Recipes - Posts - Our Green House

Healthy Snacks - Flashback Friday

Posted by Sonya on Oct 12th 2018

We've been away for a couple weeks and don't have a new Simply Plated recipe for you from Christine this week, but wanted to share this older video with some ideas for healthy snacks for you and your kids.Back in 2010 Sarah Caron (at the time, a local here in Connecticut) stopped by so we could record a video on healthy snacks. It was clearly one of our earliest attempts at video as you can see the lighting and focus here are not the best. That said, we loved having her here and the yummy ideas and the recipe she shared are timeless.We talked about cute, eco-friendly water bottles, snack, sandwich, and lunch containers/coolers. Sarah shared some of the healthy snacks that she was packing for her kids at the time and this delicious Sundried Tomato Basil Hummus Recipe.

Flavorful Turkey Chili - Simply Plated

Posted by Christine Tyrrell on Sep 15th 2018

It's still tomato season here in Connecticut, so this week's farm fresh recipe makes use of delicious fresh tomato, zucchini, and peppers for a flavorful turkey chili. While the recipe calls for jars of crushed tomatoes, if you've got lots of fresh tomatoes on hand, you can also simply take a couple of pounds of them and either grate them or run them through your blender until they're crushed. Ingredients: olive oil 1 zucchini, diced 1 yellow onion, diced 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced 1 jalapeño, finely diced 1 green pepper, diced salt & freshly ground pepper to taste 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 pound ground turkey 2 18 oz jars crushed tomatoes 2 carrots, diced 1 tomato, diced 15 oz can black beans 2 ears cooked corn, cut off the cob (or 15 oz can corn) 2 tablespoons chili powder sour cream, for garnish shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish Directions: In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once pan and oil are hot, add zucchini, onion, mushroom, jalapeño, green pepper, garlic powder, and salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. Saute until browned to draw out their flavors. Set aside. In a large pot, over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey until browned and crumbled. Add the sauteed veggies, crushed tomatoes, carrots, fresh tomato, beans, corn, and chili powder to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. To serve, top each bowl with sour cream and shredded cheddar. Add some fresh diced tomato on top for a pop of color and serve alongside some warm cornbread for a hearty, comforting dinner.

Meet Christine - Simply Plated - Healthy Recipes

Posted by Pam Davis on Sep 11th 2018

We are excited to announce that Christine Tyrrell will be our contributing recipe blogger. I've already shared some of her amazing recipes here. We're thrilled that she's going to be a regular contributor now. She will be providing easy, quick, and healthy recipes that are simply delicious! A registered nurse and nutritional coach with over 25 years of experience supporting health and wellness both clinically and in the community, Christine learned early on that healthy nutrition is the best preventative medicine. Working for a local home health agency, All About You Home Care, gives her the opportunity to share this powerful knowledge with others. So many conditions can be reversed through diet! The healthier you eat, the less medical attention you need. While her infectious smile and kind heart are what draw people to Christine, her cooking is what makes them want to stay! She is an instinctual cook who knows how to combine ingredients that are healthy and satisfying. Each of her recipes has that wow factor – leaving you wondering how she can pack so much flavor into every bite. Cooking is clearly a family affair for Christine. Her 91-year-old grandmother shared with her love of nurture, nature, and good food. Her two children are able to enjoy and reap those benefits. They spend Sunday mornings chopping and prepping while listening to her husband Adam’s favorite playlist. Later in the day, their large extended family shows up for a weekly dinner. Her mother and brother arrive with their own amazing twists on food. Each one more excited than the next to share their creations. They all know that eating for health makes cooking a joy. Christine's Motto: Life, Love, Family Look for Christine's recipes each Friday on our blog.

Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana with Ground Turkey

Posted by Pam Davis on Sep 7th 2018

I'm so happy to share another farm fresh recipe from my friend Christine! I love having such a good friend who is a whiz in the kitchen. This week eggplant was abundant at the farmers market so Christine whipped up this delicious meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey 3 medium eggplant 1 jar marinara sauce 1 8 oz package mozzarella ½ cup parmesan Olive oil spray Italian seasoning Garlic powder Sea saltDirections: Spray 2 cookie sheets with olive oil and preheat oven to 425. Peel eggplant if desired, then cut into 1/4" thick slices. Place slices in single layer on cookie sheets, it's ok to slightly overlap the layers. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Roast for 20-30 minutes at 425 Flip the slices after 15 minutes and rotate trays so all slices brown. While the eggplant is roasting, saute ground turkey until browned and crumbled, set aside. In a 13x9 pan, place a layer of sauce on the bottom Add the following layers: eggplant sauce ground turkey shredded mozzarella sprinkle of parmesan eggplant sauce ground turkey shredded mozzarella sprinkle of parmesan eggplant sauce shredded mozzarella sprinkle of parmesanBake for 30 minutes at 350. Cut into 12 servings.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp over Harvest Fresh Salsa

Posted by Pam Davis on Aug 30th 2018

It's the peak of summer vegetable season here in Connecticut and as a result, our farmers' markets are loaded with a vibrant medley of harvest fresh veggies! We've had another hot and humid week here, the kind where nobody wants to be spending much time in the kitchen. So when my amazing friend Christine came over the other day, she used lots of the fresh veggies I'd picked up at the market this week to whip us up this light, refreshing dinner. A little time chopping in the kitchen and then outside for a quick grill of the shrimp skewers. Packed with fresh summer veggies and flavorful grilled shrimp, I think it may be my favorite dinner ever! Here's a quick tip for the corn, cook a couple extra ears when you're making fresh corn on the cob. It'll keep for a few days in the fridge and as a result, it'll be easy to cut the cooled corn off the cob for your salsa! Ingredients Shrimp Marinade: 1/2 Lime 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp sea salt 1/4 cup olive oil 2 lbs Jumbo (21-26 ct) shrimp Salsa: 4 fresh tomatoes 1 green bell pepper 1/2 red onion 1/2 jalapeno pepper 1 clove garlic 2 ears cooked corn, cut off the cob 1 can black beans, rinsed & drained fresh cilantro, to taste chili powder, to taste lime juice, to taste salt, to taste Accompaniments: sour cream or plain Greek yogurt avocado slices lime wedge Directions Mix together marinade ingredients, then add the shrimp and marinate for 30 minutes. If using wooden skewers, begin soaking them in some water now also. While the shrimp is marinating, dice your harvest fresh tomatoes, pepper, and onion. Finely dice the jalapeno and mince the garlic. Toss the veggies, corn, and beans into a bowl, then add cilantro, chili powder, lime juice and salt to taste/ Remove shrimp from marinade and skewer and grill over direct, medium heat until brown to bring out the flavor (3-5 minutes per side). Finally, serve the shrimp on a bed of salsa and garnish with sour cream, avocado, and a lime wedge. P.S. I just love those linen placemats because they're such a great blend of rustic, yet elegant!

Roasted fresh tomatoes and garlic chicken sausage

Posted by Pam Davis on Aug 24th 2018

Because It’s tomato season we are featuring my favorite cherry tomato recipe!!! Fresh tomatoes are my favorite Farmer’s Market treat, I love these colorful pints that my favorite farmer was selling at the market this week. This week, for our Farm Fresh Friday recipe, my friend Christine has done it again with a super simple, super flavorful, and super healthy recipe that stars loads of them. Enjoy! Ingredients Big container tomatoes/ or 3 pints of cherry tomatoes 2 packages garlic chicken sausage, cut into bite-size pieces White beans 1-2 cans (any combo cannellini/northern/etc) Balsamic vinegar Red wine vinegar Apple cider vinegar Olive oil Sea salt Oregano Fresh Basil Fresh Parsley Fresh Rosemary Fresh Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Place tomatoes in a roasting pan Drizzle with olive oil Sprinkle on some Sea salt Drizzle on a bit of each: red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and balsamic vinegar Sprinkle with fresh herbs: parsley, rosemary, basil, oregano Roast at 425 for 30 minutes Add the cut up chicken sausages Roast for another 20 minutes Add white beans (drained and rinsed) And Roast for another 10 minutes

Farm Fresh Fridays - Easy Corn on the Cob

Posted by Melissa McKee on Aug 10th 2018

This is my husband's trick to perfectly cooked farm fresh corn on the cob (which we get at our weekly farmers market). We send the boys out to the porch to husk the ears of corn while we prepare the grill for cheeseburgers. We cut huge slices of fresh tomato from the market for our burgers. The kids eat their tomatoes cut in wedges sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Boil a big pot of water. Add the corn and bring it back to a boil. Once it’s returned to a boil cook for 2 minutes. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes or until you are ready to eat it. It will stay warm for serving for an hour. Just add butter, salt, and pepper and you have perfect corn on the cob with no fuss!

Blueberry Smoothie - Farm Fresh Fridays

Posted by Pam Davis on Jul 26th 2018

Pick-Your-Own farms are a great (and yummy!) summer activity. With blueberry season in full swing here, I wanted to share a blueberry smoothie recipe I created recently. Mommy Mixologist I love my morning smoothies. My kids laugh at me as I walk around the kitchen throwing things into the blender. The more ingredients the better. I add anything with nutritional value. Because I don't follow a recipe, sometimes it is a hit and sometimes it is a miss. This one was a hit! Blueberry Smoothies 2 cups organic wild blueberries 2 ripe bananas 4 strawberries turmeric - 1tsp cinnamon 1 tsp 1 cup almond butter almond milk - 2 cups sesame seeds - handful flax seeds - handful almonds - handful Walnuts - handful 1 tsp vanilla Ice 1 cup water Directions: Add all ingredients to blender and blend on high until smooth What's your favorite way to use up all those fresh berries?

ZOODLES! - Farm Fresh Fridays

Posted by Melissa McKee on Jul 19th 2018

Zoodles My oldest son loves zucchini season because of this dish: (click here) Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce. It’s not the fastest zucchini dish we make (wait for our easy roasted zucchini wedges if you like quick) but it’s still super easy if you have a spiralizer. I like to put my son to work making the zoodles with the spiralizer while I make the sauce. He loves to see just how long he can make the noodles. We enjoy this dish alone for those hot nights when you are looking for something light, but we’ve also eaten it with turkey meatballs or grilled chicken thighs. If you have a spiralizer, what veggies do you turn into noodles?

Farm Fresh Fridays: Easy Peasy Snap Peas

Posted by Sonya on Jul 5th 2018

One of the things I love about farmers markets is the ease of introducing my kids to different types of produce with free samples that I can feel great about! This week I was reminded of that when one of the organic farmers had open containers of snap peas that they urged customers to try. Seriously, what could be an easier side dish than a handful of raw snap peas! If your kids are the kind that insist on some sort of sauce (back in my nanny days, I took care of 2 that insisted ketchup went on *everything* including cantaloupe...), a dollop of ranch dip or hummus pairs nicely. But, if you want to jazz up those peas just a tad, these crunchy, lemony snap peas take just a few minutes to throw together. The longest step is de-stringing the peas, which, honestly, is something I'd never done before this summer. Ingredients: 1 lb snap peas 1 lemon 1T avocado oil (or olive oil or butter) salt Preparation Steps: De-string your peas Zest and juice the lemon Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot enough (a drop of water sizzles), add your oil. Place peas in the pan and toss to coat them in the oil. Let them sit for 15 seconds before stirring again. Stir a couple more times, roughly every 15 seconds, just until heated through. The goal is warm, bright green peas. This took me just over 2 minutes. Transfer peas to your serving dish, add the lemon zest and a pinch of salt then toss to evenly distribute. What do you think, is it necessary to de-string your peas? What is your favorite way to eat snap peas - tell us and others in comments below!!

Grass fed Steak & Organic Blueberry Salad

Posted by Sonya on Jun 27th 2018

Grass Fed Steak One of my favorite things to do each summer is weekly trips to my local farmers markets. I love challenging myself to base our meals mostly, if not entirely, on those super fresh and local ingredients. Last week both of the markets I frequent held their opening days and on Tuesday one of the things I picked up was a big bag of mixed organic greens; Tatsoi, Mizuna, and a third Asian variety whose name escapes me at the moment. My family tends to favor romaine and baby spinach but the farmer offered me a taste of the Tatsoi and I was hooked. I had a grass-fed London Broil marinating in the fridge and a pint of fresh local, organic blueberries so once I returned home, I turned on the grill and set out to combine these into a delicious salad. The bite of these greens compliments the sweet blueberries and creamy feta. I added some crunch with thinly sliced celery and chopped walnuts. Since the steak was already marinating, this dinner came together pretty quickly. While it was grilling I washed and chopped the other ingredients and quickly blended up the dressing. Dinner was on the table in 30 minutes. Ingredients: 1 lb London Broil (I prefer grass-fed beef from a local farm) 3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce) Juice of one lime 1 pint blueberries, organic, divided 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil 6-8cups mixed Asian greens 2 cups celery, thinly sliced 1⁄4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped 1⁄4 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced Preparation Steps: First, the marinated steak: Add garlic cloves, olive oil, coconut aminos, lime juice and steak to a gallon size ziplock bag. Seal. Shake. Marinate in fridge for 2-6 hours, flipping the bag over once or twice during marinating time. Before cooking, let meat come to room temperature. Next the salad: Heat grill to medium. Remove the grass fed steak from bag and place on pre-heated grill. Cook each side for roughly 6 minutes for medium cooked (this will depend on how thick your steak is, I always keep an instant-read thermometer nearby so I can assure the desired temp.) Once cooked, take the steak off the grill and cover. Let it rest for 5 minutes then slice against the grain into thin strips. I then cut those into bite-sized chunks. To make the dressing: In a blender or food processor, add half a cup of blueberries, the balsamic, olive oil & salt; process until combined. Between 4 plates, evenly divide the greens, celery, cooked steak, walnuts, blueberries, onion and feta. Pour dressing over the top & finish with freshly ground pepper Enjoy and Share this recipe with a friend :)

Easy Healthy Recipe - Artichoke Pasta

Posted by Pam Davis on Apr 12th 2018

So, everyone should have a Christine in their life. She has the natural ability to make Easy Healthy Recipes with flavor! The best part is she loves to share her concoctions with us and so we are sharing with you! Pasta with Artichokes Ingredients: Sauteed Ground Turkey Fresh Garlic roasted in olive oil Fresh Peas Quartered Artichoke Hearts Sauteed Mushrooms in olive oil, garlic powder, salt Sundried tomatoes Chicken broth - 1/2 cup Pesto - 4 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes Gluten Free Pasta - Rotini Parmigiano Cheese

Our Favorite Spring Recipes: Salads & Sides

Posted by Sonya on Mar 22nd 2018

We love providing our families with the gift of good, organic food, and seasonal spring produce fresh from the Farmer's Market and/or our local CSA is a bright, refreshing change of pace after winter's heavier meals. Today, Our Green House staff shares some of our favorite spring salad and side dish recipes. Pam: One of my favorite spring recipes is this tasty quinoa salad with feta cheese that my friend Christine shared with me. It's an easy, nutritious dish to throw together and makes great use of the abundance of organic baby spinach that spring brings. Cook: quinoa Chop: grape tomatoes, red onion, lots of fresh baby spinach, pitted kalamata olives, feta Dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, oregano Serve: with grilled chicken or grilled shrimp Kerry: I’m in charge of the bringing the same two dishes to our holiday gathering every spring (stay tuned for a spring desserts blog post next week!). These scalloped potatoes, originally from a 1971 Florence Junior Welfare League cookbook, are an excellent, delicious brunch side that is requested year after year. Using organic, pastured dairy products elevates this comforting side dish from its 1970's traditions. Sonya: I've loved asparagus ever since I was a little girl, snapping off the fresh stalks in my parents' garden and gobbling them up before anyone else could get a taste. This year I wanted to try something new with it, so last week we experimented with shaved asparagus and pea shoots. Everyone at home loved this shaved asparagus salad recipe so much that we've already made it a second time and decided that it's coming with us to our extended family Easter celebration in a couple weeks. What I did differently than the original recipe: I used 1 1/2 hearts of romaine and added roughly 1 1/2 cups of pea shoots. The second time we made it, I used feta cheese instead of the chevre. It's really bright and flavorful both ways!

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