We received our latest CSA shipment today, and an internet search returned a few promising recipes that would utilize our fresh veggies and wouldn’t require any trips to the grocery store. The Lemon-Pepper Chicken over Garlicky Spinach recipe is slightly modified from this one on RecipeZaar, and the carrot dish comes from Quick From Scratch Herbs & Spices. We really enjoyed this combo!

Chris says:

I love last-minute dinner ideas that don’t require me to go out!

Lisa says:

But you did have to go; we were out of lemons.

Chris says:

Shhhh! Don’t ruin the story! The point is we got to use all our fresh veggies. Anyway, these carrots rule.

Lisa says:

I know it — and I really like this spinach stuff.

Chris says:

I think it’s just a tad sweet… maybe needs a bit more lemon juice?

Lisa says:

Maybe you need to get back to the store?

Chris says:

Funny.

Lemon-Pepper over Garlicky Spinach
One large, or two small chicken breast(s) (about 12 oz)
lemon-pepper seasoning
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 bunch spinach, washed
salt & pepper

Season chicken breast on both sides with lemon-pepper seasoning. Using a little olive oil or cooking spray, heat a skillet over medium heat. Saute the chicken until done (internal temp of about 165-170). Set aside and keep warm. In the same pan, saute mushrooms, shallot, garlic and tomatoes until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, lemon juice, and 1/3 cup of water. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced to a thin sauce. Add in the spinach, folding in as it wilts. Season with salt and pepper. Place the spinach on a plate and top with the chicken.

2 Servings

Sauteed Carrots with Lemon and Marjoram
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 bunch carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tbsp lemon juice

In a medium nonstick frying pan, heat 1/2 the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, carrots, sugar, 1/2 the salt, the pepper, and the dried marjoram. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan. Raise the heat to moderate and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots are very tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining oil and the lemon juice.

2 Servings

A few nights ago Lisa made one of those perfect-to-use-up-the-CSA-box recipes: this warming soup used just about every vegetable in the kitchen; adding a little pasta and some beans turned it into a great meal.

Chris says:

I love recipes like this that have so many vegetables in them…

Lisa says:

I know! The great thing about this recipe is that you can basically change the veggies based on what you have in the kitchen.

Chris says:

Remember when you used to complain about soups and stews that didn’t have meat in them?

Lisa says:

Only because I didn’t think they’d fill me up!

Chris says:

That’s what the pasta and beans are doing for ya.

Lisa says:

Yep… although it may be time for a meatstravaganza soon.

Chris says:

Huzzah!

“Kitchen Sink” Minestrone
————————-
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diagonally sliced carrot
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups diced tomato
2 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about 1 small)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups thinly sliced collard greens
1/2 cup uncooked small seashell pasta
2 teaspoons dried sage
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and sauté 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add tomato and next 9 ingredients (tomato through garlic), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in broccoli, greens, and pasta; cover and cook 5 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in sage and thyme.

6-8 Servings

I’m also submitting this one to Presto Pasta Nights… it’s been a while!

A few nights ago Lisa raided the CSA box and made this stir fry, based on one she found on Elise’s site. She changed up the vegetables a bit and cut the oil almost in half (Elise loves her oil)!

Chris says:

Wow the sauce on this is fantastic.

Lisa says:

Yeah, and spicy! I got to use your rooster sauce.

Chris says:

Everything’s better with rooster sauce…

Lisa says:

The tofu and the rice make this a lot more filling than I thought it would be.

Chris says:

I know! I’m kind of full but I’m going to eat more anyway — it’s all veggies so I know I’ll just be hungry later on.

Lisa says:

I’m going to save the rest for my lunch.

Chris says:

Sorry sucka — “the rest”? “The rest” is already in my belly.

Mushroom and Tofu Stir Fry
————————–
Glaze
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup of chickenbroth

Sauce
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp rice wine
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 Tbsp corn starch

Vegetables
4 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb of cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup onion
4 oz extra-firm tofu
1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
1 cup carrots, in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 1b bok choy stems, in 1/2-inch dice
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a bowl and the sauce ingredients together in a different bowl. In a third bowl, mix the garlic, ginger and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.
Heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large, stick-free skillet on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and tofu, and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and use tongs to turn the mushrooms to brown the other side. When mushrooms are browned and tender, about 5 minutes, increase the heat to medium-high and add the glaze. Cook, stirring to coat the mushrooms, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer mushrooms to a large bowl. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel.
Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in the skillet on medium-high heat until the pan begins to smoke. Add carrots and broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and cover skillet. Cook until carrots are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates. Transfer carrots to bowl with mushrooms. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel.
Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in the skillet on medium high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the bell pepper and bok choy stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add leafy greens and cook for a minute further. Push the veggies to the side of the pan and add the garlic-ginger mixture in the clearing. Cook 15 seconds, until fragrant, and then mix in with the other vegetables.
Add all the vegetables back into the pan (mushrooms, carrots, etc.). Add the sauce to the pan. Mix well and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and all the vegetables are coated with the sauce, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately with rice.

4 Servings

I’ve been in a meat-mood all week, so last night I made this shredded skirt-steak recipe from one of our favorite cookbooks, Healthy Latin Cooking. The steak is slow-cooked in wine and broth until it’s tender enough to easily shred with a fork. This recipe is made lighter than the traditional by the addition of carrots and potatoes.

Chris says:

So apparently this dish literally translates to “Old Clothes”.

Lisa says:

Wow, if all old clothes were like this I’d spend just as much time at the thrift stores as Abbie.

Chris says:

I love how tender the meat is here.

Lisa says:

Yeah it’s super good. The sauce is really tasty.

Chris says:

The vegetables are also nice and tender without being mushy. Perfect! I like using our CSA box to determine what recipes to make.

Lisa says:

It certainly seems to cut your recipe-browsing time to something manageable!

Ropa Vieja with Vegetables
————————–
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 lb beef skirt steak
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine
3-3 1/2 cups chicken stock or fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce
4 carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
2 potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
2 tsp rinsed and drained capers
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the onions are just beginning to brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
Season the steak with salt and black pepper. Add it to the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes per side. Increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of the stock or broth and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the steak is very tender. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
Stir in the tomato puree or tomato sauce, carrots, and potatoes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is reduced and flavorful. If too much liquid evaporates, add a little more stock or broth. Stir in the capers.
Using 2 forks, tear the meat along the grain into very thin shreds. (You should be able to do this right in the pan.) Simmer for 3 minutes more, or until the meat soaks up the sauce. Season with more salt and black pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

4 Servings.

Tonight I finally got around to making a soup from The Ultimate Soup Bible, a cookbook we got from Lisa’s brother at Christmas. This easy to make tomato soup is made with Israeli couscous (which is much larger and chewier than regular couscous), onions, tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, and mint; the soup has a great aroma and wonderfully garlicky flavor. It should appear in the rotation pretty regularly. We loved it.

Lisa says:

I love Israeli couscous… and this soup is so colorful.

Chris says:

It’s delicious. I like the cayenne: it’s subtle — just a slight tingle in the back of the throat.

Lisa says:

Oh *that’s* what that is. I was worried I was coming down with something.

Chris says:

Well, you’ll feel the blues if I take your soup away.

Lisa says:

Yeah, I will — I definitely want to have this again…

Chris says:

You’re in luck, then. The recipe makes so much that we’re having leftovers tomorrow night!

Lisa says:

Wahoo!

Tomato Soup with Israeli Couscous
———————————
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
7 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock, if you’re veg.)
1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous
3 mint sprigs, chopped
5 cilantro sprigs, chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt and ground pepper, to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and carrots and cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 the garlic and the remaining ingredients to the pan. Bring the soup to a boil, add all but 1 tsp of the chopped garlic, then reduce the heat and simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the rest of the garlic, and ladle into bowls. Serve with warm sourdough bread.

4-6 Servings