Thai Green Curry Lentils

   1 cup red lentils
    2 cups vegetable broth
    olive oil, as needed
    salt and pepper, to taste
    1 medium onion, finely chopped
    2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
    1 large zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces
    1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk 
    1 tablespoon green curry paste 
    1 small (thumbnail sized) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated 
    1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, coarsely chopped


1. In a stock pot, combine vegetable broth and lentils with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Check the lentils frequently so they don't burn.


2. While the lentils cook, add olive oil to a large skillet with deep sides and saute onions and garlic until just translucent. Add bell pepper and saute until soft. Add zucchini and saute for 1 minute.


3. At this point, the lentils should be finished cooking. Add coconut milk, green curry paste, grated ginger, and lentils to the skillet, stirring gently to incorporate vegetables and liquid. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 minutes.


4. Add Swiss chard to liquid and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!


The finished product should be a thick stew-like consistency; you can eat it with a spoon by itself or serve it over rice!

Quinoa and Black Beans

1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups veg broth
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 x 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until slightly browned
Mix in quinoa and veg broth. Add cumin and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes
Stir in frozen corn and simmer for another 5 minutes. Mix in black beans and cilantro

Jeff and Evan's accidentally awesome smoothy

1 banana
1 c grapes
2 peaches
handful of baby carrots
pint of strawberries
1 roma tomato
handful of Mache (or spinach)
1 c orange juice

Baked Spaghetti Squash

1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.

2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

Feta-Spinach Salmon Roast

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup crumbled feta
2 scallions, thinly sliced including part of the green
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 skinless salmon fillets of roughly equal size and shape, totaling 3/4 pound

preheat oven to 350
combine the cream cheese and feta. Add the scallions and spinach. Mix well.
Spread the mixture evenly over one salmon fillet. Top with second salmon fillet. Brush both sides with olive oil.
Place it on a shallow baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
1 12oz bag frozen vegetables
2 C diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1 12oz jar beef gravy

1 3/4 C water
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 C milk
2 1/4 C Betty Crocker Potato Buds mashed potatoes
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
1 egg

Heat oven to 375
Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Cook beef and onion over med heat until beef is completely cooked.
Add frozen veggies, tomatoes, and gravy. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and cook 10 more minutes.
In 2 quart saucepan, heat water, butter, and garlic powder to boiling. Remove from heat. Add milk. Stir in potatoes and parm cheese. Add egg and blend well.
Pour beef mixture in to 2 quart glass baking dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over beef.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are set and mixture is thoroughly heated.

Sausage skillet dinner

3/4 lb smoked sausage cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp butter
2 C red potato wedges
1 med onion cut into wedges
1 med apple cut into wedges
1/4 C cider vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

In a large skillet, saute potatoes in butter for 3 minutes. Add sausage and saute for another 2 minutes. Add onion and onion. Saute for 4 minutes or until apple is tender and potatoes are golden brown. Stir in vinegar, sugar and caraway seeds.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.