Greens and Bulgur Tian
You Need:
- 1/2 c. of bulgur, preferrably coarse-cut
- 2 lbs. mixed fresh greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc)
- 3 T. olive oil, plus extra for greasing dish
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 c. parmesan cheese
- 1 c. grated part-skim mozzarella
Topping:
- 1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs (about 1 slice of bread)
- 1 T. olive oil
Directions:
1. Place bulgur in a medium sized bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover to bulgur by one inch. Cover bowl with a plate and let sit for 20 min. Strain the bulghur, pressing out the excess liquid with the back of a large spoon. Set aside.
2. Tear the greens into bite sized pieces and discard the stems. Keep the different greens in separate piles. Thoroughly wash the greens by dunking in a large pot of cold water. Remove greens with your hands, place in a container, pour out sandy water and repeat until water is no longer sandy.
3. Place the coarser greens, such as kale in a large stockpot with only the water that clings to them. Cover and cook until they begin to wilt. Add the more delicate greens, cover the pot and cook just until wilted. Drain greens in a colander and press out excess liquid with the back of a large spoon.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook two minutes. Do not let it brown. Stir in the bulgur and greens. Season generously with salt and pepper, then stir in parmesan cheese. Remove from heat.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°. Oil a 1 & 1/2 quart tian or other similar shallow casserole. Spoon in 1/2 the greens mixture and smooth over the surface combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over tian. (The tian may be prepared to this point up to eight hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate if longer than an hour and bring to room temp. before cooking.) Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes or until sizzling and brown on top.
Strawberry Spinach Salad
You Need:
Salad
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 8 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1/2 medium cucumber, cut in half, seeds removed and sliced
- 1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin wedges
- 1 package baby spinach
Dressing
- 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Directions:
1. First prepare dressing by zesting lemon with a grater or lemon zester (it should yield 1/2 teaspoon zest).
2. Juice lemon to extract two tablespoons juice. Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended.
3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer over the bottom of a baking pan.
5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and allow almonds to cool in pan.
6. Place spinach in a large serving bowl. Add strawberries, cucumber and onion.
7. Give dressing a final whisk and pour over salad, gently tossing to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately.
Vegetable Lasagna
You Need:
- 1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 12 oz. carton of 1% lowfat cottage cheese
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tsp of olive oil
- 3/4 cup of minced onion
- 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 14 oz cans of no-salt tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1/4 cup of minced fresh parsley
- 3/4 cup of burgundy or dry red wine
- 1/4 cup of tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried whole basil
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
- 5 cups of thin sliced zucchini
- 1 1/4 cup (5 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp Parmesean cheese
Directions:
1. Press spinach between paper towels. Combine spinach, cottage cheese and egg in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Coat large sauce pan with oil. Over medium-high heat saute onion for three minutes, add mushrooms and garlic and saute two minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add tomatoes, parsley, burgundy, tomato paste, basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Coat 12x8x2 pan with spray. Spoon 1/3 of tomato mixture into pan. Top with three lasagna noodles, 1/2 of spinach mixture and 1/2 of the zucchini. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
4. Repeat layers. Top with remaining tomato mix. Cover and refrigerate for eight hours.
5. Bake covered at 350° for an hour and a half.
6. Uncover and sprinkle with rest of mozzarella and parmesean cheeses.
7. Let stand 5 min, then serve.
Hanna's Quiche
You Need:
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- 1 cup of cheese
- 1 cup of spinach, or vegetable of your choice (use 1.5 cups for raw greens)
- sautéed onion and garlic to taste (optional)
- three teaspoons of butter
- nutmeg to taste
Directions:
Mix eggs, milk, cheese, flour, onion, garlic, and vegetable in a large bowl. Pour into a 9” size pie dish. Place slices of butter on top of mixture, dust with nutmeg. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Test with a tooth pick. If the tooth pick comes out dry, it is ready. Let cool for five minutes before serving.
Notes from Joanna: The vegetable is up to you. If it is a tough vegetable, like the lower portion of asparagus stalks, steam them some first. However, most greens should just be chopped up into small pieces and places in the mixture raw. Hanna Gower, a 2003 Sweet Meriam’s Farm intern, taught me this recipe.
Please Note: I have collected these recipes from various sources, and haven't had the chance to try them all. - Emily McDonald