Kid Friendly, Chock full of Veggies Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

1 can tomato paste
2-3 zucchini
2-3 summer squash
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 bag baby carrots
2-3 sweet potatoes
1 butternut squash
1.5-2 lbs ground beef
olive oil

Directions:
Half the butternut squash, put face down and cook in over on 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Wash sweet potato and cook with squash.
Dice zucchini and summer squash very small and saute in olive oil. When soft, add tomato paste and let simmer and thing out.
Add in all other tomato products.
Brown ground beef then add to sauce.
Steam carrots, puree and add to sauce.
When squash and sweet potato are cooked, remove skin, and puree together. Add to sauce.

Recipe from Kris- I believe its a variation on the Deceptively Delicious tomato sauce. Willy loves this sauce! :)

Crock Pot Root Vegetables

--2 pounds carrots

--2 pounds rutabagas

--2 pounds parsnips

--1/2 cup chopped parsley

--3 T olive oil

--1 tsp kosher salt

--1 tsp black pepper

--1 tsp basil

The Directions.

Peel all of your vegetables, and cut into 2-inch chunks. Chop the parsley.Put all the vegetables into your crockpot, and add the olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat fully coat the vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5. The vegetables are done when they have reached desired tenderness. I cooked ours on low for 6 hours, then on high for about 90 minutes.

(Jen's Notes: I make this with whatever I have on hand: turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash. Just nothing too flimpsy that couldn't withstand being cooked for a longer period of time)

from: A Year of Crockpotting

Squash Casserole

Ingredients:
7 yellow squash, sliced
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch green onions, tops thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed buttery round crackers

Directions:
•Preheat oven to 350 F
•Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add squash and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
•To the squash add milk, butter, eggs, green onion tops, salt, pepper and sugar; mix well. Transfer to a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and crushed crackers.
•Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Garlic Scape Frittata

Ingredient

1 bunch garlic scape
1 bunch swiss chard or kale
1 small summer squash
1 small onion
4 eggs
1/2 cup mozzarella
salt and pepper
cooking spray

1. Chop scapes and chard into 2 inch pieces. Chop squash and onion.

2. Spray cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add scapes, chard. Cook for about 20-25 minutes over medium heat. Stir frequently. Add cooking spray when necessary.

3. Add onions and squash and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Crack eggs and blend. Add more cooking spray, add eggs and lower the heat. Add cheese and cook until the eggs set and the cheese melts. Remove from pan and enjoy.

Recipe care of Gayle Elsberry :)

Emeril's Mongolian Style BBQ

Emeril's Mongolian Style BBQ

Ingredients:
For the base marinade:
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
½ cup sake
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 bunch scallions, green and white parts chopped

For the pork: 1 pound pork loin, sliced thinly on the bias 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 limes, juiced
For the chicken:1 cup orange juice 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the vegetables:2 zucchinis, thinly sliced 2 summer squash, thinly sliced
For serving:1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and separated into leaves 1 cup mung bean sprouts Kimchi Steamed short grain sticky rice

First, make the base marinade by whisking all of the sauce ingredients together in a large, non-reactive bowl. Once it's combined well, separate the sauce into three containers, which will be for the pork, chicken and veggies.

For the pork marinade, add the crushed red pepper and lime juice to the marinade in the first container and then add the pork loin, turning the pieces to coat. Cove the container and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

For the chicken, add the orange juice to the base marinade in the second container and add the chicken, turning to coat. Cover the container and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

For the veggies, simply add the zucchini and summer squash to the base marinade in the last container and toss to coat. Cover the container and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Heat a griddle to medium high and when hot brush with 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Remove the vegetables from the marinade and lay them on the griddle. Cook the vegetables until just tender and move to the cooler side of the griddle. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce to the vegetables, when bubbly remove the vegetables and transfer to a serving platter. Keep warm in the oven while cooking the meats.

Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil to the griddle. Remove the pork and chicken from their marinades. When the griddle is hot add the chicken on one side of the griddle and the pork on the other. Do not over crowd the griddle, if necessary cook in batches. Cook the pork for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cook the chicken for 8 minutes per side, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 170 degrees.

Transfer the cooked meat to the warm serving platter with vegetables.

This meal is best served family style, with the lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, kimchi, and sticky rice alongside the warm platter of meat and vegetables.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings