I have been slaving away in the garden this week harvesting all that it has to offer. I am still not done with putting the garden to bed before the rains hit, so this week's menu is intended to be super easy allowing more time to garden in the evening. (Hopefully, I will have the energy to do so.)
September 30 - Sunday
Homemade Pizza
Everyone has their go-to dough recipe and mine is a simple whole wheat dough. I simmered down some tomatoes today to make my own sauce, and well...let's just say, that if I had a larger stomach, I'd have less pizza to eat right now. We threw on some bell peppers from the garden plus olives, pepperoni, and mushrooms.Yum! The great thing about pizza on Sunday is that it provides lunch for at least two days which is always a plus when you must pack your own lunch. I also have an apple pie baking in the oven right now; I had to use up the remaining apples from my tree.
October 1 - Monday
Turkey Burgers with Blue-Cheese Broccoli Slaw
I never did use the broccoli I purchased from the Farmer's Market last week, and well, blue cheese and broccoli sound delicious to me!
October 2 - Tuesday
Taco Tuesday
I have a confession to make. Sometimes we are too tired to cook and we get take-out. Last Tuesday was one of those days. Plus it was our anniversary, so it seemed slightly more romantic to treat ourselves to Thai. Now, this week, I can use up the tortillas that I didn't use last week. We have tomatillos coming in fast, so I think I will whip up a quick salsa verde: grill tomatillos, then blend with some cumin, salt, and a hot pepper.
October 3 - Wednesday
BLT Sandwiches
What better thing to do with fresh tomatoes than BLT? On a diet? Well, if you make sure your bacon is nice and crispy, it isn't too much of an indulgence with only two slices on your sandwich.
October 4 - Thursday
Curried Squash/Carrot Coconut Soup
I pulled at least five pounds of carrots out of my garden yesterday and probably 20 pounds worth of squash. This is one of my favorite recipes and one of the easiest to put together. I discovered this recipe at a potluck; I can't remember where or who gave me the recipe, but I've used it many times over.
Steam or bake squash (pumpkins/butternut/acorn and even carrots...whatever floats your boat) until soft.
Puree squash.
In a pot saute minced garlic and ginger along with a tablespoon (or more to your taste) of curry powder. Add two cans of coconut milk and squash. An immersion blender comes in handy here, but some vigorous stirring will also do the trick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
October 5 - Friday (Happy Birthday Laura!)
Family dinner? Going out?
Shopping List:
Squash (or carrots)
1 1/2 lbs of ground turkey
Blue cheese crumbles (already have some in the fridge)
Broccoli (Thank you Farmer's Market)
Bacon
Bread (for turkey burgers and sandwiches and soup...)
Tomatoes (Garden, hello)
Mozzarella
Pepperoni
Mushrooms
Olives (thanks fridge)
2 cans of coconut milk (one "lite", one full-on coconut)
Avocados
can of beans
salsa (we'll make some from the garden)
Bon appetit!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Dinners September 23 - 27
Happy Autumnal Equinox! Fall is my favorite time of year for, oh, so many reasons. It is finally cool enough for me to wear all the knitwear I make myself throughout the year. My birthday is coming up. The leaves change. The crisp blue skies make my weedy garden look fantastic. Outdoor adventures beckon...ah, Autumn!
Autumn also means that it is harvest time.
And, harvest time means that I have a lot of picking, plucking, drying, slicing, canning, etc. to do. Last weekend we did pick our apples, juiced them (it took over five hours for this part), and "racked" it up in a carboy for cider. I can't wait to taste the results. As for dinner, I have many options to choose from--vegetable-wise, that is. If only, I had a herd of cows, pigs, etc., then I'd be in business. Throw in a field of wheat, and I'd never have to do the dreaded trip to the grocery store again! Ha, I wouldn't be doing much else besides farming then either.
After much deliberation, here is this week's menu.
Sunday
Summer Squash Lasagna with a few modifications
I think we have eaten all our zucchini (I know, shocking, right?), so I'll use up our yellow crookneck squash. And, I'll skip buying the crushed tomatoes and make my own from my tomatoes in the backyard. I grew some excellent "sauce" tomatoes that are coming on strong right now.
Monday
Grilled Salmon with Garden Veg
No recipe here, but my favorite grilling marinade is this:
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- a wee bit of brown sugar
Chop cilantro, mix equal parts of the liquids, mix in sugar, pour over fish/meat about an hour in advance. Reserve some for dipping after it is grilled, if you so desire.
As for the garden veg, I have a huge crop of yellow wax beans. My husband is not a huge fan, but when they are grilled, he devours them. They are a good replacement for french fries when grilled.
Tuesday
Tacos with Leftover Fish
This will be an easy meal which is a good thing, since my husband plays in a dart league and their games occur every Tuesday. It is usually a rush at home trying to get him fed and out the door on time, so tacos are an easy choice. We have enough vegetables to make our own salsa, and I'm hoping that our tomatillos are ripened enough to throw into a salsa as well.
Wednesday
Baked Chicken with Pesto
Again, I'll be modifying this recipe. We have a chunk of feta left, so I'll bake the chicken with that. Yum.
Thursday
German Beef Roulade with Bavarian Red Cabbage minus the fancy rolled beef and substituting sausage and potatoes
I am a fan of German food. It's not always the healthiest choice, but it is such a tasty fit for an autumnal day. The original recipe looks delicious, and I may come back to it for a Sunday meal, but it is too fancy and complicated for a dead-tired Thursday meal. Despite it being an un-fancy meal, I will do a little bit of fancifying (yes, that is not a word) and make my own mustard. I hear it is super easy, and I do love a good mustard.
You may, or may not, have noticed, but there is no Friday. That is because that will be reserved for family dinner night, and who knows where we'll go and what we'll eat. I vote Thai.
Happy Autumnal Feasting!
May your days be crisp, sunny, and leafy.
Oops - forgot the shopping list
from home - FH, from store = FS, from farmer's market = FM
Autumn also means that it is harvest time.
After much deliberation, here is this week's menu.
Sunday
Summer Squash Lasagna with a few modifications
I think we have eaten all our zucchini (I know, shocking, right?), so I'll use up our yellow crookneck squash. And, I'll skip buying the crushed tomatoes and make my own from my tomatoes in the backyard. I grew some excellent "sauce" tomatoes that are coming on strong right now.
Monday
Grilled Salmon with Garden Veg
No recipe here, but my favorite grilling marinade is this:
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- a wee bit of brown sugar
Chop cilantro, mix equal parts of the liquids, mix in sugar, pour over fish/meat about an hour in advance. Reserve some for dipping after it is grilled, if you so desire.
As for the garden veg, I have a huge crop of yellow wax beans. My husband is not a huge fan, but when they are grilled, he devours them. They are a good replacement for french fries when grilled.
Tuesday
Tacos with Leftover Fish
This will be an easy meal which is a good thing, since my husband plays in a dart league and their games occur every Tuesday. It is usually a rush at home trying to get him fed and out the door on time, so tacos are an easy choice. We have enough vegetables to make our own salsa, and I'm hoping that our tomatillos are ripened enough to throw into a salsa as well.
Wednesday
Baked Chicken with Pesto
Again, I'll be modifying this recipe. We have a chunk of feta left, so I'll bake the chicken with that. Yum.
Thursday
German Beef Roulade with Bavarian Red Cabbage minus the fancy rolled beef and substituting sausage and potatoes
I am a fan of German food. It's not always the healthiest choice, but it is such a tasty fit for an autumnal day. The original recipe looks delicious, and I may come back to it for a Sunday meal, but it is too fancy and complicated for a dead-tired Thursday meal. Despite it being an un-fancy meal, I will do a little bit of fancifying (yes, that is not a word) and make my own mustard. I hear it is super easy, and I do love a good mustard.
You may, or may not, have noticed, but there is no Friday. That is because that will be reserved for family dinner night, and who knows where we'll go and what we'll eat. I vote Thai.
Happy Autumnal Feasting!
May your days be crisp, sunny, and leafy.
Oops - forgot the shopping list
from home - FH, from store = FS, from farmer's market = FM
- summer squash FH
- crushed tomatoes FH
- 15oz ricotta FS
- 16oz mozzarella FS
- Parmesan Reggiano FS
- 1lb ground beef/pork FS
- Coho salmon FS
- cilantro FH
- soy sauce FH
- sesame oil FS (need more)
- lime juice FH (leftover from last week's shopping trip)
- broccoli FM
- beans FH
- corn tortillas FS
- tomatillos FS
- jalapeno FS
- chicken FH (in freezer)
- pesto FH (I have plenty of basil in the garden)
- feta FH
- pasta FS
- cabbage FH
- potatoes FH
- mustard FH (and mustard seed and tumeric from store)
- sausages FS
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Dinners September 16-21
Well, my husband and I made it through our first full five-day week of school. We also managed to eat healthily (just don't count the cupcakes in the staff lounge yesterday) and used plenty of homegrown produce (thank you whomever left the tomatoes for the taking in the staff lounge). We also managed to keep our sanity. Now I am facing a weekend of a long, long to-do list that includes housework as well as "homework", and despite the incredibly enamel-thinning coffee I am consuming, I don't exactly feel perky. Thus, the lazy list of dinners below.
Sunday
Pizza from the grocery store. Seriously, they make the best pizza EVUH! (Well, not as good as homemade, but it is pretty darn good in a pinch.) We'll get fancy and make a accompanying salad.
Monday
We never ate our Vietnamese Noodle Wraps, so we're going to eat them on Monday. I have some excellent wax beans from the garden to throw in.
Tuesday
Arepas with Avocado and homemade Salsa
When I helped move my friend out of her house (she moved to Mexico with her husband to be closer to his family), I inherited many items from her pantry one of which was an unopened bag of Pan. It is basically corn flour and when mixed with water and salt becomes heavenly corn cakes. I'm going to throw in some corn kernels from fresh-picked garden corn, make a salsa from some tomatoes and our one-and-only jalapeno, and slice up some fresh avocado (not homegrown, although we do have a sizable avocado tree in a pot which has never fruited). They are super easy to make and super quick: perfect for a tired Tuesday.
Wednesday
Grilled Summer Veg with feta and grilled Sausage
I have no recipe to link to, because this is so simple, I don't think a recipe is necessary. Anyhow, in case you really, really want a recipe:
Ingredients
- Picked vegetables from the garden
- Feta
- Sausage links of your choice
Chops vegetables into sizable strips/chunks large enough that they wouldn't fall through the grill. If you have a grill basket, even better. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on medium-high heat until done.
Drizzle 1/2 inch slice of feta (or more) with olive oil. Toss on the grill and flip after a minute. Watch it carefully; otherwise, you'll have a serious disastrous mess on your hands.
Grill sausages to your liking.
Chop sausages and feta into bite-size chunks. Toss with vegetables. Throw in about a tablespoon of fresh rosemary. Eat.
Thursday
Open House - no that's not a meal. We have Open House which means we won't be leaving the school building until 8pm. It also means we'll be dead tired on Friday which means...
Friday
Going out! Where? I don't know...
Sunday
Pizza from the grocery store. Seriously, they make the best pizza EVUH! (Well, not as good as homemade, but it is pretty darn good in a pinch.) We'll get fancy and make a accompanying salad.
Monday
We never ate our Vietnamese Noodle Wraps, so we're going to eat them on Monday. I have some excellent wax beans from the garden to throw in.
Tuesday
Arepas with Avocado and homemade Salsa
When I helped move my friend out of her house (she moved to Mexico with her husband to be closer to his family), I inherited many items from her pantry one of which was an unopened bag of Pan. It is basically corn flour and when mixed with water and salt becomes heavenly corn cakes. I'm going to throw in some corn kernels from fresh-picked garden corn, make a salsa from some tomatoes and our one-and-only jalapeno, and slice up some fresh avocado (not homegrown, although we do have a sizable avocado tree in a pot which has never fruited). They are super easy to make and super quick: perfect for a tired Tuesday.
Wednesday
Grilled Summer Veg with feta and grilled Sausage
I have no recipe to link to, because this is so simple, I don't think a recipe is necessary. Anyhow, in case you really, really want a recipe:
Ingredients
- Picked vegetables from the garden
- Feta
- Sausage links of your choice
Chops vegetables into sizable strips/chunks large enough that they wouldn't fall through the grill. If you have a grill basket, even better. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on medium-high heat until done.
Drizzle 1/2 inch slice of feta (or more) with olive oil. Toss on the grill and flip after a minute. Watch it carefully; otherwise, you'll have a serious disastrous mess on your hands.
Grill sausages to your liking.
Chop sausages and feta into bite-size chunks. Toss with vegetables. Throw in about a tablespoon of fresh rosemary. Eat.
Thursday
Open House - no that's not a meal. We have Open House which means we won't be leaving the school building until 8pm. It also means we'll be dead tired on Friday which means...
Friday
Going out! Where? I don't know...
Shopping List
From the garden/pantry
lettuce
tomatoes
carrots
cucumbers
string beans
summer squash
beets
potatoes
peppers
corn
jalapeno
rice wrappers
bean threads
chili sauce
soy sauce
ginger
Pan
feta
rosemary
From the grocery store
avocados
pizza
sausage
Plus a few other items (not dinner related) which will equal to a bill of $30. WOW! I'm sure we'll realize we need other things before we head there, but that's what I'm looking at right now. Not too shabby. Of course, we'll be grabbing a bite to eat on Thursday ($20) and then again on Friday ($40), so...not that inexpensive, but sometimes, you just got to go out and enjoy life!
Bon appetit!
And just in case life isn't interesting enough, I decided to turn this:
into apple cider. I'll let you know how it turned out in about...oh three months or so.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Carebear poop
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Dinners September 10 - 14
Yes, this is my first post. Do I know what I am doing? No, of course not. Do I know what I would like to accomplish here? Well, yes, in a way, I do. I would like to keep my shopping list linked to recipes, so that I may remember why the heck I bought a whole pack of sage in the first place when it comes to Wednesday night, and my husband and I are starving and dead-tired from a day of teaching. I also would like to be able to share menu ideas with my friends who help inspire the age-old question of, "What's for dinner?". Plus, at least one friend asked how I organize meals for the week, because she is a teacher and a mother (wow!). Furthermore, I am health-conscious, local-food-conscious, as well as budget-conscious, so I am going to try and tie that all in as well. Right now it is September, and there is a wealth of delicious food in my own backyard to be consumed. Come December, some of my food will come from my pantry of summer stores.
Can I commit to doing this each week? Um, perhaps. I don't have children at home, but I do teach about 120 at school which in my book is just as tiring. (I know, I know...I don't have any late night scream-alarms...) Well, let's see if I do.
Friends, welcome. Please comment. Please share your ideas.
Now, what's for dinner?
Saturday - Sunday (We slum it around here on the weekend.)
Zucchini-quinoa fritters
Monday
BLT Pasta Salad
Tuesday
Beet Humus with Greek Salad and pita bread
Wednesday
Chicken Curry (no recipe...really making it easy with a Costco-bought Indian 3-pack simmer sauce)
Thursday
Vietnamese Noodle Wraps
I recommend you skip the "French-fried onions" and instead put in some fresh scallions. I also recommend you put in whatever fresh veg you have out in the yard. I will certainly do that myself.
Friday
Tofu Fries with Gingered Ketchup and Garden Salad
Can I commit to doing this each week? Um, perhaps. I don't have children at home, but I do teach about 120 at school which in my book is just as tiring. (I know, I know...I don't have any late night scream-alarms...) Well, let's see if I do.
Friends, welcome. Please comment. Please share your ideas.
Now, what's for dinner?
Saturday - Sunday (We slum it around here on the weekend.)
Zucchini-quinoa fritters
Monday
BLT Pasta Salad
Tuesday
Beet Humus with Greek Salad and pita bread
Wednesday
Chicken Curry (no recipe...really making it easy with a Costco-bought Indian 3-pack simmer sauce)
Thursday
Vietnamese Noodle Wraps
I recommend you skip the "French-fried onions" and instead put in some fresh scallions. I also recommend you put in whatever fresh veg you have out in the yard. I will certainly do that myself.
Friday
Tofu Fries with Gingered Ketchup and Garden Salad
Shopping List
I already have this at home or in the garden:
zucchini
quinoa
eggs (from our lovely hens)
mushrooms (a lobster mushroom hand-picked from the forest floor)
soup stock (I always have this on hand either store-bought or in the freezer. I make my own whenever I purchase a whole chicken to bake. After we're done eating, I throw all the bones into the slow cooker along with some vegetables, peppercorns, and a bay leaf and let it slowly simmer overnight. Best soup stock ever!)
tomatoes
pasta (not elbows, but penne will serve just fine)
leafy greens
mayonnaise
beets
tahini
lemon juice
garbanzo beans
cucumbers
feta
chicken
rice
curry sauce
bean thread noodles
carrots
mint
apples
scallions
spicy dipping sauce accouterments
rice paper wraps
ketchup
flour
Now from the store, I will need:
bacon
yogurt (Sometimes I get fancy-pants and make my own...I don't think that's going to happen this weekend since school just started and I have a bazillion things to do, so I will be purchasing whatever plain nonfat variety is on sale.)
kalamata olives
probably some more feta
pita bread (but we do have some whole grain tortillas that I may just substitute instead)
tofu
ginger
And, that my friends, is it. But is that the end of my grocery list? Of course not, don't be ridiculous! I still have to purchase normal things like toilet paper and cat food. But, as it stands, my list only has 13 items which with an average price of, um, let's say $5, that will add up to $65. What!? $65 for only 13 items! What the heck am I buying?
Bon appetit!
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