Greening Austin Daily

Recipe Review Tuesday: Swiss Chard and Mushroom Calzones

24th January, 2012 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I made these vegetarian calzones yesterday and they were the tastiest thing I’ve made in awhile.  I got the dough recipe from Epicurious here but made up the filling recipe.

Recipe Review Tuesday: Creamy Fennel and Greens Soup

17th January, 2012 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I tried out this recipe last night and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.  Sometimes blended soups can be too baby-foody, and this soup was fairly watery in consistency but it tasted really great. It was also pretty easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of oversight while it’s cooking. If you have an immersion hand blender that makes things even faster and easier.   It’s also a great recipe to use up greens (like beet or turnip greens)  that are sometimes hard to use up.  For mine I used collard greens.

I will admit though that it’s not entirely vegetarian as I used chicken stock rather than water, which I think made the soup.  Reviewers had noted they used vegetable broth rather than water and credited that substitution with giving the soup flavor, so I decided to use some home-made chicken stock I had on hand.  I think veggie stock would be just as good too though, just so long as it’s flavored well.   Also note that the original recipe calls for 6 cups of water, but I only used 4 cups of stock.  I think 6 cups of either water or stock would make it way too watery.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides. Add fennel, onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add leafy greens (but not spinach) and water (or stock) to pot and simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook, uncovered, just until wilted, about 1 minute.

Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth, then return to pot. Stir in cream and lemon juice and reheat over low heat. Season with salt.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Creamy-Fennel-and-Greens-Soup-358114

I didn’t take a picture but Epicurious had a nice one on their website, above.  It’s not super filling though, so I made some biscuits and sweet potato fries to eat with it.  Very tasty!

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Creamy-Fennel-and-Greens-Soup-358114#ixzz1jl5g8xrZ

Recipe Review Tuesday: Barley Soup with Greens, Fennel, Lemon, and Dill

10th January, 2012 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last week’s JBG veggie box  contained dill, fennel, green onions, spinach, collard greens and turnip greens, all of which could be used in this recipe from epicurious.  I changed the recipe below to fit what I had on hand, using collard and turnip greens rather than kale and chard, and leaving out the mint and regular onions (I only had green onions).  It turned out really well, was great for using up veggies that are in season now, and was pretty healthy.  Plus I used my own home-made vegetable broth for this recipe (See Carsi’s write-up for making your own veggie broth here. The broth was very easy to make, and considering it’s made using parts of veggies you would otherwise throw away/compost, it’s  a lot better than having to pay ~$3 for veggie broth at the store).

Here’s the epicurious recipe:

Bring 4 cups water, 2 cups broth, barley, and 1 scant teaspoon sea salt to boil in large pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with sea salt, and sauté until golden brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add sautéed onions and remaining 6 cups broth to pot with barley. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

Add kale and chard to soup. Simmer until greens are tender, about 15 minutes. Add spinach, green onions, dill, fennel fronds, and mint; simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Season soup with sea salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice, thinning with more broth, if desired.

Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle feta cheese over, drizzle with oil, and serve.

But wait! What’s that delicious-looking little roll in the background, bringing visions of Red Lobster to your eyes? It’s a cheddar dill biscuit, which was pretty easy to make with a food processor and made the whole meal more filling.  I had more dill to get rid of, and these biscuits helped me use up a little more.  This is also an epicurious recipe:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

• Pulse flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add Cheddar and dill and pulse until just combined. Whisk together yogurt and milk, then add to food processor and pulse until dough just comes together. Spoon 12 (1/4-cup) mounds of dough about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased large baking sheet and bake until puffed and pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

The soup was really easy to make once all the veggies are washed, and I think it’s a good recipe to make on a weekend and then eat leftovers of for the rest of the week.  Making my own biscuits was fun but a little more work than usual for me (I usually would just buy some crusty bread at the store to go with soup), so I don’t think I would get around to making these ever during the week, but for a nice meal on the weekend when you have time to relax in the kitchen, it’s a nice touch.   We also had some rutabaga pie for dessert (recipe here) to use up the rutabaga from the box, which was surprisingly delicious but unlike any pie I’ve ever had before. All in all a great vegetarian/local meal!

Recipe Review Tuesday: Quinoa, Broccoli, & Cheese Casserole

6th December, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I made this easy recipe from BigOven.com a couple of weeks ago and will make it again for sure.  Since you only need to microwave the broccoli after you cook the quinoa, and then you basically just mix everything together and bake for a short time, it’s a very fast, low effort meal.  Plus is seems pretty healthy since quinoa is supposed to be better for you than rice, and the broccoli in there is good for you.

Ingredients

Recipe Review Tuesday: Mac-and-Cheese Stuffed Acorn Squash

22nd November, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Last week my husband made these mac-and-cheese stuffed acorn squashes from brokeassgourmet for dinner, and they turned out really well.   The prep time of 30 minutes was accurate, the combo of cheese and squash was very tasty, and serving the mac-and-cheese in the acorn squash made a pretty presentation for a simple dish.   We ate ours with a salad and it was a nice comfort-food-type meal for a week night. This would also be a cute, inexpensive side dish for Thanksgiving.  Here’s the recipe from brokeassgourmet:

• 1 cup macaroni elbows
• 2 medium-sized acorn squashes, cut in half, lengthwise
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus a few extra pinches for garnish
• 4 sage leaves, chopped finely, plus more for garnish
• few dashes of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Set aside.

While pasta cooks, use a metal spoon (or a serrated spoon, if you have one) and scoop most of the flesh and seeds out of the squash halves, leaving about 1/2” in the skin (this is a little tricky and takes a bit of time, but is an important step). Discard the seeds and transfer the pieces of squash a medium pot.

Cover squash with water and cover pot with a lid. Turn heat to medium-high heat and cook, covered for 8-10 minutes or until squash is very soft. Drain and mash with the back of a fork (or puree in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender) until very smooth. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat and cook just until lightly browned. Whisk in flour to form a sticky dough. Slowly whisk in the milk to form a very creamy sauce.

Stir in the butternut squash and the cheese until completely distributed. Add the sage, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. The sauce should be very thick and creamy at this point.

Scrape the sauce into the cooked pasta and stir well to ensure all the pasta is coated. Divide between the hollowed-out squashes and top each with a few pinches of cheese and a sprinkle of bread crumbs.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are browned and bubbly.

Serve garnished with fresh sage leaves.

Serves 4.

Recipe Review Tuesday: Butternut Squash and Roasted-Garlic Bisque

1st November, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I tried out this new recipe last night for butternut squash and roasted-garlic bisque and really enjoyed it.  It was pretty easy to make with a hand blender, and it had relatively few ingredients.  I like to try and make recipes that use up a lot of things from our CSA veggie box, and don’t like to buy a lot of extra vegetables, so while I did buy some carrots from HEB for this recipe, I opted to leave the celery out since I knew we probably wouldn’t eat the leftover celery.  I followed the advice of some of the reviewers on Epicurious and roasted the squash first while I roasted the garlic, and then took it out of the oven at about 30 minutes.  This made it easier to get the squash separated from its skin and cut down on the time the coup had to simmer. I also left out the sage and I made this vegetarian friendly by using vegetable broth.  Here’s the original recipe from Epicurious:

Ingredients:

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-and-Roasted-Garlic-Bisque-104280#ixzz1cUevuOxR

Recipe Review Tuesday: Chard, Onion, and Feta Frittata

25th October, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

For this weeks vegetarian meal, I wanted to share this Epicurious recipe for chard, onion, and swiss chard frittata.  The original recipe had some sausage in it, which I left out and the flavor wasn’t lacking at all as a meatless dish.  This was extremely easy to assemble and tasted delicious.  Plus our CSA veggie box came with swiss chard and onion so I didn’t have to run out and get anything.

This was supposed to be an appetizer, but I made it our main course. An egg dish like a frittata or omelet is an especially good vegetarian meal for a busy weeknight since you can quickly whip it up, sneak in some veggies, get some protein, and usually get away with only dirtying one or two dishes.

Here’s the recipe, as modified to be vegetarian:

Ingredients:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 12-ounce bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 1/2 ounces)
• Fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add Swiss chard and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain. Finely chop chard, then place in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Set chard aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to skillet and sauté until soft,  7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add chard, then feta; stir to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Bake frittata until set in center, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer baking dish to rack and cool frittata 15 to 20 minutes. Place platter atop dish with frittata. Using oven mitts, hold baking dish and platter firmly together and invert frittata onto platter; place another platter atop frittata and invert again so that frittata is right side up; serve warm or at room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Place frittata pieces on rimmed baking sheet. Cover and chill. Rewarm in 325°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Frittata-Bites-with-Chard-Sausage-and-Feta-359351#ixzz1bpnIpPYP

Recipe Review Tuesday: Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad

11th October, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

A friend recommended I try this recipe from smitten kitchen to use up some of the butternut squashes I’ve been getting in my CSA box, and man was it good.  I tend to make too many Italian type dishes, so this was a good change.  Paired with some crusty break or a side salad, it makes a light, healthy vegetarian meal or snack. Here’s the recipe from smitten kitchen:

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing
Adapted from Orangette, who adapted it from Casa Moro

Yield: 4 servings

For salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (I skip this)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

For tahini dressing:
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.

Check out smittenkitchen.com for some step-by-step pictures and give it a try!

Recipe Review Tuesday: Okra Oatmeal Cookies

7th September, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I realize it’s not Tuesday but with the short week I didn’t get to post this recipe I’ve been meaning to put up.  I found this recipe at the cupcakeproject.com.  Needing to find a way to get rid of all the okra we get each week in our CSA box, I decided to give it a try.

If they look unappetizing in the picture, it’s because they are in real life.  Not to say they weren’t good – it’s hard to make a cookie turn out really badly unless you under- or over-cook them, and of the 5 people I’ve fed them to, only 1 looked dismayed as she bit into it (I think she had preconceived notions about okra in pastry form), but if you read the recipe, the chef describes these cookies as “less a dessert than a snack” and I think that’s true. They aren’t super sweet or decadent, and  you feel a little healthy eating them. Mine came out with a plastic-y sheen to them, but they served their purpose extremely well, using up a vegetable I otherwise would have had to eat raw in my lunch everyday (the only other way I’ve been able to enjoy okra, which gets old fast).  In the picture above, I experimented with adding cocoa powder and chocolate chips, but they turned out better using the original recipe, which is as follows:

Yield: 12 large cookies

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground fennel
• 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1arge egg
• 1 cup oats, old fashioned or quick (not instant)
• 3/4 cup pulverized raw okra (okra that’s been chopped and food processed so it looks like chunky guacamole – I pulverized part of a defrosted bag of frozen okra)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and fennel. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars until creamy.
4. Beat in vanilla and egg.
5. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
6. Fold in the oats and okra.
7. Scoop approximately 1/4 cup balls of batter onto a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Place 6 balls to a sheet and bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 18 minutes.

Thank you cupcakeproject for solving my okra problem!

Recipe Review Tuesday: Basil and Goat Cheese Filled Eggplant Rolls

30th August, 2011 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

I was surprised how easy this recipe was considering it sounds very fancy, but it was a fast and easy meal, the hardest part was thinly slicing the eggplants with my dull/cheap all purpose knife.  Broiling the eggplants was quick, throwing together some basil and cheese in a bowl made a simple filling, and making the rolls was a 10 minute process – broiling the slices first made the eggplant very easy to work with and they stayed rolled up once assembled.  I used a 16 oz can of tomato sauce rather than fresh tomatoes, and didn’t therefore have to mess with the forcing “the mixture through the fine disk of a food mill” step.

Here it is:
For the tomato sauce

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 pounds tomatoes, chopped coarse
• a pinch of sugar

For the eggplant rolls

• a 1-pound eggplant
• 1 cup grated mozzarella (about 1/4 pound)
• 3 1/2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) mild, soft goat cheese such as Montrachet, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Make the tomato sauce:
In a heavy skillet cook the onion in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes, stir in the garlic, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the tomatoes, the sugar, and salt to taste and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, for 20 minutes. Force the mixture through the fine disk of a food mill set over a saucepan and cook the sauce over moderately high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is thickened to the desired consistency.

Make the eggplant rolls:
With a hand-held slicing device or large sharp knife cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle the slices on both sides with salt and let them drain in a colander for 30 minutes. In a bowl stir together the mozzarella, the goat cheese, and the shredded basil. Pat the eggplant dry, arrange one layer of it on the oiled rack of a broiler pan, and brush it with some of the oil. Broil the eggplant under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is golden. Turn the eggplant, brush it with some of the remaining oil, and broil it for 3 to 4 minutes more, or until it is golden. Transfer the eggplant to a large platter to cool and broil the remaining eggplant, brushing it with the remaining oil, in the same manner. Spread a mounded teaspoon of the cheese mixture lengthwise down the middle of each eggplant slice, leaving a 1-inch border at the wide end, and, beginning at the narrow end, roll up the eggplant jelly-roll fashion. Arrange the rolls, seam sides down, in an oiled flameproof shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer and broil them for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is just melted and bubbling.

Transfer the eggplant rolls with a spatula to serving plates, spoon the tomato sauce over them, and garnish the rolls with the basil leaves. Makes about 12 rolls.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-Rolls-Filled-with-Basil-and-Cheese-12755#ixzz1WYHXjt4U

Recipe Review: Butternut Squash and Hazelnut Lasagne

2nd August, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I tried this vegetarian recipe from Epicurious out a few weeks ago and it turned out really well. It was a nice variation on a traditional lasagna -the sweetness of the squash was unexpected and delicious.  And it made enough for several meals!

Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients for squash filling

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup hazelnuts (4 oz), toasted , loose skins rubbed off with a kitchen towel, and coarsely chopped

Ingredients for sauce

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 cups milk
• 1 bay leaf (not California)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Ingredients for assembling lasagne

• 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (2 cups)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz)
• 12 (7- by 3 1/2-inch) sheets no-boil lasagne (1/2 lb)

Make filling:
Cook onion in butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add squash, garlic, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley, sage, and nuts. Cool filling.

Make sauce while squash cooks:
Cook garlic in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in salt and white pepper and remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. (Cover surface of sauce with wax paper if not using immediately.)

Assemble lasagne:
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Toss cheeses together. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a buttered 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish (or other shallow 3-quart baking dish) and cover with 3 pasta sheets, leaving spaces between sheets. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times, beginning with pasta sheets and ending with cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake lasagne in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let lasagne stand 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-and-Hazelnut-Lasagne-105911#ixzz1TueidxA8

Recipe Review Tuesday: Ratatouille

28th June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

This was the first time I had eaten ratatouille, and I thought it turned out well enough that I would make it again. This recipe from epicurious was highly rated by reviewers and used up a lot of the vegetable from our CSA box, so that’s why I chose it.  It was pretty easy to make, I just had to cut up a lot of vegetables, but was able to work on other things while the veggies cooked. It’s an extremely healthy vegetarian meal, and the spices make the whole kitchen smell nice while it cooked.  I served it with some buttered bread and a nice glass of malbec. Delicious! Here it is:

Ingredients and directions

• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• a 3/4-pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 small zucchini, scrubbed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into thin slices
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3/4 pound small ripe tomatoes, chopped coarse (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves

In a large skillet cook the onion and the garlic in 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and heat it over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the eggplant and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the eggplant is softened. Stir in the zucchini and the bell pepper and cook the mixture over the moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook the mixture, stirring occassionaly, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the oregano, the thyme, the coriander, the fennel seeds, the salt, and pepper to taste and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the basil and combine the mixture well. The ratatouille may be made 1 day in advance, kept covered and chilled, and reheated before serving.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ratatouille-12164#ixzz1QabUFZa8

re-nest Green Cleaning Tip: Make Your Own All Natural Wood Polish

23rd June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment

Earlier this week I posted a link to 25 green cleaning recipes from re-nest’s website.   Anyone who has been to my house knows I like to keep it pretty tidy, and I won’t use green products unless they really work.  So far I’ve switched to some green products: I use all natural surface cleaners (7th Generation is my first choice- the smell of it reminds me of saxophone reeds, which is a weird smell but makes me happy because it reminds me of 6th grade band), Mrs. Meyer’s toilet bowl cleaner in lavender,  Kirkland brand (Costco) environmentally friendly liquid detergent, and Bona hardwood floor cleaner.  In addition to a vacuum and a Shark steam floor cleaner, those are pretty much the only cleaning products I use aside from Pledge, fabric softener sheets, the occasional bleach-based bathroom cleaner for the shower, and regular dish detergent (haven’t found a green one yet that works well).   So I”m excited to explore some of the ideas on the re-nest website and see if I can replace some of those latter products with something greener (and maybe even less expensive).

Anywho, I know Pledge  is probably full of chemicals but it smells so nice and toxic-y at the same time.  So when I saw the re-nest post, the first thing I wanted to try was the DIY wood polish, which I tried today. It’s very simply, just lemon juice, olive oil, and water.  You can find the recipe here.  I quickly made up a batch and had enough to use it on our coffee table and dining room table.

I thought it seemed to work pretty well. The olive oil definitely made the wood look nice and polished, and like Pledge, it stayed shiny looking for quite some time after I had cleaned it. Did my living room smell a little like salad dressing afterward though? Yes.  It surely did.  Plus whatever you make in a batch is supposed to be used up that same day, so you can’t make a large quantity ahead of time and use it up over several weeks. So I think it is something I will try from time to time when I happen to have an extra half lemon to use up, but I probably will also look for some other commercial wood cleaner that’s greener than Pledge as well.

But look how shiny!

25 Green Cleaning Recipes from re-nest

21st June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments

I just saw this post from a few months ago on re-nest.  It’s a list of 25 green cleaning recipes that you can use to clean your home.  Some I probably won’t be trying, such as cleaning my wool rugs using snow, but I’m going to try to test out a new recipe each week and then post on here whether it worked for me, starting with the “make your own wood polish one” - so look for that in the next couple of days, and check out the recipes yourself here!

Recipe Review Tuesday: Chocolate Chip Squash Bread

21st June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment

This week I had some extra squash from my CSA box that I needed to use up, and my husband had just pointed me to this great foodie blog all about using up CSA veggies/fruits, and they happened to have this delicious looking recipe for chocolate chip squash bread.  The blog is “Fast Farm to Table: Cooking with CSA” and it has a lot of  wonderful recipes.  I know I usually like to post a vegetarian main meal dish on here on Tuesdays, but I didn’t make anything new last week that really stood out as a main meal, but this bread was fantastic.  I followed the recipe carefully, except I used probably 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips.  Plus, even though I thought I was well stocked on white sugar, turns out I only had 1/2 cup left and no more in the pantry, so rather than using 2 cups of white sugar, I used 1/2 cup white sugar with 1.5 cup light brown sugar.  The results were amazing – one of my new favorite recipes!  I didn’t take a picture, but head on over to their website to check out a picture here.

Here’s the ingredients and directions from the blog:

6 T cocoa powder

2 T vegetable oil

2 c sugar

1 c vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 c grated summer squash, unpeeled, and I like to grate it coarsely so the color and texture stays evident

1 t vanilla

2 c flour

1 t soda

1 t salt

1 t cinnamon

3/4 c chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa and 2 T vegetable oil to make a paste.  Stir in sugar and 1 c vegetable oil until combined.  Add eggs one at a time, blending after each addition.  Stir in vanilla and squash.  Sift in all the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Divide into two greased 9×5 loaf pans, or whatever pans you desire.  Bake at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean – about 45 minutes for loaf pans.  This bread freezes very well wrapped in plastic.

Realizing I can use up my CSA contents by making baked goods may have been a not so healthy discovery, but it was a delish discovery!  I will certainly be checking out  this blog a lot!

Update: I made this again this weekend and here’s a pic!

Recipe Tuesday: Mint Pesto

14th June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I had a LOT of mint to use up last week from our CSA box, and didn’t know what to do with it all until I found this mint pesto recipe from Epicurious. It was an easy non-dessert way to get rid of it all, and even though it sounded really odd (mint with  jalapeño?) it was rated really highly so I tried it out and loved it. When I’m trying to get rid of mint it will be my go-to recipe and was great on pasta for a vegetarian meal, although can also be served on fish or chicken.

Here are the ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons (packed) feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons (packed) Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeño chile
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups (packed) fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Recipe Review Tuesday: Eggplant Parmesan

7th June, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I made this on Saturday, all with fresh local ingredients, and it turned out so great – I am going to make it again this week. Laying the sliced eggplant on a towel and putting a little salt on them really drew out the bitterness.  I changed this epicurious recipe a little – I didn’t have any panko so I just used flour, and I only needed 2 eggs.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
• 3 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 5 lb plum tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs
• 3 1/2 cups panko * (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 2 ozfinely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
• 1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced

Directions:

Recipe Review Tuesday: Eggplant with Tomato-Mint Sauce and Goat Cheese

31st May, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I don’t have a picture of this tasty recipe, but trust me, it was good and my family finished it all in one sitting.  Here’s a picture of the beautiful Johnson’s Backyard Garden box contents though that caused me to look for a recipe that would use up eggplant and mint:

I actually got quite a few more tomatoes than shown in the pictures, and for this recipe I used those up rather than using canned tomatoes.  I also will double the mint the next time I make this, and watch the eggplant carefully so they don’t get burned.

Here’s the delish vegetarian recipe, from epicurious:

Ingredients:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 1-pound eggplants, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-thick crosswise rounds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28-ounce can Italian-style tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
• 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Recipe Review Tuesday: Pirozhki (Russian Potato-and-Cabbage Turnovers)

3rd May, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

These light and flaky little potato and cabbage turnovers came out really well and if I ever again find myself needing to use up some cabbage, this will be my go-to recipe.  I’ll try to remember to add a picture soon, but trust me, they were cute and tasty and made a filling vegetarian meal.  This recipe is also from my epicurious iphone app and the reviews on epicurious were really glowing:

These are well worth the time spent! They come out flaky and buttery and the filling is rich tasting without being too heavy. My Russian husband and his familiy were very impressed when I made these! My only tip would be to lightly brush a stick of butter across the top of each one just as they come out of the oven.

and

It looked so plain on paper and we only chose it because we had all of the ingredients on hand. But these little pirozhki were just outstanding when they came, golden brown out of the oven. We added about 1/2 pound of organic, grass fed local ground beef, browned – to the filling. The caraway flavor mixed with the dill and salt was sublime. Dough was excellent too. Spectacular recipe!

Here’s how you make them:

Ingredients:

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon cold water if necessary

• 3/4 pound russet (baking) potatoes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons water if necessary
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill