Why is this important? Because mirepoix makes a pot of beans magically delicious. Especially if you add tomatoes, peppers, and fresh herbs. The need for meat or stock disappears completely, but the addition of sausage or ham does enhance any pot legumes, for sure. I made red beans last night in my very favorite red vessel, a cast iron Martha Stewart dutch oven, and the kids and I had a healthy, wholesome meal that was cheap and full of flavor. The only secret that I have is the addition of vegetables, which really isn’t much of a secret, considering I advocate adding vegetables to everything!

At the dinner table, Rylan said, “Mommy, I got a bean and a carrot and some sausage on my spoon, and it was delicious!” Nothing makes a mother smile like a compliment from a four year old who enjoys eating a healthy meal.

It is especially good since corn and tomatoes are in season. Here is the recipe, from memory, because I have made it so much!

• 1 package frozen edamame beans
• 1 cup of corn, cooked, use fresh corn right off the cob if you can (I actually used frozen corn the first time I made it)
• 3-4 green onions
• 1 medium tomato
• fresh basil and garlic to taste (I used 1/2 cup of basil and 3 cloves of garlic)
• salt, pepper and olive oil

Spread the edamame, corn, garlic, and green onions on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 until the edmame is slightly golden. This takes about 10 minutes. Let it set and cool for another 10 minutes, then combine in a mixing bowl with tomato and basil. Then eat it all before some one else does!

Here’s the recipe I used, which is a basic oatmeal cookie recipe. I have scaled the recipe down to make twelve cookies, but it’s easy to adjust to suit your crowd. I got really good feedback from adults and kids alike, so I can say this is a solid recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat or all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 and 1/2 cups quick coking oats

In a medium sized bowl, cream butter and brown and white sugar. I like to do this by hand, as it makes me feel a bit more domestic. Feel free to use a mixer if you have one handy. Beat in the egg, and then the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, then add this to the creamed mixture. Lastly, stir in the oats.

Now, here comes the creative part. You can add anything to the batter at this point. I had craisins and almonds galore, so that is what I chose to use. You can add dates, chopped apricots, pepitas, walnuts, or diced apples. The possibilities are endless, seriously. Also, I think that the amount of ‘extras’ added to the batter is totally up to the person who is going to consume the cookies, so I tend to eyeball my additions as opposed to measuring them. It’s more fun for me that way.

One last thing from this blogger; I have realized lately that it is imperative to do something selfless to support your friends and your community, whether it is volunteering, sponsoring an event, or just stopping and telling someone that they are beautiful. Make cookies for someone you love, and it will make your day that much better. Karma is real, folks, and it happens one cookie at a time!

For lunch we went to a new Mexican restaurant in Broken Arrow, and I had spinach enchiladas. One was topped with queso and the other had red sauce, and they were absolutely delicious.

For dinner we made Veal Picatta with group raised veal cutlets and served it with egg noodles and sauteed carrots, sprouts, and zucchini.

Here is an example of a list:

• parsley
• cilantro
• cauliflower
• arugula
• spinach
• bananas
• lemons
• lime
• chicken
• shrimp
• sour cream
• plain yogurt
• mozzarella
• wheat bran
• oats
• walnuts
• almonds
• garbanzos
• black beans

And here is a list of menu items that I will make with the goodies I get from the store paired with the basics I already have in my ice box and cupboard.

• banana and almond bran muffins
• hummus
• shrimp stir fry
• cilantro pesto
• black bean soup
• cheesy pasta
• granola
• roasted chicken with wilted spinach
• flat-bread pizzas with arugula and fresh mozzarella

One final note: when you get home, compare your receipt to your list to check yourself. It’s important to stay accountable in order to change your shopping (and eating) habits. If you get in the habit of only purchasing food that you know you will use that week, you will buy less and waste less.

You will need:

• 1 lb of pasta
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded colby cheese
• salt and pepper

Break down the cauliflower into florets, and steam them until they are super tender and falling apart, about ten minutes. Put the cauliflower, garlic, roasted red pepper, and cream in a food processor and process until the mixture is creamy. If it’s too thick, add 1/4 cup of water. You have to pay attention to the consistency, since this is the base of the sauce. Remember that you are going to add shredded cheese, which will round out the sauce and make it thicker, so you don’t want to start with an overly thick base, unless of course you prefer a thick sauce, and then adjust your measurements accordingly.

Next, you need to cook your pasta. I like to experiment with different types of pasta, but shells or macaroni work the best for this application. I especially love shells, since they are like tiny spoons that hold lots of sauce. I often buy whole wheat pasta, but if you have a picky eater you might try the ‘enhanced’ or ‘enriched’ pasta instead. Whole wheat pasta is dense and chewy, and it takes some getting used to.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain off the cooking liquid, but reserve about a cup. (It’s always handy to have a bit of starchy pasta water on hand, just in case you need it.) Add the cauliflower mixture to the pot the pasta was in and warm it up over medium heat. Add the cheese to the sauce and stir until it’s melted, then season with salt and pepper to taste. When the sauce is smooth, add the pasta and mix it all together, turn off the heat, and let it sit for a minute or two. Spoon it up, dish it out, and top it with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

This is really as simple as it gets. Pasta, milk, cheese, and vegetables make a delicious meal. Adding roasted red pepper and garlic enhance the flavor of the sauce, and the cauliflower adds a freshness that you didn’t realize you were missing from the Mac N’ Chesse from a box.

Some suggestions and additional thoughts:

• I buy organic, 2% milk, and that is what I used in this recipe. I have also used cream, which is obviously more delicious, but adds loads of fat. One cup of 2% milk has about 5 grams of fat, whereas one cup of heavy cream has about 48 grams of fat. The smart decision is to use milk.
• You don’t have to limit yourself to cauliflower. Butternut squash is a popular add-in also. I think you could probably incorporate carrots and sweet potatoes if you wanted to get creative. Also, I like to prepare purees ahead of time and freeze them, and if you do that, this recipe can be made in about fifteen minutes.
• When you are making the sauce, experiment with flavors. Instead of roasted red peppers, use green onions and arugula. Or try lemon zest and thyme. The possibilities are endless.
• To make this dish even better for your family, stir in a cup of frozen vegetables at the very end. This recipe would give you an opportunity to pull out that bag of frozen peas. Plus, peas are delicious!
• Mac N’ Cheese is a comfort food, and I will admit that my version will take some getting used to. Using vegetables to make a dish that is traditionally sans veg is intimidating I’m sure, but we really have to change the way we think about comfort foods in order to live a healthier lifestyle.
• I almost always use a different kind of cheese when I make cheesy pasta. Colby works great and is affordable, but I also suggest Havarti, Asiago, any kind of Cheddar, Muenster, or Gouda. If you get cheese with flavor, like dill Havarti, you are really going to kick up the flavor in your sauce. If you are in Oklahoma, try Christian Cheese, they make some awesome products.
• Read this article about one working mother’s aversion to this dish. It’s interesting and the comments are fantastic.

What started as a meal delivery service soon developed into several projects, thanks to the vision of its founder, Anna Hollinger. She came up the idea while trying to find healthy meal options for busy working people. At the time, she was selling real estate in Tulsa and wanted to find an easy, affordable way for busy professionals to eat well.

The business offers a service that delivers three meals and a snack to customers daily, but that’s only the beginning. D’Novo is a fast casual restaurant featuring healthy foods with five hundred calories or fewer per plate. Next door is LXI, a swanky wine bar offering small plates and fancy drinks. The Grocer and The Gourmet is the fourth project, which is a specialty market that carries unusual epicurean products.  All three restaurants are sleek, modern, and seemingly East or West coast. Drew oversees all four operations, but mostly focuses on the food, which is the source of his enthusiasm.

Drew began his career as a bus boy in the only fine dining restaurant close to home in upstate New York. He grew up in a small town in upstate New York called Horseheads, population 20,000. When he was in high school, he got job at a restaurant called Pierce’s 1894 in Elmira, New York, which is just south of his home town. The fast paced environment of the line intrigued him, and asked his boss, George Schimert, if he would let him have some shifts in the kitchen. He aspired to attend the Culinary Institute of America, and he needed some experience. He graduated from high school, and set off for Hyde Park, NY.

When I asked Drew what he was doing here he said, “When I got to Tulsa, I figured I was almost half way back [to New York], and then I got involved with this, and it has been a great experience.” The opportunity to be the boss and juggle so many balls has kept him in Oklahoma, and his passion for fresh, flavorful ingredients makes him perfect for his job.

Drew is one of those people who determined at an early age exactly what he wanted to do, and he set his aspirations high in order to succeed.  He is on the cutting edge of a trendy food revolution, and D’Novo is setting the bar high for healthy living in Tulsa. Without Drew and his focused, detailed approach to food, the restaurant would not work.  Drew found the most sophisticated place to work as a kid back home, and here in Tulsa, he has managed to do the very same thing.

Gather the following ingredients:

• two chicken breasts, fat trimmed off
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• your favorite herbs
• one orange, zested and halved
• green onions
• red cabbage
• red bell pepper
• celery
• mayo

In a small casserole dish, add about three tablespoons of olive oil and an overabundance of your favorite herbs and spices. I used thyme, ground mustard, and paprika. With a spoon, mix the ingredients until they form a thick paste. This is something that must be eyeballed, not measured.

You want to coat the chicken thoroughly  with the herb and oil mixture, and then season it to taste with salt and pepper. Add the zest and juice of one orange, and make sure that the chicken is evenly coated by moving the pieces around with tongs. Then place them in a 400º oven for about twenty five minutes, checking them as they cook. I flipped the breasts once, about half way through.

While the chicken is cooking, dice all of your vegetables and add them to a bowl with two tablespoons of mayo.

Remove the chicken from the oven, let it cool, and then dice it. Add it and the pan drippings into the bowl of veggies and mayo, then stir. Give it a taste, and adjust the seasoning as necessary. I needed a pinch of salt, but other than that, my chicken salad turned out perfectly.

I had a really nice loaf of freshly made organic whole wheat bread from Farrell Family Bread, which I toasted and dressed with a touch of mayo. Then I added organic baby greens, a few scoops of chicken salad, and a slice of sharp cheddar. The chicken was perfectly cooked, the salad had just the right amount of mayo, and the crunch from the celery, red pepper, and cabbage added the right amount of texture.

This is the first time I have used this method, and I will try again to get more precise measurements. It really turned out great; so great in fact that I was shocked at how good it was on the first taste. That never happens, and maybe it will never happen again. If you are feeling adventurous, give this method a try and post a comment to let us know if it worked for you, or what you would do differently next time.