What's For Dinner? Week 4

{Week of November 24-30}

Final week of CSA until next summer!

Contents:  2 acorn squash, 1 pie pumpkin, 1 unusual grayish-green squash that has a name but I can't remember what it is, 1 bunch of bibb lettuce, 2 kinds of chard, 1 bunch of bok choy, 1 small head of broccoli, 1 small onion, 2 sweet potatoes.

On the menu this week:  

1) sausage with potato, apple and onion, applesauce, green beans, bread and butter 

2) steaks on the grill with "spaghetti squash-sagna" and salads as a side

The squash-sagna was mostly my main dish, but as it consisted mostly of vegetables, I figured serving it to my family as a side along with steak would probably go over better than expecting them to eat it as a main dish.  I'm a clever planner.  ;)   Spaghetti squash is often served in such a way that it could replace actual spaghetti pasta.  This was a recipe from our CSA newsletter that I wanted to try because I don't have a large variety of ideas on how to use this type of squash.  (Recipe below.)

I also made 3) butternut squash soup for a work potluck lunch this week.  We went out for dinner one night this week and ordered pizza on another night.

Spaghetti Squash-sagna

1 large spaghetti squash, halved and baked at 400 for 1 hour or microwaved for 8-10 minutes

1/2# sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups fresh spinach or kale chopped

4 cups chunky tomato sauce (I used far less... 2-3 cups maybe and that seemed like a lot)

6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 oz Parmesan, finely grated

1) Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 9x13 pan.

2) Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat.  Once cooked through, add onions and garlic.  Add the spinach or kale and saute for just a minute or two.

3) Use a fork to scoop out the spaghetti like strands from the squash.  Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a layer of squash, using about half of the squash.

4) Top with half of the tomato sauce.  Spread the sausage mixture in a layer over the tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with half of the cheeses. 

5)  Repeat layers.

6) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes and then broil for 2-3 minutes.

What's For Dinner? Weeks 2 & 3

{Week of November 10-16}

CSA share (the season's almost over!)

Contents:  beets, plastic bag of baby greens, paper bag of potatoes, napa cabbage, kohlrabi, green onions, plastic bag of radishes, butternut squash.

 

Craig picked up some donuts when he was grocery shopping this week and the kids ate one for dessert in the evening.  Craig couldn't resist taking a picture of Sophie's chocolate covered face when she finished.  There was chocolate all over her cup and she had licked her plate clean.  LOL

This was a HUGE food week.  I used a bunch of our stockpiled veggies and cooked a LOT of meals.

Including (but probably not limited to):

1) cabbage roll casserole (which I took a gamble and put in the freezer... not sure how that will hold up frozen and then thawed)

2) leek pasta (leek, zucchini and mushroom with rotini)

3) chicken enchiladas

4) hot bean dip (for a girls night with my work peeps) - on my Pinterest board

5) cheeseburgers (per Will's request)

6) Chinese chicken salad (for my girls night with Casey)

7) roasted Brussels sprouts with pecans...

...and 8) an herbed roast with potatoes, carrots and gravy for Sunday supper (with the sprouts)

9) a new twist on plain 'ole grilled cheese:  this one has bacon, apple and Swiss with a light smear of grainy mustard... YUMMY!!  (idea from Pinterest)

10) I served my grilled cheese with my favorite tomato bisque (the rest of the fam ate regular grilled cheese)

And that finally concludes our week!

 

I'm combining this post as week 2 & 3 because I have zero prepared food pictures for this following week:

{Week of 17-23}

Our CSA loot for this week:

Contents:  sweet potatoes, sweet green onions with red onion bottoms, plastic bag of kale, large bunch of lettuce, cilantro, two plastic bags of radishes.

 

This particular week was Thanksgiving.  I made pumpkin bread with buttercream frosting and brought some steamed peas to Maumee Bay.  And then I made a sweet potato and winter squash casserole with a sweet brown sugar and nut topping for Craig's family party. 

 

Also on Saturday the 17th, we took dinner to the home of some good friends who just had a baby girl this month.  I made chicken tikka masala in the crock pot (Pinterest) and roasted some green beans in the oven.  I also steamed some broccoli and another friend, who's family was joining us, brought rolls and dessert.  It was so nice eating and visiting with them and meeting new baby Avery!

 

And then for one final meal this week, I made Weelicious sloppy joes (except I made them with beef).  We always get leftovers out of those and the kids eat them usually well.  Plus, we had enough Thanksgiving food to last us for quite awhile!

 

And that was Week 3!

What's For Dinner? November Week 1

{Week of November 3-9}

CSA share:  white radishes with greens attached, cilantro, swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, mixed greens, a leek, a head of broccoli, three sweet potatoes, two acorn squash and some green onions.

On the menu this week:

1) Scalloped potatoes and ham with pumpkin walnut biscuits and peas (on trick or treat night - Saturday).  I chose scalloped potatoes because I could put it in the oven before we left and it was fine to continue cooking for over an hour and a half.  So I just pulled it from the oven and we were ready to eat after our cold, exhausting hike through the neighborhood.  Earlier in the day, Sophie helped me brush the biscuits with cream and sprinkle them lightly with raw sugar before baking so that they were ready for dinner too.

Yum.  Comfort food. 

Also on the menu this week: 

2) Italian baked penne and

3) chili mac (both pictured in my InstaFriday post)

4) simple bean and cheese quesadillas

I love easy casserole weeks.  When prepped in advance, dinner is ready to pop in the oven when I get home from work.  Makes life soooo much easier.

What's For Dinner? October Week 5

{Week of October 27 - November 2}

CSA share for this week:

Contents:  1 pie pumpkin, 1 head of cabbage, 1 bunch of radishes, several sweet potatoes, 1 zucchini, 1 bunch of cilantro, 3 peppers and 2 onions.

On the menu this week:

1) grandma's meatballs, Giada's marinara sauce, and some CSA focaccia bread with a tossed salad

2) red beet pancakes for a kids only dinner (can't remember what Craig and I did this night, but we fed the kids separately) - Will had been asking for these pancakes ever since he saw the beets in our CSA bag awhile back 

3) cabbage roll casserole

Those meals above provided plenty of leftovers!  We ordered pizza on Wednesday night for Halloween when our sisters came over with their families for costume pictures.  And then we ate leftovers the rest of the week.

What's For Dinner? Week 4

{Week of October 20-26}

CSA share:

Contents:  2 bunches of radishes, 1 big bunch of leeks, 1 bunch of beets, 2 buttercup squash, 2 eggplant, 1 green pepper, a bunch of cilantro, some plum tomatoes and some potatoes.

This was the first week of the 6-week "extended season".  The 20-week summer season ended last week.  So we don't have a fruit share for the extended season.

Using kale from a previous week, I made dijon chicken stew with potatoes and kale (from Cooking Light - December 2007).

I served some slices of zucchini cornbread, sliced cheese and some pears on the side to round out a perfect fall meal. 

We had leftover brownies for dessert and, because the kids had been too busy playing with their cousins in the basement when we'd sung to Craig on his actual birthday, we sang to him again and the kids belted out the Happy Birthday song. 

Also on the menu this week:

1) pineapple chicken salad in pitas

2) baked sausage with apples, potatoes and onion... again :)  (LOVE it!)

3) tacos

What's For Dinner? Week 3

{Week of October 13-19}

CSA share this week:

Contents:  leeks, lettuce, kale, an enormous sweet potato, an acorn squash, a spaghetti squash, 3 potatoes, a green pepper and some grape tomatoes.

Fruit this week:  apples.

My only pictures this week are of Saturday night's dinner:

"fried" green beans with honey mustard dip,

pumpkin walnut biscuits, 

baked acorn squash and mini meat loaves 

{my favorite time of day with my family gathered around our table} 

Also on this week's menu:

1) butternut squash soup (mostly for me to eat on the weekend and pack in my lunches this week)

2) leek and zucchini pasta (recipe below)

3) chicken tikka masala

4) steak and veggie kabobs with avocado dipping sauce

5) Craig's birthday dinner on Thursday (per his request):  grandma's recipe for chili with grilled cheese and brownies for dessert

Recipe for Leek and Zucchini Pasta from our CSA newsletter:

3 cups Rotini pasta

2 medium leeks, cleaned

1 medium zucchini, julienned

2 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tsp tarragon

1/2 tsp salt

-Discard the green part of leeks and slice thinly lengthwise.

-In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the leeks, mushrooms and zucchini for 5 minutes.  Add wine and simmer for another 5 minutes  Stir in the cream, tarragon and salt.  Bring to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened.  While preparing sauce, cook the Rotini pasta according to package directions.  Using a slotted strainer, transfer cooked pasta to pan of sauce and mix until coated. 

What's For Dinner? October Weeks 1&2

{Week of September 29 - October 5}

CSA bag:

Contents:  2 big heads of lettuce, a head of cabbage, 4 sweet corn ears, a red pepper, and onion, a pint of grape tomatoes, a bag of potatoes and Concord grapes for our fruit.

On the menu this week:

1) cabbage roll casserole

2) tacos

3) big salads with chicken strips

4) BLT's

5) homemade granola 

Mmm.  The granola was soooo good.  Definitely need to do this more often.  We served it on top of yogurt, pumpkin pancakes, and ate it as cereal and just a snack.

Recipe (from The Mom 100 Cookbook, recommended by the Weelicious lady, Catherine McCord):

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 large egg whites

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp kosher or coarse salt

1/2 tsp grated orange zest

4 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking)

1 cup chopped unsalted nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews or almonds

2 cups mixed chopped dried fruit, such as apricots or prunes, and/or dried cherries, blueberries, cranberries, and raisins

-Preheat oven to 275. 

-Place the honey, syrup, egg whites, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and orange zest, if using in a large bowl and mix until well blended.  Set 1/2 cup of the honey mixture aside in a medium-size bowl.  Add the oats and nuts to the large bowl and mix with a spoon or your hands until everything is well combined and coated.

-Add the dried fruit to the reserved 1/2 cup of the honey mixture and stir to combine.  Set the dried fruit mixture aside.

-Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread the oat mixture out on the prepared baking sheet in a thin, even layer.  Bake the oat mixture for 30 minutes.

-Add the dried fruit mixture to the oat mixture and stir well with a spoon or spatula to combine.  Spread the granola out again in an even layer.  Bake the granola until the oats are golden brown and crunchy, 40-45 minutes, stirring it once more halfway through the baking time but leave some clumps!  Let the granola cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack.

{Week of October 6-12}

CSA bag: 

Contents:  more lettuce, a bunch of cilantro, beets, leeks, radishes, potatoes, tomatoes, hot peppers and a bag of apples for our fruit.  This was also our final bread week of the season.  We got a roasted red pepper and garlic focaccia, a spelt sandwich loaf, and a "snail" bread with cranberries, citrus and cinnamon. 

On the menu this week:

1) pumpkin waffles served with apples and granola for weekend breakfast

2) chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese 

3) an awesome new recipe from the Dinner: A Love Story cookbook:  baked sausage with apples, potatoes and onions... So perfectly, seasonally delicious, easy and well-received!  Served with a dollop of whole grain or Dijon mustard and a slice of spelt bread with butter.  YUMMMM!

Recipe:

-Preheat oven to 425.  Combine 3 cups whole small potatoes (I just cut regular baking potatoes into chunks) and 1 onion, chopped in large chunks, in a large baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme, salt and pepper.

-Place 4 sweet Italian pork sausages on top of vegetables.  Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until sausage is brown on top.  using tongs, flip over the sausages and bake for 10 minutes more.

-Meanwhile, chop 2 Granny Smith apples (unpeeled), and toss with a little more olive oil, salt and pepper.  Scatter the apples around the sausage, drizzle 2 tablespoons cider vinegar over the whole dish, and bake for 5 more minutes.  Serve with dollops of spicy brown or Dijon mustard.

You see?  Just rough chopping a few things into chunks on 1 cutting board, put into 1 pan and combined with oil right in the pan.  So it's low maintenance with dishes AND effort.  And we LOVED it! 

4) Aunt Jane's lasagna, served with a monochromatic bounty of side dishes:  golden delicious apples, corn and spelt bread and butter  ;)

5) sweet autumn chicken (from Family Fun)... we're eating LOTS of apples... can you tell? 

6) Mediterranean chicken skewers with feta dipping sauce... and apple slices  ;) 

Happy eating!

What's For Dinner? Week 4

Week of 22-28.

CSA bag:

Contents:  2 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1 cucumber, bunch of carrots, 2 tomatoes, bunch of parsley, a couple of jalapeno peppers, a green and red bell pepper, 2 bunches of lettuce, 4 sweet corn.

Fruit:  apples.

Sunday supper this week was at my mom and dad's in honor of both my brothers' birthdays.  Delicious dinner and dessert with the fam.  The ENTIRE fam.  It was a monumental baby step... Craig attended.  No long story to follow this time, but I'm praying for some bridge building here.

Our four favorite kiddos:

Dessert time!

Dinners this week:

1) Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew with sliced tomatoes, spelt bread and a slice of cheese on the side.

2) Tyler Florence's Mac 'N Cheese with Bacon and Cheese with Concord grapes (from our not-yet-posted CSA bag) on the side.

3) Chicken and cornmeal dumplings (not pictured)

Also this week, I made:

4) A fresh batch of salsa and

5) Some Weelicious raspberry sauce to top our pancakes and ice cream.  Delicious and so easy!  Why on earth haven't I done this sooner???