Happy 4th of July | Crab n Veggie Cakes

On this 4th of July eve, 52tries.com is closing it's doors at 26 weeks (read my final sign off post here) but our "52tries-ing" will never be over.

Meal planning and cooking for my family table you.don't.stop.

Tommy and I whipped up something special on this past meatless Monday. I asked him if he wanted to cook with me and this is what happened: Watch our fun with food here.

The roasting of the beets and carrots first was inspired by Terri. She told me how she did this with sweet potatoes for a burger recipe and I was so very inspired, I decided to try it out with some gumption on my crab cakes.

Crab n Veggie Cakes

3 organic golden beets
4 small organic carrots
Mince together in a food processor and roast in a thin layer at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. (Toss half way through roasting).

1 large organic lemon zested + 1/2 of it's juice
1/2 c gf bread crumbs (homemade from our bread butts)
2 T 21 spice blend
3 organic pasture raised eggs
1/2 c minced fresh garden herbs (parsley, basil & chives)
1 can lump crabmeat (sustainably wild caught)
1 can salmon (sustainably wild caught)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl with clean hands. Form small cakes with your hands as if you were making little hamburger patties. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown or fry in organic safflower oil (any oil with a high flashpoint) for 3-4 minutes on a side or until golden brown.

I served mine with a homemade yogurt-dijon dip and fresh organic spinach.

May some firecrackers go off with you + yours at the family table this weekend!

Happy Birthday America!

xoxoL

Week 25 | #52triespics

Hop on over to read my week 25 #52tries diary post HERE.

Find Sarah Britton's My New Roots cookbook HERE and watch her make homemade almond milk HERE.

I found Jamie's delicious Chicken in Milk recipe to help me figure out how to cook mine in almond milk. I just layered onions and turnips on the bottom of pot.


Leftover Langoustine Chowder

2 c leftover chicken in milk sauce and vege (sans the chicken)
3 c leftover tomato sauce
1 lb frozen langoustine tails
1/2 c vege broth (Optional. Eyeball amount to thin soup)
pinch of nutmeg

Combine leftover sauces and heat through. Add some vege stock if a thinner soup is desired. Not a chunky soup fan? Puree soup with a handheld immersion blender first before adding langoustine.

Happy weekend nutbags!


xoxoL

#52triespics | Week 24

Hop on over to read this week's #52tries diary post HERE.

Mushroom and Beef Tacos

1 onion
1 lb grass fed beef (organic if I can find it)
2 cartons of mushrooms wiped clean and finely minced or food processed
chili powder (about 2 T)
cumin
paprika
curry powder
sea salt + pepper
fresh cilantro
honey

Sautee onion low and slow until soft and just about to caramelize. Add in ground beef and cook half way. Add in mushrooms and season generously with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until cooked through. I challenge you dear reader to add the seasonings to your liking. I put more chili powder in than anything else. Shake in seasonings and taste frequently until you get it just how you like it. I love adding in honey or coconut sugar... just a touch of sweetness with your taco spice!


Pork Scallopini

I breaded my pork cutlets by heart, inspired by the way The Pollan Family Table makes Chicken Parmesan. Here's what I did.

5 high welfare pork scallopini cutlets

1.5 c homemade gf bread crumbs (I save a bunch of bread butts, lay them out on a pan to get stale, and wiz them up fine in my food processor)
1/2 c parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast if you're cutting out dairy)
21 spice blend (Trader Joe's or Costco seasoning staple)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Mix it all up in a shallow bowl.

3 eggs
splash of milk (diary, almond or rice)
1 T gf flour
Mix up in another shallow bowl.

Dredge your cutlets in the egg mixture, then cover them with the breadcrumb mixture. Fry them up in oil of choice (I try to use oils with a higher flashpoints. Read about why HERE). I love my cast iron pans!

Cauliflower Tacos

To be continued... I'm still 52tries-ing on this one:)

xoxoL

#52triespics | Week 23

Read my week 23 #52tries post here.

A Summer Goulash
Inspired by my Summer's on the Farm with my Grandma Dorothy + Grandpa Tom

An equal parts soffritto: 1 red onion, mixed sweet peppers, carrots, celery + 2 minced garlic cloves, salt & pepper cooked low and slow until soft and fragrant (25 minutes).

1/4 c orange muscat vinegar (cook off for 5 minutes in soffritto)

26 oz diced tomatoes
3 c organic vegetable stock
1 box pasta shells (or whatever shape you'd like)
(just make sure there is enough liquid to cover your pasta and bring to a simmer until pasta is "el dente").

Freshly grated parmesan

(My grandma would also mix in ground beef from Eichman's).

xoxoL


ps
The meal must have made Tommy feel cozy because half way through he asked to go put on his pj's. #everythingisawesomewhenyoueatgoulash

pps

And find a perfectly simple homemade green goddess dressing by Terri here.

Week 22 | #52triespics

Catch up with my week 22 #52tries diary entry here.

This socca pizza recipe sounds amazing.

Can't remember how I made my balls, but this recipe sounds good too.

Summer is HERE - One more day of school left!

To the mullies we go...

xoxoL

#52triespics | Week 21

Read my week 21 #52tries entry here.

Mushroom (taste like sausage) Lasagna

3 c finely chopped baby bella + cremini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
-Finely chop/mince the mushrooms and garlic cloves or throw them into a food processor together. Saute on med-low heat until juices have released in olive oil, ghee or grassfed butter (7-10 minutes).

1 tsp whole fennel seeds
1tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 sea salt (a good pinch)
1/4 black pepper (a couple good shakes)
a pinch of all spice
-Combine all seasonings with a mortar and pestle and grind it all up until the fennel is cracked open and fragrant.

2-3 T Worcestershire sauce (I seasoned it to taste)
1-2 T tomato paste (a nice big plop)
-Pour the sausage seasoning mix into the mushrooms along with the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Cook for another 10 minutes and turn off heat. Layer into the lasagna (layering strategy: sauce, lasagna sheets, mushrooms, cheese, sauce... Repeat and top it all off with a layer of cheese and parmesan if it floats your boat (we love manchego cheese).

Find another easy "Bread in a Bag" recipe here (it's similar to Pilot Light Chef's food ed classroom lesson).

Find Food Revolution Day Squash it Sandwich here.

Mexican Slaw

A big bowl of mixed slaw (8-10 cups?)
Juice from 1 lemon + 1 orange
1/3 c Orange muscat champaign vinegar (Trader Joe's)
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil (the last of Rita and Angelo's gift!)
1 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloved minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

MUAH! And that's a Food Revolution Day 2015 wrap JACK!

xoxoL