Foodie Friends Friday Party and Giveaway!

Welcome to another fabulous party!  We have another awesome prize for 3 randomly selected winners!  The fantastic Monica at The Lovebug Collection has generously agreed to give away 3 adorable handmade headbands!  I just love how cute her collections are and the style shown below is so perfect for fall!  Head on over to her Etsy shop to see the rest of her fabulous designs!  Good luck to everyone!  

Kale-slaw

OK.  This might sound a bit crazy, but I am obsessed with this salad!  I have been wanting to eat more fresh greens and this salad is all about the kale.  Fresh kale!  And no, it is not at all bitter!  It is simple, clean, and goes with anything.  I am already sure I will be making this for my lunches next week.

By cutting the kale into fine ribbons and drizzling a delicious dressing on top, the bitterness disappears and you get a wonderful fresh flavor.  The dressing will save nicely in the fridge - just let it return to room temperature before using.  If you keep a container of parmesan already grated, you can toss it in an instant and enjoy!  If you are at all hesitant to try kale, give this salad a chance!  I bet it will open your eyes to one of natures best super-foods!

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale leaves
1/3 C olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 Tbsp cooking sherry
1/2 tsp salt
1 C freshly grated parmesan

Directions

1. Remove the kale leaves from the stem.  Stack them together and sliver them into thin ribbons.  Place slivered kale into a large bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently for about 2 minutes.  Add the salt and sherry and stir until the sherry begins to sizzle vigorously, about 1 minute.  Let cool a few minutes.
3. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss to evenly coat.  Serve with parmesan sprinkled on top.

Adapted from Family Fun 10/2012

Homemade Hummus

Hummus is such a great food to have on hand.  It makes for a quick and easy snack when paired with fresh veggies, pita, or crackers.  It also makes a great toddler food!  I use it as a spread on small pieces of homemade bread.  Once you try making it at home, you will never buy it from the store again.  It is so simple to make and only uses 6 ingredients!  

This recipe makes a wonderful plain hummus and also works as a great base for customizing it with different flavors.  I make a batch of this for my kids and when I want a snack, I adjust the flavors and make it spicy!  :)  It is also a bit less oily than some hummus recipes to allow me to add other ingredients to change it up.  Also, oil is a very calorically dense food with little nutritional value, so I figure less is more.  The best part of making it on your own is you can add as much oil as you like!  

Ingredients

1 C dried chickpeas, cooked and rinsed (or a 15oz can)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 C tahini sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor.  Run for 20-30 seconds until smooth. 
2. Scrape the sides of the food processor and pulse for about 10 more seconds.
3. Check the flavor and texture and adjust the oil or lemon juice to your taste.

Sun-dried Tomato, Basil, and Feta Frittata

Sometimes I feel like my 1 year-old is eating me out of house and home!  It is a full-time job keeping fresh, homemade foods always available for her - she eats so much!  :)  Along with a wide variety of fresh or steamed fruits and veggies, dairy, and whole grains, I usually have a protein-packed option ready for her.  Her current favorite meal is a frittata.  Last week you saw my Tomato, Zucchini, Basil, and Goat Cheese Frittata, and today I have another delicious option.  

This meal is packed with sun-dried tomatoes, local sweet onion, and basil from our own backyard.  If only we had some backyard chickens for the eggs!  :)  Frittatas are so great for young kids (and adults) because you can really adapt them to whatever is in season and locally available.  These are always real winners with my kids and will be a staple meal in our house well beyond the finger food stage.  

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 Tbsp basil, minced
2 Tbsp whole milk
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1/3 C onion, finely chopped
1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together with the milk, basil, salt, and pepper. 
3. Heat the butter in a small oven-safe skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs.  Sprinkle the feta cheese on top.
6. Place in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the egg is set and the edges start to pull away from the pan.  
7. Allow to cool.  Flip the frittata out on to a cutting board and cut into pieces appropriate for your child's eating ability.  Can be stored in an air tight container for up to three days in the refrigerator. 

Weekly Menu

OK.  We are officially in October, so I would really like to see some fall-like temperatures.  Here in my neighborhood we are expecting to exceed 100 degrees today.  YUCK!  I am anxious to start making chili's and soups here people!  We did still make it to the farm and picked up a bounty.  This was one of the biggest hauls I have had in a while.  We picked up a surprise "last-of-the-season" yellow watermelon, red leaf lettuce, kale, green beans, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet Maui onion, Galia melon, cilantro, and orange and green bell peppers.  This week we will be making:

• Vegan Stuffed Shell Pasta with Kale-slaw
• using the kale

• House Chow Mein with Chinese-Style Green Beans and Asian Roasted Broccoli
• using the onion, green beans, and broccoli

• Southwestern Chopped Salad
• using the bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and cilantro

• Sun Dried Tomato, Basil, and Feta Frittata (for the baby)
• using the sweet Maui onion and backyard basil

• We will be enjoying the melons for dessert.