Thursday, December 27, 2012

Local Box 12/27/12 - Vegan Greenling Meal Plan

I feel lucky that my delivery day is Thursday so I didn't miss a box due to Christmas! whoohoo

Ok here's what I got this week:

Avocados
Mixed Greens bag
Broccoli
Collard Greens,
Parsley
Cucumber
Green Garlic
Green Cabbage
Grapefruit
Turnips

Mmmmmm - Avocados - i eat them ALL the time - i put them in my daily smoothies, I eat them on salads, which i will do with these greens, I eat them on tacos. So glad for these!
I think the Mixed Greens may also make their way into a smoothie.

Broccoli - check out this Broccoli with Garlic Butter & Cashews - may be a nice change from the usual steamed

Collard Greens - In my Wild About Greens cookbook by Nava Atlas i found a tasty looking Quinoa with Greens and Chickpeas - I can use the Green Garlic to stir fry the Collards first.

Parsley - I will try and find a space to add this creatively, some may go in a smoothie/juice also, parsley is so healthy, it has anitoxidants, it's anti-imflammatory, it has vitamin C and A, and more

Cucumber - Salad, Smoothies & Guinea Pig food - i'm sorta craving a quinoa with cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, onion and balsamic

Cabbage - My daughter is currently going through an Irish obsession phase, so maybe, just maybe, she will eat this Irish White Bean and Cabbage Stew if i "market" it to her correctly. It's worth a try!
It only uses half a head of cabbage so I am going to find a coleslaw recipe with the remainder. I always crave coleslaw

Grapefruit - smoothie - duh

Turnip  - this Autumn Vegetable Puree sounds sooo good and I love the idea of how nutrient dense it is with the three vegetable pureed together.

Friday, December 21, 2012

It's so easy being green

Glorious greens - they are so healthful and amazing.
I get in a rut when i buy my own, i buy baby spinach, and kale varieties, and that's about it. So it was a welcome change to switch it up

I did try some mustard greens and some chard in my morning smoothies, they went down well!

Here is a salad I made with the mixed salad greens, topped with ths slicing tomatoes. I dressed it with a Sesame citrus dressing from the Appetite for Reduction cookbook


I used my Wild About Greens cookbook for a couple more delectable recipes

First was Citrus Braised Mustard Greens with Apple & Pine Nuts - I used the orange & orange zest from the local box too. Very tasty but Mustard Greens are very sharp, the kids didn't go for it. I ate it with some delicious mashed potatoes and ended up mixing it all up together on my plate and eating it like that.


Next was Chard with Brussel Sprouts and Red pepper - this was so good. I ate it with some red and white lima beans or some kidn of bean i found at wholefoods.

Last night I invited my brother Fernando over for dinner, he's really committing to plant based eating so I wanted to share some different foods

I made the Oven Roast Sunchokes - and we ate them up from a bowl as an appetizer, so good (i forgot to take a pic, or maybe Ferndando at them up too fast)

Then I made the Curried Cauliflower Sweet Potato Soup from Fat Free Vegan - huge success, a little spicy, perfect, even my son liked it!



Friday, December 14, 2012

Local Box 12/13/12 - Vegan Greenling meal plan

I love a box full of leafy greens! So full of health n stuff

here's what we got: (thi pic shows limes, i got grapefruit instead)

Tomatoes
Mustard Greens
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Cauliflower
Louisiana Shallots
Sweet Potatoes
Sunchokes
Grapefruit
Oranges

I'm so excited to have sunchokes! I swear in the whole time I have been getting the Local Box, they have been in the box on the weeks I don't get it.
I feel like i still need to learn more, but I kind of like the look of these basic Oven Roasted Sun Chokes - i found one with garlic and rosemary too



Cold weather + Cauilfower + Sweet potato = amazing soup

Curried Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Soup from Fat Free Vegan is difinitely being made

Ok the greens - I think I mentioned that I'm addicted to my Nutriblast shakes every morning and sometimes lunch too. I get in a rut with the greens, spinach or kale generally. So i will branch out this week with Chard and Mustard Greens.

However, I still, even though I have tried, not used my gorgeous cookbook Wild About Greens by Nava Atlas  - look at it, a gorgeous hardback book fool of deliciousness.


There some very tasty recipes using some combos of items from the local box, it's going to be hard to decide, especially as they overlap with my soup i'm so gung ho for above. The ones that caught my eye:

Chard with Brussel Sprouts & Red Peppers - can sub in mustard greens also. Sounds like a great holiday table recipe
Coconut Cauliflower Curry with Mustard Greens & Spinach
Curried Sweet Potatoes with Chard & Chickpeas
Citrus (Orange!) braised Mustard Greens with Apples &  Nuts
WOW how to pick!


I'm definitely going to make a salad with the Salad Greens and make Orange-Sesame Vinaigrette dressing from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandrea Moskowitz

so that's all folks - see ya after my cooking frenzy





Tuesday, December 11, 2012

you butternut ignore this post....

if you love good food that is

that pun is awful - but coming up with titles is sometimes an excrutiating task, forgive me

anyway had a lot of fun with the stuff this week - made 2 fantastic Butternut Squash recipes - and the main thing that made them both a definite SUCCESS was that my son loved them - said he wanted them every day in his lunch box. The girl child, well....lets not go there

First was this Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash - it also used the Louisiana Shallots
apparantly i didn't take a picture of this food, but you get the drift, quinoa with chunks of butternut squash


Then the best thing ever was this Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili - OMG so so so so good.
look how lovely the butternut, red bell and onion look as they start to cook
 


i only used half a tablespoon of the chipotle, could have used more but was worried about the kiddo. This was probably the right amount for a kid

with the Arugula i made this quick Arugula with Orzo - simple, unique, this arugula was strong tasting, and i found that this recipe was improved by a splash of balsamic


Took this Watermelon Radish salad to a party and it was gone in seconds - it's a good party food because it looks so stunning



ok, happy eating!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Local Box 11/29/12 - Vegan Greenling meal plan

in this weeks box were items that felt more like spring! weird texas....


Arugula
Pea Shoots
Kale
Louisiana Shallots (these looke like sort of fatter green onions)
Slicing Tomatoes
Avocados
Live Parsley Plant!
Watermelon Radish
Limes
Butternut Squash

I think the pea shoots will be lovely in just a little salad with avocado and tomatoes and maybe i can make a dressing with the limes and miso
Here's one i found with beets that looks good if I get the urge to go buy beets - Avocado Beet Pea Shoot Salad

Arugula is tough sometimes, i love the peppery taste but it can be strong - this recipe for Arugula with Orzo & Garden Tomatoes looks ideal - i would just leave out the cheese.
Kinda also into this Arugula Pesto idea - we shall see what occurs

I'm going to make this Watermelon Radish Salad

When i get a bunch of limes I love making rasperry lime muffins

Butternut Squash - hmmmm i am torn between this Butternut Black Bean Chili and this Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash - or maybe both - as i still have the one from last box!