Cauliflower Rice with Spicy Broccoli

Photo credit: Taste Spotting

Cauliflower "couscous" is accented with broccoli, zesty curry powder and sweet raisins in this delightful salad.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cauliflower florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1⁄3 cup raisins
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1⁄3 cup water
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower florets until they resemble coarse grains that look like couscous. Don't over mix! Set aside.
2. Heat the oil or butter over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and broccoli and sauté another 3 to 5 minutes. Add the raisins, chickpeas, curry powder and water and stir well. Add the cauliflower “couscous” and cook 3 to 5 minutes more.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper and serve warm.

Serving Suggestion

The cauliflower “couscous” is a great way to add a fresh crunch to this warm winter salad. Sweet raisins and zesty curry powder make it a flavorful companion to braised chicken. Add cubed marinated and baked tofu to any leftovers. Use purple or golden cauliflower for extra color. 

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

Hoisin Roasted Cauliflower

Photo credit: Our Four Forks

This side couldn't be easier to prepare and it's a great dish to get kids and adults to love their cauliflower. Perfect as a side dish to any meat or over wild rice as a vegetarian entrée.

Ingredients

• 1 head fresh cauliflower, washed; florets separated into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Mix hoisin, vinegar and sesame oil in a small bowl and pour over cauliflower and toss to coat.
3. Spread cauliflower into a single layer on the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until just tender, turning the cauliflower after 20 minutes.

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 facts about Gouda

1. A semi-firm, washed curd cheese, Gouda is in the same family as Edam and Havarti.

2. Noord-Hollandse Gouda is the one type of Gouda that has a protected designation origin; the milk used to make this cheese must come from the province of Nord-Holland. It's typically a bit less salty than other Goudas.

Photo credit: Kaesewelten

3. Gouda is named after a city in Holland, where cheesemakers from surrounding towns still come to have their cheese weighed, priced and sold at a cheese market.

Photo credit: Unquite Time

4. Gouda is aged from several weeks to seven years. Older Goudas are saltier and more pungent while young Gouda is mild and creamy.

Photo credit: David Lebovitz

5. While usually made from cow's milk, there is a goat's milk Gouda, also from Holland. It has a tangier flavor than cow's milk Gouda.

6. The smooth, creamy texture of Gouda is due to its high fat content. It is white to creamy yellow, sometimes with small holes.

7. An excellent melter, Gouda is a stellar choice for grilled cheese, burgers, omelets and casseroles.

8. Gouda is sometimes used at wine tastings as a palate cleanser.

9. The color of the wax coating can sometimes tell you a little bit about what’s inside. Young Goudas, aged between one and six months, are usually wrapped in red or yellow wax, while mature Goudas generally have a black or darker coating. Goat cheese Goudas are traditionally wrapped in white or blue wax.

Photo credit: Maastricht Minutiae

10. Aged gouda is best served at room temperature and soft, younger Gouda should be served cold.

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

Mixed Berry and Oat Smoothie with Granola

Set your oatmeal and berry cereal bowl on its head, and make this easy, creamy smoothie. Berries disguise the secret ingredient (tofu!) and a crunchy sprinkle of granola adds a tasty flourish.

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 4 ounces firm silken tofu
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla soymilk or other milk
• 1/2 cup granola

Preparation

In a blender, place the mixed berries, then tofu, oats and soymilk. Process until smooth. Serve in two glasses, with 1/4 cup of granola on top of each.

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

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

How our produce adds up pt. II

Back in October, our produce department conducted a price comparison with a local natural market that recently opened a new store (check out that price comparison here). We continue to conduct price comparisons to ensure we are offering the best prices to our shoppers, like you, while maintaining our transparent values. Check out our latest price comparison below. 

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Please note, this price comparison was compared in December 2016. Produce prices are subject to change frequently.

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.

Creamy Cocoa Banana Smoothie

Almond butter provides a rich protein boost to this smoothies, while cocoa gives it an energizing kick.

Ingredients

• 2 medium frozen bananas
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 cups vanilla almond milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation

In a food processor, combine the ingredients in order, then blend. Serve immediately.

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

News Roundup January 6, 2017

Weavers Way gets $1.5M for Montco location

Philadelphia-based Weavers Way Co-op is one step closer to opening a new Montgomery County location, and its third overall, after receiving $1.5 million through a loan campaign — nearly double the original goal.

Weavers Way Co-op — which was established in the West Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, and in 2010 opened a second location in Chestnut Hill — has plans to open a third grocery store in Ambler in April 2017. Read more. 

Meet the 16-year-old activist organizing a big equality march in Philly

Almost 104 years ago, a day before the inauguration of known-racist and sexist Woodrow Wilson, activist Alice Paul led a march for women’s rights down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

Next month, a day before the inauguration of known-racist and sexist Donald Trump, 16-year-old activist Anna Holemans will lead a march for women’s rights in Philadelphia, from City Hall to Eakins Oval. Read more. 

Why Austin's Wheatsville Food Co-op is raising wages, despite delay in federal overtime law

Right before Thanksgiving, as the overtime exemption for salaried wages was about to increase to a minimum annual threshold of $47,476, a federal judge in Texas blocked the changes to the Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA.

This move preserved the FLSA’s current rules and rates until there could be more discussion. However, many businesses decided to move forward with the new regulations. Read more. 

When Residents Take Ownership, A Mobile Home Community Thrives

If you had strolled one Saturday afternoon through the Park Plaza neighborhood in Fridley, Minn., you might have thought you were at just another block party. The residents were milling around a picnic buffet on folding tables on the street in front of their houses and the American flag. Kids were tossing beanbags and shouting. Neighbors were delivering Jell-O and marshmallow salad, and a pot of pork, cilantro and beans.

But this was not an ordinary picnic. Residents were celebrating the fifth anniversary of a major achievement that could inspire similar communities across the country: The day they began to take more control of their lives. Read more.

He seeks more black men to teach in Philly and beyond

Sharif El-Mekki vividly recalls every black male teacher who ever taught him: two in elementary school, two in high school.

"They were transformative figures in my life," said El-Mekki, a veteran Philadelphia educator.

For 2017, El-Mekki has a goal to organize 1,000 black men to show up for the first day of school, encouraging city youths to be their best.

By 2025, his goal is much loftier: to nearly triple the number of black men teaching in the city. To that end, he has launched the Fellowship: Black Male Educators for Social Justice. Read more.