A Week Of Menu Ideas - American, Asian, and Mexican

{from Google Images}

Hey!

We had a fun weekend - we spent Saturday laz-ing around, Sunday was spent at my parents' house (their neighbor had a big party and invited everyone - even us! - over), and Monday we just hung out...but Monday evening, we went over to the Costco by us and rode our bikes around and around in their big parking lot!!! (:  We live on a hill so the Costco parking lot is, literally, the best place around to ride our bikes - - and we don't have to drive to get there, we can ride our bikes over!!

..so now you know what WE do for fun - lol!
I have my menu for the week listed here:
Monday
Veggie Hot Dogs
Baked Beans
Carrot Sticks

Tuesday
Spring Stir Fry (1)

Wednesday
Tofu Fajitas
Beans and Rice

Thursday
Garden Burgers or Bean Burritos
Big Salads

Friday
Fried Rice and Pan-Seared Tofu

Saturday
Dinner Out

Sunday
Pasta with Sauce
Garlic Bread
Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

Notes:
(1) Spring Stir Fry: Use stir fry recipe here and substitute asparagus, carrots, and zucchini for other vegetables (keep onions, garlic, and bell peppers); could also add: edamame or green peas.

What fun things did you do over the weekend???
More later! (:

What's For Dinner This Week - A Week of Vegan Menus

I was stumped this week when I opened up my CSA basket - there was this large, big, something in my basket. I thought that it was turnips. I haven't eaten turnips but I have heard of them, so I started to do some "research" to see what exactly I could make with turnips (the only idea that I had was to mash them up). And that's when I discovered that I had been over-run by rutabagas!! They weren't turnips at all! I actually don't think that I had ever seen - or eaten - a rutabaga before now (well, actually, I still haven't!), but this week's menu will be FULL of rutabagas cooked different ways. So, I guess we will see how we like them best!!!

Picture from http://stephencooks.com

I was reading that a lot of people eat rutabagas boiled and mashed, but I may only be resorting to that method if I still have some left over at the end of the week. I also read that you can julienne and use them in salads (hmmm!). I will definitely be trying that.

With rutabagas on my mind and filling my crisper drawer, here's what I came up with for the week:

Monday
White Beans (with diced garlic and dried sage)
Sauteed Swiss Chard
Buttered Rutabagas
Quinoa

Tuesday
Basic Rutabaga Soup
Salad

Wednesday
Tostadas
Brown Rice
Mexican Salad

Thursday
Leftovers
Maple Glazed Rutabagas

Friday
Garden Burgers
Carrot Raisin and Pineapple Slaw

Notes:

1. I am making the Quinoa and Brown Rice for this week today (since it takes a little longer to cook, especially the brown rice, it will be helpful to make a lot now and have it ready on those nights that we are eating it). Bonus: both the quinoa and brown rice can be put in a bowl with milk and heated up to eat just like oatmeal - fast, different, and EASY.
2. Since I am cooking, I will also be making the soup tonight for Tuesday. When we get home Tuesday night, I can throw together a salad and have dinner on the table in about 15 minutes.
3. The maple glazed rutabagas look like they come together fast, but *just in case*, I will be making them the night before.
4. The carrot raisin and pineapple salad is something that I don't have a recipe for - I use a mandolin to julienne the carrots and then thrown in a handful or two of raisins and some diced or cubed (canned) pineapple - sometimes, I add a little vegan mayo, but sometimes, it's just good as is.

Have you ever eaten rutabagas?

How do you cook them?
What's the strangest-looking veggie you have ever eaten?

Thanks for all the comments on my last post about menus! I asked what you would / could do with left-over romaine lettuce and I got LOTS of good ideas!!

 In case you need some ideas check out these comments:

Coupon Chick stopped by to say that she would make romaine wraps!! (I never even thought of that, but it would be perfect!! My little one would love a new "take" on tacos.)

Clairity from Hip2BMom and Pinching Abe from Making Ends Meet said that given the recent weather, they would definitely be making salads.

Tiff from & Baby Blackwell Makes Three loves a good salad, too!

And, Christina from Spilled Milkshake was just honest - she said she didn't have any new ideas for ways to use romaine lettuce!

 

Thanks guys for your input!! :)

 

Have a great week! Happy Eating!

More later! :)

 

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What's for Dinner This Week - A Week of Menus

Judging by the size of the lettuce heads that I have been getting in my CSA shares, lettuce is definitely in season right now! Because of that, we will be having more salads than usual this week - - however, I am planning on mixing it up a little bit one night - I'm going to grill heads of romaine!!

How else can you use lettuce? Besides salads and maybe (maybe!) shakes / smoothies? If you give me some ideas, you can help me use up all this surplus!!! :)

Monday
Pre-made chili over baked sweet potatoes
Make your own salad

Tuesday
Stir-Fried Rice with Tofu and mushrooms
Chinese "chicken" salad

Wednesday
Black Bean Tacos with Brown Rice
Grilled Mexican Style Salad

Thursday
Left overs

Friday
Garden Burgers or Veggie Hot Dogs

And here's my notes:

1. For "baking" sweet potatoes, I generally don't have the time to actually bake them in the oven ahead of time {sigh!}. Generally, I scrub them, microwave them until they are still somewhat firm, and then put them in the toaster oven until the rest of dinner is ready. The extra time in the oven makes them seem like they are truly baked, but shaves off TONS of time. And, the make your own salad is my little treat for my little one - I cut everything up, put it on the cutting board and she gets to decide what goes in her salad (so she "makes her own") - it's the only way I can get her to have a salad with dinner.

2. The chili I make myself, but could easily come from a can (Hormel-brand Vegetarian chili is the best canned chili I have ever used). To make the chili: saute one half of an onion until translucent, five to ten minutes, add in a clove of diced garlic, saute for another 30 seconds. Add in some ground "meat" (I use the Lean Ground brand) and saute for a few more minutes. Add in seasonings (you could use a pre-made seasoning mix, but I just make my own: throw in a bit of everything: oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, parsley, and a little bit of flour), saute for another minute to get everything incorporated and then add in one can of diced tomatoes and one can of either pinto or chili beans. Stir to mix, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

3. My Chinese "chicken" salad is a Racheal Ray recipe where I just use Boca burger chicken patties instead of meat.

4. My stir fried rice is small diced veggies sauteed for a few minutes, add in some "scrambled" tofu, cook another minute, add in brown rice, a little bit of soy sauce and stir to mix.

5. Mexican style salad just means that I add black beans, corn, tomatoes, and either cilantro or green onions to. :)

6. See my desciption of left overs and what I do with them here.

7. Friday is my "break" and I cook something easy.

8. Saturday we usually go out or are out to eat at someone else's house (not just ANYONE's house...usually my mom's or my aunt's).

9. Sunday we do a pasta dinner.

I plan my meals because it means that I can come home and get dinner on the table in less than 1/2 an hour. It also means that I don't resort to frozen, pre-made, high sodium, packaged dinners or something less than stellar for my family's nutrition.

You have the power to decide (mostly) what your family eats by virtue of being the "chef". What you put on the table is what goes into their mouths. I want my family to have well balanced meals, so that's what I work to put on to our table.

So, seriously, I need help with my lettuce surplus.

Do you have any creative ways to use up lettuce?

Thanks to all the comments from last week.

Annabean is a woman after my own heart - she is also using meal planning as a time saving tool! She says that she is not ordering out as much as a result (yayayayyay!). Leslie from the Mommy Therapy is also eating a lot of veggie meals because she has also joined a CSA! Good for you, Leslie - and good for your family, too!!! I love to get new, unusual stuff in my basket that I can't buy at the grocery store. A CSA is such an awesome opportunity to get new foods in your family's rotation, but it's also a great way to help out the environment and the local economy...but that could be a whole other post!!! Lindy, I hope your enchiladas come out good!!

Happy eating!
More later  :)

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Roasted Mushroom Tacos

I was in the mood for quick tacos.... But since I didn't feel like really cooking....too hungry, I just wanted to grab-and-go.... I came up with this quick alternative using leftovers in the fridge.

Roasted Mushroom Tacos

3 - 4 cups of mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas), sliced

1 cup of corn (defrosted, if frozen; drained, if canned)
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1 avocado, mashed with lemon juice
8 corn tortillas, grilled or heated up
spicy taco sauce, optional
optional spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper

Put cleaned, sliced mushrooms in a skillet over medium with a little bit of water (1 - 2 Tablespoons). Let water soak in and then evaporate, 2 - 3 minutes, and then add a little more water, let evaporate out. Let mushrooms char a little bit, add some more water and cook until water has evaporated. Add seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder, if desired) and continue to cook until the mushrooms are where you want them to be.

Take one corn tortilla and layer mashed avocado, some mushrooms, small bit of cabbage, and then pile corn over the top. Add taco sauce over the top.

Serves 4

I served these with just refried beans on the side. These don't look like much, but two of them were surprisingly filling!

More later! :)

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Halloween Meals Round 3

I got this idea for a great dinner from Parents Magazine or BHG....lol - I can't remember where I found it. But, as soon as I saw it, I KNEW it would be just perfect for Miss No-No!!!
...and you know it worked out well for a weeknight meal - quick and easy - just my style! This was supposed to be a monster face, but my creative side (and girly side!) took over and it ended up being a crazy little (scary?) girl monster.

Monster Face Tostada

1 corn tortilla

refried beans

shredded carrots and lettuce
tops of trimmed lettuce leaves
tomato slices
black beans

Toast tortilla in a dry skillet and set aside to cool while you cut up the veggies. I cut everything by hand except for the carrots - I used a mandoline for those so they would all be the same.
Cut tomato slices in half. Use left over carrot piece to make a bow.
Spread a little bit of beans on to the plate and place the tortilla on top (the beans will hold the tortilla to the plate). Add halved tomato slices for ears and two halved slices for the mouth. Put black beans (standing up) into the "mouth" and add a little mound for "eyes". Trim a small piece of carrot into a triangle for the nose. Add trimmed, curling pieces of tops of lettuce leaves for hair then add shredded lettuce and carrots on top of curled pieces to make hair standing up. Put a small bundle of shredded lettuce off to one side of the "hair" and put the trimmed carrot "bow" on top of that so it stands out from the hair.
Serve to hungry little girls.  :)

For Miss No-No's lunch, I made an almond butter and jelly sandwich on homemade bread, a cup of raisins and dried cranberries, raw tofu cubes, and a silly face with sliced cucumbers (3 or 4 each) stacked for the eyes, black beans for the "pupils", one small carrot trimmed down for the nose, and a slim strip of celery bent to make the smile. I held the carrot and celery in place using (cashew) cheese (left over from the last two nights) so that it wouldn't move around during the day!

More later!! :)