Spring Greens Pizza

Baked crust is topped with fresh mozzarella, spring greens and chicken for a delightful twist on traditional pizza.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 ounces fresh mozzarella, bocconcini size
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 prepared pizza crust
• 1 15-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins or thighs
• 3 cups spring mix lettuce

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, reduce 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to 1/4 cup, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and reserve. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, basil, oregano and garlic in a small bowl. Let sit 10 minutes.
3. Brush pizza crust with half the olive oil mixture and bake according to package instructions. Slice the fresh mozzarella into thin slices and add to the remaining olive oil mixture. Toss to coat.
4. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve. Return the pan to the heat and deglaze with 1 tablespoon water and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Slice the cooked chicken crosswise into 1-inch pieces and add to the tomato mixture. Simmer until sauce has thickened, about 7 minutes.
5. Remove the pizza crust from the oven. Spread the sauce evenly over the crust and top with marinated mozzarella slices. Cut the pizza into four slices and top each with a handful of spring mix. Drizzle each slice with a tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar reduction and serve.

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop

Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

Sweet, hearty and delicious, this chili is sure to please the entire family.  

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 pound turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 sweet potatoes, chopped into small pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Warm oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage; break up any large chunks and sauté until no pink remains. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a bowl; cover. Add onion, bell pepper and sweet potato to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Return meat to pot.
2. Stir in tomatoes, beans, broth, water, spices and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in beans. Cover and simmer until chili thickens slightly, about 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serving Suggestion

Sweet potatoes are a tasty way to add important nutrients to your diet like Vitamin A, fiber and even protein. Substitute your favorite sausage, ground meat or meatless alternative if you prefer. Have fun topping the chili; try a spoon of plain yogurt, cilantro, diced avocado or tortilla chips—you can't go wrong!

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop

Avocado and Egg Brown Rice Bowl

This hearty, whole grain dish couldn't be easier.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked brown rice
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons canola oil or butter
• 1 large avocado
• Optional garnishes: Sliced pickled ginger, kimchi, toasted sesame seeds, sautéed greens or leftover cooked vegetables, shredded cheese, hot sauce

Preparation

1. Reheat rice gently in a small pan with a few drops of water, or in the microwave. Divide the heated rice between two wide bowls. Heat a cast iron or non-stick sauté pan over medium heat for a minute, then add the oil or butter to the hot pan. Crack each egg, place in the pan, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and let cook for about 2 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolk is jiggly when you shake the pan gently.
2. While the eggs cook, cut the avocado in half lengthwise, and remove the pit. Use a paring knife to slice each avocado half in the shell, then scoop the slices out with a spoon. Fan half of the avocado slices over each bowl of rice, and place a cooked egg on each bowl. Serve with optional garnishes for a hearty breakfast or lunch.

Serving Suggestion

Transform this rice bowl into a quick, filling lunch with the addition of leftover chicken, turkey or cubed baked tofu. Or for a heartier breakfast, add sausage or bacon crumbles. Top with your favorite hot sauce for some added spice.

Authored by Robin Asbell. Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop

10 Ways to Cook with Ginger

Ginger is a great source of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese. It's also widely studied for its medicinal benefits, including aiding nausea and vomiting, relieving the pain of osteoarthritis, and possibly a factor in treating heart disease. Of course, it's also delicious in all sorts of dishes and versatile. Try it using one of the techniques below.

1. Make sauces, dressings and dips all perk up with the addition of ginger. For a simple dipping or marinating sauce, add minced ginger to soy sauce. For a salad dressing upgrade, stir a bit of minced ginger to an otherwise plain vinaigrette.

2. Combine it with red miso and tahini in this colorful Kale Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing

3. Enhance flavor. This Ginger Beurre Blanc Sauce would nicely flavor any seafood or chicken, for starters.

4. Add it to grain dishes and mashed sweet potatoes.

5. Spruce up a simple stir fry with beef, chicken, or veggies. In this Grilled Tofu with Cilantro Ginger Pesto, ginger combines with cilantro.

6. Add fruit. Apples, pears and other fruit are delicious when seasoned with ginger. Sprinkle minced ginger on top of the fruit before baking or cook the fruit in gingered butter until softened.

7. Pickle it. Pickled Ginger is great for cleansing the palate or a light snack. This version is easy to make and, unlike many commercial varieties, uses no food dyes.

8. Add it to sweets. Dried and ground ginger performs well in desserts, like spice cookies, carrot cakes, or pumpkin and apple pie fillings.

9. Stir into cream cheese for spreading on fruit bread.

10. Serve it with curry. Offer tasty little bites alongside curried dishes.

Soba with Kale and Edamame

Soba is a nutty, whole grain noodle that is often served in simple soups like this one. This vegetarian broth relies on dried mushrooms and the sea vegetable kombu to build flavor, but if you have a pre-made mushroom or chicken stock that you prefer, that would make this soup nearly instant.

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 2 pieces kombu, about 1 ounce
• 1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bellas), sliced
• 1/2 cup shelled edamame, thawed
• 4 ounces kale, leaves and stems, chopped
• 4 ounces soba noodles
• 2 large scallions, slivered

Preparation

1. Put on a large pot of water to boil for cooking the noodles. In another large pot, combine the water, kombu and shiitake mushrooms and place over low heat. Cover and let the water slowly heat for about 30 minutes, extracting flavor from the mushrooms and kombu. Don't boil the water; just let it form a few bubbles, then turn off. Let the broth stand for 5 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms and kombu. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter and pour it back into the pan.
2. Bring the mushroom stock to a boil and add the tamari, mirin, and cremini mushrooms, edamame and kale and simmer until the kale is softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Cook the soba until al dente, then add to the soup. Serve immediately, topped with scallions.

Authored by Robin Asbell. Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop

Stuffed Collard Greens

Total Time: 1 hour; 30 minutes active

Servings: 8 rolls

Ingredients

• 8 collard leaves, large stems removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 red or green bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• Pinch each of salt and black pepper
• 3/4 cup Carolina-style barbecue sauce

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil or butter an 8 x 8 inch casserole dish.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently place the collard leaves in the water and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until just tender. Remove the leaves, drain and cool.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the turkey and spices and cook another few minutes until the turkey is almost cooked through. Add the broth and rice and cook another few minutes until the broth is absorbed. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
4. Gently lay out a collard leaf on a dry cutting board, stem end facing away from you. Divide the turkey mixture into eight portions. Place one portion of turkey near the stem end of the leaf. Fold in the side edges of the leaf and roll up the collard around the filling, like a burrito. Place the collard roll in the casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the collards and filling. Drizzle barbecue sauce over the top of the rolls, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until the collard rolls are tender. Serve warm.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with Louisiana-style dirty rice, topped with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and additional hot sauce on the side. Use turkey sausage if you prefer a spicier dish.

Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop