Monday, May 7, 2018

Community Meal prep: May!






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Food to Recover was gifted this gorgeous bag of baby kale from Wasatch Community Gardens. So, we designed our meal prep around this nutrient-packed vegetable and let the inspiration grow!

Here's what we made, I hope you can try some of these recipes and let us know how they turn out! Happy kale-ing!



Coconut Lentil kale nourish bowl
1 can coconut milk
2 cups of red lentils
2.5 cups broth/water
3 Tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp garam masala
½ lemon, juiced

2 sweet potatoes
2 handfuls of kale
1 cup frozen corn
2 shallots
6 cloves garlic

1)    Cook the rice according to the package.
2)    Dice the shallots. Roughly trim the kale.
3)    Chop sweet potatoes in 1” cubes for roasting. Preheat oven to 400 and place sweet potaotes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 tsp garam masala and ½ tsp salt. Mix, and spread on a baking sheet. Place in oven and roast for about 20 minutes, or until soft.
Over medium heat in a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until shallots begin to be translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the red lentils and coconut milk and broth. Add the curry powder and garam masala. Add the corn. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until red lentils are soft, only about 12-15 minutes. Continue to test, do not overcook. With about 6 minutes left, add trimmed kale and let simmer until soft.
Squeeze lemon over dish at the end.
Build the bowl: Place rice down, add lentils and sweet potatoes. Top with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.



 Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with kale salad

2 lb. ground turkey 
8 halves sun dried tomatoes 
1 medium red onion, diced very small
1 Handful swiss chard, chopped very small
1/3 cup crumbled feta 
1.5 tsp dried oregano 
1.5 tsp minced garlic 
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp bread crumbs 
1 1/3 lg. eggs 
8 hamburger buns 
to taste salt and pepper 

Finely chop the swiss chard to prevent long stringy pieces. Also chop the sun dried tomatoes and the red onion.
In a bowl combine the ground turkey with the chard, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, feta, 1 tsp minced garlic, dried oregano, egg, bread crumbs, 1 tsp of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Stir everything until it is evenly combined. Shape the mixture into 12 patties. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes in the fridge.
Cook the burgers on a grill.

Make the kale salad:

4 cups kale, trimmed
2 clove garlic
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c red wine or apple cider vinegar
3 T Balsamic vinegar
4 T maple syrup
2 T lemon juice
1.5 t dry mustard
pinch red pepper flakes

Mix the dressing in a separate bowl.
Trim the kale leaves. Pour dressing over the kale and massage with hands for about 3 minutes or until the kale begins to soften.





Ground chicken patties and roasted veggies with Kale pesto

2 lbs ground chicken
2 egg
½ cup Red green pepper
1/3 cup Red onion
Jalapeno, seeded and diced small
1 tbsp Cumin, 2 tsp coriander
Salt pepper
2 tsp chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Roasted veggies:
Zucchini
Squash
Bell pepper


Massage the kale for the pesto with lemon juice and let it sit.

Chop veggies and place in bowl. Drizzle with canola oil and 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp dried basil, and 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning. Lay out on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until soft and browned.

Mix all pattie ingredients together in a large bowl. Form into 8 patties.

Place patties on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Alternatively, you could allow them to sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes and try them on the grill.

Kale Pesto
2 cups Kale- massaged with lemon juice first
½ packet Mint leaves
8 oz Yogurt
½ bunch cilantro
lemon juice to taste


Place all ingredients in a blender and blend.

To serve:
Serve up chicken pattie and roasted vegetables. Top with kale pesto.


Grilled steak salad with soy sesame dressing

2 lbs skirt steak or carne asada
1 large head of romaine
2 handfuls babay kale
3 Grated carrots
1 Cucumber, diced into cubes

Dressing/marinade:
3 tbsp chopped shallot
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon tahini
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Make the dressing/marinade. Divide it in 2 bowls, one to marinade, one to dress the salad. Allow the steak to marinade at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Grill the steak under desired doneness is reached. Rip the lettuce to bitesized pieces and trim the ends of baby kale. Grate the carrot on a cheese grater and dice the cucumber. Build the salad, top with steak, and pour remaining dressing overtop (discard of used marinade!)




Smoothie prep bags

Meal prep kale smoothie bags containing:
1 banana
3-4 strawberries
1 large handful kale

Take it home, add plain greek yogurt, 1 cup milk of your choice, some chia seeds and peanut butter (if desired) and blend and enjoy!

Food to Recover Garden Planting Party


On April 21st, FTR members polished up their green thumbs and planted a seed in the Food to Recover garden.

They imagined planting a seed for their recovery and watching it grow, as they themselves grow.

Led by member Matthew Kendall, members learned the basics of planting and where to plant. Members planted carrots, onions, cabbage, bell peppers, hot peppers, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach, kale, herbs, eggplants, tomatoes, and broccoli. 



Gardening can be a wonderful way to connect with your food, the earth, and those around you. There is something so calming about being in the dirt and being a part of the miracle of plant growth. For some, it was their first time planting, so members got to take some seeds home to try it again for themselves!


We look forward to watching the seeds grow as we continue to support each other in our recovery. There is nothing more inspiring than watching a small seedling shine its face to the sun every day to grow taller and eventually provide nourishment for others.

may we all learn from the garden, respect the garden, and enjoy the harvests of the garden in the Food to Recover kitchen!




Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Cooking with Kids: Spring Break!



This week, as a Spring Break activity, we invited the kids into the kitchen for some Easter fun and healthy recipe making!



It is such a joy to have kids in the kitchen- they are often so willing, excited, and fascinated by cooking. They give off such great energy and are so much more likely to try and eat the food if they made it themselves!


We had children of all ages, proving that you can get kids engaged in the kitchen as young as they are able to see! The visual stimulation and smells can be great even for infants.



As always, we had a focus on plants, and reviewed with children why plants are so important: they help protect us from germs, they help keep us full and able to learn, and they give us energy!


If you are interested in cooking with your kids at Fit to Recover, stay tuned for our 5-week "Cooking with Kids" course in June!


Here's what we made this time:


Muffin Tin Tacos


Makes 12 taco cups

Ingredients:
1/2-1 lb lean ground turkey, browned and drained
1 cup cooked green or brown lentils (canned is ok, too)
1 pack low-sodium taco seasoning
1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained slightly
1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or Mexican blend)
24 wonton wrappers
lettuce, tomato, salsa to top

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously coat a standard size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the skillet and add ground turkey. Cook until no longer pink.

3. Combine cooked turkey, cooked lentils, taco seasoning, and tomatoes in a bowl and stir to combine. Line each cup of prepared muffin tin with 2 wonton wrappers (overlap them with opposite corners sticking out, like a star). Fill taco cups about 3/4 full. Top with cheese.
4. Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes until cups are heated through and edges are golden. Allow to cool and top with lettuce, tomato, and salsa if desired.





Spiralized Apple Tarts
Make crust:
1cup pecans
1cup walnuts

1cup dates, pitted
1 tbsp honey
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Directions:
Grind pecans, walnuts, and dates in a food processor until well chopped and blended. Add honey and continue to process until the mix forms a ball. Be careful not to overprocess.
Cover muffin tin with plastic wrap. Press into bottom and sides of a muffin tin before adding filling. Place in the fridge to harden.

Make the Apple filling:

3 apple
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar or coconut crystals
3 tbsp butter

Instructions
Using a veggie slicer, make long noodles out of your apple.
Heat butter in a pan until bubbling and foaming.
Add apples, sautee for about 3 minutes until they start to soften.
Add sugar and cinnamon, stir well to be sure it is fully combined.
Continue to cook down for another 5 minutes, until very soft.
Place in muffin tin molds and allow to cool before enjoying.



Peanut Butter Ball Chickies

1 cup (dry) oatmeal
1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes +1/3 for rolling
1/2 cup peanut butter.
1/2 cup ground flax seeds.
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons honey or agave nectar.
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Directions: Stir all ingredients (except 1/3 for rolling coconut) together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Then, roll into 1” diameter balls. Then, roll in coconut. Add mini chocolate chips as eyes and beak. Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes and enjoy! Makes about 20-25 balls.






Easter Deviled Eggs

12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 carrot, cut into rounds
12 slices canned black olives, or as needed

Slice through the top 1/3 of each egg, ensuring some of the yolk is included in the slice. Carefully remove the egg yolk from the bottom portion of the egg using a spoon and transfer to a bowl.

Mix egg yolks, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Fill a piping bag or a plastic bag with a corner snipped with the egg yolk mixture. Pipe egg yolk mixture into the hollowed egg whites creating the 'chick', ensuring there is enough filling to add 'eyes' and a 'beak.'

Slice small wedges out of the carrot rounds creating 12 'beaks'. Add a 'beak' to each 'chick'.



Slice olive pieces into small squares to be used as 'eyes.' Add 2 'eyes' to each 'chick.' Place the egg tops onto each 'chick' to look like a chick peaking out of the egg.

Zoodle Alfredo

1 tablespoons butter
1 (8 ounce) package whipped cream cheese
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups milk
4-6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
4 zucchinis, spiralized
cracked pepper, if desired
1. Spiralize the zucchini.
2. Cook the Zoodles. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add optional 1 clove garlic. Add zoodles. Cook for about 3 minutes or until just soft. Do not over cook. Remove from pan and place in bowl.
3. In same pan, over medium heat, add the butter, cream cheese milk and melt all together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, mixing until smooth. Add in the garlic, basil, and pepper. 



Strawberry/Banana/Spinach smoothie with homemade granola

Granola:

1.5 cups organic old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 cup each almonds, walnuts and pecans
1/4 cup roasted or raw pumpkin seeds
1.5 Tbsp chia
1/4 cup raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries or combination (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tbsp coconut or canola oil

1-2 tbsps pure maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Combine oil, syrup and vanilla in a microwave safe container or on stove top and heat slightly just to thin and mix. Thoroughly coat the granola mixture with the oil/syrup/vanilla and spread on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring with a spatula once to bake evenly. Cool and store in airtight container or in freezer for longer periods.





Smoothie: (makes 4-5 servings)
2 cups strawberries or frozen berries
2 fresh banana, peeled
1 small handful spinach
1 cup milk
1 cup Ice
1 tablespoon honey, if needed to sweeten

DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients to a blender, and pulse until combined. Serve immediately.