Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with Seasonal Veggies and Tofu

Man, oh man. Thank you again Mooney Farms for the delicious sun dried tomato products!

Mooney Farms is a family owned business in California and is the largest producer of sun dried tomatoes in the U.S. They really know their stuff, because these suckers were DELICIOUS! I snacked the package of spicey sun dried tomatoes within days, and have been slathering the pesto on just about everything. I'm saving those julienned tomatoes in oil for something special this Winter, but i whipped up a delicious meal of seasonal veggies, tofu and sun dried tomato pesto the other night to my family's delight.



Although we left our veggie gardens back in Austin, I've had unlimited access to fresh, organic produce from Gathering Together Farm where my husband works. Me is one lucky wifey! You can't beat fresh, organic veggies and our health is as good or better than ever: having access to so many varieties of vegetable is even better than growing my own limited supply in a harsh, hot climate. This meal featured purple potatoes, perky chard, fresh tomatoes, zucchini and of course the lycopine packed sundried tomato pesto. Yum!

Chop all the ingredients (could use any seasonal veggies) and toss in according to cooking times. Potatoes and chard stalks first, zucchini, herbs and sauce second, chard greens last. Add tofu or meat for added protein at the beginning to absorb all the flavors. Chard should be cooked like spinach, until just wilted but not dessicated. Adding some lemon juice to leafy greens helps avoid discoloration.

Serve with some fresh tomato and mozz on top and you're in heaven!

You can learn more about Mooney Farms, their family history and their products at their website www.MooneyFarms.com and can like them on Facebook too! They're one of my page's favorites. They even have a Twitter feed for those of you tweet-a-holics. You can really taste the quality in these products!

Wholesome Wednesdays: Green Beans

I looooooove me some green beans. I occasionally save up enough to make a delicious green bean casserole (no cream of mushroom soup allowed in my house, though - i use chicken or turkey stock and delicious herbs and veggies) but usually eat them fresh or marinated in tangy salads.
Last year i grew tri colored beans: quite prolific and delicious. This year i planted some unknown variety passed on to me from my step mama. They seem to be doing well climbing the corn, but are putting on fewer beans than i'm used to. Not sure if it is lack of sunshine from the corn leaves, or too much energy going in to climbing above the corn instead of making beans. What beans there have been have been munched directly in the garden.

Let's see the health attributes of the delicious green  (or purple or yellow) bean.

Well that looks pretty darn good! A whole cup of beans is only 34 calories and pretty high in fiber and protein. I love it when veggies i love so much are so good for you!

According to the World's Healthiest Foods (which is a great website that you should visit and bookmark right now!):

Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. Plus green beans are very good source of vitamin A (notably through their concentration of carotenoids including beta-carotene), dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and iron. And, green beans are a good source of magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorus, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin. 

The vitamin K provided by green beans-25% of the daily value in one cup-is important for maintaining strong bones. Vitamin K1 helps prevent excessive activation of osteoclasts, the cells responsible for breaking down bone. In addition, friendly bacteria in our intestines convert some K1 into K2, which activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone. 

For atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, few foods compare to green beans in their number of helpful nutrients. Green beans are a very good source of vitamin A, notably through their concentration of beta-carotene, and an excellent source of vitamin C. These two nutrients are important antioxidants that work to reduce the amounts of free radicals in the body, vitamin C as a water-soluble antioxidant and beta-carotene as a fat-soluble one. This water-and-fat-soluble antioxidant team helps to prevent cholesterol from becoming oxidized. Oxidized cholesterol is able to stick to and build up in blood vessel walls, where it can cause blocked arteries, heart attack or stroke. Getting plenty of beta-carotene and vitamin C can help prevent these complications, and a cup of green beans will provide you with 16.6% of the daily value for vitamin A along with 20.2% of the daily value for vitamin C.    (Green beans are good for the heart!!!)    -WHFoods

Not only that - green beans give you energy (full of iron), have healthful antioxidants, boost the immune system and are anti-immflamatory, something i need to think of more often with my aging joints.

So, go eat some fresh beans! 
Serving ideas:

• Right off the vine
• Steamed ever so briefly and served with homemade butter and a pinch of salt
• As an alternative to carrots or celery to dip in hummus (or ranch if you want to negate the healthfulness)
• Wrap in a foil packet with a little sesame or olive oil, salt or soy, and diced garlic and throw on the grill

My Version of Quiche, A Recipe

Sure, quiche can be creamy, cheesy, sickeningly decadent. But it can also be healthy, full of veggies and protein, and remain delicious.

I usually make quiche without a crust, but per husband's request i have used some leftover pie crust (flour, salt, shortening and crushed pecans). You can do this without a crust, just spray pan well with non stick.

I'm lucky enough to have a garden brimming with (not frozen thank goodness!) tasty veggies and herbs, as well as 4 prolific chickens in the back yard. All the ingredients i need, except the milk or cheese. I have so many herbs to choose from, it's a difficult decision - but since i usually flavor things with sage and rosemary so i think i'll mix it up and flavor this dish with cilantro, spinach, and sorrel.  This could also be healthier by using just egg whites, and by omitting all cheese and crust - but really a little cheese is too yummy to be missed.  I'll try and spare myself the extra calories by serving the husband most of the quiche and eating my quiche along with a garden fresh salad. We'll see how THAT goes.

Not So Evil Quiche:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 cup milk
• herbs: about 1 T chopped cilantro, 2 big, chopped leaves sorrel, dash cumin and chilly powder
  
• broccoli, florets and/or greens about 1/2 cup
  
• onions, i used onion greens, about 1/2 cup
  
• 4 leaves or more  spinach
• 2 large leaves kale
  
• 9 cloves roasted garlic, or fresh garlic
• salt and pepper
• diced hot chillies, i used 2 habaneros
  
• small red potato, microwaved
• cheese, any kind about a handful. I usually use less, but i was being nice to the hubby
  

Since i'm using a pie crust i'll start by rolling it out thinly and lining a 1.5 quart sized pyrex dish (you could use a pie plate to form a thinner quiche, maybe shorter cooking time). Next I chop up all the veggies to be similarly sized and quickly saute them in a smidgeon of olive oil or nonstick spray. Saute just until onions soften a bit and greens just wilt.
Scramble the eggs with the herbs and milk, add the sauteed veg and pour into the pyrex dish on top of the crust. I cut up some melty polish cheese into small chunks and dropped them into the mixture fafter pouring to be sure they're equally distributed. You can also shred some on top.
Bake at 375 for about 30-40 minutes. I baked for 20 minutes then switched to the convection setting and baked an additional18 minutes. This quiche was pretty thick so i wanted to be sure and solidify all the egg.
Doneness can be tested by poking with a chopstick to see if egg goo comes out, and by squishing the top to test resistance. Edges should brown and the eggs should puff up and bounce back when you press down.

Apologies for the crappy finished product pic: Chuck was about to start and we were hungry!
The quiche was quite delicious and super satisfying. My salad hit the spot and my wedge of quiche was followed up by only another tiny piece with a piece leftover for my breakfast this morning.

NOTE TO SELF for later: next quiche i'd like to try a pesto quiche. Have plenty of pesto in the freezer,  i think that could be deeelicious.

What's your favorite quiche recipe? Do you prefer vegetarian quiche, quiche with meat, decadent or low fat?