Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

This is the only way to eat brussels sprouts: cut in half and cooked until deliciously tender inside and perfectly brown and crusted on the outside.

Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night - delicious!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

from the excellent food blog: 101 cookbooks

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Total Time:

50 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

40 min

Yield:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

from : 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All Rights Reserved

Baked Miso Onions (a la Laurel’s Kitchen?)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Peel and cut 4 Spanish/sweet onions into quarters
• Mix 4 tbsp red miso paste, 4 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp tap water and 3tsp dried thyme in a bowl. You can’t have too much sauce—not possible.
• Place onions in a casserole dish and pour the mixture over the top
• Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes
• Don’t eat them now.
• Put them all in a tupperware, pour the liquid from the pan over the onions and let it all sit in the refrigerator overnight.
• Then eat them the next day, heated up, over brown rice, or noodles, or polenta, barley—you name it.
• Should feed 4-6 people.

- submitted by Jerusha Klemperer

$1.68 organic caribbean black bean and sweet potato soup

Full post on www.GreaterGoodLife.com.

Carribean black bean and sweet potato soup

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Makes about 6 2-cup, main dish servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound dry organic black turtle beans
• 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 organic onion, chopped (I used sweet yellow)
• 4 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp course sea salt
• 8 cups of vegetable broth or water
• 4 cups local or organic sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 bunch organic green onions, thinly cut
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse beans and place in a large bowl. Cover beans with atleast 4 inches of water and soak overnight (or 8 hours). Strain and rinse black beans.
2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno and saute for 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Add beans and vegetable broth or water. Stir in ginger, allspice, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.
4. Add sweet potatoes and brown sugar and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, until beans and sweet potatoes are soft.
5. Puree 1 cup of the soup in a blender and then add it back into the soup pot. Stir in cilantro and green onion. Salt and pepper to taste.

- submitted by Michelle Rogerson

Lentil-Vegetable Super Soup

This nourishing soup contains not only healthy amounts of iron and calcium but also a big dose of complete protein, thanks to the beans and rice. Try the crumbled seaweed garnish on other soups and stews.

ingredient list

Serves 10

• 2 Tbs. oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 16-oz. bag lentils
• 10 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 3 medium-sized carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 15-oz. can navy beans
• 2 15-oz. cans stewed or diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup dry brown rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• Dash of oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 0.2-oz. pkg. dried nori seaweed, crumbled for garnish

Directions

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until rice and vegetables are tender.
2. To serve, ladle portions into individual bowls, and sprinkle with dried seaweed.

from Vegetarian Times

Curried Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Chickpeas

Ingredient list

6 servings

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
• 1 to 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 10 to 12 oz. fresh spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs.), peeled and diced
• 16- to 20-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

Always rinse canned chickpeas (and other beans) before using to reduce the sodium content and improve their flavor.

Directions:

1. In large saucepan fitted with steamer basket, bring 2 inches water to a boil over high heat. Add sweet potatoes, cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan, combine chickpeas, tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add spinach, cover and cook just until wilted, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in sweet potatoes, cilantro, scallions, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon and salt to taste until well combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

from Vegetarian Times

Best-of-Both-Worlds Potatoes Anna

If you’re torn between serving regular potatoes or sweet potatoes, try this spectacular dish, which calls for both.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in 8-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Swirl pan to coat bottom and sides; set aside.

2. Toss sweet potatoes with 1 1/2 Tbs. butter, 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper in medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Toss Russet potatoes with remaining butter, thyme, salt and pepper in second bowl.

4. Place one layer of Russet potatoes in overlapping circles on bottom of skillet. Sprinkle with leeks, and top with layer of sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. Parmesan. Repeat layering, ending with layer of sweet potato slices.

5. Place skillet on burner. Cook potatoes 5 minutes over medium heat to brown bottom. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and beginning to brown. Set 9-inch plate on top of skillet. Flip upside down to unmold potatoes. Slice into wedges, and serve.

from Vegetarian Times

Lubiyeh Miqliyeh B'Zeit (String Beans with Tomato and Olive Oil)

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This is a variation of a dish made regularly by Maan, our Lebanese neighbor who, fortunately for the farm crew, loves to cook and feed us! We supply and snap the beans, Mann turns them into this delicious and satisfying dish.

This is not Maan's recipe; he probably doesn't use a recipe any more. But the dish is always rich with olive oil, and the green beans swim in the tomato sauce with a "melt-in-your-mouth" tenderness while still retaining their shape.

Garlic - several cloves or a whole bulb - not optional!

2 medium onions, chopped(optional)

1/4 cup olive oil

1½ pounds string beans, snapped and rinsed

1 medium can whole tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

dash cayenne pepper

1. Sauté onions and garlic with oil and salt in a deep skillet or sauce pan over medium heat until translucent.
2. Add string beans, black pepper and cayenne. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer on a medium heat until tender, about 30-35 minutes.
3. Serve hot or warm over rice, riz m'falfal, with khoobz. In the summer it is delicious served cold with bread.

We have also been told to eat it at room temperature. Adding a dollop of "Labneh", Middle Eastern Kefir Cheese (which Maan also supplies) takes this dish into a creamy wonderfulness!

Adapted from "Alice's Kitchen— My Grandmother Dalal & Mother Alice's Traditional Lebanese Cooking" by Linda Dalal Sawaya

Easy Ratatouille Recipe

Traditional ratatouille recipes recommend cooking each vegetable separately, i.e., saute onions and then remove from the pan, add more olive oil and then cook the next vegetable. The following is a streamlined version of this classic French vegetable medley.

Ratatouille Express

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, slivered
• 3 bell peppers, cut into one inch squares(try different colors)
• 2 eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot on medium heat. Sliver onions and add to oil.
2. While the onions cook, chop the bell peppers and add them to the pot, stirring well.
3. Chop the eggplants and add to the pot, stirring well to coat the eggplant with oil. At this point all the olive oil will have soaked into the eggplant, so you need to stir often to keep things from burning until they soften some.
4. Chop the zucchini and stir it in once the eggplant has softened a bit.
5. Chop the garlic and add to the vegetables, stirring well.
6. Chop the tomatoes and add them.
7. Mince the thyme and add it along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and cook two minutes.
8. Turn down heat and cover the pot. Simmer until everything is soft and well blended - about 40 minutes.
9. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

4 to 6 servings

Arugula and Radicchio with Feta and Dates

Wishy-washy greens needn't apply: A gorgeously balanced symphony of peppery and bitter greens, cut with a lemony vinaigrette that makes the feta go creamy, and an occasional pop of sticky, sweet date, this is sure to become your go-to salad all summer.

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup pitted dates
• 1/4 pound baby arugula (8 cups)
• 1 (3/4-pound) head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces (6 cups)
• 3 ounces crumbled feta (1/2 cup)

Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until combined well.

Halve dates lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise.

Toss together arugula, radicchio, feta, and dates in a large bowl, then toss with enough vinaigrette to coat.

online reviewer's comment: I have to confess that I normally dislike radicchio and love arugula, but after receiving a head of radicchio in my CSA share, I decided to make this salad, thinking the peppery arugula would mask the bitterness of the radicchio. To my surprise, the salad was a perfect balance of salty, sweet, bitter and tangy. The only change I made was to use grilled halloumi cheese, rather than feta, and I recommend that you do the same! I can't imagine that feta would have been any better.

from Epicurious.com

Arugula and Radicchio Salad with Sesame-Scallion Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 scallion
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 head radicchio
• 1 bunch arugula

In a small skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook sesame seeds, stirring, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Mince scallion and in a small bowl whisk together with sesame seeds, remaining tablespoon oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste until emulsified. Tear radicchio into bite-size pieces and in a bowl toss together with arugula and vinaigrette.

Serves 2

from Epicurious.com

from a reviewer: This is a fabulous recipe. The dressing is unusual and memorable. I've been serving it for years and ALWAYS receive raves from guests. It doubles easily.

Sesame Shiitake Bok choy

From EatingWell: August/September 2006

Bok choy's mellow flavor goes beautifully with earthy shiitake mushrooms in this quick stir-fry. Be sure to use toasted rather than plain sesame oil—it has a superior nutty flavor. For a little heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper.

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READER'S COMMENT:

"This is a simple to make, delicious way to eat your veggies. It has a great Asian flair and goes well with just about everything. Try it and I'm sure you'll like it! "

4 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 2-pound head bok choy, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 4 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps, (9 ounces with stems)
• 2 tablespoons oyster-flavored or oyster sauce, (see Note)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned, 30 seconds. Add bok choy and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring often, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in oyster sauce, sesame oil and salt. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Oyster sauce is a richly flavored condiment made from oysters and brine. Vegetarian oyster sauces substitute mushrooms for the oysters. Both can be found in large supermarkets or at Asian specialty markets.
• Tip: To toast sesame seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 132 calories; 9 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 602 mg sodium; 1046 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (170% daily value), Vitamin C (90% dv), Potassium (30% dv), Folate (24% dv), Calcium (20% dv)

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Buckwheat and Ginger Salad with Apples

This is simple and refreshing. Make sure the salad is well seasoned, as the flavor mellows a bit as it sits.

1 c toasted buckwheat (kasha)

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

toasted sesame oil

2 apples, diced

juice of 1-2 limes

1 - 3 heads baby bok choy, cleaned and chopped - amounts can vary according to taste and availability

1/2 - 3/4 c pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then add the buckwheat and some salt. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and steam for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Toss with the fresh ginger and a generous amount of sesame oil and allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Toss the apples with the lime juice and a tiny bit of salt.

Wilt the bok choy in a hot skillet with some grapeseed or olive oil and a little salt. Remove from heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and the cilantro, then fold this mixture and the apple mixture into the buckwheat and add some salt. Taste for seasoning, adding salt or sesame oil as necessary. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Kale and Black Bean Tacos

1 T olive oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 small head kale (about 5.5 ounces), tough stems removed, cut in
large pieces
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2-4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1/4 cup prepared salsa, or more to taste
1 medium avocado, cubed (optional)

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add onion and garlic;
sprinkle with cumin. Stir to mix and saute for 2 minutes. Add kale to
skillet. Stir or turn with tongs to coat with oil. Cover and cook for
2 minutes until just tender and bright green. Add beans and corn and
cook for 2 minutes to warm through. Add feta and stir to mix. Season
with salt and pepper.

While kale mixture is cooking, warm tortillas.

Put mixture in tortillas and top with salsa and avocado.

Peach, Basil, Mozzarella Salad

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 10m | Total Time: 10m

Ingredients

• 3 ripe peaches (peeled, if desired)
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Cut each peach into 6 to 8 wedges, then cut each wedge in half crosswise.
2. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, basil, and mozzarella. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss. (You can cover and refrigerate the salad for up to several hours.) Serve cold or at room temperature.

Basil Lemonade

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, plus 8 sprigs for garnishing
• 8 cups lemonade

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the sugar and 1 1/2 cups cold water to a simmer. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, add the basil, and let cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup into a resealable container and discard the solids.
3. Pour 2 to 3 teaspoons of the basil syrup into each of 8 ice-filled glasses, then fill with lemonade. Garnish with an additional sprig of basil. (You can cover and refrigerate the remaining syrup for up to 2

Asian Spicy Gingered Greens Recipe

Adapted from Meals that Heal by Lisa Turner (Inner Traditions, 1996).

Here's an excellent way to use the Asian greens in your share box. The spices in the recipe reflect authentic Asian flavors, and the recipe also makes use of miso, the fermented soy paste that is a traditional – and tasty – ingredient of Asian cookery, exceptionally rich in phytochemicals.

Even families who usually don’t like greens will enjoy this delicious, healthful dish.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon light sesame oil
2 carrots, grated
¼ cup freshly-grated ginger
2 teaspoons tamari
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon mellow white miso(fermented soy paste, available at natural food stores or your supermarket)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound chard, torn into large pieces, with stems removed
1 pound mustard greens, torn into large pieces, with stems removed
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup water

1. In a medium pan, heat oil and saute carrots and ginger until carrots are tender.

2. While carrots are cooking, in a small bowl combine tamari, honey, miso, vinegar, and cayenne pepper, adding water as needed to form a smooth paste.

3. Add chard, mustard greens, and sesame seeds to pan with carrots, and cook until greens are just wilted.

4. Add water and miso paste to vegetables, stirring well to coat all ingredients. May be served hot or well-chilled.

Serves 4 to 6.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/asian-spicy-gingered-greens-recipe.html#ixzz1Wl9R1Obx

Vegan Cheese

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 t wet mustard

METHOD

Mix dry ingredients in a saucepan. Whisk in water or soy milk - start with a cup. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until it thickens and bubbles; if too thick, add more water or soy milk. Cook 30 seconds more, then remove from heat, whip in margarine and mustard. It thickens as it cools, or add water to thin it.

Zucchini Boats

Got some ocean liner zucchini? Turn them into this tasty and satisfying dish! There are many variations of this zucchini treatment; choose favorite combinations of herbs and veggies to launch your own personal fleet!

Readying your boats:

Preheat oven for 350 degrees.

Slice large zucchini lengthwise and remove seeds. Spread olive oil on cut sides and place facing down on baking tray. You can also just oil the tray. Start baking your boats while you prepare the filling.

Anything goes here but this particular night we had roasted zucchini and peppers left over. We added a little rice and black beans and covered everything with Vegan Cheese. We then added chopped tomatoes. We checked the zucchini for tenderness. When almost tender, we took them out, added filling, and slid the boats back in the oven for a little additional baking.

We ate!