A morning at the market … recipes included

On Saturday morning we decided to go to the open vegetable/fruit market.  I really love the fresh veggies and they are a lot cheaper in the market place but I really DO NOT like the crowds and being bumped into.   I am so glad that we went there and stocked up on fresh produce, though.  I have declared this week as a Vegetarian Week.  I have found 10+ new recipes that are veggie based.  They are all not true vegetarian meals since last night I put some cubed chicken in the meal for some protein.     Here are a few pictures of the market.  A lot of the people selling produce are Russian.

Look at all the beautiful colors!!

A lot of different sights and smells.  These fish are NOT in my meal plan.  : )

Nectarines and cherries and blueberries and zucchini are in full produce right now.

My sweet little helper.

On Sunday I made  Zucchini Herb Casserole

• 1/3 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cubed
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, until rice is tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the zucchini, green onions, and garlic 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with garlic salt, basil, paprika, and oregano. Mix in the cooked rice, tomatoes, and 1 cup cheese. Continue to cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
4. Bake uncovered 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
5. 
   

Okay … so Sarah is not too enthusiastic about this Veggie Week.   She is not my vegetable lover.  The rule at our dinner table is that if anyone utters a complaint, they get an extra scoop of whatever it is they are not thankful for.  Well, she may not have said a word, but her expression cannot deny her disapproval.  Every morning Sarah prays for “the little boys and girls that don’t have a mommy and daddy – and for those kids that don’t have food to eat”.  Bob told her those little boys and girls would love the meal she was eating.  ( She didn’t have much to say about that! : ) )    This zucchini dish was really good and devoured by everyone else.  I added 2 cups of rice to this dish because my family loves rice.

NEXT ….

So, this is my own little invention.  I made this Cream of Broccoli soup …  Doubled it.  I doctored it up with fresh garlic and fresh parsley and crushed red pepper  I steamed a bunch of broccoli and put it in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.  I cooked cubed chicken in a little bit of olive oil and some lemon pepper seasoning.  I then put the chicken on top of the steamed broccoli.  I then poured the soup over the layer of broccoli and chicken.  I sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes.    I served it over fettuccine noodles with some warm bread.

Cream of Broccoli Soup:

• 1 head fresh broccoli
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pinches paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Place broccoli in a medium saucepan with water to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 minutes. Remove broccoli and reserve cooking water.
2. In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onions and celery in butter until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in flour, milk and cream. Dissolve bouillon in 2 cups reserved broccoli water. Stir into soup. Season with Worcestershire, paprika and salt. Stir in cheese and cook 10 minutes more.

A much happier Sarah.  : )

Today I made a recipe that we saw on the Travel Channel last week.  We like a show called Chef Abroad and last week he was in Greece.  So, I wrote down the recipe as he made it in Greece …  an eggplant dish … with some potatoes and cream sauce ( made from milk and natural yogurt ).  Bob hates eggplant ( I love it!! ) but he really liked this recipe I made today.  It was quite time consuming – about 2 hours to make/bake.    I will have to share it at another time, though.           What a beautiful day it is here in Tallinn, Estonia!  This entire summer has been gorgeous.   This morning my son and I biked to the supermarket for milk and fruit.  When I got home, Bob said my backpack weighed 30 lbs!!   WOW – it was a struggle going uphill!!   I was thinking as I was peddling hard how good it was going to feel when I arrived home and lay the backpack down.  I then thought about how there have been times ( and still have times ) when I carry a heavy burden that just weighs me down and I keep carrying it around when I could just give it to God for Him to carry.   It was a good reminder for me today and just thought I would share that thought I had in case some one reading this may need the reminder that God is right there, with arms outstretched, wanting to take our heavy baggage.        God Bless!!!