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NOAH |
Neighbors Organized Against Hunger |
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Below are the recipes that were posted during April 2009
The hosting orgionization for April was
Rotary Club of Rancho Cotati
April's coordinator was
Rich Rackerby
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Recipes for the week of April 29, 2009 |
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Many of you will have received sweet potatoes in your grocery bags this week. Sweet potatoes are an excellent and nutritious food and they may be served in many ways other than all gooped up with brown sugar and marshmallows.
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Sweet Potatoes, just like white potatoes, work well in your microwave. Just wash the sweet potato and poke a few holes in it with a fork. Place it in your microwave at the normal setting and nuke for three to five minutes. They are lovely just mashed and eaten with a bit of butter. Try adding a wee bit of ground nutmeg and or powdered ginger. Let them cool a bit and they are fun to eat just out of hand. |
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One medium sweet potato provides
Calories 130
Fat 0.39 g
Protein 2.15 g
Net Carbs 31.56 g
Dietary Fiber 3.9 g
Source: US Department of Agriculture |
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Most of us mistake sweet potatoes for yams. In the U.S. you will hardly ever find a true yam. Sweet potatoes vary greatly in color and texture. The sweetest and most moist are the dark reddish ones, which are indeed sweet potatoes and not yams.
When I was a kid I wasn’t allowed to eat candy. My mom often bakes sweet potatoes and kept them in the fridge. I loved them as a sweet snack. Try it. Much healthier than a candy bar or even the so called, “High Energy Bars.”
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Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Serves 4 to 6
1 or 2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil
1 white or yellow onion, diced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 or 2 apples, peeled and diced
4 cups of water |
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1 tablespoon powdered chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each, dry dill weed, ground nutmeg and powdered ginger – (optional)
1/4 dry chili flakes or cayenne – (optional)
2 cups milk, 1/2 & 1/2, or cream, or 1 can of condensed milk
Black pepper to taste
1green onions chopped, including the green part or about a tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the oil in a heavy pot and gently sauté the onion and garlic until pinkish and translucent but not yet beginning to brown. Add the sweet potato and apple and stir to coat evenly with the oil in the pot. Add the water, bouillon and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer, cover and continue cooking until the sweet potatoes and apples are soft. Using a potato masher or an immersible blender, purée or mash the mixture. Add the cream and continue to cook just until hot through. Season to taste with pepper and stir in the green onion or cilantro just before serving. Serve with soft, warm tortillas. |
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Sweet Potato and Apple Salad
Serves 4 to 6
2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
2 apples, cored and diced but not peeled
About 1/2 a sweet purple onion, cut into thin rings
1 stalk of celery, sliced thinly
1 or 2 green onions, chopped, including most of the green part
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1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon brown mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and carefully put into boiling water. Cook until they may be easily pierced with a fork. Be careful not to over cook them or they will be mushy. Drain immediately and put into cold water until cool. Drain well and put into a bowl. Add the apples, onion, celery and green onions and toss gently. Mix the oil vinegar, sugar or honey and mustard together well and drizzle over the salad. Serve on a bed of crisp lettuce.
You may substitute your favorite commercial dressing for the oil and vinegar mixture.
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Sweet Potato Soft Tacos
Makes 6 to 8
2 or 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced small
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive or other vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
About half of a sweet red pepper, diced – (optional)
About 1 cup of frozen or canned corn – (optional) |
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1/2 teaspoon chili powder
A pinch of dry chili flakes – (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Some chopped fresh cilantro – (optional)
Heated tortillas
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and carefully put into boiling water. Cook only until just tender. You don’t want them mushy. Drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and gently sauté the onion and garlic until the onion until pinkish and translucent and just beginning to brown around the edges. Add the pepper and continue to sauté for another minute or two, or until it is hot through and beginning to soften a bit. Add the corn and seasonings and cook until all is hot through. Spoon into warmed tortillas and serve. They may be enhanced with a sprinkling of mild cheese or a dollop of sour cream if available. |
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Broccoli
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Oh Joy! Broccoli is an extremely healthy and tasty food, particularly if you don’t cook it to death. I often just cut it into spears, steam it and serve it with a bit of olive oil, or garlic that has been lightly sautéed in olive oil. Also try just steaming it and serving with a bit of butter or olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
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One Serving of Broccoli (about 1 cup) Provides
Calories 30
Fat .35 g
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 30 mg
Cabohydrate 5 g
Protein 3g
Dietary Fiber 3.5 g |
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Braised Broccoli and Garlic
Serves 4 to 6
About 1 ½ pounds of broccoli
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive or other vegetable oil
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon |
A pinch of dry chili flakes – (optional)
Black pepper
Trim the broccoli into spears and steam until tender but not mushy. Don’t let it get really soft. It should still have just a bit of crunch to it. Drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and gently sauté the garlic over medium heat until hot through but not yet brown. Add the broccoli and toss gently to coat all sides with the oil. Stir the bouillon into the hot water and add to the skillet. Add the chili flakes if using and the pepper. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about five minutes. Serve hot. This goes well with rice or pasta.
Variation: If you have them, add a few sliced mushrooms when you add the broccoli to the skillet.
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Simple Broccoli a Gratin
Serves 4 to 6
About 1 ½ pounds of broccoli cut into florets
1 can favorite condensed cream soup – (mushroom, celery, chicken etc.)
About 1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs
About 1/2 cup grated cheese
Trim the broccoli into florets and steam until tender but not soft. Drain well and place in a baking dish. Pour a can of condensed cream soup over it and stir gently. Toss the breadcrumbs and cheese together and scatter over the top. Bake in a 350° oven until the cheese has melted. Serve hot as meal in its self or as a side dish. |
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Mediterranean Broccoli Skillet
Serves 4 to 6
About 2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced
About 1 ½ pounds of broccoli, trimmed into cut into bite size pieces
1/2 a red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
About 1/ 2 a cup of sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon mixed dry herbs – (Italian seasoning) |
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1/2 teaspoon powdered chicken or beef bouillon, stirred into 1/2 cup of hot water
Black pepper to taste
About 1/2 pound of pasta, cooked
Parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and over a medium heat, gently sauté the onion and garlic until just beginning to brown. Add the broccoli, pepper and mushrooms. Stir the bouillon into the water and add to the skillet. Stir gently, cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to cook over a low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to desired degree of doneness. Drain and add to the broccoli. Season to taste with pepper and add a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
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Pasta
Pasta is one of the most versatile foods you can have in your pantry. You don’t have to have tomatoes to make pasta. Sure, pasta in traditional red sauce is great, but it’s far from the only way to serve it. Below are just a few tasty ideas for serving pasta without red sauce.
1. Try serving pasta simply dressed with a bit of butter and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese if you have it. If you have any fresh herbs like parsley, dill weed, basal, chives or green onions, mince them and add as well.
2. Put some olive or other vegetable oil in a heavy skilled and gently sauté chopped or thinly sliced garlic, (a lot of it) until it is just beginning to turn golden. Add a bit of butter or margarine and pour over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese if you have it. |
3. To either of the above two ways of serving pasta, add some chopped or sliced, pitted black olives.
| 4. Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive or other vegetable oil in a heavy skillet. Gently sauté several cloves of garlic and an onion that has been diced, until they are translucent and pinkish. Then add a teaspoon of mixed dry herbs, (Italian seasoning) and some coarsely chopped or sliced vegetables like broccoli, green beans, cauliflower or squash. Add a bit of water or broth or bouillon, cover with a lid and simmer until the vegetables are tender to your liking. I like my vegetables to still have a bit of crunch to them. If you have any tomatoes, (fresh or canned) dice them and add about three or four minutes before serving. Drain your pasta and add to the vegies. Cook for another minute or two, just until all is hot through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. |
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5. Stir a bit of butter or margarine into hot, fresh cooked pasta and add some frozen peas. No need to cook the peas first. Just put them in a colander and pour boiling water over them. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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6. A true Pasta Alfredo does not come out of a jar. Simply sauté a lot of garlic in olive or other vegetable oil. Add it to cooked pasta along with butter and parmesan cheese. Stir gently and you have the original Pasta Alfreado. No fillers, no corn starch, no chemicals, no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives.
7. Of course there’s always the old standby: boil and drain your pasta and add a can of some sort of concentrated cream soup, (cream of mushroom, chicken, celery, asparagus etc.) Stir and add pepper to taste, and of course it will be even better if you add some gently sautéed garlic and even a bit of minced fresh parsley or green onion. |
More Pasta Recipes |
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Recipes for the week of April 15, 2009 |
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Split Pea Soup
Serves 4 to 6
You don’t have to have a ham bone to make split pea soup. The following recipe makes delicious split pea soup without a ham bone. It utilizes the Chicken Bouillon that was in this week’s grocery bag.
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
6 to 8 cloves of fresh garlic, minced – (optional)
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs, - (Italian seasoning) (optional) |
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3 quarts of water
1 bay leaf – (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons of Chicken bouillon
2 cups of split peas
Back pepper to taste
Place oil in a large heavy pot and heat over a medium flame. Add the onion, garlic and herbs if using and gentle sauté until the onion is just beginning to brown around the edges. Add the water and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Beginning adding the chicken bouillon to taste. Add it slowly and taste between each spoonful. The bouillon is very flavorful. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take it out. When the liquid is as flavorful as you wish add the split peas, bring to the boil again and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to cook until the split peas have disintegrated and you have a thick soup. |
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Chunky Potato Soup
Serves 4 to 6
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil or other vegetable oil
2 large yellow onions, diced
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced – (optional)
4 to 6 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon Chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon of mixed dry herbs (Italian Seasoning) (optional)
About 1 quart of water – (enough to completely cover the potatoes)
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1 pint of cream or half-and-half or milk or canned milk
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley – (optional)
Heat the oil in a large heavy pan and gently sauté the onion and garlic. Add the potatoes and continue to cook, for a minute or two, tossing about gently to make sure all the potatoes are coated with the oil. Add the herbs and water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid and continue to simmer until the potatoes are very soft. The time will vary depending on the size and type of potato. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes just a bit. They should still be a bit chunky. Add the cream or milk and cook only until all is hot through. This is quite a thick soup. If you wish it a bit thinner, add a little more milk or cream. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley just before serving.
Purée it and serve it chilled and you have the elegant French soup, Vichyssoise. |
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Tomato/Potato Casserole
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and cut into thin rings
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 to 6 potatoes. peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon mixed dry herbs, (Italian Seasoning) – (optional) |
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1 can diced or stewed tomatoes, including the juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs – (optional)
1 cup grated cheese - (optional)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley - (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°. Put the first seven ingredients into a heavy casserole or other baking dish with a tight fitting lid. Toss gently and cover with the lid. Bake in the center of the oven until the potatoes are quite soft, about one to one and one half hours. Serve as is or, if using the bread crumbs and cheese; toss the crumbs, cheese and parsley together and sprinkle over the top of the potato mixture. Return to the oven uncovered and bake for another twenty minutes or until the cheese and bread crumbs have formed a crust. Serve hot. |
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Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns
You don’t have to have hamburger or hot dogs to use hamburger and hot dog buns. They are still a form of bread and bread has many uses.
The following are a few suggestions. |
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If you have any eggs, milk and cheese, here is a good way to make them go a lot further and use up some of those hamburger and hot dog buns.
Bread Bake
Serves 4 to 6
About 1 tablespoon olive oil or other vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon mixed dry herbs, - (Italian seasoning)
About 4 hamburger buns or 5 hot dog buns |
2 cups of milk, any kind (this is a good way to use up milk that isn’t as fresh as you might wish)
2 or 3 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup of grated cheese
About 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley – (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and gently sauté the onion and garlic and herbs. Cut the buns into cubes or tear them into bite size pieces and toss with the sautéed onion mixture. Oil a baking dish and place the onion/bread mixture in it. Beat the milk, eggs, cheese and parsley together and pour over the bread/onion mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and place in the center of the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes or until when you stick a skewer or tooth pick in the center it comes out clean. |
If you received a can of diced or stewed tomatoes and a can beans in you can make your kids,
Bean Boats
Scoop out most of the inside of hamburger or hot dog buns * and toast them lightly. They should be toasted just enough to make them firm.
Drain the beans ** and mash them up a bit. Mix them with the canned diced or stewed tomatoes and add any a favorite flavoring agent, (sautéed onions and garlic, mixed herbs, a spot of chili sauce, whatever) and heat. Put the toasted bun on a plate and fill with the bean-tomato mixture. If you have any cheese, sprinkle a bit of grated cheese over the to and NUKE just until the cheese melts.
If your kids are small, cut a triangle out of paper, put it on a bamboo skewer and stick the skewer into the “Bean Boat.” Kids are always more willing to eat if their food is fun.
* Save the insides of the buns to dry and crush into bread crumbs which are useful for many things. Why throw these away and then have to go buy some when you need them.
** Don’t throw away the liquid from the beans. It makes a good base for soup. |
 
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Lebanese Bread Salad
Serves 4 to 6
5 or 6 slices of bread – (or about 4 hamburger or 5 hot dog buns)
Garlic or seasoning salt
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 onion, cut into thin rings
1 can beans, (kidney, pinto, garbanzo, etc.) drained and rinsed * |
1 can diced tomatoes, drained *
1 stalk celery, diced
1 or 2 green onions, chopped, including the green part
About 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Black pepper to taste
Olive oil and red wine vinegar or commercial Italian dressing
Tear the bread or buns into bite size pieces and sprinkle lightly with garlic or seasoning salt. Toast lightly in the oven. Set aside. Put the remaining ingredients in a salad bowl and add the toasted bread. Toss gently. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil and red wine vinegar or commercial Italian dressing and toss again. Serve before the bread gets soggy.
If you have any leftover bits of meat or chicken, cut them into small slivers and sprinkle on top.
* Save the liquid. It makes good soup stock |
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Croutons
Croutons are very useful and can be made of almost any type of bread. Croutons are simply little cubes of bread. Traditionally they were fried but they are less greasy and far healthier if you bake them to toasted toast. You may make them plain or flavored. Why buy them if you have extra bread? They are so easy to make.
Preheat the oven to 300°. Cut the buns into cubes that are about one half inch in each direction. If you want them flavored, you may simply sprinkle them lightly with garlic |
salt or seasoning salt or any other flavoring agent you wish. Spread them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven until they are a light golden brown. Check them frequently so they don’t burn.
Croutons are delicious in salads, in soups and just as something to nibble on.
Also try cutting the buns into long strips before seasoning and toasting. Kids love to use these to dunk into soup. |
BREAD CRUMBS
Bread crumbs are a very handy thing to have around the house. Why buy them when you can make them from extra bread, or hamburger and hot dog buns?
To make bread crumbs, simply slice the buns thinly and lay them on a baking sheet. Place them in a warm oven and leave until they are dry. Do not let them get too brown. When they have cooled, put them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they are the texture you want. Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
Bread crumbs are excellent to use to thicken soups and stews, you can use them for toppings for casseroles, either plain or mixed with herbs or grated cheese. Use also use them to coat some fried foods. |
If you have milk, sugar and a couple of eggs, you can turn those hamburger and hot dog buns into
BREAD PUDDING
Serves 4 to 6
2 eggs
2 cups of milk
½ cup of sugar – (or to taste)
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon – (optional) |
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3 cups of torn or cubed bread or buns
1/2 cup raisins – (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a baking dish and set aside. Beat the eggs, milk, sugar, melted butter and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add the bread and raisins, if using, stir and pour into the buttered baking dish. Bake, covered with aluminum foil for about forty-five minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about ten minutes more, or until the top has browned a bit. Bread pudding is excellent served hot or cold. Serve it plain or with a bit of milk or cream poured over the top. It is also nice with a dollop of flavored yogurt on top. |
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Gazpacho
4 to 6 servings
If you had diced tomatoes in your bag you can make Gazpacho that elegant cold soup from Spain. It can be as simple or as complex as you wish to make it.
2 cups of boiling water
2 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon – (or to taste)
1 can diced tomatoes
About 1/2 a cup of diced onion - (optional)
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced - (optional) |
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Minced fresh chilies to taste – (optional)
2 or 3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro or parsley
Black pepper to taste
Croutons
Add the chicken bouillon to the boiling water, stir until well dissolved and set aside to cool. When cool add the remaining ingredients, including the juice from the tomatoes. Well. Serve with croutons floating on top.
This soup may of course also be served hot. |
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SCALLOPED POTATOES
Serves 4 to 6
This age old favorite is very easy to make at home.
Vegetable oil or butter or margarine
About 2 pounds of potatoes (about 4 medium sized), peeled and sliced thinly
1 onion, peeled and sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon mixed dry herbs – (Italian seasoning) - optional
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
Butter or margarine
Salt and black pepper to taste
About 2 to 2 ½ cups of milk – (fresh, or reconstituted canned or powdered)
About 1 cup of bread crumbs – (make them from some of those hamburger and hot dog buns you get)
About 1/4 cup chopped parsley – (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil a casserole dish or other baking dish using oil, butter or margarine. Put half the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour and some of the herbs if you are using them and a bit of salt and pepper. Top with a few dots of butter or margarine. Cover the potatoes with the onion rings. Place the rest of the potatoes on top of the onion rings and sprinkle with another tablespoon of flour and the rest of the herbs and a bit of salt and pepper. Add a few more dots of butter or margarine. Pour the milk over all. Cover with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil and bake for about an hour, or until the potatoes are soft and most of the milk has been absorbed. Toss the bread crumbs and parsley together. Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. If you have it, toss about 1/2 a cup of grated cheese with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the potatoes and return to the oven until the top is golden brown and a bit of a crust has formed. |
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If you got a can of diced tomatoes in your bag, then you’ve got
SALSA!
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 an onion, diced
1 or 2 green onions, chopped small, including most of the green
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Fresh hot chili, finely minced – (to taste) or Tabasco (to taste)
About 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro – (or to taste)
Fresh lime juice to taste
Black pepper to taste |
Drain the tomatoes. Save the juice. It’s good to use in soup. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use. |
WHEN THE CUPBOARD’S BARE SOUP
Serves 4 to 6
There was a jar of chicken bouillon in your grocery bag this week. You can turn this into a nurishing and tasty soup with whatever bits and pieces you happen to have in your kitchen.
2 quarts, (8 cups) of water
2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon powder
1 onion, diced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of mixed dry herbs, (Italian seasoning) if you have it |
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Put all the above ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and begin adding things.
Go to your cupboard. Do you have a handful of dried beans? Chuck them in the pot. Got a few spoons of rice? Add them. A few bits of broken pasta, so put them in too. Lentils? Split peas? Fine, add them too. Cannee tomatoes? Wonderful.
Now go to your refrigerator. Is there a limp carrot in the crisper drawer. Fine. Chop it up and add it to the pot. Got a bit of celery? Add some. Is there a lonely potato someplace. Scrub it, chop it and add it. How about a bit of leftover chicken. Chop it up and add it. Any leftover bits of meat? Chop them up and add them. It’s not a good idea to add fish. It will make the whole pot taste fishy. Got any leftover cooked vegies? Chop them up and chuck them in.
I think you get the point.
Now, simmer it all until any dry beans, rice or pasta are tender. Taste it and add a bit more of the bouillon powder if necessary. Add some black pepper and serve.
And here is another place you can use up those hamburger and hot dog buns. Cut them into fingers, toast them and serve them with the soup. |
And, here are a few other potato recipes:
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We hope these few recipes will be of help to you and your family. Remember, check back often to see if any new recipes have been posted.
Sincerely,
the Volunteers at NOAH |
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The churches and organizations listed above take it in turn on a monthly rotation to be responsible the operation of the NOAH pantry. During their month, they are responsible for the organization of the distribution, providing volunteer labor for the unloading of the delivery trucks, packaging and distribution of the food parcels, cleanup and of course the ever dreaded paper work. There is also a stable of regular volunteers who donate their time and energy on an ongoing basis. |
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 Together we make a community. |
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