What are you eating this week?
It rained here all Sunday morning....even when the sun came out - - it was COLD!! But, we did get to break out our scarves (a rare occurrence here) and Miss No-No got to wear her new boots!
We have also been working on cleaning out the things in our house that we don't really need....sigh!...it's a lot of work, and for some unknown reason, we have been hanging on to allllll these things that we NEVER use!!
We found all these books
They went to the "Friends of the Library" bookstore by our house - - the revenue from the store helps fund the city library in our town.
We also found all these glasses in a box in our garage
With all these wine glasses, margarita glasses, and beer glasses, you would think that we either have huge parties all the time, or were planning on it.... but, these were actually a box that was a combo of glasses that Mr. No-No and I each had at our respective apartments before we moved in together...when we decided that we weren't actually going to keep them in the kitchen, they went into a box. And then SAT THERE for about 7 years!!! lol. So our local Goodwill has lots of awesome glasses for sale now. :)
This is what I have planned for dinner this week:
Monday
Bean Soup with Cornbread and Carrots
Tuesday
Tofu Steaks with Sauteed Collard Greens and Mashed Cauliflower
Wednesday
BBQ Tempeh with Salad
Thursday
Garden Burgers with Jicama "Fries" and Salad
Friday
Leftover Bonanza
1. Soup: You guys know I love my soups! For this one, since it's during a weekday, I will probably just: dice up some (equal parts) onion, celery, and carrots (about 1/2 cup each) and then let them saute for about 5 minutes in a large sauce pan. Add in one clove of chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp of thyme, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp of pepper, stir to mix, and let cook for another minute. Add in a can of tomatoes, a can of white navy beans (I precooked dried beans over the weekend and put them in the fridge) and will then add vegetable broth to cover everything by an inch or so. Let that mixture boil and then turn the heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors. I might stir in some cooked rice just to add texture.
2. Mashed Cauliflower is so easy and you can make it taste like mashed potatoes! Dice up cauliflower and steam until almost falling apart (about 7 - 12 minutes). Mash with a ricer or potato masher and then add in Earth Balance (a vegan butter substitute) and some soy milk, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, and mix to incorporate. Top with diced green onions or diced flat leaf parsley.
Disclaimer: I don't generally advise "tricking" kids into eating veggies - - I want my little Miss No-No to learn to love veggies and not other foods that I have disguised as something good - - that being said, these "potatoes" DO have her asking for seconds and they are delicious....without the guilt!! So dig in!
3. Tempeh is a soybean based food. To cook: Dice and then steam in water to cover for 10 minutes (tempeh has a funny taste when you eat it "raw" and steaming it seems to get rid of that taste). Put diced, steamed tempeh into a skillet with a little bit of oil, heat on medium high and let cook, when the pan looks dry, add in 1/4 cup of water, cook until water has evaporated, add in 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce and another 1/4 cup of water, and cook, stirring and flipping constantly. When the sauce has mostly dried up, this is ready to serve. I love to cook tempeh like this - - it's chewy and "heavy" and perfect for cold weather because it's really filling.
4. I found jicama in the grocery store the other day. This will be the first time that I have EVER done anything with one. But, I do remember eating them when I was living at home - they are crunchy and light. I am just going to chop these up like french fries, add a little bit of cumin, paprika, and parsley (just a pinch or two each until I get to where I like the taste), mix them up and serve them on the side of the garden burgers. I'm hoping they turn out good, but we will find out!!! <~ I will let you know!! :)
What are your plans for meals this week?
What do you think of "hiding" veggies in your kids' food?
More later!! :)