Prudent Produce Menu 8/27/12

I have to say a happy birthday to a special boy that turns 8 on 8/27!! He is my 27 week, 2 lb, 5 oz teeny baby that has grown into an amazing, difficult, wonderful, talented, athletic kid. Being a numbers girl, I always take this time to acknowledge that our experience was on the right side of the Bell curve, to all those that have had a much tougher journey than we have, I am in awe of all of you.

Whew, on to lighter things shall we? This is what I am expecting in my Prudent Produce bin this week, don't forget you can find past menu posts easily on my Pinterest board.

Standard Menu

3-Barlett Pears

3-Nectarines

2-Valencia Oranges

1-Cantaloupe Melon

4-Bananas

1-Romaine Lettuce

1-Collard Greens (local)

1-White Mushroom (.5lb)

1-Table Carrot (lb)

1-Green Bell Pepper (local)

1-Yellow Bell Pepper (local)

1-Jumbo Yellow Onion

Feta, Caramelized Onion, Spinach Quesadilla - I have not made quesadillas in such a long time. This caught my eye on Pinterest earlier this week, looks delicious!

Fajitas - cooking up a batch of fajita veggies is so versatile. Thinly slice peppers, onion, mushrooms and carrots. Quickly sautee them over a smoking hot pan with some coconut oil so they get nice and blackened. For seasoning, I add garlic salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook up meat on the side if you want (the link contains a recipe for lime marinade), or use some white flaky fish. Serve traditional fajita style with flour tortillas, shredded lettuce, cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole - or go the lighter route and omit the carby tortillas and make a salad out of it.

Pasta with Greens and Tomato Sauce - vegetarians can leave out the pancetta. Healthy comfort food, doesn't get much better than that!

Smoked Gouda Risotto with Mushrooms and Spinach - I love mushrooms. Love, love mushrooms! I don't cook with cheese nearly as much as I used to, but the smoked gouda in this recipe sounds like such a wonderful smoky complement to the veggies. Risotto is definitely not as scary as it sometimes has a reputation for. I honestly don't babysit it or stir as often as most recipes call for - I may not get the creamiest risotto as a result, but it's still darn good.

Spinach Salad with Pear, Cranberry, Hazelnut - I love how thinly sliced the pears are in this picture! I'm not the biggest fruit lover, but fruit in salads has been growing on me - especially dried cranberries. Read through some of the reviews for ideas on a few twists, substitutions to suit your tastes!

How do you celebrate birthdays in your house? I always cook my kids choice meal - this Monday it will be steak, baked potato and watermelon!

How do you feel about fruit in salad?