What We Do With Our Veggies

photo from chidiet.com

Zucchini: We like to saute our zucchini the same as the green beans and mushrooms, olive oil, salt, pepper.
Mushrooms: We also like to saute our mushrooms with a little bit of butter or olive oil, onions and worstershire sauce, SO GOOD. (tastes like the ones that come on top of steak at the restaurant. You can add steak seasoning too.)
Cherries: we pitted them and dipped em in chocolate. Not good for ya, but YUM.
Tomatoes: We like to make salsa. If you want that recipe, let me know. Another mom in my group has and great one.
Bell Peppers:

Steak and Peppers on Rice

1 1/2 lb. steak, cut into strips
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 T butter
1 clove garlic (or 1/2 t garlic powder)
1 C beef boullion
2 T corn starch
2 T soy sauce
4 C rice

Melt butter, saute garlic, Brown steak, add bell peppers, and green onions, and saute till just wilted. Add boullion and tomatoes, cook 5 minutes. Add cornstarch (mixed previously with a little water). Simmer until sauce has thickened. Serve on top of white or brown rice.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2 large bell peppers, halved
(dash of salt optional)
3/4 lb. ground beef, pork, lamb, sausage, or turkey (whatever you like)
1/3 C chopped onion
1-7.5 oz. can tomatoes cut up (just cut up tomatoes from your veggie box!)
1/2 C water
1/3 C long grain rice, UNCOOKED
1 T worstershire sauce
1/2 t dried oregano (or basil)
1/2 C shredded american cheese, separated in to two 1/4 C amounts.

Halve the peppers, remove the stems, ends, and seeds. Immerse in boiling water for 3 minutes. Sprinke with salt, if you want, and invert on paper towel to drain.
In a large skillet cook meat nd onion til meat is brown and onions are tender. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes (if you are using fresh you may have to cook them for a few minutes to get the right consistency), water, UNCOOKED rice, worstershire sauce, and dried oregano or basil, 1/4 t salt, 1/4 t pepper. Bring to boiling, and reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or till rice is tender. Stir in 1/4 C cheese.
Fill peppers with meat mixture. Place in a square baking dish along with any remaining meat mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinke with remaining 1/4 C cheese. Let stand for about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

I'm pretty sure (though I haven't tried it yet) that you could add just about any other veggies to the meat mixture (mushrooms, zucchini, etc) and it would turn out yummy. My hubby really likes this one.

confession

sometimes i open up my fridge just to look at all the beautiful green bell peppers, the juicy red tomatoes, and the savory varieties of fruit. it makes me happy.

it makes my husband laugh.

Veggie Ideas

Hey Guys what did you do with your Fruits & Veggies this week?

I need some recipe ideas

Kale!

If you're like me, you're obssessed with Kale.

Really.

When I get a bunch of kale, I usually cut it into thin thin strips and then let it marinated in olive oil, a little salt, and lemon juice, so I can eat it in a salad. But sometimes I don't want to wait!

I found out you can roast kale in the oven in about 10 minutes (minus the heating time).

Chop up the washed kale into 1-2 inch pieces, rub them with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Then sprinkle sea salt over it and roast at 375 for about 10-12 minutes (until it's crisp like nori).

These just crunch in your mouth like little chips. A good way to trick your kids into eating greens! (if you don't eat them all yourself, like I did.)

Just for the record, cauliflower (a vegetable I used to hate) is also delicious this way. Thinly sliced, rubbed with olive oil and salt, set in a pan and roasted for about 20 minutes, until it turns golden brown on the edges and carmelizes. And it looks pretty.

Freezing Food

Did you know that you can freeze red peppers? I didn't, but I was
hoping. I {HEART} red peppers, however I'm the only one in my house
who does and there's no way I can eat all those peppers in one week.
So, if you want to freeze some, too, here's a website to help:

http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2006/08/whats-growin-on-81706.html

Freezing zucchini:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf676463.tip.html


Freezing asparagus (I needed this last time as I already had some
asparagus in my fridge):

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf61961359.tip.html

But my greatest find was that you can cook corn on the cob right in
the husk! Seriously and it was SOOOO much easier to get all those
nasty strings off after it was cooked. No really, they just feel
right off. And the best part is that its done in the microwave in
like 5 minutes. Though I do have to warn you that if my corn was any
indication, Foodland chops the tops off the corn before selling it for
a reason - a little wormy reason. So you might was to chop the tops
before you cook - it shouldn't make a difference. I plan to do that
next go round.

FRESH CORN ON THE COB (MICROWAVE)
Cook fresh corn on the cob in microwave with husks and silk intact.
They will cook in their own natural moisture.

Place on paper towel. Turn ears over and rearrange after 1/2 cooking
time.
Cooking Timetable:
1 ear - 1 1/2 minutes
2 ears - 3 to 4 minutes
3 ears - 5 to 6 minutes
4 ears - 7 to 8 minutes
6 ears - 8 to 9 minutes.

When ears are hot to the touch, remove and wrap in kitchen towel or
foil. Let stand at least 5 minutes. Remove husks and silk (which is
easier than when cold) and serve.

OK, that's it for now. I would love to hear what you guys are doing
with all your fruits and/or veggies.

Lisa P.

Fruits & Veggies Galore

Our fruits & veggies are magnificent, we are excited to be in summer & enjoying so much wonderful produce.

June 17 Fruits & Veggies (V2)

Romaine, Romas, Red Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Jalapeno Peppers,
Peaches, Nectarines, Black Plums, Kiwi & Honeydew.

Fruits Only June 17

Banana, Peaches, Nectarines, Plums & Pineapple



What will you make with your spread?
POST your recipes, so we can enjoy it like you do!

Thai Chicken, Mango & Pineapple Salad

(found this on Familyfun.com)

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	1 (14-ounce) can regular or light coconut milk
	1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, or more to taste
	2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
	1/2 cup fresh orange juice
	4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
	1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch chunks
	1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
	4 cups salad greens

1. In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, red curry paste, orange zest, and orange juice and reserve 1/2 cup of the mixture in a separate container. In a ziplock bag, toss together the chicken breast chunks and half of the marinade from the bowl. Toss the fruit and the remaining marinade in another ziplock bag. Let the food marinate at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

2. Prepare a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to medium-high, and oil the grates. Thread the chicken and fruit pieces onto separate skewers.

3. Grill the skewered chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once, or until the chicken is cooked through. Grill the fruit skewers for 2 minutes per side, turning once, or until you have visible grill marks. Remove the meat and fruit from the skewers and serve them over salad greens drizzled with the reserved marinade. Serves 4.