend. :)