Caroline's Lunchbox Recipes

Pesto

2008-09-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (preferably freshly grated)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a food processor, process garlic, salt, and pinenuts until finely chopped. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil and process until smooth.

Whole Wheat Pizza

2008-08-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Makes 2 12-inch pizzas

Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for kneading)
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for greasing pan)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add flours, oil, and salt to yeast mixture. Stir until well-blended. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until elastic and smooth, about 10 minutes. Add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with olive oil. Cover with a tea towel and place in an area free from drafts for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, poke dough with two fingers - if the indentation remains, the dough has risen enough. Punch dough down, cover, and let rest 5 minutes. Divide dough in half, roll or pull each one into a 12-inch circle (or a shape that resembles a circle). Place on a greased pizza pan or baking sheat sprinkled with cornmeal.

Add toppings of your choice.

Bake at 500 F for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Chard and Potatoes

2008-07-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

This easy dish is delicious served over a slice of toasted sourdough bread.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 bunch chard (1-2 lbs), stems removed
2 lbs potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, sliced thinly
1 - 2 tomatoes or 14 ounce can of diced, halved or whole tomatoes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cover potatoes with water, add salt to taste and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and chop into bite-size pieces. In a large skillet, cook chard leaves in boiling water for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and chop into bite-size pieces. Return skillet to oven and add oil and garlic. Saute garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add chard, potatoes, and tomatoes (if using). Use a large wooden spoon to break up the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2008-07-14T19:23:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 chicken (2-3 lbs)
1 head lettuce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
2 ounces rice sticks, deep fried (optional)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tablespoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon grated ginger
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Put chicken in a pot and add water to cover. Boil for 20 minutes to an hour. Remove chicken from the water. Shred the chicken. The water can be saved and used as chicken stock. If you think you’ll use the stock within a few days, refrigerate it. Otherwise, freeze it.

Wash and dry the lettuce. Tear it into bite size pieces. Sprinkle shredded chicken and rice sticks (if using) on top.

Combine soy sauce, salt, honey, and garlic in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a small pan, heat sesame oil over low heat. When hot, add ginger and green onions and gently stir fry. Add ginger and green onions to soy sauce mixture. Pour sauce over the salad. Garnish with sesame seeds (if using).

Chicken à l’Orange

2008-07-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

The New Purity Cook Book

This chicken dish is delicious over brown or white rice. Serve with steamed seasonal vegetables for a complete meal.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter
2 lbs chicken (or whole chicken cut into 8-12 pieces)
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of ginger
1 ½ cups orange juice
1 cup raisins
1 cup orange sections

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat butter until foamy. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, and ginger into pan and stir until combined. Gradually, stir in orange juice and raisins. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Stir in orange sections and heat through.

Marge's Small Batch Strawberry Jam

2008-06-22T18:59:00.001-07:00

Makes about 1 1/2 - 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 lb strawberries (organically grown if possible)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

Wash, hull, and thinly slice strawberries. In a large skillet, bring fruit, sugar, and lemon juice to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam as necessary. Cook until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly, about 5-6 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Cool to room temperature before serving. Because a minimum of sugar is used, the jam needs to be refrigerated. Refrigerate for 2-3 weeks. For longer storage, freeze or process hot jam in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Jam

2008-06-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Makes about 8 half-pints

Ingredients:

2 quarts strawberries (organically grown if possible)
1 package powdered pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
7 cups sugar

Directions:

Wash and hull strawberries. Crush using a potato masher (or hands!). Combine crushed strawberries, pectin, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace (or space at between the jam and the top of the jar). Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Rhubarb Muffins

2008-05-22T19:02:00.002-07:00

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup diced rhubarb

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a 12-compartment muffin tin.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat together egg, milk, oil in a separate bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Using a rubber scraper, combine the gredients until combined; do not over mix. The batter should be lumpy, not smooth. Fold in the rhubarb.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins. Pour 1/4 cup of water into any empty muffin tins. Bake for about 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one of them comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before taking them out.

Marinated and Baked Tofu

2008-03-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1-lb package of firm or extra firm tofu
1/3 cup hoisin sauce (my favorite brand is Lee Kum Kee)
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed

Directions:

Heat broiler (high). Slice tofu into four 1/2 inch thick rectangles. Set on paper towels to drain.

Combine the hoisin sauce, sherry, vegetable oil, and garlic in a shallow dish. I use a baking dish with a lid. Make a 1/4 inch diagonal cut on each slice of tofu. Place tofu in the dish, covering it with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

To broil, place the tofu on a cookie sheet (or other sheet)about 4 to 5 inches from the heat. Broil about 7 minutes, flipping over once, until it forms a nicely browned crust.

Ancient Grain Cereal

2007-12-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

1 cup dry mix makes 4 servings cooked cereal

Ingredients:

1 cup hulled barley
1 cup millet
1 cup whole oats
pinch of ground nutmeg
raisins (optional)

Directions:

Soak barley overnight. Spread barley, millet, whole oats on a cookie sheet and toast in preheated 350 F oven for 15 minutes.

Grind 1 cup of toasted grains in food processor or spice grinder. Put the leftover grains in a Ziplock bag or other airtight bag or container and save for another morning.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add ground cereal, nutmeg, and raisins. Stir immediately and break up the lumps. Cover and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes or until it has reached desired consistency and chewiness. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Serve with honey and milk.

Note: Other grains such as polenta and amaranth also work well in this cereal. Experiment with your favorite ancient grains. Ground flax seeds, toasted and chopped nuts, and dried fruits make delicious toppings.

Butternut Squash Risotto

2007-10-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into small dice
7 to 8 cups homemade chicken broth (or other soup stock)
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Put the diced butternut squash and 1 cup of the chicken broth into a pot. Cook until butternut squash is tender, about 5 minutes.

Heat the rest of the chicken broth in a separate pot and hold at a gentle simmer.

Melt the butter over medium heat in another wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Add onions and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Turn up the heat and add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. When the broth has been absorbed, add another ladle of broth, stir, and reduce the heat. Keep the rice at a gentle simmer (or lively bubble) and continue adding the broth, a ladle at a time letting each addition be absorbed by the rice before adding another ladle. When all of the broth has been absorbed, stir in the cooked butternut squash (including its cooking liquid) and the Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes. The risotto should be pourable but not thin. Add salt to taste.

Pumpkin Carrot Muffins

2007-09-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lori Baralt

Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned or pureed pumpkin (or any other meaty winter squash)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated carrots (or parsnips)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray, butter, or oil muffin tins. Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, and egg in a bowl. Add in carrots. In another bowl, stir the dry ingredients together. Spoon the batter into six muffin tins. Bake until browned and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 -20 minutes.