Weekly Menu

Welcome to the start of another great week!  I am so excited because it is going to be beautiful here with a great mix of sun and showers.  It's really feeling like winter (well, as "winter-y" as it get's in Southern California) and we are taking full advantage.  We made our gingerbread house this past weekend, have had some lovely fires in the fireplace, and enjoyed snuggling under blankets.  But in the midst of all that, we got some great food from the farms this week!  We selected some kale, chard, beets, cilantro, orange and green cauliflower, red potatoes, parsnips, persimmons, guava, carrots, baby sweet onion, and tomatoes (I KNOW!  I can't believe they are still growing!)  With this variety, we will be enjoying the following meals:

• Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with my Farm Fresh Marinara and Beet Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese
• using the beets

• Cheesy Mushroom Taquitos with Healthier Spanish Rice, Crock Pot "Refried" Beans, and Pico de Gallo
• using the cilantro and tomatoes

• Creamy Chard and Spinach Cold-Weather Soup with Roasted Root Vegetables
• using the chard and some spinach from last week, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes

• I will be having the Kaleslaw for lunch
• using the kale

• We will be making Cauliflower Popcorn for a snack and enjoying the persimmons and guava (how fun is that?!) as treats.

What's on your menu this week?  I'd love to know!

Roasted Chard with Feta

If you have been too wary to try chard, do I have the recipe for you!  This is my current obsession.  I LOVE this side dish!  It is not only easy, it is so delicious.  The leaves have a bit of a crunch on the edges (think kale chips), the onions are sweet, and the feta is rich and creamy.  The combination of flavors is great!  Roasting vegetables is such an easy way to incorporate them into your meals since there is so little hands-on time.  The oven does the work for you!  This dish will turn anyone into a fan of chard.  Try it and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a jelly roll pan, combine the onions and chard stems (the leaves will be added later).  Drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil over them and toss to combine.  Spread out into an even layer.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until the stems are soft and the onions start to brown around the edges.  
4. Toss the chard leaves in the remaining olive oil until evenly coated.  Layer the leaves over the stems and onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle the feta over the leaves.  Roast an additional 20 minutes until the edges of the leaves begin to crisp.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Xandismom

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

Chili is my absolute favorite winter meal.  Comfort in a bowl.  I LOVE IT!  This particular chili has been a house favorite for years.  It is filled with black and pinto beans, tomatoes, onions, and faux ground beef (it would be AMAZING with real beef too!).  I cook my own beans ahead of time to cut out the need for canned beans (loaded with extra salt).  Serve it with some cornbread and honey butter for the perfect meal.  This recipe is so easy and so delicious you will wonder how you ever survived a winter without it!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz veggie ground beef (or about 1 pound ground beef)

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp oregano

15 oz black beans and their juices

15 oz pinto beans and their juices
28 oz diced tomatoes and their juices
1 tsp salt
pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
freshly grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions to garnish

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.  Add veggie ground beef and and break it up with a spoon.  
2. Add cumin, chili powder, and oregano.  Stir frequently until veggie crumbles are broken up and heated through.  
3. Add black beans, pinto bean, and tomatoes, with their liquids, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes.
4. Add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.  Serve hot with the toppings of your choice!

Adapted from Food to Live By

Weekly Menu

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I really hit pay dirt at the farm this week!  There were so many delicious choices, I could barely control myself.  We are really into winter now (well, as winter as it gets in southern California), so I am really into making my comfort foods.  Warm, hearty, eat-by-the-fire-under-a-blanket sort of foods.  Luckily, the veggies available this week are perfect!  I selected some chard, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, romaine, kale, and tomatoes.  I also have some cabbage left over from last week.  With that, I will be cooking the following:

• Hearty Vegetarian Chili, Buttermilk Cornbread, and Simple Sauteed Cabbage
• using the cabbage

• My Famous Macaroni and Cheese with Homemade "Olive Garden" Salad
• using the broccoli, cauliflower, romaine, and tomatoes

• Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Quiche and Roasted Chard with Feta
• using the spinach and chard

• I will be having Kaleslaw for lunches
• using the kale

Roasted Mexican String Beans

I was lucky enough to see yellow string beans at the farm this week and just knew I had to try them!  Sure green beans are everywhere, but I had never cooked with YELLOW beans before!  I pretty much always cook my string beans in a skillet, but I wanted to try something new this week.  Sometimes the skillet takes too much time, or the rest of the meal is taking up the entire stove top.  I wanted to see if roasting would be a nice alternative.  You know what?  It worked!  This simple recipe compliments any Mexican meal and is a great way to add an unexpected veggie to the mix!  

Ingredients

1 pound string beans, trimmed

5 larger garlic cloves, finely chopped

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the beans in a large rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil and toss to coat and spread into a single layer.
3. Evenly sprinkle garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper over the beans.  
4. Bake until lightly browned and shriveled, about 20-25 minutes, turning once while cooking.  

Adapted from Food Fitness Fresh Air

Caramelized Onion and BBQ Panini

As the weather gets cooler, I am on the hunt for more warm foods.  One of my favorite cold-weather meals is a panini.  It is simple, quick, and always satisfying.  This little experiment turned out to be a big winner!  Caramelized red onion, cheddar, and my favorite BBQ sauce come together in one big bite after another.  I even spiced mine up with some crushed red pepper flakes to take it to the next level.  YUM!

Ingredients

Crusty bread (I use a french miche)

1 large red onion, sliced

butter

cheddar cheese (and/or pepper jack cheese)

your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned and sweet, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat your panini press to medium high.  Butter the outside of the bottom piece of bread.  Spread an even layer of BBQ sauce on the inside of the same piece.  Top with a layer of cheese.  Add a layer of caramelized onion.  Top with a little more cheese.  Spread an even layer of BBQ sauce on the inside of the top piece of bread.  Butter the outside of the top piece.
3. Place the sandwich in the panini press and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown.  Let stand about a minute before serving.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Ring Finger Tan Line

Weekly Menu

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I enjoyed a little time off from the blog last week to really focus on my family and celebrating Thanksgiving.  It was a lovely change of pace, but I am happy to be back with you all!  :)  I decided to keep with a simple meal plan this week and thus did not select a ton a veggies, but have some great uses for them.  We selected some kale, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and yellow wax beans.  We will be having the following this week:

• Caramelized Onion BBQ Panini with Coleslaw
• using the cabbage and carrots

• Mushroom and Black Bean Burritos with Mexican Roasted Yellow Beans
• using the yellow wax beans

• Breakfast Pizza with Sauteed Broccoli
• using the broccoli

• I will be having the Kaleslaw for lunch
• using the kale