More For the Week, Including Mardi Gras

What to do for Mardi Gras? Jambalaya? Red beans and rice? I'm going to go with a chicken Creole that isn't online because it's from a wonderful cookbook from the early 90s, Julee Rosso's Great Good Food (seasonal approach, a lighter perspective, yet sophisticated - what more could you ask?). An alternative could be Mark Bittman's recently published lighter take on gumbo, a scallop one. Scallops would be pretty pricey around town right now, so maybe substitute $4.99/lb shrimp from Sunflower?

Of course, you've figured out by now that a big soup like the sweet potato and sausage one makes for an easy reheat for a second dinner.

With pork stew meat at Sunflower at $2.99/lb, I'm also thinking five-spice pork stir-fry with soba noodles. Get your whole grains in with buckwheat sobas. Maybe some edamame from the freezer on the side (Seapoint Farms is $1.50 at Sprouts this week).

Finally, some sort of fish, yet to be determined, with baked organic yams and beets on the side, both on sale at Sunflower (yams 99 cents/lb, beets $1.50/bunch). Can't pack in many more antioxidants than that.

Mardi Gras Parade!

Count on the Pearl Street Whole Foods to have a good time. They'll be throwing a Mardi Gras parade at 4 on Tuesday. Here are the details from them:

Tuesday, February 16th
Pearl Street Mardi Gras Parade
4pm FREE
It's that time of year again! Make sure you're here when our teams compete for the coveted title of Mardi Gras Master. Customers will vote for the most amazing team float and then we'll march through the store and down Pearl Street. If you're in need of multi-colored plastic beads, do not miss this event!

Valentine's Sampling at Sunflower

The Boulder Sunflower will be holding a Valentine's tasting tomorrow from 11 to 2. Their sales flyer calls it a "sweet sampling," while their full schedule on the web says to "stop by and sample great ideas to make this weekend romantic." Intriguing.

Upcoming Dinner Ideas

A busy week of festivities to celebrate, with the Olympics opening tomorrow, Valentine's Day Sunday, and Mardi Gras on Tuesday. In honor of the Olympics, I'm thinking something vegetarian and with carbs for tomorrow, like a vegetarian pasta. (Note the Vitelli whole wheat pasta 99 cent sale at Sunflower and stock up!!) The pasta I have in mind isn't online anywhere - it involves a sauce of marinated artichoke hearts, roasted green chiles, light sour cream, a little olive oil, and lots of freshly grated parmesan over whole wheat pasta, wow. With romas 99 cents a pound at Sunflower, a good alternative would be linguine with spicy leek and tomato sauce from Bon Appetit.

Next, since chicken sausage is on sale at both Sprouts and Sunflower, and organic yams are 99 cents/lb at Sunflower (also organic leaf lettuce for the side salad), that screams for sweet potato and sausage soup from Bon Appetit. You have to cook the sausage anyway, so substituting your choice of sausage seems perfectly reasonable.

Then, oh my, we're on to Valentine's Day. Steak and lobster tail specials are everywhere, and are highlighted in my hot deals of the week sidebar. Since clogging one's sweetie's arteries isn't my idea of an ideal expression of love, think I'll opt instead for salmon, mustard greens, and potatoes with mustard-dill glaze, yet another from Bon Appetit. This recipe is so easy yet flavorful, with the mustard-dill sauce flavoring everything. Might not be able to resist some of the cooked shrimp from Sprouts at $3.99/lb to start.

More to come shortly.

Store Events and a Crab Sale

Our Boulder Sunflower continues its active events schedule with a heart health class tonight at 7, featuring Jack Schaefer of Mountain West Wellness. Tomorrow there will be a gluten-free tour at 10 am, while on Thursday from 4 to 6, they will be doing a "Simple Suppers" demo. Meanwhile, tomorrow only, our Whole Foods markets will have Jonah crab claws on sale for $5.99/lb, $4 off their usual price. Starting to think about Valentine's Day.

Rounding Out the Dinner Menus

Once we get past the Super Bowl, it will be time for some calm, quiet comfort food. With those chicken tenders at Sprouts for $1.88/lb, it might be time for my own pasta invention that doesn't have a name. It's essentially chicken and miscellaneous veggies with whole wheat penne, fusilli, or whatever your inclination, with parmesan freshly grated on top. After diced chicken is mostly cooked, what I usually throw in is chopped onion and garlic, broccoli florets, diced mushrooms, and chopped tomatoes. Also nice to pick up roasted red pepper and pitted kalamata olives from a place like the Whole Foods antipasto bar to add. Moisten with a little chicken broth or pasta cooking water, and you're done.

Even easier, there will be a reprise of Sunday's veggie chili.

Since I'll be stocking up on organic winter squash (99 cents a pound) at Sunflower, and shrimp are on sale at both Sunflower (really big ones for $6.99/lb) and Sprouts (smaller ones for $3.99/lb), it's time for another round of butternut squash risotto with shrimp.

Finally, with sockeye $9.99/lb at Sprouts and my $2.50 five pound bag of organic russets already purchased from Sunflower, a simple saute of salmon with a baked (microwaved) potato on the side is in order, with some nice side veggie as well, of course.

Sounds like a good week for veggies!

Super Bowl Sunday!

Even in the midst of a junk food extravaganza like Super Bowl Sunday, we Boulderites like to stay on the healthy side. For Sunday's dinner, I'm going with my very favorite chili, which just happens to be vegetarian, black bean chili with butternut squash and Swiss chard, originally published in Bon Appetit. Three small cans of beans is a bit much, so I prefer one large can instead (big 25 oz can of Westbrae organic is on sale at the Pearl Whole Foods for $1.50, less than the price of one small can). Also chicken instead of veggie broth, unless you're looking for a truly vegetarian dish. Either tortillas or my favorite green onion corn bread on the side (maybe with some chopped roasted chiles added), and of course a giant salad. Guacamole (avocados 39 cents at Sunflower!) is a must, and maybe a few wings, but nothing truly gross. Recipes for pigging out are everywhere. The most appealing, healthier spins I've seen as a group are the ones published in Whole Food's blog. Let the Saints come marching in!

Pre-Sunday Dinners

Everybody's thinking Super Bowl, but we still need to plan some dinners before then. I'm thinking of trying a new (to me) recipe for the cod that's $6.99/lb at Sprouts, cod, potato, and fennel casserole, from Gourmet magazine. Fennel is so good in winter dishes, and five pound bags of russets are just $2.50 at Sunflower. Next, with chicken tenders $1.88/lb at Sprouts, it might be time for barbeque chicken pizza from Bon Appetit, which tastes more decadent than it really is. In fact, it would be good for a Super Bowl party, but I have another idea for Sunday. This pizza is really good finished with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro. As for the crust, you could do it as written or try it with fresh dough from our favorite stores. Another option, what I'd been doing before I discovered the fresh dough at Whole Foods, is to buy a plain pizza dough from Nick 'n Willy's - just tell them which size dough you'd like, "rolled and wrapped," and you'll get a flat dough ready for your toppings.

Baby Back Ribs and Gift Cards

Whole Foods' one day only sale tomorrow will be baby back ribs for $3.99/lb, nearly half their regular price. Definitely a Super Bowl possibility. Love Whole Foods meats, but if you miss that one, they'll be $3.99/lb at Sprouts all the way through 2/10. Also, I heard from the manager at Sprouts that tomorrow is the last day they will be offering their $100 gift card for $89.99.

A Tip for Storing Chipotles

I was recently chatting with the folks who bring you Boulder Eats, the Boulder Restaurants Guide, and we got on the topic of recipes that call for small amounts of odd items, chipotles in particular (as in the chipotle beef stew I'm doing this week). A friend of mine gave me the greatest tip for this. When you buy one of those little cans of chipotles in adobo sauce, pop the contents in a food processor or blender, and pretty much puree it. The puree will fit perfectly in one of little jars that marinated artichoke hearts come in. Stored in the refrigerator, the chipotle puree will keep for months, and I use about one tablespoon of puree per chipotle called for in a recipe. So convenient.