With the change of the season, which brings a change in the fresh produce available, I've been dusting off recipes from last spring. I bet you have too! So what "best meals" have you had lately? I need some inspiration!
Remember, "best" is highly subjective: healthy, super quick, inexpensive, fabulously delicious - or a combination of all that and more. Post your "best" in the comments below. My fellow teammates said some of their faves have been Gazpacho (Whole Foods Market Cookbook version), Chicken Lo Mein with Whole Wheat Pasta and Red Cabbage and "the first basil of the season from my own garden minced with a little fresh garlic and spread on a veggie burger with goat cheese mozzarella and fresh tomato on a whole wheat bun." Yummy! Want more detailed recipe ideas? Try these:
From Betsy, a team member:
“A couple weeks ago, one of my co-workers, Susannah, (aka our very own value guru) generously shared her recipe for spinach & artichokes with spicy tofu. As a huge fan of spinach artichoke dip (I've been known to eat it by the bowl), I knew I had to give it a try. I made a couple minor recipe tweaks based on the ingredients I had on hand, and served it up over brown rice for dinner last week. It was a big hit. The savory, mildly spicy flavors were kind of a cross between spinach artichoke dip and saag paneer, and the crisp chewy texture of the broiled tofu made it a hearty yet light vegetarian dinner. A couple days later, I heated up the leftovers and served them wrapped in a warm whole grain tortilla for an equally satisfying breakfast. Two best meals of the week for the price of one recipe! Spinach & Artichokes with Spicy Tofu Press extra-firm tofu all day in the fridge to remove excess moisture. (Short on time, I drained my tofu in the sink for an hour.) Cut into cubes, toss with Cajun or Indian seasoning mixture. Broil until brown and starting to crisp at edges, turning once. Meanwhile…Sauté minced onion and garlic in 1-2 tsp ghee or butter. Add 1 bag frozen chopped spinach and cook until thawed. Add 1 can halved artichoke hearts and heat until warm. Add about 1/4 cup Mexican salsa, 1/4 cup lowfat sour cream or Greek yogurt, lots of dried dill, some garlic granules and a little ground nutmeg (I subbed a little curry powder). Heat through over medium heat (not high heat or sour cream might curdle). Stir in broiled tofu cubes. Serve with brown rice or whole wheat pita or naan.”
From Jaye, a team member:
“Fettuccine with Porcini Mushrooms, Asparagus and Garlic Scapes, Topped with Seared Scallops This serves one, and honestly, I'd like it better with morels, but we didn't have any morels in the store that day :) 5 dried porcini mushrooms 2 oz Whole Foods Organic fettuccine 2 sea scallops Salt & pepper to taste 1 TB canola oil 1 garlic scape, chopped (stem from the garlic bulb) 1 TB chopped shallot 1 chopped garlic clove 3 regular sized asparagus spears cut into bite-sized pieces 1 TB half and half Place the mushrooms in a bowl of warm water. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Add scallops and sear about 2 min. on each side (or to desired doneness). Remove scallops, turn heat to medium. Add shallot, sauté until wilted. Add garlic and sauté a bit longer. Use about 1/3 cup of the liquid from the mushrooms to deglaze the pan. Add mushrooms, garlic scape and asparagus. Sauté until asparagus is done, adding more liquid if needed. Remove from heat. Swirl in the half and half. Put fettuccine in pan and toss to coat. Serve topped with the scallops.”
You can check out our archived "Best Meal opens in a new tab" posts with lots of great ideas. What great meals have you made lately?
