by Guest | Apr 10, 2020 | Eat Well, Recipes
By Laura Swanson
Every vegetable has its season, and for me, a favorite is “asparagus season” – when the first early Spring crops arrive and the price per pound drops. There are so many ways to prepare asparagus – classic steamed; drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, roasted with garlic of course; and pickled. Yes, pickled asparagus spears – oh, yum!
One of our family traditions is to prepare “Spring Asparagus Soup” for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s perfect for our Irish heritage (my mom’s maiden name was Fitzpatrick) to have green soup and corned beef. This soup is quick and easy to prepare, low in calories and asparagus is such a nutrient rich vegetable.
Asparagus is a young tender shoot (spear) vegetable, which emerges from its underground root system. Their use as food was well recognized by the ancient Greeks and Romans as a prized delicacy. One of the oldest recorded vegetables, its thought to have originated along the coastal regions of eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor regions. Botanically, it is a herbaceous perennial plant (meaning it will come back year after year with a little attention and maintenance) belonging to the Asparagaceae family. It is closely related to the Liliaceae plants which also include onion, garlic, tulip, daffodil, etc – all the heralds of Spring. Plant asparagus crowns in early spring, and once established, this plant can provide an abundance of healthy spears after a couple years. Young scaly edible spears emerge from the underground extensive matted root systems, which can be ready for harvest in early Spring in some areas, usually by late Spring here on the Oregon Coast. When I see my asparagus making an appearance in the garden, that’s when I know it’s Spring.
Asparagus is a very low-calorie vegetable. 1 cup (134 g) fresh spears carry just 40 calories. Fresh asparagus is a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as the B vitamins. Asparagus is an excellent source of minerals, copper, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus.
This soup is so easy to prepare, elegant and very nourishing. And if Spring had a flavor or taste – it’s Asparagus soup! Serve it for your Easter dinner, and when it’s spring asparagus season – stock up! The soup freezes well, too. You can use vegetable stock and then it is vegan/vegetarian and is also gluten-free.
SPRING ASPARAGUS SOUP
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. asparagus
3 T. butter
1/2 C. minced onion
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 t. ground coriander
4-6 C. chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and White Pepper
Directions:
-Steam asparagus to tender, bright green.
-Cut tips and reserve. Cut remaining stalks into 1″ pieces.
-Sauté onion, garlic and coriander in butter in large heavy pan, until soft, not browned.
-Add asparagus stalks. Simmer 10-15 minutes
-Puree in blender or with submersible blender
-Pour back in pan; add stock; add asparagus tips. Heat to hot.
-Add white pepper and salt to taste.
by Guest | Apr 3, 2020 | Eat Well, Recipes
Recipe and photo source: foodhero.org
Number of servings: 7
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 very ripe bananas
1 cup quick oats
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄2 cup raisins
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork until mostly smooth.
-Add oats, cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Mix well.
-Drop spoonfuls of dough onto lightly sprayed or oiled baking sheet. Flatten with the back of a spoon or bottom of a drinking glass.
-Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Notes:
-Texture will be best when freshly made.
-Try dried cranberries or chopped nuts instead of raisins.
by Guest | Mar 12, 2020 | Recipes
Recipe courtesy of National Dairy Council Ambassador Andrew Dole, MS, RDN, CSSD, CEC, USAT
Photo source: Dairygood.org
Ingredients:
1 cup Greek yogurt 2% (or fat level of choice)
1 cup buttermilk
2 large ripe avocados
2-3 dill sprigs, rough chopped
2 tablespoons mint, rough chopped
1/2 lemon freshly squeezed (add more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (adjust to taste)
¾ cup milk – or more as needed (fat level of choice)
Directions:
Cut avocado in half. Remove pit. Scoop out flesh with spoon into blender.
Combine all remaining ingredients in blender with avocado. Blend until smooth.
Adjust consistency of soup by blending in milk as desired. Remember that the soup will thicken slightly after being chilled.
Chill and serve.
Garnish with fresh mint and dill.
* Optional Yogurt Swirl: combine 2 Tablespoons of yogurt in a small bowl with small amounts of cold water until the yogurt looks like the consistency of heavy cream. Using a spoon swirl the thinned yogurt on top of the soup. Garnish with herbs.
by Guest | Mar 9, 2020 | Recipes
Recipe and photo source: foodhero.org
Makes: 24 meatballs
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
M E A T B A L L S
1 pound lean ground beef (15% fat)
1⁄2 cup uncooked brown or white rice
2⁄3 cup nonfat or 1% milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1⁄2 cup chopped onion (1⁄2 medium onion)
1⁄2 cup shredded carrot
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed soup (try tomato, cream of mushroom or other flavors)
3⁄4 cup nonfat or 1% milk
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or oil a shallow baking dish (9″ x 13″ x 2″) with cooking spray.
2.Combine beef, rice, milk, egg, onion, carrot, salt and pepper. Use a spoon to form 24 meatballs and place in baking dish.
3.In a separate bowl, combine soup and milk to make the sauce. Mix well. Pour sauce over meatballs.
4.Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour.
5.Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
Try using uncooked quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats instead of rice!
by Guest | Mar 6, 2020 | Eat Well, Recipes
By: Laura Swanson
~in creation of this article, Laura produced a video to capture this unique feature – watch here!~
Tuesdays at the North County Food Bank in Wheeler are busy – starting early to be ready to serve the folks that will begin arriving before noon. There is an efficient orderly process as the customers check in, take their number and wait patiently for their turn to receive boxes loaded with a variety of food for meals to feed their household for the coming week. Some also visit the pet food bank supplied by Animal Haven by the Sea, and then there are community members bringing in donations for the clothing bank located down the hall.
Local restaurant owner and chef Jake Burden from Offshore Grill in Rockaway Beach joined Tillamook County Wellness to showcase the amazing efforts of our local food banks to feed our community, and to provide ideas for creative meals. “Cooking is becoming a lost art,” commented Jake. “And we know that many of the people in our community that are homeless or housing challenged, may not even have means, appliances, pots and pans to cook a meal.”
Think “Iron Chef” mystery box meets food bank ingredients, and you’d have the challenge that Jake took on last week. North County Food Bank Board President Tom Ayres walked Jake through the process. “Our customers come in and we do an intake interview to determine household size, food needs, etc.,” explained Tom. “We treat everyone with respect and dignity. We want people to know that there is no shame in accessing these resources. We know there are more people out there that could use the food assistance. This is a big step to reach out for help.”
As Tom reviewed the list of available foods, Jake confirmed if the items were something he wanted and was given choices and options based upon the size of his household.
“I was really surprised by the variety, and even in mid-winter, the Food Bank had root vegetables and fresh fruit,” said Jake.
Kicking into chef-mode, Jake was planning the various meals that he could prepare with the foods available. Jake is a father of four and understands first-hand the challenges that many families have when trying to feed a family. “I know how much folks struggle in our communities, some people working a couple jobs, and then you have to come home, cook something everyone will eat, and have it ready in 30 minutes or less, yeah, right,” he chuckled. “Then you might be cooking on a single hot plate, or you’re living in your car. How are you going to cook something, let alone a healthy meal? This is eye-opening.”
The shopping list is completed and the “packing team” takes over – each volunteer has an area assignment, and then volunteer Sue Wilson calls out, “Who’s being Imie?” An honor granted to another volunteer, in memory of long-time Food Bank volunteer and board member Imie Camelli, who passed away last year. Her job was to call out the items on the list for the packers, so that the other team members can quickly and accurately pack several boxes with a variety of foods.
There are staples – flour, eggs, milk, oatmeal, cereal, canned goods, boxed foods, meats, canned and fresh fruits and vegetables, spaghetti and ramen noodles, tuna and a special treat for North County Food Bank locally-sourced canned salmon from the Smiley Brothers Salmon project. As Jake reviews the variety, he can see how families could just open and eat many of these foods, but there are some creative, easy ways to take these simple, everyday ingredients and “kick it up a notch.”
With the ramen noodles, the canned vegetables and the Smiley Brothers canned salmon, we head to Rockaway Beach and Jake’s kitchen at Offshore Grill – and the remainder of the food was returned to the Food Bank shelves to go to a those who need it.
Salmon & Veggie Ramen Noodles
Ramen style noodles are a staple in most households and by adding canned vegetables, a few fresh veggies (onion and carrots) and the canned salmon – ta-da! An Asian-inspired, one-pan meal for a family of four in less than 20 minutes.
Ingredients
– 2-3 carrots – shredded
-1 medium onion – minced
-2 – 3 cans of vegetables; drained and rinsed
-1 – 8 oz. can of salmon; drained
-3 packages of ramen style noodles
Directions:
-In large saucepan, cook ramen noodles according to package directions
-do not add seasoning packet*
-Add carrot and onion, stir. Cook additional 10 minutes.
-Add canned vegetables and salmon, stir. Heat another 5 minutes.
-Serve!
Really, that’s it.
Additional Notes:
Try substituting canned salmon with canned tuna.
-Consider using more than 1 can of canned salmon or tuna, as for four people, one 8 oz can is only 2 oz of salmon per serving.
-See Myplate for more information on recommended serving sizes.
-For added protein consider whisking up 1-2 eggs and adding those to the hot soup near the end of the cooking.
*If wanting to add more flavor, try adding 1 or 2 of the seasoning packets from the ramen noodles as directed on the package.
As Jake wrapped up the cooking, he mentioned a Cooking Matters session he did several years ago with OSU Extension. “We need to teach people how to cook again,” he said. “I really enjoyed those classes and sharing my love for cooking with the community. Our society needs to get back into the kitchen. There is nothing more satisfying than providing nutritious food to your family and friends. It’s one of the most basic nurturing things we can do, but we’ve lost touch with that.”
Offshore Grill is located at 122 N. Hwy. 101 in Rockaway Beach, seasonal menu that features fresh local ingredients.
North County Food Bank is at 278 Rowe St. in Wheeler and is open on Tuesdays from noon to 3 pm.
For more local health and wellness information follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
by Guest | Feb 27, 2020 | Recipes
Recipe Source: Nutrition Council of Oregon, Shared Meals
Serves: 4
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
– ¾ pound Beef sirloin, thinly sliced
– 2 ½ cups Broccoli florets
– 10 Large mushrooms, sliced
– 2 Green onions, sliced
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 3 Tablespoons Flour
– 1 cup Low-fat milk
– 1 Tablespoon Soy sauce
– ½ cup Dry white wine or water
– 1 ½ cups Fat-free sour cream
– ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
– 4 cups Cooked brown rice
Directions:
– In a large nonstick skillet, stir-fry beef until browned
– Add veggies, onions and garlic. Stir-fry over medium heat 3-5 minutes
– Add flour and stir to coat all veggies
– Stir in milk and soy sauce; cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly
– Add wine or water. Slowly add sour cream and parmesan cheese. Cook over medium heat until just heated through; do -not boil
-Serve over rice
