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MEAL 1
Main Dish
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce, Tomatoes, and Kale
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants (about 1½ -2 pounds total), quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces, see notes above
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil
kosher salt
6 to 8 kale leaves, ribs and stems removed, leaves coarsely torn (2 to 3 oz once stemmed)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and crushed, or ground cumin,
1 cucumber (about 8 oz)
1 cup whole milk (or 2%) plain Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed, optional
1 lemon, halved
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss eggplants with 1/4 cup of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt (at least 1 teaspoon kosher salt). Roast, until eggplant pieces are deeply golden on the side touching the sheet pan, 30 minutes or so. Remove from oven, flip over each piece gently using a fork or spatula (this is just to ensure the pieces are golden and to ensure they don't stick). Set aside.
If making the kale chips, spread them onto a sheet pan, toss with 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil and cook at 450ºF for 7 to 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove from oven and transfer kale to a plate.
Grate the cucumber coarsely on a box grater. In a medium bowl, stir the cucumber into the yogurt, along with the garlic and the juice of half the lemon (about 1.5 tablespoons). Add the toasted, ground cumin seed. Season with salt, starting with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, adding an additional 1/4 teaspoon if necessary. (I've been using 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt total for the yogurt sauce.)
Toss tomatoes with a good pinch of salt and the tablespoon of olive oil in a medium bowl. Spoon yogurt mixture onto a platter and layer eggplants, kale, and tomatoes on top. Drizzle with more olive oil. Taste. Sprinkle with nice sea salt (if you have it) and squeeze the remaining half lemon over top if you wish—I find if I am using the kale, the additional lemon at the end is really nice.
Serves 4
Notes:
When cutting the eggplant, if you are using largish eggplants, you may have to cut the quarters in half again (so really you'll be cutting the eggplant into eighths). Don't worry too much about cutting the pieces evenly. I find 1.5- to 2.5-inch pieces to be nice.
Olive oil: If you use olive oil, be sure to check the eggplant after 20 or 25 minutes — it will cause the eggplant to brown more quickly. I used grapeseed oil 3 times, and the eggplant browned beautifully after 30 minutes. I used olive oil once, and it was good, but perhaps too golden (read: near burnt) for some people's tastes.
You can make the kale chips two ways:
1. After the eggplant roasts, gently flip over each piece, then scatter kale (lightly dressed in olive oil) over top and roast until crispy, about 15 minutes. This worked well and saved having to dirty two sheet pans.
2. If you have two ovens, however, or if your oven can handle a few sheet pans at once, you can make your kale chips on a separate sheet pan while the eggplant roasts, which will cut back on the overall cooking time.
If you don't feel like making the kale chips, omit them—they add good flavor and texture, but the dish is flavorful enough without them
To toast and grind the cumin seed, heat the seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until they turn color and smell fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and crush until fine.
Side/Appy
Vegetable Sandwich with Dill Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
8 thick slices multigrain bread
8 lettuce leaves
1/2 pound sliced provolone
2 tomatoes (sliced)
1 cucumber (peeled and sliced thin)
1 small red onion (sliced very thin)
1 ripe avocado, preferably Hass (sliced)
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, dill, mustard, oil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Spread a tablespoon of the dill sauce on one side of each of four slices of bread. Top each slice with lettuce, provolone, tomatoes, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, the cucumber, onion, avocado, and sprouts. Drizzle another tablespoon of dill sauce over each sandwich. Cover with the remaining four slices of bread.
Notes
If raw onions have too much of a bite, tame them by rinsing the slices under cold running water or soaking them in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Pat them dry before putting them on your sandwich.
Suggested pairing
The grassy, herbal flavors of Sauvignon Blanc marry beautifully with dill. With this sandwich, the lighter and crisper the wine, the better the match will be. A Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley in France will do nicelyhttps://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vegetable-sandwich-dill-sauce
Side/Appy
Thai-Style Alfalfa Sprouts & Lettuce Salad
Ingredients (serves 2):
1 cup raw alfalfa sprouts (store-bought)
A handful of lettuce leaves, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
A few stalks of fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 teaspoons soya sauce
Salt, to taste (Be careful with the salt, since the soya sauce is salty too)
4 tablespoons honey, or to taste
2 green chilies, very finely chopped
Juice of 1-1/2 lemons, or to taste
1/4 cup peanuts, dry roasted on medium flame till crunchy, left to cool, skins removed and pulsed for just about a second in the mixer
Method:
Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately.
Notes:
I purchased the alfalfa sprouts ready-made, but you can make them at home too. There are several recipes online that teach you exactly how to make them.
Alfalfa sprouts possess a whole lot of health benefits. Read up all about them here.
Alfalfa sprouts are crunchy, but not very chewy. They can be used raw in salads or for other purposes. I used them raw. However, there are several ongoing debates about whether sprouts should be used raw or not. If you aren’t comfortable with using raw sprouts to make this salad, you could steam them for a bit.
Make sure you don’t crush the roasted peanuts to a fine powder. Just pulse them for a second, till they are coarsely crushed, and then add them to the salad.
You could even add finely chopped ginger and garlic to the salad, if you wish to.
Dessert
Air Fryer S’mores Banana Boats
Prep time1 min Active Time 4 mins Serving size: 1 banana boat
Ingredients
1 medium banana
7 no sugar added chocolate chips I use lily's or hu kitchen
10 mini marshmallows
1 square graham cracker
couple good pinches of cinnamon (optional, but highly recommended)
Instructions
Preheat Air fryer to 400 degrees for a few minutes.
Lay a banana on its side so it doesn't fall over. Gently cut a slit through the banana peel and through the fruit, but careful not to cut all the way through the other side of the peel. If using, rub cinnamon into the inside of the banana.
Stuff chocolate chips and marshmallows into the banana.
Place the banana into the air fryer and cook for 4 minutes. Gently remove from the air fryer and crumble one graham cracker square over it and stuff into the banana as well.
Enjoy!
Notes
You can easily make up to 4 of these banana boats in a 7 quart air fryer, but i listed it as an easy single serve dessert idea
You can use more/different chocolate and marshmallows, but just adjust calories/ww accordingly if that’s your thinghttps://theskinnyishdish.com/air-fryer-smores-banana-boats/
Meal #2
Main Dish
Roasted Spaghetti Squash w/ Eggplant Puttanesca
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hour Yield: 3
Ingredients
3 lb Spaghetti Squash- ( or sub pasta noodles)
4 tablespoons olive oil- divided
1 medium eggplant – cut into a small dice ( 4 cups)
1 red onion- diced
4–6 cloves garlic- rough chopped
1 red bell pepper- diced
14 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dry Italian herbs ( or sub oregano and thyme)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, more to taste
Splash red wine
2 tablespoons capers, more to taste, plus a splash of the brine
3 tablespoons slice olives ( like green or kalamata)
Garnish: fresh Italian parsley, grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, or a drizzle olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F
Cut squash in half widthwise, place open side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30- 40 minutes (depending on size) or until knife tender. Turn on their sides, allowing steam to escape, continue roasting 5-10 minutes, so they dry out a bit.
While the squash is roasting make the Eggplant Puttanesca sauce.
In a large heavy bottom skillet or Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons oil over med-high heat. Add diced onion and eggplant, and sauté, stirring often for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and red bell pepper, turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until eggplant is tender, about 10-12 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add crushed tomatoes, a generous splash of wine, chili flakes, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, and simmer on low heat 5-10 more minutes. Add capers and olives.
Taste, adjust salt, spice level and add more capers or olives to taste. Sometimes I’ll add a little splash of the caper or olive brine, to bump up the flavor.
When spaghetti squash is tender, scoop the seeds out- then scoop out spaghetti squash strands into a bowl, and fluff and toss well with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Divide among bowls and top with the eggplant puttanesca. Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and grated cheese (optional) or drizzle olive oil.
Alternatively, you can serve this right out of the spaghetti squash shell ( making sure to season the squash, mixing with a fork before topping with the puttanesca.
Side/Appy
Simple Kale Apple Walnut Salad
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 0 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Serves 2
Ingredients
1 large bunch curly green kale (or 2 smaller bunches – how to massage kale for salad)
1 large apple
1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated (ideally parmigiano Reggiano)
1/2 cup walnuts, raw
Salad Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 a lemon, juice only
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
Remove the kale leaves from the tough stems. Wash and dry well. Using your hands, tear kale into smaller pieces. Place the kale into a large mixing bowl.
In a small jar, mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover jar with a lid and shake dressing ingredients together.
Pour dressing over kale and massage with hands, really squeezing/kneading the dressing into the kale for about 1 minute (see recipe video if needed). The kale should be well-coated and start to soften. Let the kale sit in the fridge or at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Core the apple and chop into smaller chunks. Grate the parmesan cheese. Add both ingredients to the kale salad along with walnuts.
Toss everything together well, seasoning with additional salt + pepper (if needed). Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*MAKING IN ADVANCE/LEFTOVERS:
Kale salads hold up really well when made in advance. Their leaves don’t go limp; rather they start to absorb even more of the flavor! You can safely prep the kale up to 1 day in advance.
I would recommend chopping and adding the apple just before serving in order to prevent browning.
*RECIPE MODIFICATIONS:
For a nut-free version, you can swap walnuts with pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or omit completely.
Side/Appy
Crispy Cucumbers and Tomatoes in Dill Dressing
Prep Time:15 mins Additional Time:15 mins Total Time:30 mins Servings:6
Ingredients
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill weed
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cucumbers, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cup sliced red onion
Directions
Mix vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, dill, and pepper in a large bowl. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion. Toss, and let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
Dessert
Mock Coconut Pie (Spaghetti Squash Pie)
Prep Time:20 mins Cook Time:40 mins Total Time:1 hr Servings:8
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups cooked, shredded spaghetti squash
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
1 pinch ground nutmeg (Optional)
1 pinch ground cinnamon (Optional)
1 ½ cups whipped cream for garnish (Optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Beat sugar and eggs together in a mixing bowl until light and frothy. Beat in butter, lemon juice, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in spaghetti squash.
Pour the mixture into prebaked pie shell. Dust the top with nutmeg and cinnamon.
Bake the pie in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.
Garnish with whipped cream.
Not too many people would know this spaghetti squash pie is not actually made with coconut.
Meal #3
Main Course
Bell Pepper Eggs Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast
Prep Time:5 minutes Cook Time:12 minutes Total Time:17 minutes
Ingredients
2 green bell peppers - sliced into ¾″ inch rings
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter - or olive oil for a dairy free option
Sea salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste
Garlic powder - to taste
Instructions
Over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan. Fill your pan with bell pepper slices and turn once, after a minute.
Crack one egg into the middle of each pepper ring, then season the egg to taste with a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and place a lid on the pan and cook until the egg whites are set, and the yolks are cooked to your preference, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove the bell pepper and egg rings from the pan and serve while hot topped with hot sauce and garnished with fresh parsley or green onions, if desired. Repeat until you’ve used all of your bell pepper slices.
Side/Appy
Green Pepper Cucumber Salad Recipe
Prep: 10 mins Servings: 4
Ingredients
Salad:
2 medium English cucumbers, chopped into bite sized pieces
4 small green peppers, or 2 large bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Hot sauce – optional, use a few drops or up to 1/4 tsp
1 tsp mustard Add more salt and vinegar if needed (make the salad to your taste).
Combine all ingredients in a jar and close the lid. Shake a few times. Pour on top of the salad.
Instructions
Place the chopped cucumbers, peppers, green onions and crumbled Feta cheese in a bowl.
Pour the prepared dressing on top.
Side/Appy
Eggplant Tomato Bake
Prep Time:15 mins Cook Time:10 mins Total Time:25 mins Servings:4
Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 tomato, sliced
¼ cup grated fat-free Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Arrange eggplant rounds on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 of the Parmesan.
Layer one tomato slice over each eggplant round, then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Dessert
Apple Smoothie
Prep:5 minsTotal:5 mins Servings: 1 smoothie (12 ounces)
Ingredients
1 medium sweet apple washed with peel on
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup chopped frozen banana about ½ of a large banana or 8, ¾-inch slices
1 tablespoon peanut butter or almond butter
½ tablespoon pure maple syrup plus additional to taste
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus additional for serving
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground allspice
Small handful ice
Instructions
To core the apple: Wash and dry the apple, and leave the peel on. Stand the apple on its base. Place your knife on top, near the stem. Cut straight down along the core. The first side of the apple will come off. Set it aside. Lay the apple flat, cut-side down. Cut off the right and left sides, keeping your knife as near the core as possible. Turn the apple, and cut off the one remaining side. You should have a long, rectangular piece that contains the core, and 4 nice big chunks (the ones you cut away). Discard the core. Cut the four pieces into 1-inch chunks. Place it in a blender.
To the blender, add the remaining ingredients in the order listed: almond milk, oatmeal, banana, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice. Blend until smooth. Add a small handful of ice, then blend again. For an even thicker smoothie, add a few ice cubes and blend again. For a thinner smoothie, add more milk. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon as desired and enjoy!
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