Tiffanie: this week's menu

Oops, Wednesday already! Well, we had a lovely cabbage vegetable soup with lots of white wine in it, and a vegan Irish soda bread with currants and millet. Still eating the bread, actually (and happily). It is great toasted with jam.

I'm trying to really use my CSA veggies up each week, both to minimize waste (40% of food waste is at the consumer end, I blame the kiddos) and to minimize grocery bills. And because I don't play enough games and need an optimization problem to play with. :-)

Plans for this week:

• it's Halloween tonight, so a quick and easy dinner of pasta for the kids, and red wine braised kale on baguette rafts (perhaps with an egg on top for me). Also roasted cauliflower for everyone.
• butternut squash with sage, with cajun hoppin' jean on the side, and some sauteed greens. The cajun hoppin jean will be with pinto beans, for a change.
• a corn chowder soup with sweet potatoes and kale. I am sure bread will be served alongside.
• if I still have chard (quite likely, since I have a lot growing outside), some garlic sauteed chard over polenta with toasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted brussels sprouts.

On the extra food front, I need to make more granola, my sauerkraut is probably done and should be harvested and stored in the fridge, and dear friend Dea gave me a couple of pounds of raw green olives to cure. I may have the kids hit them with hammers to start the process (you break the skin with a knife or a hammer, and soak them for a couple of weeks in water until they aren't bitter anymore, then put them in brine with herbs. I wonder if I should get more olives? We go through them so very quickly... I also need to pickle some fennel that I will never eat otherwise.

The King Arthur Flour catalog came today, and goodness but they have a lovely chocolate section. I ordered the Guittard dark chocolate wafers last year when I was making peppermint bark, and I used the leftovers in my dark chocolate cherry mini loaves... so very good. They also sell chunks, which might be even better?

Tiffanie: this week's menu

The rainy season starts this week, so I'm going for stews and pot pies.

My plans:

• mushroom taco night
• tofu potato mushroom stew with miso gravy. Roasted delicata squash.
• cauliflower pot pie with olive biscuit crust. Roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.
• Field Roast Italian sausages fried with onions and peppers, in sandwich rolls. Potato salad of some variety.

I've got two built in sets of leftovers, with the stew and pot pie. I may also make a soup, perhaps a carrot soup? I need to use up a bunch of green beans somehow this week. I've got kale; I found a lovely red wine braised kale recipe -- you put it on toasted baguette rubbed with garlic, with an egg on top. That will be a lunch for me! 

I still have four little roasted beets which will get eaten in a salad, too. And two older fennel bulbs I think I will pickle, as they taste pretty good that way. 

I am fermenting about three pounds of cabbage, starting today, so perhaps it will be ready for some sampling by the time we get to the sausages.

Tiffanie: this week's menu

Lots of leftovers from last week in the mix! I am really tired of chili; I froze a good portion of it finally. It was good, however -- Cooks Illustrated wins again! The pumpkin soup never happened last week, so it pushed into this week.

My plans this week:

• pumpkin ginger soup, sourdough baguettes rubbed with garlic
• leftover chili and rice, roasted zucchini and sweet potatoes. Grilled cheese for the kids.
• leftover pumpkin soup, date and almond rice pilaf, roasted brussels sprouts. 
• bok choy chickpea saute with cashews, onion pancakes.
• lal dal (red lentil curry). Sauteed swiss chard with garlic. Pita bread.

Tiffanie: this week's menu

It's a busy week, with me and the kids going solo at least three evenings and over the weekend. So, easy food!

My plans:

• taco night (our usual Sunday)
• vegetable and tofu curry (Japanese brown curry), rice, roasted seaweed, onion pancakes
• butternut squash ravioli, beet salad
• pumpkin ginger soup, possibly with potato frittata. 
• vegetarian chili, from the recipe in the latest Cooks Illustrated. Uses bulgur wheat, and some dried shiitake mushrooms (ground up) for umami. This should be a multi day dish. Cornbread will be made! And maybe a pilaf. 

Tiffanie: this week's menu

I did plan my meals over the weekend, but then I forgot to share them with you. :-)

Here it is:

• taco night
• peanut noodles, sesame crusted tofu on a bed of spinach, roasted seaweed, ice cream.
• pasta with broccoli and edamame and walnuts, fruit smoothies, banana splits.
• cajun hoppin' jean (a spicy bean/rice/tomato dish), with chips and roasted sweet potatoes, strawberries.
• red bean, potato, and arugula soup. 

I am going to make a ricotta chocolate pudding, mostly for the kids. Trying to get some fat on them before winter. :-D

Of the meals above, the kids ate the tacos, the peanut noodles wrapped in seaweed and some tofu, pasta with olive oil and cheese (did not like the broccoli!), the fruit smoothies (made with tofu). They don't like spicy yet, so they ate sweet potatoes and chips with beans and cheese on them instead of the cajun hoppin' jean. Tonight is the soup night, and I imagine they'll eat a cheese omelet or a potato frittata. 

this week's meal plan

I'm back in the kitchen after having been away so long. I didn't make a formal meal plan this week and am winging it, but this is what I decided to make while food shopping:

• Ginger Teriyaki Chicken, Roasted Asparagus, and Steamed Rice (the toddler was served dumplings)
• Steak (not sure yet what seasonings), Roasted Squash and Assorted Veggies
• Spaghetti with Meatballs
• Leftover Veggie Lasagna from last week and taco fixings to go into a taco salad
• Sandwiches, Pumpkin Bolani, Orzo salad, and assorted fruit for lunch and snacks

Friday, the husband and I dine out (hurray for babysitters!) so the toddler may get mac and cheese that night.

Tiffanie: this week's menu

My plans this week:

• burrito night, with mushrooms and sauteed chard, plus regular fixings
• roasted tomato basil soup. Thinking of trying some stuffed peppers, with a rice and hummus filling I read about. Also garlic bread. Green salad.
• mapo tofu, rice, onion pancakes, chinese cabbage salad.
• a fried potato, onion, and pepper mess. French toast (vegan) for the less discerning small people.
• biscuits and gravy (vegan style, with tempeh sausage crumbles). Fruit, or maybe a smoothie.

What are you making this week?

Tiffanie: this week's menu

I've been slacking due to illness, but here I am again!

Plans for this week:

• broccoli tofu stir fry, with rice and onion pancakes
• potato and kale enchiladas with pepitas
• kale and tofu scramble with chipotle jam sauce, probably over rice with roasted sweet potatoes
• spaghetti and beanballs, green and tomato salad

Last week I made a carrot ginger soup, which had oats and miso in it. Really tasty. I've been thinking of making a pureed soup during the winter to have on hand for snacks -- just microwave a mug of it! I always get so many winter squashes from my CSA, and the occasional carrot or potato soup would add variety.

I also made a new granola/muesli mix -- oats, millet (soaked first), pistachios, coconut flakes, raisins (or cranberries), maple syrup/honey, coconut oil, and salt. Everything but the dried fruit is mixed together (the sweetener and oil are heated first), then baked at 325 until golden. It's attractive (love those millet grains!), and potentially gluten free.

The enchiladas I'm making this week are a lot of work, but they do last at least two meals, and I miss eating them. They're vegan, but packed with flavor and texture. You make a spicy tomato sauce first, steam the kale, boil the potatoes and make a lime flavored chunky mashed potatoes. Then you assemble everything (the toasted pumpkin seeds are in there somewhere). Delicious!

Tiffanie: this week's menu

I've been sick, so last week was pretty boring. This week I'm trying to use what I have in the fridge and garden, and I'm mostly using the Clean Food cookbook.

My plans:

• a bean barley chard soup; our CSA box this week had a bag of fresh beans, either cranberry or Tongues of Fire. We have lots of chard in the backyard garden, so I'll pick enough leaves to add to the soup. Might add some zucchini, too. Roasted cauliflower on the side.
• a carrot ginger soup. I have some hope that the kids will like this. Either cornbread or grilled cheese pesto sandwiches on the side. Probably both, as soups tend to be for two meals.
• a walnut lentil loaf. Going full vegan here. It's a good recipe that I've made before, sort of like a meatloaf. Has lots of veggies and good things in it, and a tasty sauce on the top. This will last at least two meals. Roasted sweet potatoes would be good, also cabbage salad, tomato salad, green salad...

This takes me though Thursday night, which is all I'm planning for this week. Going camping on Friday! I may also make some baked tofu this week, perhaps with the carrot ginger soup. 

I need to figure out what to take on the camping trip for a vegan and three vegetarians that is easy and reheatable...

Tiffanie: healthy snacks reference

I'm a big fan of Culinate, and they have a useful article about healthy snacks for the whole family.

Do you do all of these already? Popcorn fell off my radar while the kids were little, but I could bring that back now. I've never done the sweet potato halves as a snack, so I'll have to try that. Cups of pureed soups are awesome, I'm glad it's easing into autumn and I can start making soups every week. I love making bread and soup for meals a couple times a week.

Lisa: Taste of Summer

Wow, summer flew by. Here's a glimpse of what we've been eating. I love all of the fresh, bright colors of summer fruits and vegetables. Salads and wraps became standard fare for a stretch, and I got to try some interesting desserts at picnics. Finally, we grew some of our own produce and indulged in some icy homemade treats.

Romaine salad with carrots, heirloom tomatoes, strawberries,
yellow bell pepper, slivered almonds, carrots and grapes.

Chicken lettuce wraps with salsa and yellow bell peppers,
sugar snap peas on the side

Ricotta and spinach ravioli with marinara,
steamed broccoli, roasted red and yellow beats with goat cheese
par-baked french bread baked just in time for dinner

Grilled salmon (sorry, I mangled it taking it off the serving plate),
Japanese rice with furikake (seaweed and sesame seasoning),
caprese of heirloom tomatoes, mini mozzarella, basil,
green beans goma ae (sesame-soy dressing),
and strawberries

Spinach and jack cheese crepe

I did not make these, but tried them at a picnic:
chocolate-peanut butter-rice crisp bars
with graham cracker crust

My cousin made these:
"Watermelon" Rice Krispies treats
with chocolate chip "seeds"
Made in a round pan and cut in wedges

Massive blackberry!

Watermelon growing in our yard. We later harvested several.
Tasty, but had a tough time figuring out
when they were ripe.

Cantaloupes growing in our yard

Blackberries and strawberries
picked at a local farm

Kale-berry-banana smoothie
popsicle in shape of ladybug

Tiffanie: this week's menu

Evenings are busy with week, with babysitting, school meetings, anniversary dinner, and general busy start-up husband.

 My meal plans this week:

• mushroom taco night, this time with chipotle Field Roast sausages. Spicy!
• leek potato soup, with grilled cheese sandwiches
• red wine braised cabbage with carrots, apples, potatoes, and Italian Field Roast sausages.
• tofu kale scramble with raspberry chipotle sauce, over yellow rice. Plus seaweed.
• baked eggs over sauteed zucchini and onions (a lunch for me)

The tomatoes in the back yard are really coming in, so I might also make a roasted tomato soup with basil. Best tomato soup I've ever had, at least of the non-creamy variety.

On the dessert front, I'm going to experiment with vegan rice crispy treats, and also make a strawberry rhubarb crumble. I hope to make it not-too-sweet, as I prefer the tart crumble right now.

Tiffanie: this week's menu

First week of kindergarten! Plus one husband who wants to experiment with the vegan paleo diet. I shall bang my head against the fridge a few times now.

Menu plans for the week (ignoring the husband, mostly):

• mushroom tacos and fixings, corn tortillas
• veggie burgers and tater tots, watermelon, macaron cookies
• bok choy and chickpea saute with toasted cashew nuts, quinoa pilaf with currants and almonds
• peanut noodles, baked marinated tofu, beet salad
• millet spinach polenta with sun dried tomato pesto, some sort of salad (more beets?), roasted veggies if I have time

For Mr. Paleo, I purchased some extra items: Field Roast chipotle sausages (vegan), Yves sandwich meats (vegan), Field Roast lentil sage loaf (vegan), brazil nuts, roasted pumpkin seeds. 

My CSA box this week: 

• Strawberries
• Scotch Kale
• Red Cabbage
• Leeks
• Green Oak Lettuce
• Green Filet Beans or Potatoes
• Mystery (Tomatoes, Summer Squash or Green Bell Peppers)
• Dill

I'm going to have to trade that dill for something else. The strawberries will go the first night. The kale may go into a tofu scramble with chipotle jam. The cabbage would be good in this recipe for Red Wine Braised Cabbage with Apples -- you add some Field Roast sausages on top and it's really hearty.

Turkey Curry

The meals being donated are coming in fast and furious. Still I feel I must honor my oath to cook for my family. This led, as all paths do, to curry. 

I made Turkey Curry.

It was underwhelming but good.

Recipes are a lot easier the second time you make them. The recipe called for "six turkey cutlets". I ended up with twice the amount of turkey needed. It was in three steps. But the last step had six steps. Is that legal? It made what I thought was a 20 minutes recipe take more like 50 minutes. Luckily the audience was patient, but I felt like I had egg on my face. 

Despite the confusions dinner was a success. I never made curry before and when I added the yogurt it was an "aha" moment.

Tiffanie: this week's menu

My CSA box had a big bunch of broccoli, and spinach, so I'm working off of those.

My planned meals this week:

• broccoli tofu stir fry. Easy and delicious, and the kids eat it. Win! Will serve with rice and maybe onion pancakes.
• spinach chickpea curry from Vegan with a Vengeance. Super flavor. I doubt the kids will eat this. Perhaps some roasted cauliflower and sweet potato on the side.
• tofu mushroom potato stew with miso gravy, also from Vegan with a Vengeance. Not summery, but I have a craving. I might make some Irish Soda Bread to go with it, or baking powder biscuits.

I still need to roast beets for salad, and also make some cabbage slaw. The husband has requested that I investigate making fermented cabbage. He's reading The Four Hour Body (and is waiting for me to read it too) and it promotes the fermented foods.

The stew is a two-day dish, so I'm up to four dinners here. I'll see what Wednesday's CSA box brings me and work with that to finish out the week.

I'm baking a marbled banana bread right now (pics later). Snack time will be good today!