Playing in passion

I am so blessed to be playing within my passion these days more so than I ever dreamed. I wasn't even sure I had passions until the last year or so. I remember saying how much I admired people like my husband who have hobbies they adore and can't live without. I finally took a look at my own life and realized how much I love food - eating it, preparing it, photographing it, talking about it, reading about it, and now sharing with others how they can bring their families back to the dinner table around it. I had an opportunity this week to spend time with people who's passions are also in the realm of seasonal, organic, local food at a walk through of the future SOL Markets. It was so energizing to be in a space where I could share my ideas and enthusiasm with others. I think people under estimate how NOURISHING playing in your passion can be. What is life all about if not to be playing, passionate, and nourished? And what better place to share your passions than around your dinner table with family and community?

This week's Co-Op box: lettuce, swiss chard, red potatoes, rosemary, spinach, delacata winter squash,spaghetti squash, apples, tangerine, oranges,and melon.

I usually try to incorporate a slow cooker recipe into the week's mix to help relieve the prep and clean up that comes with a meal. I'm including more than one this week as we get revved up for Thanksgiving. We need all the low maintenance meals we can get!

Sunday
Open to play with the passion!
You can prep the veggies for tomorrow's chili to reduce your prep time on Monday.

Monday
Slow Cooker Vegetable Chili

Uses; add diced delecata squash to this recipe

Tuesday
Off or leftovers

Wednesday
Hawaiian Style Short Ribs and Rice

2 red onions, cut into 1 inch wedges, root ends left intact
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (about 6) in 3 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Siracha or other chili sauce
3 cups 1 inch cubed pineapple (1 pound)

Place onions, garlic, and ginger in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Top with short ribs in a tight layer. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili sauce. Cover and cook on high until ribs are almost tender, four hours. Add pineapple and cook until tender, 1 hour.
With a slotted spoon, transfer ribs, pineapple, onions, and ginger to a platter and tent with foil. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Serve ribs and pineapple mixture with rice: drizzle with some cooking liquid and sprinkle with scallions.

Thursday
Cottage Cheese and Spinach Gratin adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Gratin's are a really nice way to use up vegetables in a healthy, quick way. I added some cooked leftover zucchini to this. You can also use your swiss chard here.

1 pound spinach (about 2 bunches)
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups small-curd cottage cheese (nonfat or low-fat is fine) and/or greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
     
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously oil an 8-by-10-inch gratin dish or a 9-inch square baking pan. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the spinach with the water clinging to its leaves, tossing frequently, until the spinach is barely wilted. (Not all the spinach will fit into the skillet at first. Add some first, then as it cooks down, add the rest.) Press out the liquid from the wilted spinach and reserve it in a measuring cup. Finely chop the spinach. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, parsley, dill, coriander, cottage cheese, salt and a little pepper. Stir in the chopped spinach and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and mix well. Pour into the prepared dish and bake until set, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. To serve, cut into diamonds or squares.

Uses; Spinach

Friday
Sausage and Lentil Stew

2 tbsp. EVOO
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled (I use veggie sausage or chicken/turkey sausage)
1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
8 oz. brown lentils, rinsed
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch swiss chard coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan
Salt and pepper

In a large dutch oven, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lentils, broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the escarole and sausage, cover the pot and cook until the escarole is wilted and the sausage is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Uses; Rosemary, Swiss Chard

Saturday
Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Spaghetti Squash
salt and pepper
6 slices bacon or panchetta equivalent
4 leeks rinsed and thinly sliced
2 large eggs
1/2 ounce grated parmesan
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon

Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a skewer so it will not burst while baking. Place whole squash in a shallow baking pan and bake in preheated 375 F oven for 1 hour.When cool enough to handle, cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise with a serrated knife. Scoop the seeds and fibrous strings from the center of the cooked spaghetti squash. Gently scrape the tines of a kitchen fork around the edge of the spaghetti squash to shred the pulp into strands. Set it to the side.
Cook the bacon until crisp and transfer to paper towels. Use 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and add leeks, and season with salt and pepper and cook stirring often until leeks are golden brown about 10 minutes. Add the hot spaghetti squash, eggs, parmesan, and lemon zest. Add 1/4 cup of hot water or 1/2 and 1/2 if it looks like it needs moisture and mix.
Serve with salt, pepper and parmesan.

Uses: Spaghetti Squash