Time for weekly meal planning. This week is the 4th of July, so I want to make some kind of cook-out style food that day, and I need to pick up supplies for making S'mores with Sameer while we watch the town fireworks display from our deck (last year Sophie cuddled with us through it while Simran was asleep already in her crib -- I'm hoping for a similar experience this year). Here is what I currently have leftover in my fridge that needs using up: one bunch of green kale, one head of green leaf lettuce, about 8 oz of fire-roasted corn (previously frozen but now thawed), one sliced red bell pepper, one chopped sweet potato, and about two chopped carrots. You may notice I'm making a lot of dishes and with more new recipes than usual. This is because Simran has been somewhat pickier lately than before and has started rejecting foods that she previously liked. My goal is to give her enough healthy options at each meal that I can be sure she won't go hungry (and that I won't cave and just increase her intake of cinnamon-raisin toast and hemp milk). I usually try to get her to eat at least two bites of each dish (followed by letting her fill up on as much fruit as she wants), and I figure eventually she'll learn to like most of them. Here is what I'm planning to make this week:
New York-Style Veggie Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I already had pizza dough in the freezer, so I threw it in the fridge before bed last night to thaw, figuring I'd make this meal tonight. The place we'd planned to get takeout from was closed this past week, so we ran out of planned meals two days early and have just been making do. We have leftover mozzarella from last time I made this pizza, and it will also use up the last of the kale in the fridge.
Thai Green Curry with Brown Rice
We make this almost every week, and it will use up the chopped sweet potato.
Veggie Sushi and Miso Soup and Green Banana Power Blended Salad
I love veggie sushi, but I've never mastered making it. It seems like something Simran might be able to feed herself now (we have photos of her trying when she was younger), miso soup is tasty to me and will add the protein of tofu to the meal, and the blended salad is a new drinkable-sounding recipe from Joel Fuhrman's Disease-Proof Your Child. I figure between all this stuff Simran will find enough of it edible to fill herself up.
Vegetable Manchurian with White Rice and Broccoli Stir-Fried with Orange and Toasted Garlic and Hot-and-Sour Cabbage Salad
This will be my first time making Vegetable Manchurian, but it sounds pretty simple aside from the frying, which is not something I'm used to doing. The broccoli and cabbage dishes both come from Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
Black Bean Burgers and Broccoli with Garlic and Split Pea and Tofu Dog Soup
I think this will make a decent 4th of July meal. The broccoli with garlic is a new-to-me recipe from Joel Fuhrman's book, but it sounds almost exactly like another garlic broccoli recipe I used to make and love. The soup is also from Fuhrman and sounded like a fun and healthy way to introduce Simran to tofu dogs, which I enjoy having on summer holidays. I already have the burgers pre-made and waiting in the freezer. I think I have more than two in there anyway.
Chilli Garlic Noodles and Asian Chik'n Salad
I'm making these noodles and Vegetable Manchurian the same week because they have so many ingredients in common (e.g., cabbage and green onions) that would probably end up going to waste otherwise. I've made Asian Chik'n Salad before with Morningstar Chik'n Strips, and it was good.
Healthy Taco Salad
I'm going to just make this one up myself. It'll be similar to the black beans and rice I made last week, but since it's hard to get Simran to eat beans, I'll either puree them into refried beans (maybe with roasted red peppers) or make some kind of fake meat, like seasoned tofu or ground seitan.
Spaghetti Marinara?
I'll just keep ingredients on hand to make spaghetti in case we still need another meal between now and next Sunday night.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Broccoli with Garlic
This recipe comes from Joel Fuhrman's book Disease-Proof Your Child.
Ingredients
2 large bunches of broccoli or three boxes of frozen broccoli
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs olive oil
Directions
1. Steam broccoli for 5-7 minutes or defrost frozen broccoli. Remove from heat and cut up into pieces in a large salad bowl. Mix the oil, garlic, and mustard together and toss the broccoli with the mixture. Return to steamer to cook for another 5 minutes. The dressing in this recipe is (allegedly) delicious on other green vegetables as well, such as okra, asparagus, green beans, and string beans.
[Edited 9/2/2013: This has a nice, mild flavor that I really liked. Simran didn't care for it the first time around.]
Ingredients
2 large bunches of broccoli or three boxes of frozen broccoli
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs olive oil
Directions
1. Steam broccoli for 5-7 minutes or defrost frozen broccoli. Remove from heat and cut up into pieces in a large salad bowl. Mix the oil, garlic, and mustard together and toss the broccoli with the mixture. Return to steamer to cook for another 5 minutes. The dressing in this recipe is (allegedly) delicious on other green vegetables as well, such as okra, asparagus, green beans, and string beans.
[Edited 9/2/2013: This has a nice, mild flavor that I really liked. Simran didn't care for it the first time around.]
Broccoli Stir-fried with Orange and Toasted Garlic
This is another recipe from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
Ingredients
1 head broccoli
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tbs thinly sliced garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
zest of 1 orange
Directions
1. Peel tough skin from stems and cut off florets. Cut stems into one-fourth-inch-thick medallions. There should be about 7 cups of florets.
2. Put 2-4 tbs orange juice or water in a wok over medium-low heat. Stir-fry garlic about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown. Add pepper flakes and stir. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Put 1/4 cup orange juice and broccoli in the same wok over high-heat, cover and cook, stirring every few minutes until broccoli is tender and orange juice is gone.
4. Stir in garlic mixture and orange zest and eat.
Ingredients
1 head broccoli
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tbs thinly sliced garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
zest of 1 orange
Directions
1. Peel tough skin from stems and cut off florets. Cut stems into one-fourth-inch-thick medallions. There should be about 7 cups of florets.
2. Put 2-4 tbs orange juice or water in a wok over medium-low heat. Stir-fry garlic about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown. Add pepper flakes and stir. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Put 1/4 cup orange juice and broccoli in the same wok over high-heat, cover and cook, stirring every few minutes until broccoli is tender and orange juice is gone.
4. Stir in garlic mixture and orange zest and eat.
Hot-and-Sour Cabbage Salad
This recipe comes from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
Ingredients
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup seasoned or plain rice vinegar
1 tbs peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 - 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions
1. Place cabbage and green onion in a large bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, over medium head, bring vinegar, ginger, sugar (optional), and hot pepper flakes to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour hot dressing over cabbage and toss.
Ingredients
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup seasoned or plain rice vinegar
1 tbs peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1/2 - 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions
1. Place cabbage and green onion in a large bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, over medium head, bring vinegar, ginger, sugar (optional), and hot pepper flakes to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour hot dressing over cabbage and toss.
Split Pea and Tofu Dog Soup
This is another supposedly kid-friendly recipe from Joel Fuhrman's Disease-Proof Your Child. I just like the idea of serving Simran something so toddler-ish that it has veggie hot dogs cut up in it. It sounded cute.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen carrot juice
1 cup fresh or frozen celery juice
1 cup soy milk
2 cups water
2 cups dry split peas
2 cups chopped onions
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tbs Mrs. Dash
1 tbs minced rosemary
3 tofu hot dogs, sliced into small slices
Directions
1. Add all the dry ingredients into the liquid portion and simmer for 45 minutes.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen carrot juice
1 cup fresh or frozen celery juice
1 cup soy milk
2 cups water
2 cups dry split peas
2 cups chopped onions
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tbs Mrs. Dash
1 tbs minced rosemary
3 tofu hot dogs, sliced into small slices
Directions
1. Add all the dry ingredients into the liquid portion and simmer for 45 minutes.
Green Banana Power Blended Salad
This recipe comes from Joel Fuhrman's Disease-Proof Your Child. I'm not sure if it will be really good or just horrifying, but it sounds interesting and includes things I like (especially medjool dates). I'll probably omit the vinegar initially and only add it if the dish seems weird or lacking. If I can even find black fig vinegar. I have balsamic fig vinegar, but Fuhrman's book lists at least half a dozen vinegars I've never even heard of, let alone seen before.
Ingredients
2-3 oz. washed baby spinach
3-4 oz. washed romaine lettuce
1 banana
1/2 avocado
5 medjool dates
1 tbs black fig vinegar (optional)
Directions
1. Blend well into a smooth pudding-like consistency in the food processor, the Vita-Mix, or a powerful blender by shoving the lettuce down into the blades with a cucumber or carrot used as a plunging tool. Blending raw greens until smooth greatly increases the absorption of nutrients from our digestive tract, delivering a powerful nutrient punch.
[Edited 7/28/13: It's quite good. I've never included the vinegar.]
Ingredients
2-3 oz. washed baby spinach
3-4 oz. washed romaine lettuce
1 banana
1/2 avocado
5 medjool dates
1 tbs black fig vinegar (optional)
Directions
1. Blend well into a smooth pudding-like consistency in the food processor, the Vita-Mix, or a powerful blender by shoving the lettuce down into the blades with a cucumber or carrot used as a plunging tool. Blending raw greens until smooth greatly increases the absorption of nutrients from our digestive tract, delivering a powerful nutrient punch.
[Edited 7/28/13: It's quite good. I've never included the vinegar.]
Miso Soup
I bought miso paste on a whim awhile back, thinking I could make miso soup with tofu, scallions, and little else. When I got home and looked up a recipe, I realized most miso soup includes dashi granules, which have fish in them, so I had to find a basic vegetarian recipe. I'll be using this one from About.com.
Ingredients
1. Bring water to a slow simmer and add seaweed. Allow to simmer at least 5-6 minutes. The longer you simmer the seaweed, the less of a salty fishy flavor it will have.
2. Reduce heat to very low and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until miso is well dissolved. Its best not to boil the miso, as this will ruin some of it's healthy properties as well as change the flavor of the soup. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1/3 cup miso
- 3 green onions (scallions), chopped
- 1 tbsp shredded nori or wakame seaweed
- 1/2 block firm silken tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
- dash soy sauce (optional)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
1. Bring water to a slow simmer and add seaweed. Allow to simmer at least 5-6 minutes. The longer you simmer the seaweed, the less of a salty fishy flavor it will have.
2. Reduce heat to very low and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until miso is well dissolved. Its best not to boil the miso, as this will ruin some of it's healthy properties as well as change the flavor of the soup. Makes 4 servings.
Veggie Sushi
Since I've never made really good veggie sushi before, I figured I should try following a recipe with actual positive reviews. I found this recipe by Masaharu Morimoto on the FoodNetwork website.
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the rice:
3 cups short-grain Japanese rice, rinsed
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
Salt
For the rolls:
10 nori sheets (dried seaweed), halved
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
1 cucumber
1 avocado
1 plum tomato, seeded
1 small red onion
20 asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched
Wasabi paste, for spreading and serving
1 romaine lettuce heart
Pickled ginger, for serving
3 cups short-grain Japanese rice, rinsed
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
Salt
For the rolls:
10 nori sheets (dried seaweed), halved
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
1 cucumber
1 avocado
1 plum tomato, seeded
1 small red onion
20 asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched
Wasabi paste, for spreading and serving
1 romaine lettuce heart
Pickled ginger, for serving
Directions
1. Make the rice. Combine the rice and 3 1/4 cups water in a rice
cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. A rice
cooker is the best way to get perfect sticky-firm rice, but if you don't
have one, just use a saucepan.
2. Fold in the vinegar. Combine the vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Transfer the cooked rice to a large wooden bowl (traditionally, a wooden tub). Drizzle a quarter of the vinegar mixture over a wooden spoon or spatula onto the rice. Fold the rice gently with the spoon to cool it and break up any clumps; be careful not to smash the grains. Fold in the remaining vinegar mixture and let the rice sit 5 minutes.
3. Spread the rice. Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. Place a half nori sheet rough-side up on the mat. Moisten your hands and scoop a handful of rice, slightly larger than a lemon, onto the nori. Press the rice to spread it evenly up to the edges of the nori, moistening your fingers as you go. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
4. Prepare the vegetables. Peel the cucumber and slice into matchsticks. (Morimoto cuts the entire cucumber into a paper-thin sheet, then quickly slices it into strips-but he's had some practice.) Thinly slice the avocado, tomato and red onion; peel the tough ends of the asparagus.
5. Add the filling. Carefully flip over the nori so it's rice-side down on the mat with the short end facing you. Spread a bit of wasabi paste in a line about one-third of the way up the nori-it's spicy, so use it sparingly. Arrange a few pieces each of lettuce, cucumber, avocado, tomato and onion in a tight pile in the lower third of the sheet. It's OK if the vegetables hang over the edges of the nori.
6. Roll the sushi. Roll the sushi away from you with your hands, tucking in the vegetables as you go. Remove the mat from under the roll and place it on top. Press the roll into a compact rectangular log, using the mat to help you.
7. Slice the roll. Cut the sushi roll into 4 to 6 pieces. Repeat with the remaining nori, rice and vegetables. Serve with pickled ginger and more wasabi.
2. Fold in the vinegar. Combine the vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Transfer the cooked rice to a large wooden bowl (traditionally, a wooden tub). Drizzle a quarter of the vinegar mixture over a wooden spoon or spatula onto the rice. Fold the rice gently with the spoon to cool it and break up any clumps; be careful not to smash the grains. Fold in the remaining vinegar mixture and let the rice sit 5 minutes.
3. Spread the rice. Cover a bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. Place a half nori sheet rough-side up on the mat. Moisten your hands and scoop a handful of rice, slightly larger than a lemon, onto the nori. Press the rice to spread it evenly up to the edges of the nori, moistening your fingers as you go. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
4. Prepare the vegetables. Peel the cucumber and slice into matchsticks. (Morimoto cuts the entire cucumber into a paper-thin sheet, then quickly slices it into strips-but he's had some practice.) Thinly slice the avocado, tomato and red onion; peel the tough ends of the asparagus.
5. Add the filling. Carefully flip over the nori so it's rice-side down on the mat with the short end facing you. Spread a bit of wasabi paste in a line about one-third of the way up the nori-it's spicy, so use it sparingly. Arrange a few pieces each of lettuce, cucumber, avocado, tomato and onion in a tight pile in the lower third of the sheet. It's OK if the vegetables hang over the edges of the nori.
6. Roll the sushi. Roll the sushi away from you with your hands, tucking in the vegetables as you go. Remove the mat from under the roll and place it on top. Press the roll into a compact rectangular log, using the mat to help you.
7. Slice the roll. Cut the sushi roll into 4 to 6 pieces. Repeat with the remaining nori, rice and vegetables. Serve with pickled ginger and more wasabi.
Vegetable Manchurian (Dry or with Gravy)
I found this recipe for Vegetable Manchurian on Sailu's Kitchen. There are some very useful photos of the different steps on that site too.
Vegetable Manchurian is a favorite dish of both Sameer's and mine. They're like spicy meatball appetizers, except instead of meat they're made up of vegetables and fried. They're delicious, and you can serve them dry on a platter with little toothpicks in them if you're having a get-together, or you can make the accompanying gravy and serve them over a bed of rice, as I plan to do. They tend to be spicy, but you can adjust the heat to your own liking by adjusting the amount of chiles and things containing chiles.
Ingredients
2 cups finely chopped capsicum, cabbage, carrot, beans and spring onion whites (packed cups)
2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 tbs corn starch
1/2 tbs rice flour
1 tbs ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
1/4 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
warm water as required (less than 1/2 cup is needed)
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
For sauce:
1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs finely minced garlic
1/2 tbs finely minced ginger
2 finely chopped green chillis
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri)
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbs chilli sauce
2 tsp vinegar
2 tbs tomato sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
salt as required
1 tbs sesame oil
1 1/2 – 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves OR spring onion greens
Directions
1. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.
2. In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornflour, rice flour, salt, ginger-garlic-green chilli paste, pepper powder, soy sauce, salt and all the finely chopped vegetables. Sprinkle little water to make a thick mixture. Add water little by little and use only as much water as required to form small balls.
3. Carefully place each ball into the hot oil. Do not crowd the vessel. Reduce flame and deep fry the vegetable balls till cooked. Increase the flame towards the end of the cooking process and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove onto absorbent paper and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a large wok and once the oil is piping hot, add the chopped garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the green chillis and ginger and stir fry on high for a few seconds.
5. Add the whites of spring onions and stir fry on high for 2 minutes, constantly tossing them.
6. Add the vegetable balls and stir fry for another 3 minutes. They should retain their crunch. Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3-4 tbsps of water and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Toss on high flame for 1-2 mts. Turn off heat. Garnish with the chopped spring onion greens and/or coriander leaves.
For the Gravy:
1. Mix a tbs of corn starch in a little water. Keep aside.
2. After following step 5 above, add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar.
3. Add the corn starch water slowly and keep stirring till it takes a thick gravy like consistency. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.
4. Add the balls to the gravy at the time of serving. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and/or coriander leaves.
Vegetable Manchurian is a favorite dish of both Sameer's and mine. They're like spicy meatball appetizers, except instead of meat they're made up of vegetables and fried. They're delicious, and you can serve them dry on a platter with little toothpicks in them if you're having a get-together, or you can make the accompanying gravy and serve them over a bed of rice, as I plan to do. They tend to be spicy, but you can adjust the heat to your own liking by adjusting the amount of chiles and things containing chiles.
Ingredients
2 cups finely chopped capsicum, cabbage, carrot, beans and spring onion whites (packed cups)
2 tbs all-purpose flour
2 tbs corn starch
1/2 tbs rice flour
1 tbs ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
1/4 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
warm water as required (less than 1/2 cup is needed)
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
For sauce:
1/4 cup spring onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbs finely minced garlic
1/2 tbs finely minced ginger
2 finely chopped green chillis
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (preferably Kashmiri)
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbs chilli sauce
2 tsp vinegar
2 tbs tomato sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
salt as required
1 tbs sesame oil
1 1/2 – 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves OR spring onion greens
Directions
1. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel.
2. In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, cornflour, rice flour, salt, ginger-garlic-green chilli paste, pepper powder, soy sauce, salt and all the finely chopped vegetables. Sprinkle little water to make a thick mixture. Add water little by little and use only as much water as required to form small balls.
3. Carefully place each ball into the hot oil. Do not crowd the vessel. Reduce flame and deep fry the vegetable balls till cooked. Increase the flame towards the end of the cooking process and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove onto absorbent paper and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a large wok and once the oil is piping hot, add the chopped garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the green chillis and ginger and stir fry on high for a few seconds.
5. Add the whites of spring onions and stir fry on high for 2 minutes, constantly tossing them.
6. Add the vegetable balls and stir fry for another 3 minutes. They should retain their crunch. Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3-4 tbsps of water and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Toss on high flame for 1-2 mts. Turn off heat. Garnish with the chopped spring onion greens and/or coriander leaves.
For the Gravy:
1. Mix a tbs of corn starch in a little water. Keep aside.
2. After following step 5 above, add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and add the brown sugar, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and vinegar.
3. Add the corn starch water slowly and keep stirring till it takes a thick gravy like consistency. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.
4. Add the balls to the gravy at the time of serving. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens and/or coriander leaves.
Asian Chik'n Salad
This recipe is based on an Asian Chicken Salad recipe I found on AllRecipes.com.
Ingredients
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbs rice vinegar
1 (8 oz) pkg dried rice noodles
1 head iceberg lettuce, rinsed/dried/chopped (I plan to use whatever leftover lettuce I have on hand -- probably romaine or green leaf)
1 pkg Morningstar Meal Starters Chik'n Strips
3 green onions, chopped
1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
Directions
Ingredients
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbs rice vinegar
1 (8 oz) pkg dried rice noodles
1 head iceberg lettuce, rinsed/dried/chopped (I plan to use whatever leftover lettuce I have on hand -- probably romaine or green leaf)
1 pkg Morningstar Meal Starters Chik'n Strips
3 green onions, chopped
1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted
Directions
- Prepare the dressing 30 minutes ahead of time by combining the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salad oil, and rice vinegar in a salad dressing carafe.
- To prepare the Chinese rice noodles, heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of oil and break off a little bit of the noodles and add them to the skillet and fry them. They will puff up in the skillet, so only add a few at a time. As they begin to puff up, remove and drain them on paper towels. Be sure to cook long enough as the under cooked noodles will be like eating needles. Once cooked, add them to the salad mixture.
- In a large bowl combine the iceberg lettuce, cooked chik'n strips (I stir-fry them in a little vegetable oil), green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Let chill about 10 minutes, and just before serving add the cooked rice noodles. Serve in salad bowls and offer the dressing in a pourable container so your family can add as much dressing as they want. You can also pour the dressing over the top of the salad, toss, and serve immediately.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Chilli Garlic Noodles
After two weeks in a row of trying to get Indo-Chinese takeout and having our plans foiled, I've found a recipe for my favorite dish there. This recipe comes from Shweta in the Kitchen and looked the tastiest of the ones I saw while browsing the internets.
Ingredients
1 packet of Noodles (I use a 16 oz. box of 100% whole wheat spaghetti noodles)
5-6 small sized spring onion bulbs cut in julienne
Few spring Onions green cut in julienne
1/8 cabbage cut in julienne (I use half a green cabbage. I shred the whole thing my salad shooter, put half in a sealed container in the fridge for the following week, and rinse the other half in a colander for same day use. Do NOT rinse the half you plan to store. Washed cabbage begins to reek almost immediately. Ask me how I know.)
1 carrot cut in julienne (I use more like 3 carrots, shredded in my salad shooter.)
1/2 green capsicum cut in julienne (I just chop an entire green bell pepper for this.)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 1/2 tbsp chilli garlic sauce (I make Milder Chile-Garlic paste and use half of it each time I make this dish. It has almost no heat, so I then add spicy chilli garlic sauce to taste -- about 2 tsp would do for the whole skillet.)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce (I use at least double this amount and often add more to my plate.)
1-2 tbsp oil for cooking
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. Boil noodles as per package instructions. Drain & soak in cold water for about 5 mins to prevent them from cooking further. Drain & mix with 1 tbsp of oil to prevent them from sticking. Keep aside. (I am too lazy for this. I cook the noodles while I cook the veggies, then just toss them into the skillet with the finished veggies.)
2. In a wok, heat some oil & once hot add ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute & add the spring onions. Saute for a min again.
3. Now add the green capsicum, carrots & cabbage. Saute till these veggies a partially cooked. Try to retain the crunchiness of these veggies.
4. Add chilli garlic sauce, soya sauce, vinegar & salt pepper. Mix well.
5. Add the drained & cooked noodles & mix well till all is well combined.
6. Top it with some spring onions green (reserve half for garnishing) & mix well. Cook for about 1-2 mins.
[Edited 7/3/13: It's delicious, but OMG it tastes like burning! I used about 16 oz of whole wheat spaghetti and reduced the chilli-garlic sauce to 2 tbs, and the level of spice was on par with the spiciest thing I ever ate in India. I ate everything on the plate and plan to eat the leftovers for lunch, but I had to get up twice to get more water and tissues. Next time I will reduce the chilli-garlic sauce to 1 tbs and increase garlic paste to 2 tsp. More veggies wouldn't be bad either, though this amount was comparable to how they do it in restaurants.]
Ingredients
1 packet of Noodles (I use a 16 oz. box of 100% whole wheat spaghetti noodles)
5-6 small sized spring onion bulbs cut in julienne
Few spring Onions green cut in julienne
1/8 cabbage cut in julienne (I use half a green cabbage. I shred the whole thing my salad shooter, put half in a sealed container in the fridge for the following week, and rinse the other half in a colander for same day use. Do NOT rinse the half you plan to store. Washed cabbage begins to reek almost immediately. Ask me how I know.)
1 carrot cut in julienne (I use more like 3 carrots, shredded in my salad shooter.)
1/2 green capsicum cut in julienne (I just chop an entire green bell pepper for this.)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 1/2 tbsp chilli garlic sauce (I make Milder Chile-Garlic paste and use half of it each time I make this dish. It has almost no heat, so I then add spicy chilli garlic sauce to taste -- about 2 tsp would do for the whole skillet.)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce (I use at least double this amount and often add more to my plate.)
1-2 tbsp oil for cooking
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. Boil noodles as per package instructions. Drain & soak in cold water for about 5 mins to prevent them from cooking further. Drain & mix with 1 tbsp of oil to prevent them from sticking. Keep aside. (I am too lazy for this. I cook the noodles while I cook the veggies, then just toss them into the skillet with the finished veggies.)
2. In a wok, heat some oil & once hot add ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute & add the spring onions. Saute for a min again.
3. Now add the green capsicum, carrots & cabbage. Saute till these veggies a partially cooked. Try to retain the crunchiness of these veggies.
4. Add chilli garlic sauce, soya sauce, vinegar & salt pepper. Mix well.
5. Add the drained & cooked noodles & mix well till all is well combined.
6. Top it with some spring onions green (reserve half for garnishing) & mix well. Cook for about 1-2 mins.
[Edited 7/3/13: It's delicious, but OMG it tastes like burning! I used about 16 oz of whole wheat spaghetti and reduced the chilli-garlic sauce to 2 tbs, and the level of spice was on par with the spiciest thing I ever ate in India. I ate everything on the plate and plan to eat the leftovers for lunch, but I had to get up twice to get more water and tissues. Next time I will reduce the chilli-garlic sauce to 1 tbs and increase garlic paste to 2 tsp. More veggies wouldn't be bad either, though this amount was comparable to how they do it in restaurants.]
Friday, June 28, 2013
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Sameer and I never go to Red Lobster since we're both vegetarian and the smell of fish disgusts him, but he found a post somewhere on the internet about how great those Cheddar Bay Biscuits are, so we made some at home. The recipe I use is the one from AllRecipes.com, modified with reviewer suggestions. They aren't as good once they cool, so I don't recommend making these far in advance. They're really good hot though.
Ingredients
4 cups baking mix (e.g., Bisquick, or make your own Easy Biscuit Mixture like I do)
3 oz Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1 1/3 cups buttermilk (plain water or watered down yogurt also work in a pinch)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp chives (dried or fresh chopped -- optional, but I like them and use them when they're on hand)
Directions
Ingredients
4 cups baking mix (e.g., Bisquick, or make your own Easy Biscuit Mixture like I do)
3 oz Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1 1/3 cups buttermilk (plain water or watered down yogurt also work in a pinch)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp chives (dried or fresh chopped -- optional, but I like them and use them when they're on hand)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the baking mix and one half of the garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay Seasoning, and parsley. Then add the cheese and buttermilk. Mix until dough is firm. Using a small scoop, place dough on the prepared pan.
- Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Combine the melted butter and remaining garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay, parsley, and salt. Brush over baked biscuits immediately upon removing from oven. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired. Best served warm from the oven.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Zucchini 'Crab' Cakes
I love these zucchini 'crab' cakes from AllRecipes.com and make them almost any time we have Junk Food Dinner. They're fairly quick and easy to make and very cheap, especially in summer when zucchini abounds. You could probably eat them with tartar sauce or make them into sandwiches, but I always just eat them plain. My recipe below has a couple changes from the original in the link.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cup fresh grated onion
1 egg, beaten (I've been replacing the egg with a tablespoon of ground flax seed for a couple years now. Just mix it into the grated veggies and let it sit a few minutes while you put the dry ingredients together.)
2 tbs butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbs Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup All-Purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
Directions
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cup fresh grated onion
1 egg, beaten (I've been replacing the egg with a tablespoon of ground flax seed for a couple years now. Just mix it into the grated veggies and let it sit a few minutes while you put the dry ingredients together.)
2 tbs butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbs Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup All-Purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine zucchini, onion, egg, and butter. Combine the bread crumbs and Old Bay Seasoning in a small bowl and then add them to the zucchini mixture. Mix well.
- Shape mixture into patties, adding small amounts of bread crumbs if necessary. Dredge in flour.
- In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.
Baked Potato Skins
I think I finally found the recipe I've always used for potato skins on Food.com. I'm glad I did too because I think the amounts of spices I originally guessed at were way off. I made some adjustments though since I always inevitably ran out of olive oil mixture when I followed the recipe.
Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream (optional)
2 tbs green onions or chives (optional)
Directions
Ingredients
4 large russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream (optional)
2 tbs green onions or chives (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Pierce potatoes with a fork to allow steam to escape, and wrap each in aluminum foil. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Remove the potatoes from the oven, but keep the oven on. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, and let them cool for 10 mins. Scoop out most of the potato flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh against the potato skin (you can save the potato flesh for another use, like mashed potatoes).
- Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Brush oil mixture evenly onto each of the potato skins (I highly recommend getting a silicone pastry brush for this -- OXO makes a good dishwasher-safe one). Place on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 7 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from the oven, flip the potato skins, and brush another layer of oil mixture onto each of them. Place back in the oven to cook for another 7 minutes. The skins should be crispy by the time this is done.
- Remove baking sheet from oven, fill potato skins with cheddar cheese, and put the baking sheet back in the oven for a final 1-3 minutes -- just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Sprinkle green onions or chives onto potato skins and serve alongside sour cream. They're also good with ranch dressing.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Meal Planning
Time for weekly meal planning. One new development in our eating habits is that Simran has started
refusing to eat kale in walnut sauce -- previously one of her favorite
foods and our primary source of leafy greens. I'll have to experiment
with some other leafy green vegetables this week. I'm thinking things like broccoli that she can try to feed herself. This past week we had takeout on more than one occasion (including tonight -- we're getting Indo-Chinese takeout again tonight because I love it so much and don't know how to make it better at home yet), so I have two meals leftover from last week that I didn't get around to making. Aside from the ingredients specifically for those meals, I have the following in my fridge that needs to be used up: fresh lemongrass (not sure that's going to happen), half a bag of organic spring greens, 1.5 sweet potatoes, 2 bunches green kale, and red/green/yellow bell peppers (about one half of each). I should also have some leftover lite sour cream and ricotta from the vegetable crepes. Here is what I'm planning to make:
Thai Green Curry
We didn't end up making this dish last week, so I already have all the ingredients.
Tofu Scramble and Summer Vegetable Crepes
We didn't end up making this meal last week, so I already have all the ingredients.
Black Beans and Rice
This is a tasty, healthy meal that seems good for hot weather. I'm considering just giving it to Simran on a plate to feed to herself.
Fabulous Burritos
This is another Esselstyn recipe, but it sounds good and easy and maybe a good way to use up leftover ingredients from the black beans and rice. Burritos are an easy way to make a vegan meal that tastes good and isn't noticeably vegan. I'll probably just be using this recipe as a base and making my own adjustments (e.g., making pico de gallo, seasoning the beans my own way, etc.).
Sweet-and-Sour Seitan with Vegetables and Brown Rice
Yet another Esselstyn recipe that is new to me. I need to make a new double batch of seitan in order to make this, but I've been meaning to do that for weeks anyway. This dish has broccoli in it, so we can cover the leafy greens without having to make kale.
Spinach Lasagna and Roasted Sweet Potatoes
This dish will use up the leftover ricotta from the summer vegetable crepes, as well as the leftover mozzarella from last week's pizza. I will have some leftover sweet potatoes from the Thai Green Curry, so I'm thinking of cubing them up with leftover bell peppers and onions and carrots and any other root vegetables in the fridge and roasting them in the oven with some rosemary and olive oil and lemon juice, much like the roasted root vegetables recipe I often make for holidays. I should be able to cook them while the lasagna cooks too.
Junk Food Dinner!
I feel like, since about half the dishes this week are from Esselstyn, I should plan a junk food dinner so that we have something fun to look forward to next weekend while we're eating all our healthy stuff. I'm thinking Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Fried Zucchini (still healthy, but even junk food dinner involves a green vegetable dish), and maybe Baked Potato Skins to use up the rest of the sour cream. I'm not sure yet, but Simran will probably just get tastes of the unhealthy parts and eat healthier leftovers for her main course.
Thai Green Curry
We didn't end up making this dish last week, so I already have all the ingredients.
Tofu Scramble and Summer Vegetable Crepes
We didn't end up making this meal last week, so I already have all the ingredients.
Black Beans and Rice
This is a tasty, healthy meal that seems good for hot weather. I'm considering just giving it to Simran on a plate to feed to herself.
Fabulous Burritos
This is another Esselstyn recipe, but it sounds good and easy and maybe a good way to use up leftover ingredients from the black beans and rice. Burritos are an easy way to make a vegan meal that tastes good and isn't noticeably vegan. I'll probably just be using this recipe as a base and making my own adjustments (e.g., making pico de gallo, seasoning the beans my own way, etc.).
Sweet-and-Sour Seitan with Vegetables and Brown Rice
Yet another Esselstyn recipe that is new to me. I need to make a new double batch of seitan in order to make this, but I've been meaning to do that for weeks anyway. This dish has broccoli in it, so we can cover the leafy greens without having to make kale.
Spinach Lasagna and Roasted Sweet Potatoes
This dish will use up the leftover ricotta from the summer vegetable crepes, as well as the leftover mozzarella from last week's pizza. I will have some leftover sweet potatoes from the Thai Green Curry, so I'm thinking of cubing them up with leftover bell peppers and onions and carrots and any other root vegetables in the fridge and roasting them in the oven with some rosemary and olive oil and lemon juice, much like the roasted root vegetables recipe I often make for holidays. I should be able to cook them while the lasagna cooks too.
Junk Food Dinner!
I feel like, since about half the dishes this week are from Esselstyn, I should plan a junk food dinner so that we have something fun to look forward to next weekend while we're eating all our healthy stuff. I'm thinking Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Fried Zucchini (still healthy, but even junk food dinner involves a green vegetable dish), and maybe Baked Potato Skins to use up the rest of the sour cream. I'm not sure yet, but Simran will probably just get tastes of the unhealthy parts and eat healthier leftovers for her main course.
Pav Bhaji
This is my first attempt at making pav bhaji myself and without any help from Sameer or his mom. I found this recipe on VegRecipesofIndia.com. I tried this recipe out for the first time last week and it was fantastic. Even Simran liked it, as long as she had plenty of pav with her bhaji (it was a good level of spice for me, but maybe a bit much for a baby). The version below is not identical to the original -- it's my version, based on making it slightly less spicy and only using the vegetables I'm used to having in pav bhaji. The raw red onion on top is KEY when you eat it. Don't leave it out!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 medium size potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 2 to 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 cup red and/or green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 to 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 or 2 tbs pav bhaji masala (I prefer 1/2 tbs.)
- 1 tsp chili powder or freshly pounded 1-2 dry deseeded red chilies (I use the former.)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Amul butter as much you want (I used ghee until I ran out, then regular butter.)
- salt, to taste
- 12 pavs (This time around, I just made white rolls, buttered and toasted lightly in the toaster oven. Fantastic.)
- Boil potatoes and peas until tender. Add peas near the end since they require less time to cook. Drain.
- Mash the vegetables lightly and keep aside.
- In a pan, add butter.
- When the butter melts, add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the chopped onions.
- Fry the onions till they become transparent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste (I had none, so I used ginger paste and a clove of minced garlic this time).
- Fry till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste disappears.
- Add chopped green chilies and fry for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes and fry them till they become soft and mushy.
- Add the chopped bell pepper. Now add the chili powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala.
- Mix the dry masalas well. Fry for few minutes till the bell peppers become a little soft, but not mushy.
- Now add the mashed vegetables.
- Combine the mashed vegetables well with the masala.
- Add some water. Keep on stirring and let the vegetable simmer for 7-8 minutes.
- If the vegetable becomes too dry and then add some more water.
- When done, garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with chopped onions and chopped lime.
- While serving, add amul butter to the bhaji and serve with buttered pavs.
- Slice the pavs.
- On a flat pan, heat some butter.
- When the butter melts, keep the pavs on the melted butter so that it absorbs the butter and fry for a minute. (Alternately, if you have a toaster oven, butter the pavs and then toast for about 2 minutes in the toaster oven. Please note: a toaster oven is NOT the same thing as a toaster).
- If you want to make the pav crisp, fry for a few more minutes. Serve the pavs hot with the bhaji.
Summer Vegetable Crepes
I found this recipe while browsing EatingWell.com. I've always wanted to try savory crepes, and this sounded good and also full of vegetables. I bought ready-made crepes from Whole Foods since I don't want the first time I try to make this recipe and the first time I try to make my own crepes to be the same day.
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons low-fat milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels, (from 1 large ear; see Tip)
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes
Directions
- Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.
Fried Zucchini
This is yet another recipe from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini
Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium tamari
garlic powder
onion powder
pepper
Directions
1. Cut ends off zucchini and slice lengthwise into at least 4 long slices.
2. Sprinkle a large nonstick pan with a small amount of Bragg Liquid Aminos, then arrange zucchini in pan by wiping each slice front and back in the Bragg. Flip the slices around to fit in pan so that each slice will brown.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn over. If pan needs liquid, add a little water or a bit more tamari.
4. Sprinkle cooked side with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper, and continue cooking another 5 minutes, adding tiny bits of water as necessary until both sides are brown. Zucchini this way is so tasty, it is easy to eat lots (according to the original recipe author)!
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini
Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium tamari
garlic powder
onion powder
pepper
Directions
1. Cut ends off zucchini and slice lengthwise into at least 4 long slices.
2. Sprinkle a large nonstick pan with a small amount of Bragg Liquid Aminos, then arrange zucchini in pan by wiping each slice front and back in the Bragg. Flip the slices around to fit in pan so that each slice will brown.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn over. If pan needs liquid, add a little water or a bit more tamari.
4. Sprinkle cooked side with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper, and continue cooking another 5 minutes, adding tiny bits of water as necessary until both sides are brown. Zucchini this way is so tasty, it is easy to eat lots (according to the original recipe author)!
Fabulous Burritos
This recipe comes from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
vegetable broth or water
(2) 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
(1-2) 16 oz. jars mild salsa or no-oil pasta sauce or a combination of the two
4 no-oil whole-wheat thin flat bread or nonfat tortillas (Esselstyn's recipes always recommend Ezekiel 4:9 by Food for Life brand, of which Whole Foods carries pretty much the entire product line)
2-3 tomatoes or 6-8 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
chopped cilantro or parsley
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a non-stick saucepan, stir-fry onion and garlic in enough vegetable broth or water to cover until softened.
3. Add pinto beans and pasta sauce and mash (a potato masher works well), then cook for a few minutes. (If you want to expand this filling mixture, you could add leftover rice, corn, or other vegetables).
4. Put enough pasta sauce in a baking pan just to cover the bottom. Spread each tortila or piece of flat bread with bean mixture, roll up like a sausage, and place in the pan, nestling the burritos together. Cover rolled burritos with salsa, pasta sauce, or a combination of the two.
5. Place sliced tomatoes on top of the burritos.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly, or more, if you like your burritos crispy. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley.
(Now that I've read through the entire recipe, this sounds horrific. It sounds like weird bastardized enchiladas more than burritos anyway, and I don't understand why there is pasta sauce and no seasonings at all, such as cumin or chili powder. My version won't resemble this recipe so much as what Sameer ends up ordering whenever we eat at Qdoba. I'll make a mixture of black and pinto beans, cooked in the slow cooker along with garlic and onion and taco spice. I don't plan to cook the burritos afterward or use pasta sauce of any kind. I do want to make some fresh pico de gallo since I think it adds a lot, and I'll probably throw some sort of green lettuce and maybe some of the fire-roasted corn from my freezer too. And avocado slices, or full on guacamole. Remove the avocado and the salt from my version and it would be Esselstyn-approved -- and still sound less weird.)
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
vegetable broth or water
(2) 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
(1-2) 16 oz. jars mild salsa or no-oil pasta sauce or a combination of the two
4 no-oil whole-wheat thin flat bread or nonfat tortillas (Esselstyn's recipes always recommend Ezekiel 4:9 by Food for Life brand, of which Whole Foods carries pretty much the entire product line)
2-3 tomatoes or 6-8 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
chopped cilantro or parsley
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a non-stick saucepan, stir-fry onion and garlic in enough vegetable broth or water to cover until softened.
3. Add pinto beans and pasta sauce and mash (a potato masher works well), then cook for a few minutes. (If you want to expand this filling mixture, you could add leftover rice, corn, or other vegetables).
4. Put enough pasta sauce in a baking pan just to cover the bottom. Spread each tortila or piece of flat bread with bean mixture, roll up like a sausage, and place in the pan, nestling the burritos together. Cover rolled burritos with salsa, pasta sauce, or a combination of the two.
5. Place sliced tomatoes on top of the burritos.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly, or more, if you like your burritos crispy. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley.
(Now that I've read through the entire recipe, this sounds horrific. It sounds like weird bastardized enchiladas more than burritos anyway, and I don't understand why there is pasta sauce and no seasonings at all, such as cumin or chili powder. My version won't resemble this recipe so much as what Sameer ends up ordering whenever we eat at Qdoba. I'll make a mixture of black and pinto beans, cooked in the slow cooker along with garlic and onion and taco spice. I don't plan to cook the burritos afterward or use pasta sauce of any kind. I do want to make some fresh pico de gallo since I think it adds a lot, and I'll probably throw some sort of green lettuce and maybe some of the fire-roasted corn from my freezer too. And avocado slices, or full on guacamole. Remove the avocado and the salt from my version and it would be Esselstyn-approved -- and still sound less weird.)
Sweet-and-Sour Seitan with Vegetables
This recipe comes from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
Ingredients
2 tsp plus 2 tbs low-sodium tamari or Bragg liquid aminos
8 oz seitan, cut into cubes
2 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed
1 large sweet onion, sliced and halved
1 cup grated carrots
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
16 oz. canned crushed pineapple packed in juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbs sweetener of your choice (optional)
1 tbs cornstarch
2 green onions, thinly sliced
cooked brown rice
Directions
1. Heat 2 tsp tamari or liquid aminos in a large non-stick pan. When hot, add seitan and cook until browned all over, stirring constantly. Add more tamari or water if necessary. Remove to a separate bowl.
2. Stir-fry broccoli florets in same pan, until just tender, adding water as necessary. Remove to a separate bowl.
3. Stir-fry onions until browned, adding broth or water, if necessary.
4. Add carrots, peppers, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until peppers are tender. Add more water if necessary.
5. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Combine juice, vinegar, sweetener (optional), cornstarch, and 2 tbs tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk until well combined.
6. Add seitan and broccoli to other vegetables. Pour whisked ingredients over seitan and vegetables, then add pineapple chunks. Heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is just thickened, about 2 minutes.
7. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve over brown rice.
Note from the original recipe: This is a little fussy, but worth the effort. Do not overcook. It is possible to assemble all the ingredients ahead through step 5, then combine everything else just before serving. Possible additions or substitutes: mushrooms, sliced zucchini, spinach.
Ingredients
2 tsp plus 2 tbs low-sodium tamari or Bragg liquid aminos
8 oz seitan, cut into cubes
2 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed
1 large sweet onion, sliced and halved
1 cup grated carrots
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
16 oz. canned crushed pineapple packed in juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbs sweetener of your choice (optional)
1 tbs cornstarch
2 green onions, thinly sliced
cooked brown rice
Directions
1. Heat 2 tsp tamari or liquid aminos in a large non-stick pan. When hot, add seitan and cook until browned all over, stirring constantly. Add more tamari or water if necessary. Remove to a separate bowl.
2. Stir-fry broccoli florets in same pan, until just tender, adding water as necessary. Remove to a separate bowl.
3. Stir-fry onions until browned, adding broth or water, if necessary.
4. Add carrots, peppers, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until peppers are tender. Add more water if necessary.
5. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice. Combine juice, vinegar, sweetener (optional), cornstarch, and 2 tbs tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk until well combined.
6. Add seitan and broccoli to other vegetables. Pour whisked ingredients over seitan and vegetables, then add pineapple chunks. Heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is just thickened, about 2 minutes.
7. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve over brown rice.
Note from the original recipe: This is a little fussy, but worth the effort. Do not overcook. It is possible to assemble all the ingredients ahead through step 5, then combine everything else just before serving. Possible additions or substitutes: mushrooms, sliced zucchini, spinach.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
I found this recipe on AllRecipes while looking for a really good, basic vinaigrette recipe to serve over salad greens.
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup raspberry wine vinegar (or another good quality vinegar of your choice)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
(I'm not sure why there is no salt in this recipe, unless there is enough in the mustard. I'll add it to the list of ingredients when I figure out how much is necessary. I also doubt there should be equal amounts oil and vinegar, based on the old vinaigrette adage I heard on 'Good Eats', but we'll see how it goes. I'll probably only use 1/4 cup vinegar to start and add more to taste.)
Directions
1. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, oregano, and pepper. Shake well.
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup raspberry wine vinegar (or another good quality vinegar of your choice)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
(I'm not sure why there is no salt in this recipe, unless there is enough in the mustard. I'll add it to the list of ingredients when I figure out how much is necessary. I also doubt there should be equal amounts oil and vinegar, based on the old vinaigrette adage I heard on 'Good Eats', but we'll see how it goes. I'll probably only use 1/4 cup vinegar to start and add more to taste.)
Directions
1. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, oregano, and pepper. Shake well.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Meal Planning
Time for weekly meal planning. Based on what I want to make this week, I think Simran and I will need to make a trip to the Whole Foods for obscure and organic ingredients. I currently have LOTS in the fridge that needs to be used up: 2 bunches of black kale, a handful of fresh basil, one chopped zucchini, about half of a chopped yellow squash, maybe a cup in total of chopped red and green bell pepper, most of a pound of arugula, 2 Roma tomatoes, and a couple of chopped carrots. Here is what I'm planning to make:
Arugula/Chive/Tomato Sandwich and Vegetable Barley Soup
I planned this meal for last week, but we got Indo-Chinese takeout last night instead, so I'm carrying it over to this week. It will use up the yellow squash, zucchini, and carrots, as well as the remaining celery in the fridge.
Thai Green Curry
I will keep making this regularly as long as I know everyone (mostly Simran) will eat it. It will use up the basil and bell peppers.
Tofu Scramble, Summer Vegetable Crepes, and Baby Greens Salad (?)
I'm sick of tofu scramble, but it's easy to throw together and a safe way to try out this crepe recipe from EatingWell.com without having to rely on Simran liking it enough to eat an entire meal of it. I'm also experimenting with giving her cold green salads this week. I'd like to find a decent vinaigrette recipe or two for these.
NY-Style Cheese & Veggie Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
Pav Bhaji with Homemade Rolls and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I've been wanting Indian food, and pav bhaji seems like something Simran can at least try to eat without pureeing it. She likes most curries she has tried, so maybe she'll like this okay. Sameer usually makes the pav bhaji while taking instruction from his mother over the phone, so instead this time I'm using the recipe in the link as a base and altering the vegetables to be the ones we like and usually use (potatoes, peas, red bell pepper, tomato, onion -- I don't think we use any others).
Coconut Crusted Tofu with Peach Lemongrass Salsa and Cilantro Lime Basmati Rice and Arugula Salad
I found this recipe on EatingWell.com and it sounded good, particularly for warm weather. It also sounds much better with a cold salad than hot kale, so I'll see what Simran thinks of that. I've seen her feed herself arugula and actually eat it, so maybe she'll like it. If not, I should have some leftovers from other nights that she can eat.
Spaghetti Marinara and Kale with Walnut Sauce
An easy standby that Simran loves. We can eat the remaining homemade rolls with this if there are any left over.
Arugula/Chive/Tomato Sandwich and Vegetable Barley Soup
I planned this meal for last week, but we got Indo-Chinese takeout last night instead, so I'm carrying it over to this week. It will use up the yellow squash, zucchini, and carrots, as well as the remaining celery in the fridge.
Thai Green Curry
I will keep making this regularly as long as I know everyone (mostly Simran) will eat it. It will use up the basil and bell peppers.
Tofu Scramble, Summer Vegetable Crepes, and Baby Greens Salad (?)
I'm sick of tofu scramble, but it's easy to throw together and a safe way to try out this crepe recipe from EatingWell.com without having to rely on Simran liking it enough to eat an entire meal of it. I'm also experimenting with giving her cold green salads this week. I'd like to find a decent vinaigrette recipe or two for these.
NY-Style Cheese & Veggie Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
Pav Bhaji with Homemade Rolls and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I've been wanting Indian food, and pav bhaji seems like something Simran can at least try to eat without pureeing it. She likes most curries she has tried, so maybe she'll like this okay. Sameer usually makes the pav bhaji while taking instruction from his mother over the phone, so instead this time I'm using the recipe in the link as a base and altering the vegetables to be the ones we like and usually use (potatoes, peas, red bell pepper, tomato, onion -- I don't think we use any others).
Coconut Crusted Tofu with Peach Lemongrass Salsa and Cilantro Lime Basmati Rice and Arugula Salad
I found this recipe on EatingWell.com and it sounded good, particularly for warm weather. It also sounds much better with a cold salad than hot kale, so I'll see what Simran thinks of that. I've seen her feed herself arugula and actually eat it, so maybe she'll like it. If not, I should have some leftovers from other nights that she can eat.
Spaghetti Marinara and Kale with Walnut Sauce
An easy standby that Simran loves. We can eat the remaining homemade rolls with this if there are any left over.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Cucumber Dill Dressing
This is the dressing I use on California Wraps. Sameer calls it "kitten sauce" because he would allegedly eat anything -- even a cat -- as long as it had this dressing poured over it.
Ingredients
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tbs mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh grated cucumber
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 dash white pepper
garlic salt to taste
Directions
Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving on sandwiches, fresh vegetables, or green salad.
Ingredients
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tbs mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh grated cucumber
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 dash white pepper
garlic salt to taste
Directions
Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving on sandwiches, fresh vegetables, or green salad.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Fresh Yogurt
I'm currently making a batch of fresh yogurt for Simran. Homemade yogurt is the only kind Sameer likes (it's sweeter than the stuff you get from the store -- more like Greek yogurt -- also it's what he grew up eating in his mother's kitchen), but I consider this batch "for Simran" because I'm making it with whole milk. I avoid giving her much dairy (see anything written by Caldwell Esselstyn or Colin Campbell, or watch the documentary "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix to understand why), but even knowledgeable nutrition experts (e.g., Joel Fuhrman) seem to think yogurt can be beneficial for kids, so I sometimes give it to her mixed with fruit puree. It also helps keep her fat intake up since she eats very little fat aside from walnuts, hemp milk, and the occasional avocado or cheese. I learned to make fresh yogurt (a.k.a. Indian "dahi") from Sameer, whose mother was explaining it to him over the phone at the time. Here is how I do it. You can find more detailed, scientific explanations all over the internet.
Ingredients
1 quart milk (use whole milk for full fat yogurt; use skim for nonfat yogurt)
2 tbs plain yogurt (you can buy special enzymes for this, but I always just use whatever plain yogurt is in the fridge as my starter)
Directions
1. Take the yogurt you're going to be using as starter out of the fridge so it can get closer to room temperature.
2. Pour the quart of milk into a medium sized pot and bring just to a boil. Not a rolling boil, but just until it starts to get frothy and foamy on top. It will start to smell weirdly sweet about the same time. How long this takes will depend on how high the heat is. I cook mine at medium heat for maybe five minutes. Remove the pot from heat.
3. Let the cooked milk cool until you can put a finger in it and it feels just barely warm to the touch. If you've ever fixed a bottle or bathwater for a baby, it should feel about like that. Now add a couple spoonfuls of the starter yogurt. Stir well until the yogurt is all incorporated into the milk.
4. If you have a yogurt maker, pour the cooked milk into the little jars, leaving a little space at the top of each. Seal them shut, load them into the yogurt maker, and turn it on. Leave it alone for about 8 hours; then put the sealed jars into the fridge to chill. If you don't have a yogurt maker, what you do is dependent on how warm it is in your kitchen. The milk needs to stay at about 100 degrees for about 8 hours to become yogurt, so you can do this by heating your oven to just above that (it cools slightly whenever you open the oven door), turning it off, and then putting a sealed container of the milk inside. After about 8 hours, put the sealed container in the refrigerator. This worked reliably for me when I did it in the summer, but I did it once in winter and the temperature difference even inside my oven was too great, and after 8 hours I still just had cooked milk. So if you don't have a yogurt maker, you need to account for temperature differences in your home.
Ingredients
1 quart milk (use whole milk for full fat yogurt; use skim for nonfat yogurt)
2 tbs plain yogurt (you can buy special enzymes for this, but I always just use whatever plain yogurt is in the fridge as my starter)
Directions
1. Take the yogurt you're going to be using as starter out of the fridge so it can get closer to room temperature.
2. Pour the quart of milk into a medium sized pot and bring just to a boil. Not a rolling boil, but just until it starts to get frothy and foamy on top. It will start to smell weirdly sweet about the same time. How long this takes will depend on how high the heat is. I cook mine at medium heat for maybe five minutes. Remove the pot from heat.
3. Let the cooked milk cool until you can put a finger in it and it feels just barely warm to the touch. If you've ever fixed a bottle or bathwater for a baby, it should feel about like that. Now add a couple spoonfuls of the starter yogurt. Stir well until the yogurt is all incorporated into the milk.
4. If you have a yogurt maker, pour the cooked milk into the little jars, leaving a little space at the top of each. Seal them shut, load them into the yogurt maker, and turn it on. Leave it alone for about 8 hours; then put the sealed jars into the fridge to chill. If you don't have a yogurt maker, what you do is dependent on how warm it is in your kitchen. The milk needs to stay at about 100 degrees for about 8 hours to become yogurt, so you can do this by heating your oven to just above that (it cools slightly whenever you open the oven door), turning it off, and then putting a sealed container of the milk inside. After about 8 hours, put the sealed container in the refrigerator. This worked reliably for me when I did it in the summer, but I did it once in winter and the temperature difference even inside my oven was too great, and after 8 hours I still just had cooked milk. So if you don't have a yogurt maker, you need to account for temperature differences in your home.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Meal Planning
Time for weekly meal planning. This week I'm going to make as many things as possible that I know Simran likes and can eat without them being pureed (she often hates the pureed version of meals that she is perfectly happy chewing "grown-up style"). The tricky part is that, now that the weather is getting warmer, it would be nice to eat dinners that aren't hot, but she doesn't have enough teeth yet to tackle something like pasta salad with raw carrots and broccoli. Here is what is currently in my fridge that needs to be used: a chopped tomato, two ripe avocados, one bunch of kale, and some sliced green bell peppers. Here is what I'm planning to make:
Tofu Scramble and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I'm getting sick of this meal, but it still appears to be Simran's favorite, and that's good enough for me.
Thai Green Curry
This dish has become an almost weekly staple at our house. I put some in Simran's baby food processor and then serve the ground up version over brown rice, topped off with a drizzle of extra coconut sauce and whole chunks of sweet potato and tofu so she can chew it like a grown-up.
Vegan Chili and Cornbread and Kale with Walnut Sauce
80 degree weather isn't ideal for chili, but it's a healthy lentil-based dish Simran can eat straight. This time I'm making a side of good cornbread rather than serving over healthier-but-significantly-less-palatable polenta.
Black Bean Nacho Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I plan to make black bean nacho pizza next Sunday for Father's Day. I will make some whole wheat pizza dough ahead of time and toss it in the freezer.
Vegetable Barley Risotto and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I've never made this barley risotto recipe before, but there is a lot of barley in the pantry, and it seems like something Simran should be able to chew up herself. And aside from all the oil and butter, it's just healthy stuff.
California Wraps and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Soup and sandwiches is one of the few ways to reliably get leafy green vegetables into our dinners without eating kale or chard with walnut sauce (remember Simran cannot chew a raw salad yet). She enjoyed the avocado and white bean wraps last week (I made hers without carrot, with very little vinaigrette, and in tiny bites), so I think she'll like the California wraps too.
Arugula/Tomato/Chive Sandwiches and Vegetable Barley Soup
This is an easy and healthy meal, and when I cut up her sandwich into little triangles, Simran rips them apart and feeds herself, including eating the leaves of arugula.
Tofu Scramble and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I'm getting sick of this meal, but it still appears to be Simran's favorite, and that's good enough for me.
Thai Green Curry
This dish has become an almost weekly staple at our house. I put some in Simran's baby food processor and then serve the ground up version over brown rice, topped off with a drizzle of extra coconut sauce and whole chunks of sweet potato and tofu so she can chew it like a grown-up.
Vegan Chili and Cornbread and Kale with Walnut Sauce
80 degree weather isn't ideal for chili, but it's a healthy lentil-based dish Simran can eat straight. This time I'm making a side of good cornbread rather than serving over healthier-but-significantly-less-palatable polenta.
Black Bean Nacho Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I plan to make black bean nacho pizza next Sunday for Father's Day. I will make some whole wheat pizza dough ahead of time and toss it in the freezer.
Vegetable Barley Risotto and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I've never made this barley risotto recipe before, but there is a lot of barley in the pantry, and it seems like something Simran should be able to chew up herself. And aside from all the oil and butter, it's just healthy stuff.
California Wraps and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Soup and sandwiches is one of the few ways to reliably get leafy green vegetables into our dinners without eating kale or chard with walnut sauce (remember Simran cannot chew a raw salad yet). She enjoyed the avocado and white bean wraps last week (I made hers without carrot, with very little vinaigrette, and in tiny bites), so I think she'll like the California wraps too.
Arugula/Tomato/Chive Sandwiches and Vegetable Barley Soup
This is an easy and healthy meal, and when I cut up her sandwich into little triangles, Simran rips them apart and feeds herself, including eating the leaves of arugula.
Buttermilk Cornbread
I love this cornbread (recipe from AllRecipes), especially served with butter and honey on top. It calls for buttermilk, but unless I have some on hand for another recipe, I just use plain yogurt thinned with milk and it turns out about the same.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (alternately, use about half a cup plain yogurt thinned with another half cup of milk)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (alternately, use about half a cup plain yogurt thinned with another half cup of milk)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
- Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Vegetable Barley Risotto
I wanted to try another barley risotto recipe since 1) it seems like something Simran will be able to eat without pureeing it, and 2) I have tons of barley in the pantry. I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com courtesy of Robert Irvine. I plan to serve it alongside kale in walnut sauce (our standard green vegetable of choice these days).
Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth
1/8 cup canola oil
1 pound bag pearl barley
1 zucchini, medium dice
1 yellow squash, medium dice
1 carrot, medium dice
1 red onion, medium dice
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup whole unsalted butter
Directions
6 cups vegetable broth
1/8 cup canola oil
1 pound bag pearl barley
1 zucchini, medium dice
1 yellow squash, medium dice
1 carrot, medium dice
1 red onion, medium dice
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup whole unsalted butter
Directions
1. Bring broth to a simmer. In a separate large saucepan on an
adjacent burner, heat the oil and add barley. Lightly saute: you
actually are toasting the barley. Add vegetables to the barley and saute
them until translucent. Add bay leaf and garlic. Begin slowly adding
broth, 1 ladle-full at a time, to the barley/vegetable pan, stirring
occasionally: this will bring out the starch in the barley. As the
mixture absorbs the broth, ladle more into the pot. When all of the
broth has been ladled into the barley pot, slowly simmer until barley is
soft and creamy. Add butter as the last step for more flavor and
creaminess to risotto.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Meal Planning
Time for weekly meal planning. I'm struggling to keep coming up with healthy meals Simran will eat reliably. Even the last batch of chilaquiles casserole failed to impress her, and that has cheese on it. I aim to limit the number of dinners containing dairy to two per week, but I think we're looking at three this week. As of lunch today, there will only be one pre-made meal left in the freezer, so I need to make things this week that create enough leftovers to feed Simran lunch the next day. I have one bunch of rainbow kale and a tomato, but there is almost nothing else in the fridge that needs to be used up. Here is what I'm planning to make:
Tofu Scramble and Butternut Squash and Chard with Walnut Sauce
I already have the ingredients for this dinner from last week. It's one of the healthiest meals Simran will eat without giving anyone a hard time.
Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wraps and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
I doubt Simran can tackle the cabbage yet in these wraps, but she likes the avocado in white bean puree, eats the soup, and I can make her a simple side of some kind of squash puree. I might also give her a piece of the wrap for her to deconstruct and eat with her fingers as she sees fit. She's done this with sandwiches before and seems to enjoy it.
Spinach Lasagna
Simran loves spinach lasagna, and it usually makes enough leftovers to put a couple portions in the freezer. I should make some kind of orange- or other-colored vegetable to go with this too. Maybe peas & carrots so Simran can try feeding them to herself. We haven't had great luck getting her to eat whole peas, but she's gained a couple more teeth since we last tried.
NY Style Veggie Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I still have one leftover NY-Style pizza dough in the freezer, and everyone in the house loves all kinds of pizza. I might also make some ranch dip and crudites for Sameer and me to have with this. I have some plain yogurt that needs to be eaten in the next week, as well as some carrots and celery already in the fridge, and making ranch dip and crudites always causes me to gorge on so many fresh vegetables (and ignore so much else) that I lose a pound or so, so that's nice.
Coconut Curry Tofu
I'm hoping Simran likes this dish as much as she likes Thai Green Curry. They've got a lot of ingredients in common, but this one doesn't have sweet potatoes, which I really prefer to buy organic, which requires me to trek to the Whole Foods, which is sort of far away and prompts me to buy lots of awesome, expensive foodstuffs. Besides, we've had Thai Green Curry every week for at least a month now and I want to mix things up a bit.
Enchiladas Verdes with sides of Red Cabbage Slaw and Slow Cooker Beans
I've apparently never written down the recipe to enchiladas verdes before. I have a bunch of corn tortillas in the fridge and will have red cabbage leftover from the creamy avocado & white bean wraps, so this sounded like a decent meal to use those things up. The enchiladas are pretty much just filled with spinach, garlic, onion, and some canned green enchilada sauce for flavor. Cover them in more green enchilada sauce and some monterey jack, and pop them in the oven.
Tofu Veggie Stirfry or maybe Spaghetti Marinara and Kale with Walnut Sauce ?
I'm not sure what we'll do if we get to night seven and haven't strayed from the week's meal planning or eaten a frozen pizza, but we'll have the ingredients for both spaghetti and stirfry. I think everyone in the house prefers spaghetti, but I have some stirfry ingredients in the freezer I'd really like to get rid of. Plus it's healthier.
Tofu Scramble and Butternut Squash and Chard with Walnut Sauce
I already have the ingredients for this dinner from last week. It's one of the healthiest meals Simran will eat without giving anyone a hard time.
Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wraps and Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
I doubt Simran can tackle the cabbage yet in these wraps, but she likes the avocado in white bean puree, eats the soup, and I can make her a simple side of some kind of squash puree. I might also give her a piece of the wrap for her to deconstruct and eat with her fingers as she sees fit. She's done this with sandwiches before and seems to enjoy it.
Spinach Lasagna
Simran loves spinach lasagna, and it usually makes enough leftovers to put a couple portions in the freezer. I should make some kind of orange- or other-colored vegetable to go with this too. Maybe peas & carrots so Simran can try feeding them to herself. We haven't had great luck getting her to eat whole peas, but she's gained a couple more teeth since we last tried.
NY Style Veggie Pizza and Kale with Walnut Sauce
I still have one leftover NY-Style pizza dough in the freezer, and everyone in the house loves all kinds of pizza. I might also make some ranch dip and crudites for Sameer and me to have with this. I have some plain yogurt that needs to be eaten in the next week, as well as some carrots and celery already in the fridge, and making ranch dip and crudites always causes me to gorge on so many fresh vegetables (and ignore so much else) that I lose a pound or so, so that's nice.
Coconut Curry Tofu
I'm hoping Simran likes this dish as much as she likes Thai Green Curry. They've got a lot of ingredients in common, but this one doesn't have sweet potatoes, which I really prefer to buy organic, which requires me to trek to the Whole Foods, which is sort of far away and prompts me to buy lots of awesome, expensive foodstuffs. Besides, we've had Thai Green Curry every week for at least a month now and I want to mix things up a bit.
Enchiladas Verdes with sides of Red Cabbage Slaw and Slow Cooker Beans
I've apparently never written down the recipe to enchiladas verdes before. I have a bunch of corn tortillas in the fridge and will have red cabbage leftover from the creamy avocado & white bean wraps, so this sounded like a decent meal to use those things up. The enchiladas are pretty much just filled with spinach, garlic, onion, and some canned green enchilada sauce for flavor. Cover them in more green enchilada sauce and some monterey jack, and pop them in the oven.
Tofu Veggie Stirfry or maybe Spaghetti Marinara and Kale with Walnut Sauce ?
I'm not sure what we'll do if we get to night seven and haven't strayed from the week's meal planning or eaten a frozen pizza, but we'll have the ingredients for both spaghetti and stirfry. I think everyone in the house prefers spaghetti, but I have some stirfry ingredients in the freezer I'd really like to get rid of. Plus it's healthier.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)