Grilled Chicken, Veggie Kebabs, Corn and Fruit

Believe it or not, I had more food cooked for me tonight! Becky came by bearing gifts for the twins, then proceeded to cook this huge meal on the grill for our play date this afternoon. She also brought wine. And made s’mores for dessert! Pam showed up with fruit and more desserts. I particularly liked the watermelon and mint she brought.

Becky holding Aaron as well as all of Ben's stuffed animals!

I needed it today, last night broke the good sleeping stretch we had for the past 2 nights. I’m thinking it’s because Sam fell asleep after drinking only 1 ounce before bed and I put him in the crib. Maybe I should have woken him up and tried to get him to eat more.

Either way, I was woken every 2 hours for one kid or another. I was so tired there were some times I wasn’t sure which baby I was feeding.

I did manage to get a bit of a sleep while Ben was napping today, but right now I still feel exhausted and can’t wait to get into bed.

So thanks Becky and Pam for all the yummies, of which I will be eating well into tomorrow!

We got a wonderful array of unusual vegetables this week.

Fresh Picks June 6th

Asparagus, Garlic Scapes, French Breakfast Radishes, Yukina Savoy, Cilanto, Cucumber and Leeks.

After much research on the internet, I was able to find interesting things to do with all of them.

Garlic Herb Shrimp Skewers, Cream of Chicken Pasta, Grilled Asparagus and Garlic Scapes

I had already bought chicken breast I planned on grilling with a dry rub I picked up at Gepperth’s Market also some shrimp skewers from Whole Foods. I added the asparagus and garlic scapes to the grill, simply seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. I actually wasn’t crazy about the garlic scapes. Don’t think I would try them again this way.

I read over and over again on the internet that the French Breakfast Radishes were eaten by the French raw, sliced lengthwise, with salt and a dollop of butter. Sometimes you put them on crusty french bread. When it comes to food, I think it’s wise to follow the French! It was an unusual taste, refreshing with a bit of bitter.

The Yukina Savoy was much like all the millions of Chinese greens out there that can be prepared the same way, either parboiled or sauteed then add a bit of asian sauce for flavor. I happen to have bought Salmon this week, which was already marinating in Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce. I baked it in the oven on a high temperature, laid it on a bed of brown rice and served it with the Yukina Savoy, parboiled then plunged in ice water. I added a little oyster sauce on the top and served. It was delicious.

Cilantro? Added to guacamole.

Leeks? Sauteed with any left over veggies in the fridge and added to a quiche.

Cucumber? Added to this week’s salads.

Fresh Picks for May 23th

Fresh Picks arrived this Wednesday again. I completely let the shipment from two weeks ago wilt in my crisper. At that time I was 3 days out of the hospital and not moving around much.

This next delivery found me in much better shape.

Modern science is an incredible thing. That they could fillet me open like a fish and pull two kids out and a short three weeks later I’m almost fully functioning again is a miracle.

This week I received so many different greens I’m not even sure which one is which! Lettuce, Crimini Mushrooms, Kale, Hon Tsai Tai, Arugula, Oregano, Saute Mix, Red Onion and Broccoli.

So far I’ve managed to make the Kale into kale chips. Lara, Mom and Adam all ate them and complemented me on them. Even Ben wanted some after I told them they were ‘chips’. I brushed olive oil on either side, sprinkled with salt and pepper and baked at 350° for 5 or 10 minutes until they crisped up.

Baking Kale Chips

I had to look up on the internet what Hon Tsai Tai was. Basically another Chinese green. I plan on putting it in the wok for a few minutes then dressing it with oyster sauce. Maybe I can serve it with a chinese Chicken, Broccoli, and Mushroom dish to use up the broccoli & mushroom.

The Saute Mix looked like a bunch of different kinds of lettuce so I’ve just been putting it in salad for lunch with some tomato, feta, chopped up roast chicken left over from my Charlie Trotter delivery and a bit of balsamic vinaigrette.

I think there are a few more items that I’ll hopefully be clever enough to use before they get too old but I if not I won’t feel totally guilty. Getting back the old life I had before I had two more kids happens in baby steps. No pun intended.

This week I received Beets, Asparagus, Red Potatoes, Yellow Onions, Crimini Mushrooms, Ramps, Parsley and Green Leaf Lettuce.

Fresh Picks for April 25th

That evening I grilled the asparagus with a little salt, pepper and olive oil on the grill along side the home made turkey burgers I already in the fridge.

I had never heard of a Ramp before and had to do some research. Turns out it is from the wild leek family and has an oniony-garlicky flavor. It has a very small season, after winter and before summer.

In the end I substituted the ramp for leek in a potato and leek soup. I found this recipe which was creamy but didn’t actually have cream in it.

This pregnancy has gotten to the point where going to the supermarket, picking Ben up to put him in the cart and walking all the aisles to get what I need is a daunting task. In fact, just standing up long enough to cook these meals is a struggle. I hope I get through them all before I pop!

I decided to combine the onion, crimini mushrooms, some of the parsley together to make a risotto. But then I realized I didn’t have risotto rice so I just used white rice and made it more like a mushroom pilaf. Sautéed chopped onions and chopped mushrooms in a little olive oil, then added rice until it showed clear, then added double the amount of chicken broth to rice ratio, brought to a boil, then covered and simmered on low for 20 minutes. Added grated parmesan.

The green leaf lettuce got paired with the tomatoes, cucumber, roast chicken, red onion, and feta, oregano, olive oil and lemon juice that i had in my cabinets and fridge already to make a greek salad.

The beets made me smile. I love them, but normally buy them cooked already since they take so long to bake in the oven and I seem to be the only one who likes them. Still, I wondered if cooking them at home would drastically change the taste. Since I didn’t want to venture out, I’m going to try simply baking these with some olive oil and salt. I’ve read you scrub them, then add olive oil and salt then wrap them in tin foil and bake until tender. Can be 20 minutes and up to and hour depending on the amount, size and temperature you use. I’ll let you know how they turn out in my next update…

This week I received red potatoes, romanesco broccoli, pea tendrils, cherry tomatoes, spinach, butter lettuce, and parsley.

I am planning on pairing the red potatoes and spinach together with other ingredients to make a Minestrone Soup. I used a recipe from my Best Recipe Cookbook. It’s super simple. Just add 2 small chopped onions, 2 medium chopped carrots, 2 chopped leeks, 2 medium chopped celery stalks, 1 medium chopped potato, 1 medium chopped zucchini, 3 cups of spinach cut into thin strips, 1 can of 28 ounce chopped tomatoes with juice, 1 parmesan cheese rind, and 1 teaspoon of salt to 8 cups of water. Simmer uncovered for about an hour. Then add 1 can of cannellini beans drained and rinsed. Stir until heated through. Take off heat, add 1/4 cup pesto and take out the cheese rind. I served with a big chuck of crusty whole wheat bread from the bread counter at whole foods.

Pea Tendrils

I had never seen pea tendrils before so I wasn’t sure how to use them. From The Cilantropist I learned that pea tendrils, also known as pea shoots, are the young leaves, stems, vines, and flowers of a pea plant.  All the parts of the plant are edible. The website also listed some recipes including sauteing them in garlic and oil and putting a fried egg on top, a suggestion from Alice Waters, one of the pioneers for local, organic produce eating. I think I’m going to try that recipe, even though I’m not suppose to eat uncooked egg during pregnancy. They also said you could use pea tendrils in stir fries or as a substitute for spinach.

For the lettuce, I chopped it up into the salad I made for dinner last night with cranberries, almonds, feta and some left over rotisserie Costco chicken. I added a home made balsamic vinaigrette.

Romanesco Broccoli

From the internet I learned the Romanesco broccoli was actually closer to a cauliflower, which made me want to steam it and mash it with avocado again. But I might steam it and add a little lemon and olive oil as a side dish instead for a change.

Haven’t decided on the cherry tomatoes or parsley yet, but everyone in the house loves a caprese salad so might use the tomatoes for that. Tomatoes are a house staple. We always keep some on hand to slice in hummus sandwiches or grilled cheese, or chopped in salads. Parsley can be added as a garnish to anything. If it sits around in my fridge I can usually add it to enough things that it won’t go to waste. Sometimes I add it to tinned tuna with olive oil, lemon and capers instead of the traditional recipe with mayo. The tuna can go on bread for a sandwich or on top of lettuce for a salad.

A few weeks ago Adam’s good friend Jamie came to visit us for dinner. He brought with him some soup from his restaurant, The Soup Box.

Adam has been friends with Jamie for a while, before I arrived on the scene. He’s one of those guys who has the winning combination of good fortune and hard work. When I first met him, he had just been voted one of Chicago’s “10 Most Eligible Bachelors”, no doubt a bit of good fortune. He also had just completed the Florida Ironman is a short 11 hours and 48 minutes. Nothing but hard work in that result.

I tried the soups back when I first arrived in Chicago and didn’t think about them again until they were sitting in front of me the other night, warm and delicious, with a hunk of crusty, chewy bread to sop them up.

They were much better than I remembered. Enough for me to have cravings for them again after our free stock pile was gone. And, as a bonus, they have started serving grilled cheese as well, which makes it a much more kid friendly establishment.

I’m not sure how much was luck and how much was hard work to make this concept a success, but whatever the combination, it is a huge success. They are now back on my radar. I like how they have gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options too. The next time you are craving soup, you gotta check this place out!

This week Romaine lettuce, cauliflower, a sweet potato, an avocado, tomatoes, an english cucumber, onions and kale arrived on my doorstep.

That night I was making a rice pilaf with dinner so used up some of the onions in that. So easy to do and so yummy. My mom taught me, it was one of her staples when we were growing up. Sauté the onions in a little olive oil, then pour in a cup of white rice. Sauté until rice is glassy looking. Add chicken broth (2 cups), cover and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, add parmesan.

Kale was made into kale chips.

Fresh Picks 29 Feb 2012

The Romaine, tomatoes, and cucumber were paired with feta to make a greek salad. Just added some dried oregano, lemon juice and olive oil.

Left over tomatoes were put into a caprese salad. They were also sliced with the left over cucumber in my hummus sandwich for lunch one day.

The sweet potato will be added to the other ones I bought this week to our dinner tonight. Simply baked then mashed with a little butter and brown sugar. The kids love them. I made Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burgers this week. So yummy. I’ll be interested to see if anyone can tell the difference in sweet potatoes, store bought vs Irv and Shelly.

Cauliflower and avocado were not so exciting. Cauliflower was steamed and eaten with a little salt and pepper. Avocado cut and salted and eaten plain. Sometimes the most delicious way is the simplest!

My Fresh Picks Delivery This Week

This week in my Fresh Picks box I received cabbage, swiss chard, a red pepper, red potatoes, onions, butter lettuce, parsley, and zucchini.

I was a bit confused to see that some of the products were from Mexico. I read the mission statement on Irv and Shelly’s website and it is to sell local, organic produce. However, the produce was all very fresh and still all organic.

My plan for this pile of food?

1. I cut up the red potatoes, zucchini, red pepper along with some carrots I had in the fridge. Tossed them with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven at 375° for about an hour. I served it with salmon fillets that I buy in bulk at costco, frozen. Takes about 15 minutes to defrost under cold water. The Salmon was dressed with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper and baked for about 30 minutes along with the veggies.

2. The cabbage was stuffed inside eggs rolls. This week at Jack’s school they had an ‘International Day’ and parents were asked to bring foods from their culture. I still have some left. Probably will end up as cole slaw as Jack loves it.

3. I plan to use the butter lettuce one night in a salad. Probably something simple like lettuce, tomato and feta in balsamic vinaigrette. Perhaps along side some left over mini hot dogs?

4. The Swiss Chard will be cooked in one of my favorite recipes from my Appetite For Reduction cookbook, the recipe is also online – Hottie Black Eyed Peas. It calls for kale or collards but I’ll just substitute. I leave out the hot sauce so the kids can eat the beans and just put it on for Adam and I later. Sooo yummy. If you get a chance, try it!

Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks arrived on Wednesday.

Unfortunately both Adam and I caught the stomach bug that Jack and Ben had. My iron stomach wasn’t so effected (I haven’t thrown up in 23 years) but every one else took their turns puking up their lunches.

Anyway, after all that I was able to focus on all the great things I received on my doorstep on Wednesday. In my ‘Fresh Picks’ box I received a butternut squash, multi-colored carrots (4), cabbage, rainbow chard, a red bell pepper, and farm fresh eggs. I also ordered a whole free range chicken and two large grass fed organic NY strip steaks.

The food was all labeled from the farms it came from. There were also recipes attached to the invoice.

It was not cheap. Well, the fresh picks box was reasonable at $18. The whole chicken was $4.25 a pound and the steaks were $18.49 a pound.

Even though some of the items were more expensive, I reminded myself that you can’t put a cost on your family’s health. Who knows the impact of exposing them to pesticides or feeding them meats that have been given antibiotics and fed genetically modified feed? And what about the environmental impact that we have by eating foods from all over the globe instead of locally grown products? It’s all part of an equation I never thought about before reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

I must say I was very excited to see all the vegetables spread out on my counter. Instead of circling the supermarket for ages hoping for a new dinner idea, here was a bunch of things I never normally buy begging me to find use for them. It was like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

Roast Chicken, Butternut Squash and Brown Rice

I quickly made a plan:

First night, roast chicken with butternut squash baked in a brown butter sauce and the left over brown rice from the night before.

Second night, the rest of the roast chicken with cole slaw (Jack’s favorite!) and a can of baked beans from the pantry.

Third night, grilled steak & grilled red pepper with garlic sauteed rainbow chard, and the whole wheat cheese tortellini package in the fridge.

The eggs can be used for breakfast in quiche, egg sandwiches or our favorite mexican breakfast – scrambled eggs with cheese, black beans, sour cream and salsa wrapped in a corn tortilla.

How fun and exciting! I can’t wait for my next order!

I’m back on my food journey. It’s a long one with no end in sight. Will I ever find a diet I can feel comfortable with? One that is healthy, nutritious, keeps me at the right weight and doesn’t cause disease?

You may remember my vegan tendencies after reading The China Study. As promised, I have now finished The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I really enjoyed reading this book. Not only because it opened my eyes to the scary way in which we now process the bulk of our meat in America, but also to make me realize that all meat is not created equal. The diet and life style of the animal can have a huge impact on the nutritional value, not to mention the environmental damage.

So, given my impressionable ways, I’m now on a quest to find local farm fresh, REAL free range eggs and chickens as well as grass fed beef. Luckily we live in Illinois, so these things are not hard to find close by.

After a bit of research, I found a bunch of farms that will sell to individuals. One thing I am finding difficult to get used to is seasonality. Also if you want to buy direct from a farm, it’s very different from a supermarket. You want chickens? Buy them anytime except for winter. Beef? You can only buy them in the fall, most places need you to pre-order and need to buy somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of a cow and find somewhere to store it for the year. Eggs are available any time, but I’m not sure I want to drive 45 minutes to get them.

My poor husband. One day he’s got to put up with my vegan cooking, the next day I’m asking if we can buy 1/4 of a cow and store it!

As most things in my life, once you start to become aware of an idea or thought it seems like the answer will come to you in a way you never anticipated. So, while I was at a play date at my friend Carrie’s the other day, telling her about the book I’d just read and my quest for grass fed, real farm raised meats and eggs, her nanny piped in about a place she uses.

It’s called Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks. They deliver to Chicago a variety of farm fresh, organic, grass fed items. I’ve placed my order for grass fed sirloin, a local free range chicken raised on organic feed with no added hormones or antibiotics, and a fresh picks box of seasonal vegetables. I’ll let you know how it works out…