veggie experiment: days 12 and 13

NOODLES WITH RED SAUCE

feeling lazy

whatever kind of pasta (sometimes i do all whole wheat, or a mixture of whole and regular). favorite pasta sauce (sometimes i just throw together some canned tomatoes, garlic and herbs and sugar to make my own sauce...or i use prego from costco). then i usually steam zucchini and mushrooms to serve over the top.

veggie experiment: day 11

CREAMY BARLEY WITH TOMATOES AND GREENS--FIASCO!

from real simple magazine. i must have done something wrong. all the ingredients sounded like they would produce a good mix. but, it was kind of not at all enjoyable. i even sacrificed cheddar for a week in order to buy the called-for fancy cheese! plus, it made much more than 4 servings and no one wants to eat the leftovers. i still feel like it has potential, so if you happen to try it and it works out, please share with me the secret!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 cups quick-cooking barley
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 8 cups torn mustard green leaves (from 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 2 ounces Taleggio or Brie (rind removed), cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the barley, tomatoes, wine, and 2½ cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the mustard greens, Taleggio, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mustard greens are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan.

Favorite Broccoli

My friend Heather gave me this recipe. She and her husband were broccoli-haters, but now they eat this all the time. I want to make it every day. Don't be fooled by the simplicity--it's uncannily delicious.

fresh broccoli florets (just chop up a head of broccoli)
olive oil
salt
garlic powder

Toss everything together in amounts that seem reasonable. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

She does the same thing with cauliflower, but adds parmesan cheese and paprika.

veggie experiment: day 10

EVERYTHING VEGGIE

today i just threw a bunch of veggie sides together and we had those for dinner: fried potatoes and onions, baked yam fries, asparagus with reduced balsamic vinegar glaze and a green salad. all things my kids eat and everything just tasted so...fresh.

veggie experiment: day 9

POACHED EGGS WITH MUSHROOMS AND TOMATOES

from real simple magazine. i discovered that my family doesn't care for slightly runny yolks. in fact, one of my daughters said, "mom, i like eggs that are actually cooked."

it was decent, but it was missing something...maybe i didn't put enough dried thyme as a substitution in the mushrooms or maybe it could use a glaze of some sort. anyway, i had never made poached eggs so now i know!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 medium tomatoes, each sliced into 4 rounds
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 8 large eggs
• 4 slices country bread, toasted
• 1 ounce Parmesan, shaved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Fill a large, deep skillet with 3 inches of water. Add the vinegar and bring to a bare simmer.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the tomatoes with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 6 to 7 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, poach the eggs in 2 batches: Crack each of 4 eggs into separate custard cups, then, one at a time, slide gently into the water in the deep skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes for slightly runny yolks and remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining 4 eggs.
5. Top the bread with the tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, and Parmesan. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and sprinkle with the chives.

veggie experiment: days 7 and 8

RAVIOLI WITH CARAMELIZED FENNEL

from real simple magazine--i've been wanting to try fennel for quite some time. it added a light, subtle flavor. we concluded we'd definitely make this again. plus, the kiddos liked it (can't go wrong with cheese-filled noodles!)

in a large skillet, cook 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb and 1 sliced onion in butter over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. season with salt and pepper. mix in the ravioli, 1/4 C reserved pasta water and 1 tablespoon butter. sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds.

i served this with salad and whole wheat bread.

veggie experiment: days 5 and 6

taco salad

the name says it all, but i'll just share how i chose to prepare it.

i used the costco fresh tortillas and laid them on top of my souffle dishes and baked them @ 425 until brown. this made a decent enough tortilla bowl.

inside we put romaine lettuce, kidney beans, cheese, olives, avocados, non-fat sour cream and corn and bean salsa (recipe below).

corn and bean salsa (from cooks.com)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C canned corn, drained
1 C tomatoes, diced
1/2 green onions, chopped
2 T cilantro, fresh, chopped
2 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 t cumin
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 t salt or garlic salt (if you don't have fresh garlic)
1/2 t pepper
2 serrano chili peppers, seeded and chopped