Tag: Recipe

Food Bank Mini Team Favorites: Broccoli Recipes to Enjoy This Spring

February 22, 2019

The Food Bank ‘Mini’ team lives to figure out-of-the-box ways of delivering fresh, nutritious food to our neighbors in need. In the spirit of the ‘minis’ hanging out in the Broccoli Forest, we asked members of our Nutrition Education team to help us out with a few broccoli recipes. They pulled up a few delicious ideas from our friends at EatFresh.org.  Enjoy!

BROCCOLI SALAD

INGREDIENTS

4 cups broccoli – washed, trimmed, and cut into bite-size pieces
½ cup raisins
¼ cup red onion – diced
¾ cup radishes – thinly sliced
⅓ cup mayonnaise
2½ tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

PREPARATION

*In a medium bowl: combine broccoli, onions, raisins and radishes.
*In a small bowl: blend mayonnaise, yogurt, sugar and vinegar.
*Pour dressing over broccoli and mix well.
*Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. (This will help marinate the ingredients but is not essential.)

POTATO BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP 

INGREDIENTS

2½ cups broccoli chopped and steamed until tender, frozen broccoli
2 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (optional)
3 potatoes chopped, with skin on or off
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese low-fat if possible
2 tablespoons butter
½ onion chopped
½ celery chopped
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 dash paprika
1 pinch of salt
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups skim milk

PREPARATION

*Melt butter in the bottom of a large soup pot.
*Cook onion and celery in butter over medium heat.
*Add flour, pepper, salt, and paprika and stir until smooth.
*Add broth, milk, and potatoes. Keep stirring until the mixture boils and thickens.
*Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
*Stir in cheese and broccoli.
*Cook over low heat until cheese is melted.
*Add chicken, if using.

Paul’s Secrets for Great Super Bowl Chili

January 21, 2019

It’s a sure bet many people will be glued to their couches and barcaloungers come Super Bowl Sunday. But it’s not just about the football, and those clever, multi-million dollar commercials.  Super Bowl Sunday is also a time to enjoy food, from chips and dip to buffalo wings and everything in between.

For many years, Food Bank Executive Director Paul Ash has cooked up pots of homemade chili for employees to enjoy in the lead up to the big game. Paul has dusted off his favorite recipe, and is willing to share it with the world once again.  Enjoy!

Tips to Make the Tastiest Super Bowl Chili

  • Start with your favorite chili recipe.  “The Best Chili Ever Recipe” from www.seriouseats.com is a great place to start.
  • Use fresh chili peppers when possible. Canned chilis are good, but if you can go with fresh chilis, I think they make the overall product taste better. They also give the dish some color.  I like to use jalapeños to add a little heat. If you’re looking for something spicier, consider adding some serannos or even habaneros.
  • Toast and grind. Another personal touch is to toast your spices in a hot frying pan, just until fragrant.  I use a mortar and pestle to freshly grind some of the spices when I can. Things like cumin, coriander, and chili. Again, if you have to use packaged spices, you’re still going to be ok. I’ll add a little bitter chocolate to the mix as well, again to taste.
  • To soak or not to soak? I tend to favor Texas-style hearty meats and big proportions, but I add beans liberally. And contrary to common practice, I do not soak the beans in advance – I do a quick simmer for an hour and then add them to the concoction.
  • Listen to your taste buds.  I’m a big ad-libber and mostly look at recipes for the ingredient lists.  I pretty much mix and match and vary the quantities, tasting and adjusting the quantities of salt, chili peppers and other spices as I go. My taste buds are my most important measuring spoon.
  • Refrigerate overnight before feasting.  If you can possibly wait, make your chili the day before and refrigerate it overnight, which allows the flavors to meld together. It’s been my experience that the chili is always better the second day…and the third day too!

The best part of the experience is heating up the chili the morning of the big meal, dishing it up to friends and family, and seeing smiles on their faces when they take that first bite. Having a bevy of toppings at the ready is a nice touch too. Things like grated cheese, diced onions, and sour cream will add to the overall presentation.

If you’re looking for a vegetarian-friendly chili recipe, Food Bank Nutrition Education Program Director Molly Burke recommends this delicious Vegan White Bean Chili recipe from our friends at www.eatfresh.org.

Food Bank Favorites: Emily’s Thanksgiving Portobello Recipe

October 24, 2018

“Here’s my somewhat famous Thanksgiving *vegetarian* dish – a portobello recipe to please everyone. You will not miss turkey with this!” – Emily

Click here to download the printable version of this Food Bank Favorite Recipe.

Emily C., Food Resources Team | YIELD: 6-8 servings | TIME: 75 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6-8 large Portobello caps, stems removed
2 medium onion – finely diced
1 clove garlic – finely diced
5 stalks celery – finely diced
5 med carrots – finely diced
8-oz. sliced mushrooms (Cremini, Portobello or button)*
2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
½ cup raisins
½ cup almond slivers
16-oz. package stuffing mix (vegetarian)
2 ½ cups vegetable stock
½ cup white wine (optional)
2 cups Panko crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan
½ tsp. poultry seasoning spice mix
1 stick unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

*Note from Emily: I usually slice the stems from the big mushrooms and add to the stuffing – no food waste!

PREPARATION


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash mushroom caps well and put aside.
Melt ½ stick butter in large frying pan. Add onions, and sauté until clear. Add sliced mushrooms. Sauté until very well browned.
Add celery, carrots, sauté for another 5-10 min. Add apples, raisins, almonds, stuffing mix, veg stock and wine, stir well to mix, then set aside briefly, off heat.
Microwave remaining butter in a small dish until melted, and use a teaspoon of it to grease a large baking dish (about 9 x 13). Put remaining butter aside.
Spread dressing mixture in baking dish. Then, place mushroom caps with stem side down on top of dressing.
Mix panko crumbs, parmesan, poultry seasoning, plus salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl – stir well. Use last of melted butter to brush onto mushroom caps. Drizzle remaining butter over dish.
Sprinkle seasoned mixture of panko and parmesan liberally (thickly) to cover mushroom caps and dressing well.
Bake until browned, about 45 – 50 minutes.

Check out all of our Food Bank Favorite Recipes for the holiday season:

 

 

Food Bank Favorites: Sammy’s Sweet Potato Casserole

October 19, 2018

“This is my sister’s sweet potato recipe. Even when she doubles it for Thanksgiving, there is never enough.” -Kera

Click here to download the printable version of this Food Bank Favorite Recipe.

Kera J., Development Team | YIELD: 6-8 servings | TIME: 90 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 large sweet potatoes
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. dry sherry
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

PREPARATION


Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Put into a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover the potatoes.
Bring sweet potatoes to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat until soft, about 20 minutes – you can poke with a fork to test if they are done. Drain and let cool a little.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With electric mixer, whip all of the ingredients except the nutmeg until light and fluffy.
Pour into a buttered casserole dish and spread out evenly. (Note from Sammy: at this point you can cover the casserole dish and put in fridge overnight if you want to make ahead)
Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake for 45 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Check out all of our Food Bank Favorite Recipes for the holiday season:

 

 

Food Bank Favorites: Gama Joann’s Corn Pudding Recipe

October 17, 2018

“When I asked my mother-in-law to submit one of her many Thanksgiving recipes, she responded with this: ‘I would offer my Corn Pudding recipe as one that is a more atypical dish on today’s Thanksgiving tables, but likely to have been one on the Pilgrims’ table.’ The Pilgrims must have had it good, for this dish is not only delectable in taste, but elegant in appearance. A light golden-brown crust, in a square CorningWare dish, perfectly baked with just the right amount of kernels protruding from the top. Outside of the big bird, itself, Joann’s Corn Pudding is the big attraction every Thanksgiving. Even the pickiest of eaters find themselves craving seconds. Enjoy!” – Mark

Click here to download the printable version of this Food Bank Favorite Recipe.

Mark S., PR Manager | YIELD: 4-6 servings | TIME: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups frozen corn (no need to thaw)
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups scalded milk, cooled
2 tsp. sugar or honey
4 Tbsp. melted butter, divided
1/2 tsp. salt

PREPARATION


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir flour, salt, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. butter with corn.
In another bowl, beat eggs; stir in the milk and then add liquid to the corn mixture.
Pour into a greased 9×9” baking dish.
Bake for a total of 45 minutes or until firm.

*Note from Joann: After first 15 minutes of baking, gently stir pudding from the bottom, and then once again 15 minutes later. Before returning to the over after the second stir, pour remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter over pudding top and continue baking for the last 15 minutes or until it starts to brown on the top.

Check out all of our Food Bank Favorite Recipes for the holiday season:

Food Bank Favorites: Grandma Daisy’s Noodle Kugel Recipe

October 10, 2018

Grandma Daisy (left) and Alex’s mom, Pam

“This noodle kugel recipe is copied directly from my mom’s Rolodex – old school!  It is such a beloved recipe among my whole extended family and every friend who has ever come to a holiday celebration (Rosh Hashana, Thanksgiving, even Passover) at the Goldman household! Grandma Daisy was such a carefree and fun-loving spirit. My favorite memory, which embodies this quality to the extreme, was when we were at my cousin’s Bat Mitzvah, she danced so hard that she fell and broke her wrist! She was in her 80’s at this point, but she never really slowed down.” –  Alex

Click here to download the printable version of this Food Bank Favorite Recipe.

From Alex G., Program Coordinator  |  YIELD: 6-8 servings  |  TIME:  75 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 12-oz. package wide or medium egg noodles
6 Tablespoons apricot preserves
12-oz. can crushed pineapple (and some of the juice, not a lot)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs (beaten)
6 Tablespoons melted butter
Optional: ground cinnamon and raisins

PREPARATION

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Cook noodles in boiling water till al dente. Drain.
Put all ingredients except the noodles in a large bowl and mix well. Add the noodles and mix gently until well coated.
Grease a Pyrex dish or baking pan – 9 x 13” works best.
Pour mixture into pan.
If desired, sprinkle top with cinnamon and/or raisins.
Bake approximately 45 minutes until noodles on the top layer get lightly brown.

Note from Alex: “I cover with foil for the first half hour, then remove foil and let bake till noodles are golden….about another 10-15 minutes depending on how hot the oven is.”

Check out all of our Food Bank Favorite Recipes for the holiday season:

 

 

Nana’s Pecan Pie Recipe

December 18, 2017

This pecan pie recipe is a holiday favorite from Food Bank Executive Director Paul Ash’s “Family Cookbook.”  It’s from the kitchen of Paul’s  mom, Lenora Ford Ash, affectionately known as”Nodie” and “Nana” to her family.

Nana (right) with her husband and grandchildren. 

Paul and his family always look forward to sharing this scrumptious pie.  We encourage your family to try it this holiday season, too!

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp. butter (unsalted)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 c. granulated white sugar
  • 3 large eggs, beaten well
  • 2 cups dark corn syrup
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 nine-inch pie shell, unbaked

 

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Combine ingredients and mix well.
  • Pour into unbaked pie shell.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, until firm.

Enjoy!

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