Mushroom Zucchini Tacos

This recipe is so simple and so robust, I think I'm going to add it it the regular rotation (as long as zucchini is in season:). Right now I'm still using the canned Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes since we haven't had any West Coast tomatoes in the stores yet, but if you're making this during tomato season, you can make your own on the grill or under the broiler.

The beautiful thing about making tacos or burritos like this is that they're so flavorful you really don't have to worry about the side dish. Just some black beans and corn tortillas an you're all set!

Serves 4
$10

Ingredients

• 1 TBLS Organic Olive Oil
• Organic White Onions - Sliced Thin
• 1/2 lb Portabella Mushrooms - Sliced Thin
• 2 Organic Zucchini Squash - Peeled and Diced
  
• 1x14 oz can Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• Organic Corn Tortillas

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until they begin to soften - about 5 minutes
2. Throw in the mushrooms and stir it all up. Let them soften up for about 4 minutes
3. While the mushrooms and onions are cooking away, get out your food processor or blender and blend up the tomatoes and the chipotle
4. Pour the chipotle-tomato sauce into the pan and add the zucchini. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Enjoy!
   

Simple Tomato Sauce

Brooke says that I have a hard time cooking the same thing twice, and that's mostly true. There are so many delicious flavors to taste out there, why would you limit yourself to a standard weekly or monthly menu? I do keep a chart of everything I cook that I'd like to cook again. When I'm stuck I open it up and see what sounds good (to date it has about 60 tried and true recipes in it). That being said, this basic tomato sauce is one of my stand-by's. I probably make this once every two weeks or so.

With this easy recipe, you'll never have to buy pasta sauce in a jar again! It's so easy, fast, and tasty you'll wonder how so few ingredients can make your tummy so happy. I like to serve this with conchiglie pasta (shell looking) since it catches nice little bowls of sauce. I use the basil from the plant I keep on the window sill, which makes this a super cheap dinner, but even if you have to buy basil at the store it's still a winner!

Serves 4
$10

Ingredients

• 1x14 oz can organic whole tomatoes
• 2 cloves organic garlic - diced or pressed
• a pinch of sugar
• a pinch of salt
• a dozen fresh organic basil leaves - torn
  
• 2 glugs of olive oil
• 16 oz pasta of choice

Directions

1. Pour the tomatoes with the juice from the pan into a 12 inch pan
2. Add the garlic, sugar and salt. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes
3. Put your water on to boil and cook your pasta according to the directions
   
4. Smash up the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher (basically just do what it takes to squish the tomato up!)
5. Add in the olive and basil leaves and stir it all up
6. Enjoy!
   

CSA Special - Kale & Potato Soup

So, last week was our first week of our new CSA (community supported agriculture). A big shout out to Shari at Dancing Roots Farm for our wonderful veggies! We had a great haul this week - Salad Greens, radishes, spinach, pea greens, kale and a tomato plant. We made up a great salad with all the greens and radishes and shared that with our friends. I made kale and potato soup and it was excellent, so I thought I'd share that one here.

Serves 4
$6

Ingredients

• A couple of glugs of olive oil
  
• 1 medium onion - chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic - diced or pressed
• 5 cups liquid (I did 3 cups stock + 2 cups water, but you can do any combination you like)
  
• 1.5 lbs organic potatoes - peeled & quartered
  
• 1 bunch of kale sliced into strips
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat
2. Toss in the onion and cook until soft - about 6 minutes
3. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute
4. Pour in your liquid and bring to a boil
5. Put your potatoes in and bring it back to a good simmer, but not a full boil
6. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender (that means you can stick a fork in it pretty easily)
7. Use a potato masher or other flattish kitchen utensil and smash all the potatoes up
8. Add the Kale and simmer for another 5 minutes
9. Salt & Pepper to taste
10. Enjoy!
    

Easy Chickpea Curry

I made this Friday night and we put it into some pita bread for a nice picnic at the park. I served it with spinach and plain yogurt wrapped up inside. You could also put it over rice for a weeknight sit down. The spice is around a medium here. Feel free to tone it up with a little more ginger, garlic and jalepeno, or tone it down with a little less curry powder. To make the curry paste, I use my little kitchen-aid chopper, but you can also just chop it all up as small as possible if you don't have one

Serves 4
$6

Ingredients

1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 small organic onion - diced
3 organic garlic cloves - minced
1 tsp minced organic ginger
1/2 organic jalapeno - minced
1 Tbls curry powder
1 x 14.5 oz can diced organic tomatoes
1 x 25 oz can organic chickpeas
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Put the olive oil over medium heat in a pan on the stove
   
2. If you're using the food processor, put in the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeno and pulse it until it's a nice paste (about 15-20 seconds). If you're doing it by hand, chop away!
3. Add the paste to the pan and sear it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure none of it burns.
   
4. Add the curry powder and mix it in with the paste
5. Pour in the tomatoes and chickpeas and stir it all up
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook for 30 minutes until the sauce as reduced down and the flavors are amazing. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Enjoy!
   

Pasta with Fresh Thyme, Garlic & Goat Cheese

Garlic? Check! Thyme? Amazing! Goat Cheese? Irresistable! Put it all together and you've got a whole lot of Awesome!!! This recipe is so simple and so tasty, you may never make spaghetti and marinara again:) Serve this with some greens and crusty bread and you'll be a happy camper.

Serves 2

$9

Ingredients

• 1 package fresh pasta (fettucini or linguini)
• 6 cloves of garlic
  
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme - leaves picked
  
• A good handful of goat cheese
• 2 Tbls olive oil

Directions

1. Cook the garlic cloves unpealed in a good sized skillet, turning every so often, for 15 minutes (this is making roasted garlic without turning the oven on!)
2. Put some salted water on to boil while you cook the garlic
3. When the garlic's done, peel it
4. Put the pasta in and cook al dente
5. Drain the pasta and toss it in the skillet with the garlic, thyme, goat cheese and olive oil. Mix it up good, bashing up the soft garlic a bit and getting it all mixed together
6. Enjoy!
   

Peas with Fettuccine, Basil & Sunflower Seeds

This recipe comes from Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food and is ready start to finish in less than 30 minutes. An amazing dish for how simple it is to prepare! I served this with grilled patty pan squash fresh from Brooke's Dad's Garden (thanks Mark!) and some fresh bread.

Serves 2
$8

Ingredients

• Fresh fettuccine for 2
• 4 TBLS Olive Oil
  
• 1 & 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 1/3 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• 10 fresh basil leaves - torn into small pieces
  
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• Fresh black pepper to taste
  

Directions

1. Toast the seeds on a baking sheet in a hot oven or under the broiler until their brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool a bit.
   
2. Boil plenty of water for the fettuccine. When it's ready toss the noodles in with a little salt. Drain.
3. While the water's boiling/noodles are cooking, heat up the olive oil in a skillet.
4. Toss in the peas, minced garlic and basil and cook stirring frequently for about 7 minutes.
5. Combine all of the cooked ingredients in a big bowl and toss, adding black pepper if you'd like.
6. Enjoy!
   

Spicy Vegetable Jumbalaya

I'm not in any way, shape or form a vegetarian, but I try to give Brooke one vegetarian meal per week since she's not quite the carnivore that I am. This Vegetable Jumbalaya does the trick too, since it's spicy enough that I might forget there's no meat in it.

Serves 6
$15

Ingredients

• 2 Large Organic Onions - Chopped
  
• 1 Large Organic Green Pepper - Chopped
  
• 1 Medium Organic Green Zucchini - Chopped
• 3 Ribs Organic Celery - Chopped
  
• 1 - 28 oz Can Chopped/Diced Organic Tomatoes
• 32 oz Vegetable Stock
• 1 Handful Chives - Chopped
• From the cupboard - Olive Oil, 4 Cloves Garlic - peeled & chopped, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp cajun spice, salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot heat 3 Tbls olive oil and saute garlic and all fresh vegetables until they're tender
2. Add tomatoes with their juice, vegetable stock and all of the spices and bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat to medium low and add the rice
4. Stir well and cover - cook for 30 minutes or until rice is tender
5. Add the chopped chives and salt & pepper to taste
6. Enjoy!