Back to life, and away from a munchkiny favorite reader who is going to be very upset when he realizes what ‘leaving on an airplane and won’t be back for awhile’ means.
October 11, 2014
Starbucks
Harissa Roasted Squash + Kale Salad
Delicata squash is my new favorite thing. I’d forgotten how it basically tastes like fall candy. Y-tothe-U-tothe-M. This easy to slap together salad + squash combo makes a decadent dinner dish when paired with a quick pan seared duck breast. If your squash makes it that long – I had trouble getting the amount I did to the table and away from grazing hands.
As written, this recipe isn’t wholly paleo – if you want a paleo-friendly version, swap the olive oil you bake with out for coconut and omit the miso (or sub a little coconut aminos).
Harissa Roasted Squash + Kale Salad
For the Squash
1 delicata squash
1 Tbsp. harissa (my favorite brand is Mina)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 bunch baby fennel
For the Salad
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp. harissa
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Ras el hanout (optional but tasty)
Kosher salt
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Slice the ends off your squash and push the seeds out with a spoon. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Clean and trim your fennel.
Toss the squash and fennel with 1 Tbsp. harissa and 1 Tbsp. olive oil and arrange in a single layer on your prepared sheet – making sure not to crowd, working the fennel around the squash.
Bake 20 minutes, flip, and bake another 20 minutes or until browned and nutty on both sides.
While the squash is doing it’s thing, make the salad.
Wash and cut your kale into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, whisk the miso, harissa, olive oil & lemon juice.
Massage the dressing into the kale and sprinkle with salt and ras el hanout. Continue tossing and massaging and adding salt & spices until all your leaves are glistening and your spice/salt level is where you want it.
Serve.
Makes enough salad for 3-4 and enough squash for the same (if you don’t eat it all before it hits the table).
October 9, 2014
Bye, NYC
October 8, 2014
Yes they can
What Do Do With A Box Of Vegetables: Paisley Farms Box 18
This year’s CSA is from Paisley Farm, a 25-acre operation located in Tivoli, NY. Paisley Farm grows organically and plants with the chef in mind. The 22-week CSA runs from June – October and I purchased the standard vegetable share. This share includes 8-9 vegetables and herbs per week (8-12 pounds) – enough to provide a family of three with 3-4 dinners’ worth of veg. The price equals out to $25 per week, the cost of which will be accounted for in my weekly Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking posts.
Paisley Farm 2014 CSA Box 18
2 eggplants
1 butternut squash
2 heads romaine lettuce
1 bunch baby fennel
3 bell peppers
1 bunch kale
1 small head cauliflower
Leftover From Previous Weeks
Roasted Eggplant
Frozen peppers
1 head curly kale
6 Japanese eggplant
1 pepper
1 bunch trevisio
Most of a head of Napa cabbage
1 head cauliflower
2 delicata squash
How I Used My Share
I made a mash out of the cauliflower, which I served simply with pulled pork.
I had pulled pork tacos in Napa cabbage wraps with an apple & bell pepper slaw for lunch.
On two separate days, I had bunches of Napa cabbage sauteed with some butter and caraway seed & topped with pulled pork and a fried egg for lunch.
I roasted half the delicata squash with baby fennel, harissa and olive oil and served that with a kale salad and duck breast for a decadent dinner.
I made a green cauli rice with bell pepper and cilantro for dinner and served with crispy chicken thighs.
And I had the other delicata squash for lunch – broiled with a little orange/miso/maple/sesame concoction. Delicata squash FTW
Waste: If I find that head of curly kale again, I’m tossing it – it’s a month old; it has to be dead, right? The trevisio is pretty much dead as well, and I know I’m not going to use the lettuce, so that should go too. And the jar of roasted eggplant – sadly, it has to go as well — mold is no bueno.
My Favorite Dish From This Box
I’m not saying pulled pork in cabbage wraps, though I do love that dish. I’m going for the delicata squash as my favorite for the week. I forgot how much I love the nuttiness and sweetness this squash brings to the dinner party. And the hubbs liked it, too, so score!
Next Week
Going into next week, I have: A bunch of frozen bell peppers, 3 fresh peppers, and 10 eggplant.
October 7, 2014
Post dachshund-interrupted enhanced yoga selfie. This was the cuddle part of our practice – aka the second best part (right after downward dog belly rubs & raspberries).
This dog is so damn cute I can hardly stand it.
Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of October 6 – 10
A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning.
A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it.
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My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are going strong, so I will be doing things a little differently with the vegetable portion of my meal planning for the next few months (until October). My share averages out to $25 a week, which will come off the top of my budget allotment and will comprise the bulk of my non-smoothie-related vegetable purchases. If you’re curious to see how I use my CSA veggies up, check out my What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables posts.
Menu for Last Week (Week of September 29 – October 3)
The Plan vs. Reality
This week’s meal planning was decent, though I had to completely rethink one dinner when the grocery was out of ingredients I needed.
Monday
- The Plan – Cauliflower mash with steaks
- Reality – We ended up eating out
Tuesday
- The Plan – Chicken salad with aioli, apples, cucumber and dill + trevisio
- Reality – The cucumbers I had planned on using had gone over to the dark side, the trevisio wasn’t quite what I thought it was (I was thinking radicchio), and I didn’t end up buying enough apples for this dish + smoothies – so, burgers with sweet potato fries made a great substitute.
Wednesday
- The Plan – Pulled pork tacos in Napa cabbage leaves
- Reality – Yum! With an added apple/pepper slaw – And I ended up eating this for 3 meals in a row
Thursday
- The Plan – Squash “cheese” sauce? A mash? ???
- Reality – I opted for pulled pork over a simple cauliflower & chipotle mash – which was delicious.
Friday
- The Plan – Try to revisit the mussels plan
- Reality – Yay, we made it! And they were magnificent.
Lunches
- The Plan – Leftovers.
- Reality – I did a bunch of leftovers, plus ended up creating a few things – most notably, a Napa cabbage bowl topped with pulled pork and a fried egg. I also had to get creative in the early part of the week with protein, since I planned poorly and didn’t have anything planned for Monday & Tuesday’s lunch. Monday I did an avocado egg salad; Tuesday I served eggs over sauteed eggplant with balsamic vinegar. Both were delicious.
Extras
- The Plan – Nothing planned but almond milk.
- Reality – Almond milk is my new favorite jam.
This Week: October 6 – 11
I have leftover CSA veggies this week and $75 to spend on groceries. This is also a short cooking week – I’ll be out of town Thursday – Sunday recharging my paleo batteries.
This Week’s Proposed Menu
- Monday: Delicata squash & fennel salad with harissa & kale + duck breast
- Tuesday: Cauli rice with peppers (green rice style) + chicken
- Wednesday: Tomato sauce with eggplant & ground beef over squash mash
- Thursday: No plans, though the hubbs may do burgers
- Friday: No plans, though the hubbs is planning on eating something carby in preparation for the half marathon he’ll be running this weekend
- Lunch: Leftovers.
- Extras: None.
Shopping List & Cost Breakout
Grocery Store Key: WF = Whole Foods, TJ = Trader Joe’s
Shopping List
Lemon ($0.49 @ TJs)
Cilantro ($1.79 @ TJs)
Tomato paste ($0.89 @ TJs)
Canned tomatoes ($1.69 @ TJs)
Bacon ($4.99 @ TJs)
Smoothie supplies
2 bags kale ($4.58 @ TJs)
1 bag spinach ($1.99 @ TJs)
6 apples ($4.14 @ TJs)
Limes (1 lb bag – $1.99 @ TJs)
2 avocados ($2.78 @ TJs)
Ginger ($1.39 @ TJs)
Coconut water ($3.69 @ TJs)
Orange juice ($3.29 @ TJs)
Extras: Old Amsterdam Gouda ($7.47 @ TJs) and Pita Crackers ($2.69 @ TJs) for the hubbs.
Total TJs: $43.86
Total For The Week: $73.94; $32.14 under budget. *happy dance* I’d say this makes up for the slight overages and close calls as of late.
Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, CSA veggies, chicken, duck breast, ground beef.
October 6, 2014
Egg rise.
October 5, 2014
Last mud run of the season: a very chilly Merrill Down N Dirty at Pelham Bay Park, the Bronx.
Gastography 