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FarmBox Fresh: 3/27/2013

29 Mar

I know I haven’t done this in a while, even though I still get a Farm Box weekly.  But, this week, I was very excited about my box, so I just wanted to share!

Sunizona Family Farms FarmBox 3/27/2013

 

This week, I did a Custom box and picked:

– Spouted Spelt bread: our favorite sandwich bread, very light and very tasty
– Seedless hothouse cucumber: making refrigerator pickles
– Green beans: My 4-year-old and 6-year-old LOVE green beans and can’t get seem enough of them right now!
– Beets: Making pickled beets and using the water from boiling them to color Easter eggs, hoping it works!
– Radishes: Kids and husband love them!
– Green leaf lettuce: Great for salads for me for lunch

And last, but not least, the item I was most excited about…

PEAS!

Sunizona Family Farms peas

 

We love peas, but they are usually so expensive or hard to find at the store, and they never seem to make it into the Bountiful Baskets rotation.  So, I was very excited to see them available through Sunizona.  And, they are delicious!  We will probably eat these raw.

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Mini Chicken Pot Pies

21 Mar

Once I saw a picture of these, I knew it was something I wanted to try.  What’s funny is that 2 different friends on Facebook posted pictures with recipes that were similar, yet different.  So, I picked this version to try first, and may try another version in the near future.  I did modify from the original a bit.  It called for a can of condensed cream of chicken soup, which I am not a fan of, so I substituted butter, flour, milk, and chicken broth.  I also used 1 larger can of Grands biscuits, the can with 8 biscuits.  I took about 1/3 out of each biscuit, and put 2 of the thirds together to make another biscuit, getting 12 biscuits in all.  The whole family liked them!

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes
Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Based on recipe here

What you need:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 cup frozen mixed veggies (I used a mix of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of 8 Grands biscuits

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook until no longer pink inside and a little browned on the outside.  Remove from skillet to a plate.

In the same skillet, melt the butter.  Stir in the flour, stirring continuously.  Whisk in milk and chicken broth.  Let it cook for a few minutes to thicken.  Next, stir in the poultry seasoning, chicken, and mixed veggies.  Remove from heat.

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.  Remove about 1/3 from each of the 8 biscuits and use the pieces to form 4 more biscuits, giving you 12 all together.  Spread each biscuit into each muffin cup.  Spoon the chicken mixture into each  biscuit.  Top each with shredded cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

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Zaycon Foods Breakfast Sausage

21 Mar

Zaycon Foods recently had another pork event, once again bringing their delicious ham, which of course I ordered.  But, this time, there was breakfast sausage instead of bacon.  I’m just about out of bacon, but decided that we east breakfast sausage quite a bit as well, and it’s also something I can use in other dishes as well.

The unit was 20 pounds, and came in 2 10 pound boxes, and came already frozen.  My only complaint in the packaging was that the bag inside the box was not sealed, and I couldn’t repackage right away, so some got freezer burn.  Each sausage link is 1 ounce, and in a casing.  You can find more information on the sausages here.  Also, here is a picture of the label on the side of the box.

Label on Zaycon Foods Breakfast Sausage

So, I counted out 16 sausages to put in bags to vacuum seal.  I found that the pre-cut quart size FoodSaver bags were perfect for this.

Vacuum sealed breakfast sausage links

We have had this sausage a couple of times now.  I used my electric griddle to cook it along with pancakes for breakfast.  It turned out really well, was easy to cook and tastes good too!

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Sausage and Chayote Stew

2 Mar

In last week’s Bountiful Baskets Mexican themed veggie pack, there was a chayote:

Chayote

 

I had gotten these before in another Mexican themed pack a while back, but this pack only had one.  However, there was zucchini as well, and since chayote is also a member of the gourd family, they both go well in this stew.  Normally, I would put tomatoes in as well, but my husband requested no tomatoes, so I left them out.  This is also similar to the Sausage, Zucchini, and Tomatoes over Rice, but adds a few more ingredients.  I would also suggest serving this over Cilantro Lime Rice, which I didn’t get a chance to make because we had to get to a meeting this week.

Sausage & Chayote Stew

 

 

Sausage and Chayote Stew

What you need:

1 pound Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 chayote squashes, seeded and chopped (I used 1 chayote and 1 zucchini)
3 green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
3-4 tomatoes, cores and seeds removed, diced (about 2 cups diced tomatoes)
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Place a large pot over medium-high heat.  Remove casings from sausage, crumble, and cook in the skillet until browned.  Add the onion and garlic to the skillet.  Cook and stir until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chayote squash and green chiles.  Cook and stir until the squash begins to soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, and corn.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until completely heated through, about 10 minutes more.  Remove from heat and serve over rice.

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Variations on Potato Leek Soup

2 Mar

After ending up with plenty of leeks and gold potatoes after Bountiful Baskets last week, we’ve been enjoying plenty of Potato Leek Soup.  However, my husband complains about the lack of meat.  So, I tried a couple different variations this week, and they were great!

Potato Leek Soup with Sausage:  While soup is cooking, crumble and brown 1 pound of Italian sausage.  Drain excess fat.  Stir into finished soup.

Potato Leek Soup with Sausage

 

Potato Leek Soup with Ham: After soup has finished cooking, add in 2 cups of fully cooked ham (such as Zaycon Foods ham)

Potato Leek Soup with Ham

 

I will update the original post for Potato Leek Soup with these variations as well!

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Grass Fed Beef from Starbar Ranch

21 Feb

Back at the end of November, I heard about a ranch in the area, Starbar Farm & Ranch, that was gauging interest in grass-fed beef.  I have had grass-fed beef before from another local ranch that sells at the farmer’s market, and have been interested since then in getting more.  So, I was very interested, and also got the opportunity to visit the ranch.

First, Starlene and Barbara are both very welcoming and were happy to show us around the ranch.  Next, we got to learn about their feeding system.  For feed, they grow their own alfalfa hay for feed, using no weed killer or pesticide.  Once this alfalfa is cut down, the cattle graze in the field.  Then, they also use a fodder system to grow feed.  The fodder system was really interesting.  They are large trailers with doors on both ends, and each one is temperature regulated and self-watering.  Trays of barley seed are started on one end, then each day a tray is added, pushing the other trays down through the system.  The barley sprouts hydroponically, and goes from the seed to being feed in 6 days.  The barley mats, referred to as biscuits, are able to be fully consumed by the cattle.  You can see a picture of the system and of the biscuits on their Facebook page.

Then, we walked around to see some of the cattle.  Their property is beautiful.  Open views to mountain ranges, and just lots of open country.  The cattle all looked really good and well-cared for, and they don’t receive hormones or antibiotics.  They have red angus, black angus, hereford and belted Galloways at their ranch, and their goal is to get a very lean beef.  Here is a picture of a belted Galloway calf, only 3 weeks old in this picture:

Belted Galloway calf at Starbar Ranch

 

So, after the visit, I had to wait patiently until now to get some of the beef.  I chose to get 2 packages of top sirloin steaks (2 to a package), 5 1-pound packages of ground beef, a flank steak, a 3 pound chuck roast, and 4 packages of rib eye steaks (2 to a package).

My grass fed beef order from Starbar Ranch

 

This came to $152.19.  To see their list of prices, you can visit their website here.  Hopefully, the weather will stay warm here for a little bit so I can grill the steaks.  The chuck roast and flank steak I’m planning to make the sauce I use for barbacoa to make barbacoa again with the roast, and to marinade the flank steak and grill it.  I’ll try to give an update after we have it!

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Refried Beans

19 Feb

Last summer, I posted about getting pinto beans at a local bean company, Bonita Bean.  I had used some previously to make refried beans for a potluck, but never got around to sharing how I made them.  These beans are pretty good that they mostly just need to be cooked and mashed, with a little bit of seasoning, if you like.  We thought that was a little bland, so I made them this time with some additions, and it came out better for us.

Refried Beans

 

Refried Beans

What you need:

1 cup dry pinto beans
1/4 cup lard or olive oil (I used olive oil)
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano

How to make it:

First, cook the beans one of 1 ways:

Stove top:
Rinse beans and put in a heavy pot.  Add enough water to cover beans with 1-2 inches of water.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Beans are done when they are soft and skins have begun to break.

Slow cooker:
Rinse beans and add to slow cooker.  Add 3 cups water.  Cook on high for 8 hours until beans are soft and skins have begun to break.

Strain beans from the cooking water.

In a large skillet, heat lard or olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and cook until soft and translucent.  Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Continue cooking and stirring about a minute, until fragrant.  Add in the cooked beans and 1/4 cup fresh water.  Mash with a potato masher or back of a heavy spoon until a rough paste is formed.  Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to keep beans from drying out.

 

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Gyros Meatloaf with Tzatziki

15 Feb

Unfortunately, the Greek restaurant we had here in town closed down, and even though there are a few places that serve gyros still, I decided to keep working on my own version at home.  I have made Gyros Burgers before, but wanted to try it as more of a meatloaf than burgers so it could be sliced and put in pita pockets.  Now, the downside to meatloaf is that it takes a while to cook without getting too dry.  So, now, when I have time I can do meatloaf, if I’m pressed for time, I can do burgers.  I also made tzatziki for the first time tonight to go with this.  It was perfect!  My husband is usually not a fan when we get gyros when eating out.  He says it’s too messy, but this was thicker, more dip-like, so it wasn’t dripping all over when eating it.  Tonight, I served it with Sweet Potato Chips, which were a nice compliment to the gyros.

Gyros Meatloaf with Tzatziki and Sweet Potato Chips

Gyros Meatloaf with Tzatziki

What you need:

Gyros Meatloaf:
1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground lamb or 2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash of ground cumin

Tzatziki (original recipe with more step by step pictures at Daily Cynema:
24 oz container plain Greek yogurt
1 seedless cucumber, peeled
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste

How to make it:

Put the onion in a food processor for a few seconds.  Remove into paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid.  Place onions in a mixing bowl, and stir in remaining meatloaf ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 F

Put the meat mixture back into the food processor and process for about a minute or until mixture becomes like a fine paste.  Press meat mixture into a 9 x 5 loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets.  Place loaf pan in a larger roasting pan, and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until there is enough to reach the middle of the side of the loaf pan, creating a water bath for baking.

Water Bath for Gyros Meatloaf

Carefully place in oven and bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, or until meat reaches an internal temperature of 170 F.  Pour out any excess fat, and slice thinly to serve.

Finished Gyros Meatloaf

While meatloaf is baking, grate the peeled cucumber and squeeze out the excess liquid.  Put in a mixing bowl and stir in remaining tzatziki  ingredients.  Put in a container and keep refrigerated until ready to use (I just returned it to the container the Greek yogurt came in).  Serve with the gyros meatloaf in pita bread with lettuce, tomato, and red onion, if desired.

Tzatziki

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Orange Honey Sesame Chicken

14 Feb

Sesame Chicken has been a favorite in our house for quite a while now.  It’s a go to dish when we have vegetables to use up that are good in a stir fry, or just as a chicken dish to throw in the weekly meal plan.  I have gotten a ton of oranges lately from Bountiful Baskets and Sunizona FarmBoxes, so I decided to try to incorporate fresh squeezed orange juice somehow.  Also, the Sesame Chicken uses white sugar, but this time I decided to use honey in its place.  I have a lot of honey from a Bountiful Baskets 12 pound bucket to use, plus it’s more natural than the sugar I have.  It turned out really great!  It’s not overly orange tasting, which is what I was going for.  I also added in some fresh grated ginger, which I think I may do with the Sesame Chicken in the future as well.  (Quick tip for ginger, keep it in the freezer to keep longer, then just take it out, grate what you need, and put it back!)

Orange Honey Sesame Chicken

 

 

Orange Honey Sesame Chicken

What you need:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1″-2″ pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
Veggies of your choice (tonight I used broccoli and green onions)
Cooked rice

How to make it:

Place flour and chicken in a gallon size zipper bag.  Shake to coat chicken in flour.  Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet in batches and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until white and no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized skillet, combine the soy sauce and honey in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the honey is mixed well with the soy sauce. Stir in the orange juice, grated ginger, sesame oil and sesame seeds.  Pour over the chicken in the larger skillet and stir to coat.

Add in any chopped veggies you want.  For this batch, I used just broccoli.  Other times I have used different combinations of broccoli, onion, green, yellow, and red peppers, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, snow peas, water chestnuts, and mushrooms.  Cover your skillet and cook until veggies have softened.  I tend to leave the veggies a little crispy still because my husband likes them still crispy.  After other veggies have softened, add the green onions.

Serve over cooked rice.

Note: You can buy toasted sesame seeds, usually with in the section with other Asian grocery items.  If you can’t find them, to toast sesame seeds, place in a dry skillet and toast, shaking the pan, over medium high heat for a minute or so, or until fragrant and lightly browned. Do this first and cook the chicken in the same skillet to pick up more sesame flavor.  Also, if you are using a lot of veggies, you may want to double the ingredients for the sauce so there is some for the veggies.

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Zaycon Foods Hot ‘n Spicy Buffalo Wings

10 Feb

My husband loves wings.  So, when Zaycon Foods listed an event for Hot ‘n Spicy Buffalo Wings, I decided I would order since $2.99 per pound was a decent price.  This isn’t the greatest picture, but here are two of the four 5 pound bags:

Zaycon Foods Hot 'n Spicy Buffalo Wings

They are fully cooked, so really it’s just a matter of heating them up.  I cook them in the oven, at 400 F, for about 15 minutes.  The ingredients, nutritional information and cooking directions can be found here.

They are a little smaller than wings we’ve had dining out, but that’s not a big deal for us.  They really are very tasty, I’d say about a mild or medium.  I have a very low tolerance for spiciness, and I can tolerate these without too much pain.  My husband seems to be enjoying them as well.  I don’t think they will last long at our house!

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