We’re moving!

Greetings wonderful readers,

Our blog will be moving, and your subscription will be coming along with us.

However, if you are simply a “follower” but do not receive our posts in your email (and would like to!), please subscribe to our new blog site: www.butterbeanskitchen.com/blog – scroll to the bottom and you will see a subscriptions option.

Thank you all for your continued support and love for all things Butter Beans,  I am looking forward to sharing and connecting with you on our new site!

Photo courtesy of _rockinfree

settling potato leek soup

Winter is the time for soup to shine!

There is nothing simpler and more satisfying than a creamy (dairy and gluten free) potato leek soup. The combination simply soothes the soul.

Here’s how to make this rich soup in just 20 minutes:

Inspired by epicurious 

Prep Time: 3 minutes Total Time: ~20 minutes

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• Handful of red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 1 leek, cut into half moons
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 C water (or stock)
• kosher salt to taste
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prep: Rinse potatoes and leek. Cut potatoes, remove the top (where it starts to diverge), and the bottom root of the leek, cut down the middle, then into half moons. Take out your pan, wooden spoon, food processor, or immersion blender.

2. Cook: Add olive oil to a deep pan, over medium-low heat cook the leeks with a dash of salt, and cover for 8-10 minutes, until soft. Add in water, cover and bring to a simmer. Add in potatoes, cover and simmer for ~10-20 minutes, or until soft.

3. Blend: In your food processor, puree 1/2 of the soup mixture. Place soup mixture in a big bowl, then mix in the other 1/2 of the soup from your pan. Mix well, then serve. Season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Photo courtesy of sethoscope

the smile behind our lunch line

Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a wonderful break, are feeling recharged, and are staying safe in the snow. We love featuring our Food Service Staff on our blog. They are so vital to the success of our programs. They are the face, the smile, the nurturing voice behind our lunch lines, helping our students make decisions, encouraging them to try new foods, and making lunch fun for our communities. Which is why we are featuring Vernan Douglas who is our Food Service Utility Attendant at one of our schools where we serve lunch. His enthusiasm for his role within Butter Beans, and love for supporting our students at lunch time inspired us to interview him.

What brought you to Butter Beans? A very good friend of mine was working for the company for over a year at the time. She kept speaking about how exciting and different it was, so I insisted on giving it a shot.

What are some of your highlights from your time working with the students? 

There is a student that always asks me if certain foods are Kosher. I always understood the basics about Kosher foods, but not all of the intricacies. He came up to me recently and asked me to sit down with him at lunch, and he explained to me all about what Kosher means. Our conversation inspired me to read more about it, and now I am much more knowledgeable. I was impressed with his awareness of his dietary restrictions.

Have you noticed a change in the food habits of the students?  Many of our students did not eat vegetables at the start of the school year. Though many of them are vegetarians, they would sometimes prefer to eat nothing over eating vegetables. When some students started choosing vegetables, we would congratulate them on how awesome their plates looked, and slowly their peers wanted some recognition too! Not only are they now consuming more vegetables, but they get so excited when they see the daily veggies that we offer. It feels good to see them walk off with their colorful plates!

What motivates you to do your best each day?

I enjoy feeding people good food, I enjoy smiles, and I am big on great health. The children that I serve on a daily basis are our future; if I can serve them a great meal and they come back and thank me, or tell me how great the food was, that’s enough motivation for me to do what I do everyday without a doubt. What do you like the most about your job? No matter what may be going on in my life, the students are always there for me, genuinely happy, and giving me hugs and high fives…that feeling there is priceless.

What is your favorite Butter Beans lunch to eat? The shepherd’s pie is AMAZING. That is by far my favorite lunch yet. I also enjoy our cheesy broccoli soup, I’ve never had anything like it!

a wish for the holidays

With the holidays coming up, we wanted to wish you all a peaceful, and enriching time with family and friends.

Here is a fun way to share with your loved ones: think of someone who will be at your holiday festivities, and has made an impact on your life. Write them a gratitude letter, then read it to them in person. This exercise will not only set the tone, but will also foster a deeper connection to your loved ones during this time of togetherness.

Take a step back from all of the holiday craziness, and try to remain present and positive when celebrating with family and friends, no matter what they bring to the table.

Happy holidays, see you in 2014!

Photo courtesy of Roger’s Eye

spaghetti squash with carrot top pesto

We are sharing a recipe that we just cooked up in our recent cooking class with our students.

It was such a hit that we thought maybe your kids (or you!) would love it too.

After seeing the ingredients that we were going to use for our class, the students were a bit hesitant to continue.

Carrot tops? Pumpkin seeds? Squash?!

Only after roasting our squash, blending up our pesto, and digging in, did our students realize that they had just created one of their most delicious meals yet!

Here’s how the transformation happened. Who knows, it might open your mind up as well!

Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

Squash: 

• 1 small spaghetti squash
• 3 T olive oil
• 1/2 T basil
• 1/2 T thyme
• ½ T rosemary
• 1/2 t sea salt

Pesto: 

• 1 bunch carrot tops = 1 C lightly packed carrot leaves
• 1/2 C olive oil – add more for a smooth consistency
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 C fresh basil
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 C pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 C parmesan
• 1 T honey (optional)
• black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut squash in half, place on baking sheet, drizzle oil on each, and add herbs and salt. Cook for 45 minutes, or until soft. You can also steam for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Rinse carrot tops, and basil thoroughly (sand is no fun).

2. Process: While the squash is cooking, blend up your pesto. Add all ingredients into your food processor, and blend until smooth.

3. Assemble: Shred squash into spaghetti strips (you can do this with a fork), add pesto, then mix together. Enjoy!