Thursday, June 2nd

by Brie

This week's box had some great fruit, including a pineapple, bananas and seedless grapes. Pineapples, named for their similar appearance to pine cones, are a great source of manganese and vitamin C. Two great ways to tell if a pineapple is ripe is to smell it (you want a sweet not fermented smell) and to press down on it (you want it to be firm but still give a little).

Fruit, while great for snacking, is also a great addition to any recipe. Try pineapple in a spicy salad, asparagus chicken or even  quinoa broccoli salad. Grapes can be added to roasted carrots or broccoli salad. And for the baker, try caramelized fresh pineapple tiramisu or a creamy grape dessert.  

Sweet corn is a sure sign to me that summer is on the way. A great source of fibre and Vitamin C and low in calories, corn is perfect steamed or BBQed. For a tasty dinner side dish you could try creamy sweet corn.

The box this week also had a container of cherry tomatoes on the vine. Cherry tomatoes are small tomatoes perfect for salads but can just as easily be substituted for tomatoes in any dish. Cherry tomatoes are also great roasted with asparagus. Or try making creamy carrot soup with cherry tomato and corn salsa. For a recipe sure to impress dinner guests, I loved this vodka-spiked cherry tomato recipe.
These are some of the ideas on my menu plan this week. What are you cooking?

Brie loves eating food and is learning to love cooking food. She also blogs about motherhood at Capital Mom and about Ottawa with kids at Kids in the Capital.

Thursday, March 31st: Meal planning and April Fools Day

by Brie

You would not believe how excited I was to get this week's box. With no box last week I was forced to confront exactly how dependent I have become on it for my meal planning. I was at a bit of a loss as to what to make for dinners last week!

I had visions of baking as soon as I opened the box. The apples, which are perfect for eating whole, using in a Waldorf salad or adding to a grilled cheese sandwich, made me want to bake an apple pie. I am tempted to hide the blueberries from the kids, who will want to sit down and eat the whole container immediately, so that I can try this blueberry tart. When I saw the avocado I knew I wanted to make this chocolate avocado cake/ cupcake recipe. I have heard avocados make for a great cake but I haven't tried it yet.


Carrots are such a great staple to use in dishes. The add flavour and crunch to soups, salads and casseroles. Not to mention anchoring carrot cake. Yum. This week I will be using my carrots to make some carrot fritters. I am excited to try these. The recipe calls for them to be fried but they could probably be baked too.


The rainbow chard pie I made last month was a great success and I would highly recommend it. I will either make it again this week or try out one of these new recipes I found. I like the look of the rainbow chard salad and risotto with chard.


Broccoli is so perfect eaten with butter or an easy cheese sauce. But this week I am going to use it to make a broccoli quiche. I love the idea of trying a broccoli pizza. Maybe next time!


The tomatoes this week would be great roasted in the oven with some sea salt and then tossed with pasta and feta. Or even used in homemade salsa. However, I am a huge fan of tomato soup and will probably use the lovely cocktail tomatoes in the box to cook up some homemade tomato soup. The only problem is deciding with recipe to choose! Roasted tomato soup with garlic? Chilled tarragon roasted tomato soup? Gazpacho?


The best item in the box this week had to be the pineapple. I love pineapple and I'm happy to eat it cut into pieces, on my pizza or added to a stirfry. It would also be great in fresh pineapple salsa, sweet potato pudding or pan fried rings.And perfect for April Fools Day are these pineapple fish sticks!


This is what's on my menu plan this week. What are you cooking?


Brie loves eating food and is learning to love cooking food. She also blogs about motherhood at Capital Mom and about Ottawa with kids at Kids in the Capital.

Thursday, February 24th box: Staples. And a pineapple.

by Brie

The box this week was pretty exciting. A pineapple! A nice, big, fabulous pineapple. We will probably cut it up and eat it. But if you want you could bake it in one of my favorite desserts, pineapple upside down cake.

The box had some great basics and favorites. Like an avocado, which you could cut up and eat with salt or add to this black bean salad. Carrots would be great in spiced carrot muffins or this carrot pudding.

Warm food is perfect in this cold weather. I'm thinking an onion tart with the bag of yellow onions. Maybe served with roasted potatoes or potato puffs.

Broccoli with cheese sauce is popular in this house. It would also be great in a quiche, a feta and tortilla crust quiche or roasted in the oven. Mushrooms are so versatile, try frying them up or adding them to sauces, but they would also be wonderful in their pierogi recipe. That is how I am going to cook them. 

This is what's on my menu plan this week. What are you cooking?

Brie loves eating food and is learning to love cooking food. She also blogs about motherhood at Capital Mom and about Ottawa with kids at Kids in the Capital.

Organic Harvest Box for April 23, 2010

Here is a look at this week's Harvest Box from Life Organic in Ottawa:

Are you looking to ripen green bananas? A fast and easy way to do this is to put them in a brown bag with some apples - ethylene (a plant hormone that causes growth) causes the bananas to ripen more quickly and lose their green-ness!


Last week I used my cucumber to make this Tzatziki Sauce recipe I found. I really enjoyed it and used it all week as a dip for raw veggies, although I have to admit that my kids were not fans of it. I think it would taste lovely on chicken souvlaki or pork.

Tasha pointed me in the direction of these yummy Tangerine Muffins - it is great to use the peel in these muffins (extra healthy!) and especially good when your tangerines are organic! No fear of chemicals and pesticides ending up in your mid-afternoon snack.

I also found a number of this week's recipes on a new site that Tasha sent me - Dani Spies. Pop over and browse around - there are healthy and delicious recipes of all types, as well as a terrific section of baby and pureed foods for your wee ones. I think this California Scramble looks delicious and would be an energizing and healthy start to your morning. I'm hoping to try this Turkey and Avocado Super Sandwich one week day for lunch. I came across a couple new and funky alternatives for avocado - what do you think about this Grilled Avocado Recipe? Even stranger? Avocado Fries ?!! Not sure I could get excited about avocado fries, so if you do try this recipe, PLEASE let me know how it turns out!

Start slicing those mushrooms and get ready to toss them into this Sesame Kale with Mushrooms - a light and healthy side dish which would complement most meals. Or try this
Rachada Mushroom Salad for lunch. I also think these Marinated Mushrooms would be a perfect spring dinner accompaniment.

Looking for a healthy meal to add your zucchini to? I think you would enjoy this 5 Ingredient Snapper and Zucchini Dinner, or maybe these Squash and Zucchini Cakes? For simple and easy side dishes, try a fast Baked Zucchini or use your barbecue for this Roasted Zucchini. Looking for something to sink your teeth into at your afternoon tea time? Whip up a loaf of Zucchini Bread and wow your family and friends.

I found this fantastic recipe for your chard this week - Swiss Chard with Peppers and Garbanzos. This is not hard to make and is packed with healthy goodness.

Slice up this week's pineapple and make this spectacular Pineapple Flan. Or chop it up and serve this Sweet and Crispy Chicken Salad. My kids still love pineapple the old fashion way - sliced in rings and slurped up from their fingers!

I'll leave you with one last recipe to peruse for the week:

Curried Black Bean and Yam Skillet - Recipe adapted from danispies.com.

4 cups of yams, peeled and cubed
1 red onion, diced
1 zucchini, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bell pepper (any colour), diced
1 cup of cooked quinoa*
1-15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup veggie broth
1 Tbsp of curry powder
1 bunch of chard, stemmed and chopped
2 tsp of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

*Quinoa is an ancient seed that was a staple of the Incas. Easy and quick to cook with a mild flavour it has a slightly crunchy texture. It's got a lot of the amino acid lysine providing a complete protein unlike many other cereal grains. Substitutes for this recipe include: couscous, rice or bulgur.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron pan or fry pan. Stir in the onions and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the yams, garlic, curry powder, a good pinch of salt and half of the veggie broth, stir well to combined, cover and cook for about ten minutes or until your sweet potatoes are just about fork tender. You’ll need to stir it occasionally. Add the beans, quinoa, chard, zucchini and pepper and season with salt and pepper. Pour the remaining broth into the pan, cover and allow it to cook for another five minutes - until the greens are wilted and the beans are heated through.

Harvest Box for November 6

A very bright and colourful harvest box arrived on my doorstep this week, full of possibilities.

If you didn't get a chance to check out last week's avocado recipes, try your hand at putting together this quick and easy weeknight Cayenne-rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa. It is healthy, easy, and fast. I often use a little less cayenne pepper when I make this for my kids, and I add a little extra spice when it is just for my husband and I.

Looking for a creative way to add a little lemon flavour to your meals? Try this delicious Lemon Chicken with Green Olives as rich and flavourful meal.

A great side-dish or pot-luck candidate is this tasty and simple Spinach and Cheese Puff Casserole. I made it for Thanksgiving and the dish was empty in absolutely no time. Another option for your fresh, leafy spinach is of course, my all-time very favourite salad -
Warm Spinach Salad with Tomato and Bacon. It's decadent and delicious, and promises not to disappoint.

While my three children all enjoy broccoli raw, with dip or on its own, I like to shake things up sometimes and serve the family this Pasta with Shrimp and Broccoli. Since I have a couple of shrimp-lovers on my hands, it is always a big hit and a great way to add more veggies into a pasta dish. Alternatively, this Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic is a fast and easy side dish with a subtle, rich taste.

Why not grab all the tomaotes you can and make up a couple batches of this Fresh Tomato Sauce? I make several dishes at a time and then measure them out and freeze them so I can grab one at any time when I need it.

Check out that YUMMY looking pineapple! I am hoping to try this Pineapple Lemon Cake in the next few days as it promises to offer up a pleasant desert for us all. And if breakfast is more your style, get some added vitamins and nutrients in your morning power drink with this
Pineapple Delight Smoothie.

This Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe is absolutely delicious. My whole family and all our friends adore these muffins and I simply can't keep a box of these around for long. I don't think you can exactly count it in your veggie content for the day, but I still figure it's better for my kids than other recipes!