WIAW #18: Baseball and Basketball Games

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

Happy Wednesday – are you ready for another What I Ate Wednesday? These were my eats from YESTERDAY. I tried to switch things up a little bit in my eats – starting with breakfast. For those of you who follow me on a regular basis, you know I typically eat egg whites and veggies in the morning – I started it with a little different food! Here we go:

The day started with a 5-ish mile run with Nicole around downtown! We made sure to run by the Q (Quicken Loans Arena) where the Cavs are playing in the NBA playoffs. There were already news stations parked downtown (ESPN, etc.) and the streets were alive and decorated. Before the run I had a spoonful of honey and some water.

20150609_070405

My post-run breakfast was a homemade yogurt parfait. I had leftover yogurt at work from our last week’s smoothie party – Dannon Light & Fit – which I mixed with some frozen berries, chia seeds and flaxseed. Yum!

20150609_091423

For lunch, I had made myself a salad. I typically have leftovers but I decided to give B the leftover stir fry for today and instead I had a salad with chickpeas, quinoa, a Heinen’s veggie burger, carrots, radishes and black beans. No dressing – I’m super picky about the dressing and didn’t have any homemade dressing available.

20150609_120245

Snacks the day included a nectarine, lots of herbal tea (my office was freezing!), some radishes, some mints and a handful of nuts. Nuts not pictured.

20150609_140523 20150609_145532

B made me dinner – some whole wheat pasta with sausage from our CSA and sautéed zucchini and shallots. It was soo good and luckily I got home from work about 6:45 and we had time to eat before heading to the Indians game.

20150609_185026

We ended up spending the evening at the Indians game BEFORE watching the Cavs game so my after-dinner snack was a beer at the ballpark. I didn’t realize it was going to be this big and I admit I didn’t finish it all. I maybe should’ve gone for the ice cream 🙂 We enjoyed spending time in the ballpark watching the Indians (they lost :() but also spent time in the ballpark bar and watched the Cavs game – and watched the Cavs win!! What a perfect ending to a Tuesday … is it Friday yet?

Hellllo ginormous beer

Me and Nicole at the Indians stadium bar watching the Cavs game

That was it! That was my day. How did I do? Two questions for you:

Who are you rooting for in the NBA Finals? Cavs? Oakland? Nobody?
What’s your favorite ballpark food? If we hadn’t eaten dinner I would’ve gotten a pretzel or veggie burger. Or ice cream 🙂

Meatless Monday: Roasted Fennel and Carrots

August 11, 2014August 6, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

There are some vegetables that just shout farmers market or CSA to me. Mustard Greens. Garlic Scapes. Kohlrabi. Fennel.

I know, I know – fennel isn’t JUST from farmers markets and CSAs, but that’s literally the only time I ever end up getting it, meaning I hardly ever know what to do with it. Last year, I ended up keeping the fennel raw and preparing a Tomato, Fennel and Avocado Salad. It was good, but B didn’t like it that much – he didn’t like the texture of the fennel raw so I ended up eating most of his salad. (#winning!)

This year, week 9 of our Fresh Fork farm share came and once again we were faced with another bulb of fennel. I was determined to prepare it differently, in a way even B would enjoy. Enter, roasted fennel and carrots. Oh. Em. Gee. I may be overreacting, or just a little too excited, but I am super in love with preparing fennel this way. Even B tried it and liked it! The fennel softens and the strong anise-type flavor softens somewhat. I can’t wait to make this again!

Roasted Fennel & Carrots - i crashed the web

Roasted Fennel & Carrots

Here’s what you need:

One fennel bulb (without the stalks, but save the fronds), chopped into 1/2 inch slices
four large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Here’s what you do:

Preheat oven to 425.
Toss sliced fennel and carrots with olive oil.
Place fennel and carrots in a small casserole dish. Toss with fennel seeds and add minced garlic, salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until carrots and fennel are tender.
For added fennel taste, save the fronds and sprinkle 1-2 tsp. of the leaves on top.
Enjoy! Makes 2 side dishes or one large vegetarian main dish. For a vegetarian main dish, serve with a protein-rich grain like freekeh or quinoa, and/or a side of beans like lentils. Yum!

Roasted Fennel and Carrots - i crashed the web

fresh out of the oven!

Some questions for you:

What food or ingredient do you think of when you think of CSAs or farmers markets?
Do you enjoy fennel? How do you eat it – raw or cooked?
Do you eat your friend/significant other/child/roommate’s food if they don’t like it? I’m not judging!

Meatless Monday: Cilantro Garlic Scape Pesto

June 23, 2014June 17, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

B is one of those people who doesn’t like cilantro. He doesn’t mind it in moderation (as in 1-2 sprigs in a salad or guacamole), but that’s it. So when we received a few bunches of cilantro in our Fresh Fork summer share, I knew I’d have to make something pretty amazing that would help us use the cilantro fast. And then when I only ended up using half our garlic scapes in a stir fry one night the idea came to me – cilantro garlic scape pesto.

Looking online, I was surprised to find quite a few pesto recipes featuring cilantro, garlic scapes, and other CSA-friendly ingredients. I chose/created this one because these were the ingredients I had on hand. It’d certainly be delicious with another type of nut and an added sprinkle (or two) of parmesan!

Cilantro Garlic Scape Pesto

Cilantro Garlic Scape Pesto

Here’s what you need:

10 garlic scapes
1 bunch cilantro (roughly about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds
3 Tablespoons olive oil

Here’s what you do:

Cut up garlic scapes into 1-2 inch pieces. Add sliced scapes and cilantro to blender. Mix well.
Add in slivered almonds, continue to blend until a thick paste forms.
Add in olive oil, one tablespoonful at a time and continue to blend until paste becomes somewhat creamy. Add in extra salt, scapes, cilantro or oil to taste, as necessary.
Enjoy! Makes about 1/3 cup pesto- perfect on top of some pasta, zoodles, or even chicken (for a non-meatless dish).

Cilantro Garlic Scape Pesto

Some questions for you:

Do you have a CSA? What’s the strangest ingredient you’ve gotten?
What’s your favorite pesto recipe use? I love the basic pesto with pignoli nuts and basil.
Are you a cilantro fan? Yes I am! Love it on chicken, salsa, seafood (especially raw seafood – hello ceviche!), and more.

When Life Gives You Strawberries … Make Strawberry Bread!

June 16, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

B and I have started our second year of our Fresh Fork CSA and we’ve been having a blast each week with our new bags – we already roasted our first chicken (ok, well B roasted it), cooked up our turtle beans, and enjoyed our chorizo with an amazing fajita salad. In fact, the one thing we still hadn’t really touched this week were the strawberries we got as a bonus. I noticed they were starting to go bad, and while I would’ve loved to eat a pint of fresh stories in a day by myself, I didn’t know if my stomach would appreciate it. So, I scoured the web and my cookbooks for some strawberry dessert recipes.

I didn’t want to make a cobbler or a pie. I do like cobblers and pies – but not as much as I like breads and cookies. So I was pleased when I came upon this recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Sally’s Baking Addiction. I made only the most minor tweaks and am so pleased with how the recipe came out. The next time you have extra strawberries laying around – or just want a new bread/muffin to make, try this out! It’s a perfect summer recipe.

strawberry bread - i crashed the web

Strawberry Bread

Here’s what you need:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 cups buttermilk (I have dry buttermilk on hand – this was 8 TBS + 2 c water)
2/3 cup canola oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hopped, and tossed in 2 Tablespoon of flour and 1 Tablespoon sugar

Here’s what you do:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 2 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together until combined and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs and sugars together until combined. Add in buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently combine until there are no more lumps. Do NOT overmix, this results in a tough bread. Fold in the strawberries.
Pour batter into bread pans. Bake the bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick poked into the center of the bread comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely.
Batter can also be made into 24 muffins; bake muffins for 15-18 minutes at 350 also.

strawberry muffins - i crashed the web

Some questions for you:

Do you participate in a CSA? Or buy your produce, etc. locally?
What’s your favorite strawberry-themed food? Is it a pie or cobbler or ice cream?
Favorite muffin or bread? Zucchini bread – love my mom’s recipe.
Muffins or bread? Usually bread- like banana bread or zucchini bread. But muffins help with portion control – and sharing!

Friday Five: Coming Up …

April 25, 2014 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

April may be flying by but I’m pretty much enjoying every speedy minute of it. The end of the month means that I have some fabulous things to look forward to:

1. DAZZLE the District!

I am SO excited for this event – happening NEXT FRIDAY. The Dazzle the District celebration is a big party happening in my neighborhood that in honor of some new renovations – lights, video signage, elegant gateways, a humongous “retro” sign inspired by PlayhouseSquare’s 1920s-era roots and the world’s largest outdoor chandelier. Yes, I will be living near the world’s largest outdoor chandelier. Anyway, there’s going to be a big party with happy hours, Hot Chelle Rae Concert and a lighting ceremony. I CAN’T wait. You better bet I’ll be tweeting/Instagramming/etc. with the hashtag, #DazzleCLE.

I walk by here every day pretty much .. here’s where the chandelier will be!

Love the new gateways – and they’re lit up at night!

New gateway in the area

2. Cleveland 10-Miler

The Cleveland 10-Miler is this weekend! It’s a race I’ve grown to love (yes, I said “love” about a 10 mile race) over the years. The crowds, the weather, the people running it, the after-party events, the medal, the Gu/water stops, the t-shirt and even the route. The last time I ran it I was training for a marathon and had already run 10 miles before the start (and had the last 10 miles of my 20 mile run be the race) so this weekend I’m happy to be “only” running these 10 miles.

3. Races for a Good Cause – A Better World for Autism 5K

The spring and summer are full of 5ks that support various causes. This weekend, B and I will be participating in a race that supports a cause that’s definitely close to us, autism awareness. B’s aunt is active in the organization hosting the race, so we’ll be driving down after our 10-miler to join their family in this event. Who knows if I’ll feel good enough to run in it, but I’m looking forward to being part of the event!

4. Summer Farmers Markets and CSAs!

Now that summer is almost here, it means our CSA is about to begin! B and I signed up once again for Fresh Fork Market and I can’t wait to see what new meats, vegetables, cheese, pasta, etc. we receive this year. I had a blast trying out new recipes and cooking many new greens last year (check out some of my Fresh Fork wrap ups, including what we got and what we made). Some of my favorites included:

Kohlrabi Slaw … I’m so happy that Fresh Fork introduced me to Kohlrabi – now I’m hooked!

Fennel, tomato and avocado salad

BEER CAN CHICKEN

5. Our 3rd Wedding Anniversary

Next week will mark 3 years that B and I have been married. Wild, huh? It honestly feels like yesterday (cliche, I know) that we were just dating, not even engaged. Wow, times have changed. Please join me for a walk down memory lane (warning, cheesiness ahead)

OK, i know this is before we met, but I couldn’t help myself. 🙂

Dressed up for a formal, senior year of college.

A Turkey Trot, circa 5 years ago. check it out – B IS WEARING A HERMES 10 MILER SHIRT! (yes, this post just went full circle)

Halloween. We were the robots from Flight of the Conchords.

And from this past year – us in Seattle

A few questions for you:

What are a few things you’re looking forward to as April draws to an end?
So apparently the 3rd anniversary is your “leather” anniversary. Quick, what are a few leather gifts?
Any fun races coming up?
Clevelanders – will I see you at Dazzle the District?
Has a CSA or Farmers Market introduced you to any new foods? Yup, kohlrabi! I love it roasted and as a slaw but when I first saw it I thought it was an alien. No joke. It scared me.

Crock Pot Lentils and Kale

August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

Some nights for dinner I just want something healthy, easy, filling AND tasty – is that so much to ask for?

Most nights I can get 3 of the 4. Pasta with meatballs – tasty, easy, filling, but not super healthy (especially when served with a chunk of crusty bread and fresh mozzarella .. OMG I can taste that goodness now). Homemade black bean burgers with sweet potato fries and braised kale – tasty, filling, healthy but not really super easy (well it’s easy .. just takes time to prepare). So last week when I was “cleaning” out my fridge and found some leftover kale from our CSA and an onion – and then of course found lentils and canned tomatoes in our pantry – a light bulb went off. I realized that combining all those ingredients would most definitely satisfy all of the above! Healthy? Obviously! Easy? Yes – I’d be using my crock pot. Filling? Of course – 1 cup of this dish has about 15 g. of protein (and more if you pair it with chicken). Tasty? Um, anything with lentils and kale in my opinion is tasty (I understand if you disagree).

Enjoy the following “recipe.” I literally just threw everything in my crock pot, googled “lentil crock pot cooking times” and hoped for the best. And it worked! Serve as is, or with chicken, which B had. He actually looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if he wanted anything with the lentils for dinner. “You mean, do I just want lentils and kale for dinner? Am I a rabbit?” – may or may not be exactly what he said. I also sprinkled Penzeys vindaloo seasoning on my leftovers which made for an awesome Indian-type dish.

crock pot lentils and kale - i crashed the web

Crock Pot Lentils and Kale

Here’s what you need:

2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups chopped kale (don’t forget to remove the stems)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-2 tablespoons cumin
2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken, if you don’t mind if it’s not vegetarian)
1 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Here’s what you do:

Rinse lentils. Add to crock pot with onion, garlic, canned tomatoes and kale.
Add spices — ginger, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Mix all ingredients within crock pot. Pour broth and water over mixture.
Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours.
Enjoy! Serve alone, or as a side dish with chicken if your husband gasps at the thought of just eating lentils and kale alone.

Enjoy! As you can see, it’s not the prettiest dish, but it’s healthy, filling and SUPER EASY.

slow cooker lentils and kale - i crashed the web

PS – Here are some more of my favorite crock pot dishes. You MUST try the jambalaya!

Fresh Fork Week 8 – And Fennel, Tomato and Avocado Salad {Recipe}

August 5, 2013August 3, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

How are we already EIGHT weeks into our Fresh Fork summer share? It may seem weird to say this – and somewhat cheesy – but I feel like it’s become a part of B and me. We look forward to picking up our weekly share, trying the new recipes and enjoying all the glorious fresh produce and some other local grub (those local corn chips … and local oats … and more – were SO good!).

Anyway, enough blabbering with how much I am loving my Fresh Fork. Here’s what we got this week:

1 lb grassfed ground beef
1 bulb fennel
3# red skin potatoes
1 candy onion
1 head red cabbage
1 lb yellow beans
1 cucumber
1 dozen eggs
1 pint sweet cherries
1 quart apricots

And a blurry photo of what we got (I may have been at Parnell’s for happy hour before the pick up):

fresh fork week 8

We’ve finished pretty much everything, minus the beef, which is in our freezer until B figures out what he wants to do with it. Because I don’t really like ground beef unless it’s in a meatball. Even then I prefer turkey. It happens.

Some of our meals:

B made this dish, featuring the cabbage (doesn’t it look professional?!)

pork and cabbage

We had a wine and cheese night – and the apricots went deliciously with it!

wine and cheese

A summery meal featuring potato salad from the potatoes (and the corn, tomato and eggplant are from week 9 – shhhh yes I’m skipping ahead)

20130803_203724

And my favorite (well, not my favorite – the pork and cabbage was probably the best, but don’t tell B) – fennel, tomato and avocado salad – which we enjoyed with the beer can chicken.

20130728_174833

You can make the fennel salad too – it was really easy so here’s another non-recipe for you to enjoy for the next time you get fennel. There was something just so delicious about the sweetness of the fennel with the bitterness of the balsamic. And who doesn’t like tomato and avocado?

fennel tomato and avocado salad {i crashed the web}

Fennel, Tomato & Avocado salad

Here’s what you need:

1 bulb fennel
2 fresh tomatoes
1 ripe avocado
Your favorite balsamic vinaigrette. Don’t have one? Make your own! Here’s my favorite recipe – it makes more than enough for this salad plus more:
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed or minced

Here’s what you do:

Cut up the first three ingredients. Chop up the fennel bulb into 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut up tomato into thin slices. Find a ripe avocado and cut it into bite sized pieces.
Arrange tomato, avocado, and fennel on a plate.
Drizzle about 1-2 tbs of your favorite balsamic dressing over the salad. If you’re making mine, combine vinegar, oil, mustard and garlic in a jar and shake well to combine before drizzling a little over the salads. You’ll have leftover dressing for later.
Enjoy!

Fennel, tomato and avocado salad

For other Fresh Fork Recaps:

Beer Can Chicken

July 31, 2013July 29, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

We got another 5-lb chicken in our Fresh Fork delivery last week. ANOTHER chicken! Just when I thought I was done sticking my hand inside that cavity to find the giblets … nevermind, I digress.

I already made pretty much the best roast chicken ever (Thanks Mom!) … and I don’t have a deep fryer … so what was I to do with another 5-lb chicken? One of my coworkers, Gail, kept suggesting I make Beer Can Chicken. I have to admit – I was skeptical. Beer Can Chicken? Didn’t that involve sticking a beer up a chicken? That wasn’t something I was really ready to do.

The chicken and the beer can meet … it gets more awkward. (Yes, I have red/white/blue Bud cans)

But when we picked up the chicken, I still didn’t really know what to do with it. And so when I asked B, and he also suggested Beer Can Chicken, I knew it was likely a done deal. So I found a few different highly-rated recipes and decided to give it a try. The result? Awkward? Yes. I may have had a few conversations with the chicken while I was making it. They kinda went like this:

Me: (As I’m pushing the chicken on top of the beer can) Oh boy, I’m so sorry…soo sorry..so sorry Mr. chicken!

B: Who are you talking to?

Me: Uhh, the chicken?

B: Why? What are you saying?

Me: I may be apologizing. I just feel so rude … I’m literally sticking a beer can up this chicken’s … umm …

B: You realize it’s dead, right?

Me: (starting to feel sheepish) Yes …

B: And you realize you already stuck your whole hand inside of it to clean it and take out the giblets, right?

Me: I still have no idea where these giblets are! I think I got another giblet-less chicken!

Okay, that’s probably not word-for-word what happened … but you get the idea. And then when the can had to come out of the chicken? That was even worse. Anyway, if you think you can bring yourself to stick a beer can inside a chicken, then this recipe is for you. Pretty simple, pretty delicious – and the leftovers are just as good!

beer can chicken | i crashed the web

Beer Can Chicken (based on this recipe)

Here’s what you need:

1/2 c. garlic powder
1 tbs salt
2 tbs onion powder
1 tbs oregano (I used dried)
1 tbs basil (I used dried)
1 tbs parsley (I used dried)
freshly ground black pepper
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans light-flavored beer (I had Budweiser®)
1 whole chicken (mine was 5-lb)
1 yellow onion, chopped into one inch pieces
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped into one inch pieces
5 stalks celery, chopped into one inch pieces

Here’s what you do:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Clean and rinse chicken. This where you’re supposed to discard the giblets, but I honestly didn’t find them. Again. Anyway, wash the inside of the chicken and dry it completely.
Mix the seasonings together in a small bowl – garlic powder, salt, onion powder, dried oregano, basil, parsley, and ground black pepper.
Pour 1/3 of one can of beer into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place the open beer can (2/3 full) in the center of the baking dish.
Place the chicken, legs down over the open beer can. With the breast of the chicken facing you, use a knife to cut a small slit on each side of the front of the chicken and insert the tip of each wing into each slit. It will look like it’s crossing its arms.
Rub the dry seasoning mixture over the entire chicken. Place chopped veggies in pan surrounding chicken. Open the remaining beer and pour 1/2 of it into the pan under the chicken and over the veggies. Save the remaining beer.
Bake the chicken for about 45 minutes and then pour remaining beer into the pan around the chicken. Continue baking for about 45 more minutes or until the juices run clear. A meat thermometer should read 165-170 degrees when inserted at the thickest part of the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the oven and remove the beer can. Be careful – it’s hot!
Cover the chicken with aluminum foil, and allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy with veggies!

Before …

After!

Summer Yellow Beans with Onions, Lentils and Toasted Almonds (And a mini Fresh Fork Week 7 Recap)

July 23, 2013July 22, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

I’m slacking off this week. Thursday after our CSA pickup, I didn’t take a picture of everything we got. Shocker, I know … but I can assure you that nearly everything has been eaten AND enjoyed already. Here’s what we got:

1 whole chicken, approx 5 lbs
1 lb yellow wax beans or green beans
1 shallot
1 candy onion
1 bunch swiss chard
1 pint blueberries
1 quarter peck cling peaches

We haven’t used the chicken yet (I hope to make something yummy this weekend …. and don’t worry, I hope NOT to have another giblet incident again) but have already enjoyed the blueberries, peaches, swiss chard, beans and onion!

Here are some photos instead of how we’ve enjoyed the food:

Perfect snack – blueberries and peaches!

Dinner! Veggies are all Fresh Fork – sauteed swiss chard, balsamic marinated salmon, and yellow beans with lentils, onions & toasted almonds (recipe below!)

And now – what we did with all the yellow string beans. Besides eat them as snacks – because I definitely did that. Yes, I brought a baggie of them into work – they were so sweet and perfect as a crunchy snack! But then I only had 1/2 pound left for dinner (shh don’t tell B that I ate the rest) – so I had to supplement them with some other stuff, like lentil and onions – which meant they actually came out awesome! Even B really liked them – he asked me multiple times how I had made them, and not in a weird, eew how did you make this type voice, so I take that as a good thing.

Summer Yellow Beans with Onions Lentils and Toasted Almonds ~ I Crashed The Web

Summer Yellow Beans with Onions, Lentils and Toasted Almonds

Here’s what you need:

12-15 almonds
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 candy onions, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound yellow string beans with the ends cut off
1/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth if you are a vegetarian
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups lentils, already cooked (or 1 15-oz can if you don’t have any prepared)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Here’s what you do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once preheated, toast the almonds on a baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes or until they start to take on a darker color and begin to smell. Watch them – you do NOT want them to burn!
While almonds are toasting, boil some water in a large pot. Add the beans and cook for about 3-5 minutes until they’ve begun to soften slightly. Drain beans.
In a large nonstick pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and diced onions and cook until onions are translucent. Add half of broth and cook until broth starts to disappear.
Add beans and rest of broth and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until beans start to get tender. Add the Italian seasoning and lentils. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until entire dish is warmed through. Transfer beans to a serving bowl.
Sprinkle with toasted almonds and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Finely chop the almonds and toast for 5-10 minutes at 350.

Get some awesome onions from your CSA. You may have to clean them off.

Dice the onions and sautee with garlic. Add part of broth and cook until broth cooks down.

Summer Yellow Beans with Onions, Lentils and Toasted Almonds {I Crashed The Web}

Boil the trimmed beans for a few minutes.

When onions are soft, add green beans, rest of broth and cook for a few minutes. Then add seasoning and lentils and cook a little more.

Put in a fun plate and top with toasted almonds.

Enjoy!

For other Fresh Fork Recaps:

Fresh Fork CSA Week Four And An Asian-Inspired Bok Choy Stir Fry {Recipe}

July 2, 2013June 30, 2013 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Week Four of Fresh Fork was the first week that did not include any meat. I know, right – that meant tons of even more great greens and other veggies. And cheese! OH cheese. How do I love thee. Anyway, I digress. We picked up Week Four and were greeted with the following:

everything from our bag (minus the camera-shy cherries)

Week 4:

1 dz eggs
1 head large stem bok choy
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 head baby bok choy
1 6 oz piece Charloe cheese
1 lb bag snow peas
1 head broccoli
1 lb sweet cherries
1 bunch beets with tops
1 bunch spinach
2 ct zucchini
1 quart strawberries

This week did the following:

Bok choy, baby bok choy, snow peas, broccoli: I made an awesome Asian-inspired stir fry. I had never cooked with bok choy before but was excited to stir fry it with some of the other veggies we had. I’m pretty pleased with the results and am sharing the recipe below.
Eggs: Breakfast and baking! I just made some awesome peanut butter cookies that are also blog-worthy.
Lettuce: Salads for lunch.
Cherries: SO delicious! B isn’t usually a cherry fan and they are not typically my fruit of choice but they were so delicious. I’m sad they are gone.
Strawberries: These were pretty ripe when we got them and I knew we wouldn’t be able to finish them AND the cherries right away so I froze them. Can’t wait to decide what to do with those!
Spinach: sauteed in a little olive oil and garlic and enjoyed for breakfast with my eggs.
Zucchini: TBD. I was going to roast them like last week but haven’t had time – I may just blend them up and save for future zucchini bread baking.
fresh fork week 4 prepared

Yup. That’s it. Nothing else to report on. What’s that? You notice I missed the beets and you’re you’re dying to know how I prepared them? Don’t worry, I’ll feature them on an upcoming meatless Monday post. And let you know what to do if you also spill them all over your white dress. Not like that has ever happened to me.

asian inspired bok choy stir fry with baby bok choy sugar snap peas and broccoli

Asian-Inspired Bok Choy Stir Fry

Here’s what you need:

1 Tablespoon olive oil (you may need a little more if you have a ton of bok choy like I did)
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 Tbs powdered ginger (you could use fresh ginger but I didn’t have any so the spice from my spice rack had to do)
2 large bunches of chopped fresh bok choy – I used all the bok choy we had which was a LOT. One huge bunch bok choy plus a bunch of baby bok choy
1 c chopped broccoli
1 c snow peas
2-3 Tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
Sriracha to taste

Here’s what you do:

Chop up bok choy. Not sure how to do this? This is a pretty good video to show you how.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
Add broccoli and snow peas and cook 2-3 minutes.
Add bok choy, soy sauce and ginger powder. Bok choy cooks up pretty fast, so keep an eye on it. Recipes I had said it could be done in as little as 5 minutes, but since I had SO much in the pan it took me more like 10 minutes. The bok choy is done when the green parts are dark green and wilted and the stalks are crispy but tender and flavorful.
Add sriracha to taste. I like mine spicy so I added a good drizzle over the top.