Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos

from the Simply in Season cookbook
Photos came from Blogger Cara Hall and her post: http://www.failedfeminist.com/2009/02/sweet-potato-and-black-bean-burritos.html

Yield is 5-8 Burritos (I think i tripled the recipe to get enough for our supper club.. but I also made fairly large burritos) If you make too much you could just serve it as a side dish or toss it all into a pot of chili.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 whole wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Taco sauce, if you like it




Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions for a couple minutes, then add the sweet potatoes. Put a lid on your skillet and let the potatoes cook/steam for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. About halfway through, add a little water to keep the onions from sticking to the bottom.




Once the potatoes are soft, add your black beans and spices and mix well. Spoon this mixture into tortillas, sprinkle on cheese and a bit of taco sauce and roll them up. If you like you can bake them in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes, but I usually skip that step.

Swiss Steak

I think that the next time I do this, I'll use the crock pot. There was a lot of legwork, steaming the veggies separately and all that, that I just don't think needs to be done. Yummy, though.

Swiss Steak

Ingredients
One 2 to 2.5 pound round or top round steak, about an inch thick

A couple tablespoons of flour
Salt and pepper

3 Tbsp grapeseed oil, or other high smoke point oil for browning (I used about half butter, half coconut oil)
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups puréed tomatoes (canned or fresh)
2 teaspoons each of fresh thyme, sage, marjoram, or 1/2 teaspoon each of dried

Optional: Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, or green beans (I used mushrooms, carrots, parsnips, pearl onions, and potatoes)

Method

1 Rub flour into both sides of the steak. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a wide, shallow (3 inches), covered pan to medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp of oil to coat the pan. Place the steak in the pan, and cook for approximately 10 minutes on each side, enough to brown the steak.

2 Remove the steak from the pan and set aside. Add onions and garlic to the pan and another tablespoon of oil. Cook the onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes, using a metal spatula to scrape up any steak drippings, mixing them in with the onions. Add half of the herbs to the onions. Return the steak to the pan, placing it on top of the onions. Crowd the onions around and on top of the steak. Sprinkle the rest of the herbs on top of the steak. Add the 2 cups of puréed tomatoes to the pan.

3 Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid. Use a high lid if available. A high lid will help circulate the steam and moisture from the cooking juices and keep the steak moist. Bring the steak in the tomato purée to a simmer and then lower the heat to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer (we use the warm setting on our electric range).

4 Cook for 1 1/2 hours. While the steak is cooking, you may want to slightly pre-cook vegetables that you want to serve with the steak. For example, for this dish we steamed 4 small, peeled, quartered russet potatoes and 2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2 inch segments, for 5-10 minutes. (You could use other vegetables, such as green beans, or no vegetables at all.) After 1 1/2 hours of cooking time for the steak, we uncovered the pan, turned the steak over, added the potatoes and carrots, covered the pan and cooked the steak and vegetables for another 30 minutes.

The reason that you might want to pre-cook the vegetables a bit first is that the steak is cooking at a very low heat. You'll have more control over how cooked the vegetables are if you pre-cook them a bit first.

5 The steak should be done after a total cooking time of 2 hours. To check it, you can poke it with a fork. The meat should be quite tender. To serve, remove the steak and slice it on a carving board. Alternatively, you could have started with individual steaks that were smaller. Spoon the sauce over the steak.

Serves 4-6.

Spiced Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

I loved this easy and satisfying twist of butternut squash soup. It came from nourishingdays.com.

Spiced Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 1/2 c. butternut squash puree
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 tablespoon sucanat (I used raw sugar)
  
• 3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock (I used leftover turkey stock from Thanksgiving)
  
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (I used raw whole milk, and didn't shake it to mix in the cream)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 chopped apples (about 1/4 – 1/2″ dice)

1. Heat butter over medium-high heat in a large, deep saute pan until shimmering.
2. Add onion; saute until translucent.
3. Reduce heat to low and add sucanat and garlic; continue cooking until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
4. Add squash puree, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cayenne pepper; continue to saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute longer.
5. Add stock; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for about 10 minutes.
6. Using an immersion blender, traditional blender or potato masher, puree until very smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
   
7. Return to pot; add enough half-and-half so the mixture is souplike. Add chopped apples. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed. Heat through, ladle into bowls, garnish and serve.

chicken marbella

5 lbs chicken thighs and breasts (or pheasant if the season dictates) (do not remove all skin as it will add to flavor, moisture and pan juices at end)
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

1. In a large bowl combine chicken and next ten ingredients (through bay leaves). Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Arrange chicken in a single layer in two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.
4. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow juice (rather than pink).
5. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauce boat.
**makes 10 or more servings

a real hot pocket

we used this recipe from Alton Brown to make one of our favorite one dish meals!
i used talapia, instead of red snapper
it calls for 2 tsp salt, which seemed like a lot to me. i only used 1tsp and it turned out salty enough
i omitted the oregano, because i forgot it!
instead of the halved grape tomatoes, i used canned roasted tomatoes
instead of artichoke hearts, i used kalamata olives

the cous cous around the edges tends to dry out, so i removed the fish, added a bit of hot water, tossed the cous cous, and baked it just a bit longer.

i have made the recipe and followed the directions, and found it to be great, but i think i liked this version better. it is nice to be able to switch out ingredients for what i have around, or what is in season

My version of Shelley's Better Burgers

2 two lbs of ground beef

Shred, dice, mince or whiz in the food processor:
1 large carrot
1/2 onion
1 medium sized clove of garlic
1 egg

Blend together well with raw grass-fed beef in bowl using your bare hands or a masher tool.

Make six patties and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

NOTE: Shelley's version adds ketchup and mustard and flax meal to the vegetable mix.

Chicken Pot Pie

saute 1/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup onion

then add: 1/3 cup flour , 1/4 tsp salt and pepper

stir in: 1 2/3 cups chicken broth and 3/4 cup milk

add: 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken and 2 cups cooked veggies (almost any veggie works. a great way to use up leftovers)

2 crusts: combine 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour with 1 tsp salt

then add: 1/2 cup butter and 3 TB cold water.

if soupy, give it a minute for the water to thicken things up.

pour into crusts, put 2nd crust on top and cut slits.

bake at 425 for 35 minutes.

Beef Barley Soup

This is a recipe I've never made in a single batch. I have always done one or two double batches, because it's a really simple one-pot meal. So great for families that are sick or just had a new baby, it's a standard of mine and one I'm still not sick of.

Beef Barley Soup (adapted from Cooking Light, January 2005)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
~ 2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into small pieces (larger pieces will take longer to become really soft; I prefer pretty small pieces, about 1/2 - 1 inch, but whatever you like will work)
2 teaspoons canola oil (I used a coconut oil)
2 cups chopped leek (about 4 medium; tips for cleaning here) (I switched this up in my last batch with pearl onions, and it was YUMMY)
2 cups chopped carrot
1-2 cups quartered mushrooms (any kind works great)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
~4 springs fresh thyme, leaves stripped (dried thyme also works fine)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
2 (14-ounce) cans beef or vegetable broth (I usually use my homemade vegetable stock which has a nice rich flavor) (I left this out last time and it was still perfect)
1 cup uncooked pearl barley (I used brown rice last time and that was also GREAT. I used about half to three quarters the amount called for because rice puffs up so much more than barley)

Steps
1. Coat pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Add a portion of the beef (don't crowd the pan or else it won't brown), cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining beef. Remove beef from pan.

2. Heat canola oil in soup pot/dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leek, carrot, mushrooms and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Return beef to pan. Add water and remaining ingredients, except barley. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer approximately 1 hour (the cooking time is different every time I make it). When the beef is almost ready (soft) and the broth is tasty, add barley; cook 30 minutes or until beef and barley are tender. Don't forget to remove bay leaves before serving!

Caribbean Lime Talapia (ok so it's supposed to be Halibut but I'm cheap)

This recipe comes from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. As I write this I haven't yet made the recipe with Halibut or with Talapia - I hope it works out alright and that the flaky Talapia is good... if nothing else it will be child friendly. Halibut is seen as a meatier steak-like fish so we shall see!

Prep time: 30 minutes to 1 hour for marinating, 10-15 minutes for cooking.

1 tablespoon tamari or shoyu (I used tamari)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated ginger
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tsp agae nectar or sugar
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb halibut fillet (serves four) I went with less fish to save money and have provided the quinoa salad.

To marinate the halibut, put tamari, 2 tablespoons of the oil, ginger, lime juice, agave, and garlic in a small mixing bowl; whisk together. Place fish in a shallow pan and pour marinade over the top. Allow to marinate 30 minutes to one hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 (not sure if this will be different with talapia). Heat remaining olive oil in an ovenproof skillet; cast iron is good. Remove halibut from marinade; set marinade aside. Place halibut in the pan, skin side up, and sear for one minute; turn and sear second side for one minute.

Leave fish in the skillet and place in oven. Bake until fish is almost cooked through about 7-10 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven and place on stove. Add reserved marinade and deglaze the pan, letting the liquid reduce some before serving.

Oh! And there is a video from the lovely and talented Cynthia Lair:

Quick Lemon and Garlic Quinoa Salad

This recipe comes from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. I made a triple batch for our supper club.

Salad
1 cup dry quinoa
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu (I used tamari because it's wheat-free)

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add carrots, parsley, and sunflower seeds to quinoa. Mix thoroughly. Combine dressing ingredients; pour over quinoa and toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

delish fish tacos

my family licked the plate of these delish fish tacos!
made with these flavorful potatoes.

Golash!

We all love this hearty stew from veganchef.com. It is a little work to peel the squash, but i have subbed out butternut (which is really smooth and easy to peel) and it tastes great.

2 cups onion, diced
2 t. olive oil
1 T. tomato paste
5 cups vegetable stock, divided
2 cups acorn or delicata squash, peeled, deseeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups turnips, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups carrot, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups celery (including the green tops), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 T. ground cumin
2 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 - 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
2 cups couscous
1/2 t. salt
2 T. freshly chopped dill

In a large pot, saute the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the tomato paste, stir well to coat the onions, and saute an additional minute to release its flavor. Add 2 cups vegetable stock, acorn squash, butternut, turnips, carrot, celery, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir well to combine. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage, zucchini, and chickpeas, stir well, cover, and simmer an additional 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add 3 T. chopped parsley, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, place the remaining 3 cups vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Add the couscous and salt, cover, remove from the heat, and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the remaining chopped parsley and chopped dill, and fluff lightly to incorporate. Serve individual servings in bowls and top with a sprinkle of additional ground cumin, if desired.

Serves 8-10

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

this soup's just home-cookin' at it's best! It IS our classic "sick soup" and that's how it got... fine-tuned, I guess, because we've made it quite a few times.

A four-pound(ish) whole chicken
3 quarts water
a few bay leaves
an onion
a few of the inner stalks of celery with leaves
some peppercorns

(this is loosely based on a Splendid Table recipe for stock)

Stick all of this in a giant pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for about ten minutes and then shut if off. Leave it in the pot with the lid on for an hour, and when you open it up the whole chicken should be done and silky (if not leave it with the lid on for another half an hour). Once it's cool enough to handle, de-bone the chicken and discard all the yucky bits. Break up the chicken. Strain the stock. Now you're ready to go.

Four (or so) whole carrots, sliced
Four (or so) stalks of celery, sliced
A giant onion, chopped
Four (or so) sprigs fresh thyme (I like a lot of this and would have liked to have doubled the amount in my soup from yesterday but ran out)
Sea salt
Pepper
Three cloves garlic, chopped

Saute all of this in a couple of tablespoons olive oil for about five minutes or so, until the veggies are tender but not browned. Add all the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for about ten to fifteen minutes. Then you'll drop the noodles in. After you do this and simmer them for 12-15 minutes, you'll fold in all that chicken you made stock with and sprinkle a good handful or two of chopped fresh parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Done!

The egg noodles are from a recipe from Marc's parents and they are (as you well know by now) TO DIE FOR...

3 eggs beat until fluffy, then mix in 1/3 c. milk and 1 t. salt
Add 2 cups flour (all-purpose is way yummier than whole wheat for this), use a wooden spoon and take your time. I hate this part!
Knead in 1/2 c. flour by hand (this also takes forever; Marc is super patient and amazing with any and all dough!)
Flour table or counter heavily; roll out putting a little flour on top and on rolling pin so it doesn't stick. Roll out to about 20' diameter (REALLY thin). Let sit for 10 or 15 minutes. Then we use a pizza cutter and cut the noodles thin and in half a few times (they really plump up). And there you go. Drop 'em in to boiling soup and turn down the heat to simmering. Delish!!

a simple meal

it used to be simple to think about what we were going to have for dinner. it isn't anymore. for me it is having two small children, for others it might be working long hours or crazy hours, or not being motivated.
we were inspired by some friends to start a supper club. there are many ways to do it, but here's how we do it:
four families, each one making a meal. the meal is split into containers for each family . on sundays at church, we exchange our meals.
sunday night we eagerly look at the feast we will be enjoying during the week.
bingo- four meals and the week has just begun!
our four families prefer to eat whole foods cooked from scratch, organic whenever possible. shelley prefers to eat gluten-free.
we don't want to short order cook for our children, and desire to expand their awareness of different foods and flavors.

the bewitching 4-o'clock hour is not quite so stressful - i know i have homemade chili in the fridge, and the kids can have a little more of my attention!
it is a beautiful thing to have the presence of friends at our table.

this is the place where our four families share the recipes we've made with one another and YOU!
Enjoy!