FOODS: FRESH PRODUCE - What We Eat

I decided to keep a running log of fresh organic produce that I pick up at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, Raley's/Belair, and California Certified Farmers' Markets. My plan is to post links to the recipes I use for each item. Sometimes there will be a use listed that's not a link ... such as used in a salad or eaten raw for a meal or a snack. 

Revised: January 27, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
2 white sweet potatoes: 
3 red sweet potatoes: Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
1 acorn squash: 
baby spinach: Salads
2 broccoli crowns: 
4 tomatoes:   Guacamole
2 avocados:  Guacamole
2 peppers: roasted
cherry tomatoes: Salads
1 cauliflower: Mexican Cauliflower Rice
sliced white mushrooms: Pot Roast with Carrots and Mushrooms
carrots: Pot Roast with Carrots and Mushrooms

Fruit added January 20, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
4 bananas: Pina Colada Smoothie, Fruity Power Smoothie, Tropical Energy Smoothie
1 pineapple: Pina Colada Smoothie, Tropical Energy Smoothie
2 home grown grapefruits: Breakfasts
6 home grown oranges: Breakfasts
2 large fuji apples: Breakfasts
4 small fuji apples: Fruity Power Smoothie, Breakfasts
2 peaches: breakfast, Fruity Power Smoothie

Revised January 21, 2012

 HOW THEY ARE USED:
2 white sweet potatoes: 
2 acorn squash: Acorn Squash with Pecans and Ginger
2 artichokes: Steamed Artichokes
2 red bell peppers: Roasted
4 avocados:  Fruity Power Smoothie, Tropical Energy Smoothie, Guacamole
1 crown broccoli: Roasted Broccoli,
5 tomatoes:  Mexican Cauliflower Rice, Guacamole
2 heirloom tomatoes: Salads
okra: Roasted Okra

January 20, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
2 artichokes: Steamed Artichokes
5 tomatoes: Salads,  Guacamole
white mushrooms: Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

January 14, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
3 avocados: Paleo Chocolate Pudding, Bacon Egg Avocado Tomato Sandwich
1 eggplant: Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
2 acorn squash: Acorn Squash with Pecans and Ginger
1 butternut squash: Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Lasagna
1 bag of organic spinach: Frittata, Salads
3 roma tomatoes: Bacon, Egg, Avocado and Tomato Sandwich
1 onion: Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Lasagna, Frittata
1 red bell pepper: Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Lasagna, Frittata
5 heirloom tomatoes: Frittata, Salads
1 container of golden grape tomatoes: Salads
2 crowns broccoli: Roasted Broccoli, 
1 pound of okra: Roasted Okra

RECIPE: Roasted Vegetables - Broccoli

I had an "Ah-ha" moment yesterday afternoon. I had two huge crowns of broccoli and needed to prepare at least one of them for dinner last night. I'm rather tired of steaming them and I had seen several recipes for roasting broccoli, so I decided to give it a try. I'm VERY glad I did! We'll be eating roasted broccoli a lot more often, plus I will be trying LOTS more roasted vegetables now that I know it's so simple and so yummy!!

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Let me preface this recipe by telling you about a very cool gadget I bought the other day. It's a MISTO Olive Oil Sprayer. It's a spray can that you use the lid to pump the contents so it actually sprays! All you do is fill the container 1/2 way with olive oil, pump the lid a few times, and spray! I LOVE it!

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Here's my version of Roasted Broccoli - Plain and Simple
(You'll notice there's okra and a red bell pepper in the photo, too. More on that later.)
INGREDIENTS:
1 large crown fresh broccoli
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
grated parmesan cheese (not pictured as this was an afterthought)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash broccoli, but it must be thoroughly dry before you cook it, so it's best to wash it well in advance and let it dry. Cut broccoli into large bite-sized pieces.
3. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep dish baking stone or whatever kind of dish you'd use for roasting.

 4. Place cut broccoli into pan and spray olive oil evenly on the broccoli. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Toss and repeat.

5. Bake in center of the oven for 15 minutes, then stir broccoli to expose bottom sides.
6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired. (We do!)
7. Continue roasting for another 10 minutes. Some of the broccoli will be golden brown. Most of what you see in this photo is the browned parmesan cheese.

**NOTE*** I wanted to try this with some okra, too. It worked very well! We still had some Mediterranean Eggplant Stuffing left, so I roasted a red bell pepper, too, with the intention of putting the stuffing in at the 15 minute mark. I also stuffed some large mushrooms. We preferred the mushrooms over the red peppers as the taste of the peppers over-powered the stuffing, in our opinion. Keep in mind I am not a pepper person.