Opus2Cafe

Sunday, March 6, 2016

March Mayhem
tentative menu
3/7/16 thru 3/11/16

Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Jamaican Tomato Soup, Farro Salad with Feta and Apricots, Hummus Wraps, Artichoke Asiago Calzones
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Potato Cheddar Soup, Pesto Tortellini Salad, Hummus Wraps, Quesadillas
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Caribbean Sweet Potato Soup, A Green Salad but not Lauren's Fav, , Hummus Wraps, Chevre and Fig Hero
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, March Minestrone Soup, Massaged Kale and Chickpea Salad, Hummus Wraps,
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Black Bean and Rice Soup, a nice vegan quinoa salad, Hummus Wraps, Spicy Cheese Stuffed Naan with Curried Melon Salad

Music Menu

Big Joe

magic in the air

The low down on this weeks menu - fulfilling some requests this week (yes it happens), mostly involving cheese and to a lesser degree starchy carbs. Got a couple of gaps in the menu, filling in fast though. Trying to use up some odd vegetable bits before the break, let's all brainstorm some cleverness.

Black Bottom Cupcakes, yes! Happy to oblige!

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Leaping Into March
tentative menu
2/29/16 thru 3/4/16

Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Gouda Soup, Caesar Salad, Hummus Wraps, Chimichangas
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Moroccan Potato Bean Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Avocado-Cheddar-Tomato-Pickle Panini
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Mushroom Barley Soup, A Green Salad - probably Lauren's Fav, Hummus Wraps, Avocado Hero
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Creamy Red Curry Butternut Soup, Quinoa Salad with Edamame, Cucumbers and Avocado Salad, Hummus Wraps, Baked Cavatappi and Aged Cheddar
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Soup, Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pizzettes

Music Menu

Amazing Grace Covers

PinC outdoor blogging

The low down on this weeks menu - more avocados this week. Three times! Probably going to be fielding complaints over that.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Spring Training
tentative menu
2/22/16 thru 2/26/16

Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Onion Cheese Bisque, Soba Noodle with Green Beans Salad, Hummus Wraps, Spicy Cheese Stuffed Naan with Curried Melon Salad
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Southwestern Corn Chowder, Moroccan Couscous Salad, Hummus Wraps, Falafel Pita Wrap
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Chinese Velvet Corn Soup, Green (but not red) Salad, Hummus Wraps, Baked Chevre Caprese Hero
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Thai Coconut Curry Soup, Portobella-Brussels Sprouts-Barley Salad, Hummus Wraps, Artichoke Hero
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Masala Root Soup, Hummus Wraps, Swiss Melt

Music Menu

Call Me Al

Sunday, February 14, 2016

No se puede vivir sin amar
tentative menu
2/15/16 thru 2/19/16

Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Indian Spiced Roasted Eggplant Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Avocado Hero
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Pumpkin Asiago Soup, Black Bean and Corn Salad, Hummus Wraps, Quesadillas
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Red Lentil Mulligatawny Soup, A Green Salad, Hummus Wraps, Chevre and Fig Hero
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Rosy Potato Soup, Ginger Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Roasted Chickpea and Cauliflower Tostadas
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, West African Peanut Soup, Hummus Wraps, Burritos/Chimichangas

Music Menu

Wings Over Jordan

The low down on this weeks menu - working through a glut of ripe avocados

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Win Big Prizes!
tentative menu
2/8/16 thru 2/12/16

Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Gouda Soup, Falafel Salad, Hummus Wraps, Spicy Cheese Stuffed Naan with Curried Melon Salad
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Acorn Squash with Roasted Garlic Soup, Smokehouse Chickpeas 'n Greens Salad, Hummus Wraps, Baked Chevre Caprese Hero
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Sweet Potato with Chipotles and Fresh Sage Soup, Wednesday Green Salad, Hummus Wraps, Fajita Bowl
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup, Monday Night Red Beans and Rice Salad, Hummus Wraps, Eggplant Parm Hero
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Black Bean Soup, French Lentil Salad, Hummus Wraps, Kale and Sweet Potato with Avocado Panini

Music Menu

Time Out Of Mind

The low down on this weeks menu - tentative.

Is the Monday night red beans and rice salad really 3 days old? No

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Groundhog Day
tentative menu
2/1/16 thru 2/5/16

Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Southwestern Corn Chowder, either Peanut Noodles or Pesto Tortellini, Hummus Wraps, Avocado Hero
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Cheddar Potato Soup, Cold Citrus Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tostadas with Slaw
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, White Bean and Cabbage Soup, A Green Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pear and Pepper Jack Panini
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Thai Coconut Curry, Mushroom Barley and Brussels Sprouts Salad, Hummus Wraps, Burritos/Chimichangas
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew, Andean Quinoa Salad, Hummus Wraps, Swiss Melt

Music Menu

The Barbarian Invasion

The low down on this weeks menu - fifty fifty vegan this week. Friday is the only question mark as there might be a change at the helm.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

First Month, Last Week
tentative menu
1/25/16 thru 1/29/15

Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Red Pepper Coconut Soup, Spicy Soba Noodle Salad, Hummus Wraps, Artichoke Heart Hero
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, West African Peanut Soup, Quinoa Roasted Butternut & Beet Salad, Hummus Wraps, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Creamy Red Curry Butternut Soup, A Green Salad, Hummus Wraps, Grilled Reuben Sandwich
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Fiery Fruit and Grains Salad, Hummus Wraps, Calzone
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Masala Root Soup, Hummus Wraps

Music Menu

Short Life, Big Talent

The low down on this weeks menu - sorry to say that this weeks end is still up in the air, and subject to change.

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New Dish of the Week Profile -Acorn Squash with Roasted Garlic Soup - so o.k., this isn't very new to us here, but it hasn't been profiled yet. Do we have any curious cooks in the house? Both the squash and the garlic are roasted. The shallots and celery are sauteed. The spinach is tossed in raw. Dry sherry and whatever extra dribs and drabs of milk we have are added towards the end. Seasonings are exactly what you'd expect. Mom approved. nutritional info per 8 oz. serving, based on the assumption that I'm going to find mainly skim milk dribs and 1% drabs -cal. 197, fat - 8.7g, carbs - 27g, pro - 4.3g, choles. - 22mg, sodium - 135mg

Here's the Opus 2 recipe for clumping granola - melt 1/2 c butter, stir in 1/4 c honey and a splash of vanilla, set aside. In a large bowl, mix 4 c rolled oats with 1/2 c sunflower seeds and 2 cups almonds (whole or sliced). Toss butter/honey mix with oat mix. Add a bit of water if it seems too crumbly. Spread granola out on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Press firmly. Seriously. Cover with foil and bake at 250 degrees for about 70 minutes, or until you can smell the granola. Remove the foil and continue baking until desired shade of medium brown, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan, and when totally cool, break up into clumps. Mix in some dried cranberries or raisins. Some times we add wheat germ and/or pepitas,

Wild Grape Pie
We at O2 spent a pleasant day making a wild grape pie. Here's the recipe.
Harvest at least 2 pounds worth of wild grapes. Wash and dry them carefully. Measure out 6 cups worth, and gently peel them. Put the skins in a bowl, the pulp and seeds into a saucepan. This will take a couple of hours if you have help, but it'll be a fun couple of hours.
Bring the saucepan of pulp to a full, rolling boil, and boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Strain the seeds away from the pulp, discarding the seeds. Mix the pulp in with the skins, and between 1 and 3 tablespoons of tapioca. Place this mix of skins and rapidly thickening pulp into a refrigerator to chill for about 2 hours. While this is chilling, make a pie dough recipe of your choosing. We are fond of a basic pate brisee, heavy on the butter.
When the pie dough has relaxed sufficiently, roll it out and fit it into an 8 or 9 inch pie pan. Remove the grape filling from refrigeration, and stir into it about a cup's worth of sugar. Scrape this filling into the bottom crust, top with a full or latticed top crust. Bake as any fruit pie, making sure you have a pan underneath it in your oven. Enjoy cool.

O2 Onion Cheese Bisque.
really.
Cook up a big bunch of onions in butter over a low flame. When they are just starting to caramelize, stir in some flour. Cook off the raw flour taste, and add in milk. Lots of milk. We use an assortment of fat levels. Add in some grated cheese. We use an assortment of types. Stir, taste, season. Add in some vegetarian worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. Partially puree with your wand of chaos.
nutritional facts based on 2% milk and medium sharp cheddar - calories for a 12 oz serving - 315.4, fat - 21.2 g, carbs - 19.1 g, protein - 13.5 g

Dear Charlotte [crispy];
Thank you for being such a loyal customer. I hope that this will help.
1. Acorn Squash, Roasted Garlic and Spinach Soup -
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut 2 acorn squash in half, scoop seeds out. Roast squash, cut side down for about 45 minutes, until it feels tender. Roast 4 heads of garlic at the same time. In a pot, saute 2 onions in butter until starting to brown. Add 4 cups of water or vegetable broth and 2/3 c dry sherry. Add in the flesh from the squash and the roasted garlic. Puree. Add in 1 bunch of clean, chopped spinach. Heat and add salt, pepper, a little bit of fresh nutmeg, and 2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream.

2. Chinese Velvet Corn Soup
In a splash of oil, saute 4 cups of diced onions. Cook until caramelized, then add 6 cups of corn kernels and 8 cups of water. Cook a bit, then add 1 teaspoon of szechuan peppercorns, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1/2 cup dry sherry, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 4 teaspoons sugar, a good dollop of sambal oeleek, and some chopped chives. Remove about a third of the soup and with an immersion blender, coarsely puree what's left in the pot. Add the unpureed soup back. Dissolve 1/2 c of cornstarch in about 1/3 cup of cold water. Pour this into the hot - but not boiling- soup. Taste for and add salt.

3. Chipotle Sweet Potato and Fresh Sage
4. Masala Root Soup
5. Onion Cheese Bisque
6. Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
7. Roasted Cauliflower Soup
8. Roasted Red Pepper and Coconut Soup
9. Sherried Carrot Soup
10. West African Peanut Soup.
Let me know if something really important to you is missing.

Pesky Wild Violet Invasion
It's that time of the year again, wild violets marring the new lawn. Spraying is so politically incorrect.
'Violets contain rutin, a phytochemical with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help strengthen capillary walls'. Eat them.
Clean violets carefully. Dry thoroughly.
Beat a couple of egg whites, then strain into a small bowl.
Work with one violet at a time.
Using a clean paintbrush, paint egg white on all surfaces of the violet. Don't get excessive, egg shouldn't be dripping.
Immediately sprinkle superfine sugar over all coated surfaces.
Place violet on a wax paper covered wire rack to dry.
Repeat process.
Flowers are extremely perishable and should generally be served fresh. Candied flowers like these wild violets will last up to a year. Do not store in the refrigerator.
Today's important [p.c.] disclaimer here;
Introduce flowers slowly to your diet to avoid any potential upset or allergic reaction, especially important if you have allergies to pollen.
Next week - dandelion jelly.

Opus2Cafe

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Sunday, January 24, 2016

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