Acorn Squash and Tempeh

Tonight we had roasted acorn squash with tempeh, brown rice and vegetable stuffing. I sauteed onions, carrots, red and yellow peppers (frozen, from our summer garden), scallions and walnuts, with some brown rice and cubes of tempeh that I brushed with soy sauce and browned. I hollowed out the squashes and baked them with the stuffing inside. The squash was soft and buttery and the stuffing was rich and crunchy. We had also had a spring green salad, mangoes, blueberries and little oranges.

And here is a picture that R drew for our wonderful neighbor Bernie. D's car that he drives to the train is not that good in the snow, and Bernie lent him his big SUV the past two days when we had a lot of snow and slick roads. R drew a picture of Charlie holding hands with Katie, Bernie's German Shepherd puppy. Charlie and Katie are the best of friends. If any dogs would hold hands, it would be those two.

Spinach Polenta Lasagna

Tonight we had polenta lasagna, lemon broccoli, and grapefruit with pomegranate arils. This is such a free-form recipe. It can be infinitely expanded or contracted, and adapted to what you have on hand.

Spinach Polenta Lasagna
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, or 1 1/2 c frozen that has been thawed
and squeezed dry
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• A few gratings of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped in a chiffonade, or thin ribbons
• 1 egg
• 1 sheet pan of polenta
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 jar or 4 cups tomato sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown the onion and garlic in olive oil and cool slightly. You could add other vegetables--zucchini, peppers, or mushrooms. Mix with ricotta, egg, spinach, salt and pepper to taste, and grated nutmeg.

Spoon tomato sauce into bottom of a square or round pan.

I made polenta the day before from the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill package, spread it out on a buttered sheet pan in a layer about 1/2 inch high, and refrigerated it. You could also make the polenta the same day, or use the ready-made tube of polenta from the grocery store. Cut this polenta into squares or circles, whatever shapes will fit best in your pan, and lay it on top of the tomato sauce in one layer.

Top with a half of the ricotta mixture, a layer of basil ribbons, and half of the mozzarella. Top with more sauce, and then repeat the layering. Polenta, ricotta, basil, mozzarella. Finish with the last of the sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. Parmesan would be nice here if you have it.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for 10 - 15 minutes to brown the top.


We also had Yogurt Cake from my favorite blog and cookbook and source for recipes, Chocolate & Zucchini. I make this cake so often. My adjustments are half whole wheat pastry flour and half all purpose flour, with some flax meal, and equal parts sugar and honey. The original recipe uses yogurt containers as measuring cups, and that's the way I memorized it. So that I can throw it together in the right proportions without thinking about it. I folded in some frozen mixed berries. The honey and wheat make it bake up browner than the original and with a crisper crust. I can also give it to R for breakfast, with fruit and maybe a little more yogurt--which I wouldn't do with white cake.

It's wonderful with whipped cream and berries on top, and a little windowsill mint.

Church Envelope

Every Sunday before Mass, R fills out her envelope for the children's collection.

She always includes a little drawing that she's done. This is yesterday's.

And here is today's lunch. I roasted a turkey breast yesterday, so she has a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with spinach; pineapple and blueberries with the plastic rose that she loves to use to spear fruit; broccoli and carrots; whole grain bunny crackers and chocolate milk.