The Co-op's Recipe Contest
"Ummm...what’s cookin’?”

How it works
Co-op members submit their recipes featuring that month’s ingredient. The top three dishes will be chosen & prepared by the Co-op deli & voted on by Co-op members & shoppers! The final winner will receive a $100 gift card, a spotlight in our newsletter & on the Co-op website. The top dish will be featured in the Co-op deli every Thursday for a month!!

May’s ingredient of the month, “organic Zucchini” was deemed unpopular by Co-op Members! Because we received only two recipe submissions, we had to move on past May’s Zucchini & give the members something exciting to work with in June, like…

This month's ingredient:

ORGANIC CORN!

Have fun & go submission crazy! We’re waiting to taste all of your favorite recipes! Remember the winning recipe receives a $100 gift card + some extras & the runners up receive $25 gift cards.

How to Enter?

Deadline for entries is 6/18. To enter online, send your recipe submissions to membership@coopportunity.com or enter inside the store. The submission box is located in front of the membership desk.

Remember, the contest committee will pick the top three recipes to be voted on in the store based on use of the ingredient of the month & the presentation of the dish. We’ll then have the deli prepare each dish and sample them out on Monday, June 28, at 1:00pm. Co-op members & shoppers will then vote for the best recipe through a ballot box held at the sampling table. Good Luck!

Download the official rules here!

April 2010

Greek Twist Asparagus

Asparagus (15-20)
Feta cheese (3 table spoons)
1/2 lemon
Sesame oil
Pepper / salt

1) Cook asparagus (steam)
2) Stir fry asparagus in sesame oil
3) Add feta cheese till roasted or melted
4) Final touch- squish lemon
5) Salt & pepper

April Runners Up

1/2 lb fusilli or rotini pasta
1/2 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 small whole cloves garlic, peeled (or cut large ones in half)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large ball of fresh mozzarella or 1/2 cup mozzarella, cubed
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss asparagus, tomatoes and garlic cloves in olive oil and salt and roast for 30 minutes. Cook pasta as directed to finish in time for roasted vegetables to come out of the oven. Drain pasta and toss with vegetables and cheese. Add salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot or toss with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and serve at room temperature.

March 2010

Chopped Kale Salad

1 bunch kale, wash and chop into 1/4 inch ribbons perpendicular to stem (no thicker than a pencil)
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup agave nectar
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup garbanzo beans, washed and drained
3/4 cup corn, canned, washed and drained; or fresh, cut from cob
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives (optional)

Start by making the vinaigrette:
In large bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, agave nectar and pressed garlic.  Add chopped kale and toss well to coat evenly.  Add garbanzo beans, corn and kalamata olives and toss.  Refrigerate overnight and serve next day.

March Runners Up

Vegan Kaleroni and Cheese - (Submitted by Lynn Peterson)

2 bunches green kale
2 T plus 1 t. olive oil
1 8 oz package quinoa pasta
1 C grated vegan cheese, preferably cheddar, or other yellow
Salt
Pepper

Tear the kale leaves away from the stems and into bite sized pieces.

Heat 2 T oil in large saucepan. Sautee kale 5-6 minutes, until soft.

Boil noodles in 4 quarts rapidly boiling water for 6-8 minutes with 1-2 t. salt and 1 t. oil. Drain.

Layer half the noodles into well-oiled baking pan. Cover with a layer of half the sautéed kale, then a layer of half the grated cheese. Repeat.

Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, and then broil for five minutes to brown cheese. Lightly season to taste. Serve warm.

Mediterranean Style Chick Pea, Kale and Tomato Soup - (Submitted by Kirsten Lindquist)

1 can chick peas with liquid (or 1 1/2 cup cooked with liquid)
1 small bunch kale, washed, torn into small pieces (without stalks)
1 large carrot
2 stalks celery
1 small onion
1 small shallot
olive oil
2 cups water
1 cup tomato sauce
OR 1 cup tomato sauce with 2 tablespoons cream or 1/2 and 1/2
juice of 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon preserved lemon, minced
salt
pepper

Saute onion and shallots in olive oil until translucent. Add carrots and celery and cook another 3-4 minutes until softened. Add chick peas and liquid and bring to boil. Add tomato sauce and bring back to boil. Add in kale, preserved lemon or lemon juice and cook 2-3 minutes until kale becomes bright green. Season with salt and pepper (carefully if you use preserved lemon which is already very salty).

February 2010

Ginger Tofu!

Ingredients
1 14oz. package of Organic Firm Tofu
2 T toasted sesame oil
2 T marjoram
2 oz. ginger root
2 T  soy sauce (low sodium and/or wheat free)

Recipe
I like to first press the tofu to rid of excess water.  To do this I sandwich the tofu between two dinner plates on a flat surface with a weighted object on top (i.e. bowl of fruit or tea kettle) for 10 minutes.  Drain the excess water that’s pressed out of the tofu and then cut the block of tofu into cubes (about 40 cubes ¾” by ¾”).

Grate the ginger root (with peel) on a small plate and set aside.

Heat a medium 10-inch non-stick skillet (on medium) with the toasted sesame oil.

Gently place the tofu cubes in the hot skillet, sprinkle with marjoram and sauté for 5 minutes.  Flip the cubes and sauté for another 5 minutes.  Turn heat up to medium-high to brown the outside of the cubes.  Flip the cubes again and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.  Splash the soy sauce over the cubes.  Take the grated ginger root into the palms of your hands and squeeze the ginger juice over the tofu.  The cubes should now be sizzling!  Flip the cubes for a few more minutes and turn off heat.  Serve with lightly steamed kale, carrots or a vegetable of your liking and enjoy!

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish.

February Runners Up

Chilled Soba with Soft Tofu (Submitted by Nina Neulight)
Ingredients:
6 T soy sauce ( I use wheat-free tamari)
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 t chili oil (*or marinate red chili flakes in dark sesame oil)
2 t brown sugar
1 T minced ginger
2 T creamy peanut butter
1 package of Soba noodles (I use all buckwheat but wheat blends are also at the Co-op)
1 package of silken tofu, (drained and cut into ½ inch cubes)
2 T scallion, finely chopped
2 T toasted black sesame seeds
¼ c chopped cilantro.
The sauce should be prepared before cooking the noodles. Mix well so it is smooth.
Cook the noodles for about 6 minutes until tender but still a little firm. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Drain and rinse with cold water. Then, shake off the extra water. Add half the sauce immediately so that it absorbs the flavor.
Toss the noodles with the scallions and sesame seeds. Spoon the tofu on top of the noodles. Then, add the rest of the sauce evenly on the ingredients. Sprinkle with the rest of the scallions and sesame seeds. Garnish, if desired, with the cilantro.

Venitian Vegetable Soup (Submitted by Susan Broussard)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or enough to just cover vegetables
1 small head cauliflower, (use flowerettes and stems) cut to small bite size
3 branches broccoli, (use flowerettes and stem) cut to small bite size
1 small bunch carrots, 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup frozen peas
1 small package of tofu, diced or crumbled
1 teaspoon Rosemary, or more according to taste, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, add vegetables, and completely cover with a good flavourful stock. Season with salt (optional) and pepper. If your stock is weak, add an onion cut in half and a handful of uncut parsley (including stems) to add more flavour; remove onion and parsley after soup is cooked.

Bring vegetables to a boil, then gently simmer to cook vegetables until broccoli is olive green, but not falling apart (about 45 minutes). Let soup cool, then scoop out half of vegetables with just enough stock to puree in a blender. Pour pureed soup into a large serving bowl, then add only enough strained vegetables from stock pot to give you the ratio of puree to vegetables that you want. Add crumbled tofu. Continue to puree vegetables in batches and add to serving bowl. Correct seasoning. If you end up with left over stock (after straining out vegetables) save it to use in cooking.

January 2010

Carrots with Arame
Ingredients
2 cups dried arame
2 T dark sesame oil
2 T slivered ginger
1 T soy sauce (I use wheat-free)
3 carrots, julienned
salt to taste, optional
2 T toasted sesame seeds

Method
Soak arame in water for 3 minutes, then drain.
Heat the oil over high heat in a skillet. Add the ginger and carrots and stir-fry until the carrots begin to color around the edges, about 2 minutes.  Add the seaweed and cook 5 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add 1 T soy sauce and let it cook off.  Taste and season with salt and/or soy sauce, if you like. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

January Runners Up

Quinoa-Carrot Salad with Mustard Dressing (Submitted by Sally Parrott Ashbrook)
Serves 6-8.
Note: This recipe requires you to cook the quinoa in advance.

Salad:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, thoroughly rinsed in a sieve
2 cups water
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup almonds (replace with sunflower seeds if nut-allergic)
3 cups peeled and shredded carrots
2 cups watercress leaves--or peppery micro greens, if watercress is unavailable
2/3 cup raisins

Dressing:
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons whole-grain, gluten-free brown mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

In advance: Put quinoa and two cups of water in a small pot, and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, or until water is mostly absorbed and the quinoa grains have unfurled.  Allow to cool to room temperature. Drain, if any excess water remains.

In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of orange juice with the onion.  Toss.  Allow to sit at least fifteen minutes. (This process will begin to pickle the onion, making its flavor a bit milder.)

Toast the almonds in a 350-degree oven for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant.

Cut off any particularly large or thick stems from the watercress leaves.  Wash the watercress in a bowl of cold water; then spin it dry in a salad spinner.  If the leaves are tangled or undesirably large, chop them into smaller pieces.

Combine the quinoa, onion, carrots, watercress, and almonds in a large bowl.

Combine the ingredients for the salad dressing in a jar, and shake well.  Pour over salad, starting with 1/3 cup of dressing and adding more to taste.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 8 hours.

Carrot Flan (Submitted by Beverly Levitt)
Butter for greasing ovenproof molds or 12 individual ramekins
3 cups whole organic milk
1" piece vanilla bean
1/3 to 1/2 cup agave syrup
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and crushed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Zest of 1/2 orange
1 1/2 cups carrots, cooked, then forced through sieve or Foley mill.
 Serves 12

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter and grease molds or ramekins.  Combine whole milk with vanilla and scald. Add all other ingredients except carrots, blending with wire whisk. Add carrots; simmer on low flame for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour into 2 6-cup molds.  Put molds in pan or pans of boiling water.  Carefully transfer to oven. Bake 1 1/4 hours or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean. 

Remove from oven; place directly into another bath of cold water for 1/2 hour. Refrigerate.  When time to unmold, run knife around sides, dunk bottom into hot water, then hold serving plate over the mold and turn upside down.  Serve warm.
Usually served for dessert, this flan provides a sweet yet savory contrast to any vegetarian or meat entrée.

Moroccan Carrot Salad with Chipotle Harissa (Submitted by Jenny Chocron)
Carrot Salad
1 large bunch organic carrots, scrubbed, both ends removed
1 TBSP chopped garlic
2-3 TBSP cumin
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (reserve 1 TBSP)
1-2 TBSP harissa, depending on desired heat
salt, white pepper to taste

Steam carrots whole or cut in half until just tender (do not let them get mushy.)  Let cool and slice in bite sized pieces.  Toss with rest of ingredients.  Adjust ingredients so that carrots are coated with a cuminy paste, not sitting in a liquid dressing. Chill.  Serve at room temperature and Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Chipotle Harissa
4-5 oz. large dried chiles such as Pasilla or Anaheim
1-2 dried chipotle chilies (depending on desired heat)
1 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
4 TBSP cumin
1/3-cup olive oil
sea salt and white pepper to taste

Soak dried chilies in lukewarm water to cover until slightly soft.  Remove from water with slotted spoon and remove stems and most of the seeds.  Do not discard soaking water.

Put all ingredients, except olive oil, plus 1/4 cup of soaking water, in food processor and process until a chunky paste.  Drizzle in olive oil, continuing to pulse. 

Optional: Add 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro at end.  (Harissa must be used more quickly if prepared this way; I like to do 1/4 batch with, the rest without.)

Note:  Harissa is a delicious accompaniment to meats, fish, couscous, hummus and chips, or any food with which you desire a mildly spicy condiment.  It can keep in the fridge for months!  It can also be found packaged in many Middle Eastern or kosher specialty stores.

Curried Coconut Carrot Soup
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large brown onion, chopped
• 3 large minced cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons peeled and finely minced or grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1.5 pounds carrots, scrubbed well and chopped
• 1 large russet potato peeled and cubed
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 14oz cans of coconut milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish with a pinch of chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until tender and translucent.  Add garlic and ginger stirring until very fragrant (about two minutes). Stir in the curry powder. Add the chopped carrots and potatoes, and stir until they are coated. Stir in the vegetable broth, and coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a hard simmer, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
2. Working in batches, transfer to a blender (or food processor) and puree until smooth.  Garnish and serve!