Foodie Friends Freaky Friday Party!

Got Halloween on the brain?  I DO!  We are hosting a Halloween party today with several wonderful sponsors today.  Twelve randomly selected recipes will win a prize from one of the wonderful Etsy shops below!  Go check out each of their shops!

Songbird Greetings

You Name It Designs

Vectoria Designs

The Tape Shop

Lenore's Attic Art

Roasted Garlic Broccoli with Cherry Tomatoes and Parmesan

Broccoli is a house favorite for us.  We love having it now because the baby is old enough to eat small pieces of roasted broccoli, so that means no separate cooking for her!  :)  I love finding new ways to serve roasted broccoli since I have so many Asian style recipes.  I was trying to find a way to enjoy broccoli with an Italian dinner that didn't involve slathering the vegetable in cheese.  This recipe is a wonderful option to have when both broccoli and tomatoes are locally available.  The flavors are wonderful with the farm-fresh veggies.

Ingredients

4 C broccoli florets
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread the broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Pour olive oil on top and toss to coat evenly.  Sprinkle the minced garlic over the layer of broccoli taking care to make sure it lands on the actual florets.
3. Bake until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes depending on floret size.
4. To serve, put roasted broccoli in a bowl with the cherry tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with parmesan.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Parents magazine August 2012

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Fritters

I love making food for the whole family that the baby can also enjoy.  And who doesn't love a crispy fritter?  These are packed with sweet potato and zucchini making them a vitamin A, manganese, and potassium powerhouse.  They can be easily cut into pieces for early finger foods and are great for older toddlers to hold and bite on their own.  They also make a delicious side for adults when dipped in sour cream, greek yogurt, ketchup, or mustard!  Life is so much easier when you can make one dish that everyone can eat!

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated

1 large zucchini, coarsely grated

1 C corn flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

salt and pepper

1 egg

1/3 C whole milk

2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. After grating the zucchini and sweet potato, wrap them up in a towel and squeeze out any excess liquid.  Transfer to a medium bowl.
2. In a small bowl, combine the corn flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.  Pour into bowl with zucchini and sweet potato.  Stir until evenly coated.
3. In the same small bowl, combine the egg and milk and beat together.  Pour into bowl with vegetables and mix well.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Scoop out large tablespoonfuls of the fritter mixture and form into balls.  Press into 2" discs and place in skillet.  In batches, cook until brown and crisp, about 3 minutes.  Flip fritters and repeat on the other side.  

Adapted from Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes

Pico de Gallo

I have a confession.  Before this, I had never made my own fresh tomato salsa.  Can you believe it?  Me neither!  Oh man, I have been missing out!  It is so incredibly simple and I can't believe it has taken me so long.  Having farm fresh tomatoes, onion, and cilantro pack this with flavor.  There is absolutely no reason to ever buy pico de gallo from the store again.  Ever.  If you need some, just follow the instructions below and enjoy!

Ingredients

3 tomatoes, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (more if desired)

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 a lime, juiced

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Let chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Weekly Menu

Last week we had great fall weather and I loved every second of it!  There was even one night I actually got cold.  It was great!  This week we are warming back up to the low 90's.  It will be hotter, but I can't complain.  Getting a week of coolness was all I needed.  We had a great trip to the farm this week.  Actually, it was my most expensive run ever!  I think the giant watermelon had something to do with that.  :)  Along with that watermelon, we got a ton of red leaf lettuce, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, sweet Maui onion, tomatoes, kale, basil, and carrots.  We will be making the following meals this week:

• Red Robin-Style Chicken Tender Salad (I told you I would be making it again soon!)
• using the red leaf lettuce and tomatoes

• Mushroom Taquitos with Pico de Gallo, "Refried" Beans, and Spanish Rice
• using the tomatoes, cilantro form last week, and sweet Maui onion

• Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Farmstand Marinara and Roasted Parmesan Broccoli
• using the tomatoes, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes

• I will be making the Kaleslaw for lunch
• using the kale 

• I will be steaming the carrots for the baby

We will be enjoying the watermelon for dessert.