Edible prose

Menu for the week of 20 June 2010

2010-06-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am - a week before the big move.I bought stuff this weekend, mostly because I'm torn between trying to empty my fridge/freezer and trying to serve nutritious meals. A few articles I discovered recently should help me get rid of a few things (like 10 Ways to Clean out Condiments and 10 Quick and Easy Stir Fry Dinners). It also helps explain the number of times I'm serving crudites &

Menu for the week of 30 May 2010

2010-05-31T08:09:00.001-07:00

Wow. It's been a while since I've posted my menu.This week I'm expecting to do a lot of salads, as side dishes for BBQ meals, as lunches and possibly even as breakfasts! Welcome to summer.Saturday 29Roast chicken with hummus, fresh bread, & SaladSunday 30BBQ Steak, baked potato/sweet potato, mixed green salad with spicy carrot and turnip saladMonday 31Lunch: Colorful black bean and crab

Savory Breakfasts?

2010-05-25T18:40:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you combine:Leftover wild herb rice (mixed with rice wine vinegar & mirin).leftover jalapeno honey mustard cut with mayonnaise & herbs.A tin of tuna.A tomato.An avocado.A stalk of asperagus (barbecued). Sheets of nori.I don't know either; but I hope to try making sushi out of this mess for a savory breakfast. I'll let you know how it goes.Update: It's pretty good. I didn't

Holiday Monday

2010-05-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Cooking shouldn't be hard. Motivation to get started may be lacking (especially when the TV is playing all manner of movies all day long), but cooking should be easy and recipes adaptable.My recipe for tacos is pretty simple; but best of all -- it's versatile.Tonight, intending to make enough for lunches, I thought I'd make a batch of beef tacos and a batch of refried been and tomato tacos.The

Menu for the week of April 18-24, 2010

2010-04-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here's my plan for the week.The Cobble Hill Roast Striped Bass recipe has been on the menu plan for a while--and I intend to actually make it this week. Cooking a whole fish (even with the head already removed) is something I've only done a few times. I love the taste, but it does take some practice to deal with the bones.Sunday18The best and simplest green salad, Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

Menu for the week of April 3 - 9, 2010

2010-04-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

I did an inventory of my pantry again this weekend. It's amazing how tiny bottles of sauces, condiments (OK, some not so tiny), oils and vinegars really start to pile up. I am officially out of red wine vinegar, and this week should run out of white wine and apple cider vinegar. If all goes well I'll even manage to polish off one (of the two) bottles of rice wine vinegar sitting in my pantry. :

I love to barbecue .... but...

2010-03-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

I love it when spring starts.We fill the propane tank and start finding excuses to use the barbecue. Beyond the regular grilling of various meat products; we steam vegetables in foil-packets, and by summer I'm cooking with the cast-iron skillet on the barbecue just to be outside.Last night, however - I wasn't so enthused with the barbecue.I bought 24 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs from my

I'm Watching Dinner confidential

2010-03-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

So Fayfood, my favourite food blog, has branched out into a you tube channel called Dinner Confidential. The episodes are a bit slow in coming out - but feature two women (Fae and Kelly) who are currently helping a very busy family of four figure out how to get dinner on the table in a reasonable amount of time and maybe even eat together once a week.Their previous story involved helping Kelly's

Menu for the week of March 21, 2010

2010-03-22T18:06:00.001-07:00

I planned this week pretty well. Sunday I made bread, roasted chicken, and... didn't quite getting around to cooking the baked beans. They were actually cooked on Monday. The bread mostly came out OK and set the tone for my week. It's been mostly OK.The seasonal cold has retreated into the background, and my fridge now overfloweth with leftovers again and my freezer is full-to-bursting.

Black beans and rice - to nice to be mild

2010-03-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Some nights, I just want something hot and filling for dinner; and I don't really seem to care what that contains. There's a specific texture I'm looking for--silken without sauce--that always comes to mind when I think of rice and beans. I think it's a perfect dinner for any night. My SO thinks its bland. We live in two different worlds of taste. He's a fire-eater and I, alas, am not.So this is

Menu plan for the week of March 14, 2010

2010-03-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

What a week! The weather has become warm and spring-like and the colds are finally lifting from my house. There's lots to do this week that didn't get done last week (being sick is not condusive to doing chores); and the week is perfect for baking (not too warm and not too cold), so I'm going to make cookies this week and try to squeeze some bread-making in on the weekend.Typically I have less

Beef Stroganoff - my way

2010-02-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

The morning after report.The beef was still pretty frozen when I took it out to cook. I love my new fridge, but it's sometimes a bit too good at keeping cold things cold. The ice crystals made the beef very easy to slice. I cut the strips in half (it was a wide piece of meat), but that was just a stylistic preference.The meat cooked easily and I got a nice brown coating on the bottom of my pan.

Menu for the week of 21 Feburary

2010-02-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

Belated posting.I'm following my own advice from last week, buying only what I need and trying to use up what I have. The hardest part is actually sticking to the menu. I remembered to put it on my kitchen table, and that's helped. I also chose recipes that weren't supposed to be too fussy (see my notes to see how well that worked).I've learned from practice, that since by Friday I'm just tired

Roasted chicken legs with black bean marinade

2010-02-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

I actually remembered to marinade something last week (I feel so proud!). The marinade itself was a simple mix of black bean garlic sauce, olive oil, lime juice, and chili garlic paste. I was a bit worried that the lime juice might make the mix too acidic - the last think I wanted was to roast already-cooked chicken.I've not been cooking of late. My choice in meals have had less to do with

Menu for February 7th and a change for the better

2010-02-06T05:38:00.000-08:00

Friday night, coming back from work - and the car dies. Drama ensues, a good Samaritan with jumper cables are found -- but then the car starts. We heap praises on the Samaritan, and head directly home. No stopping at the butcher, the bulk store, or the box store. Straight. Home.We count our pennies. We pinch our belts. And I do a quick inventory and menu based completely on what's in my pantry.I

Menu plan for the week of January 17, 2010

2010-01-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

What a week!It seemed like every day there was some new chore to run. I tried to limit what I bought this week, intending to eat out of the pantry. I dug out some new spices, went fishing through my collected recipes on Spring pad and came up with a few interesting ideas.As always, lunches are leftovers. Snacks are fresh fruits/vegetables with simple dips. Breakfast is toast & natural peanut

Menu plan for the week of January 10, 2010

2010-01-11T05:53:00.000-08:00

And so it continues.We've not even had the Cosco card for a month, and already we're planning our next trip. Still, if we're careful then the purchase of a membership at our local bulk store is a wise decision. Figures though, one week after getting the card and we stumble on a 1/2 price sale for toilet paper. So that's one thing we won't be buying at Cosco for a while.They have everything at

Weekly menu for January 03, 2010

2010-01-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!My sister gave me a blank recipe book for Christmas. I promised my mother I'd fill it with recipes and give it to her. If all works well, I can give her the book and a link to my Springpad! At least then she'll be able to read my recipes. I'm trying to update them and comment on them as I use them; in most cases this also means minor alterations due to either goofs on my part (

Weekly menu for December 13 - 18, 2009

2009-12-10T17:18:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get ahead of the game this week, mostly by writing this on the Thursday prior to the dates in the title; as that's when I normally make my shopping list. The week is fraught with baking, shopping, and meeting friends. I suspect I'll not have much time to throw dinner together or eat for that matter; and yet I still need to make enough to bring leftovers as lunches throughout the

Weekly menu for November 29th, 2009

2009-11-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go? This weekend had a lot more running around than I initially thought. The menu this week is all comfort food as we both try to get over lingering aches and pains of colds and gym workouts. I aimed for simple recipes that I know fairly well (even the new ones seem familiar and should be easy to make). I hate to say it, but I'm also carefully doubling any recipe I bake and

Weekly menu for November 23rd, 2009

2009-11-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

The week got off to a rough start. I'm going to dart out for a few fresh supplies this week, but there's no plan to actually *buy groceries* like we normally do. I've been very impressed by Saucy Apron, who went a whole month without buying groceries! While I'm not trying to repeat her triumph, I am trying once more to eat down my fridge/freezer/pantry before buying more. Beacuse this week will

Weekly menu for 26 October, 2009

2009-10-26T07:06:00.001-07:00

We got the shopping done a bit late this week (finishing it off on Sunday instead of Saturday); and there were a few items I didn't like the look/price of--so my menu's changed a bit since I designed it last Thursday. This week I had decided to attack my condiments! Use them up and clean out my fridge. Unfortunately a single week of recipes just won't do it. I know these recipes will definitely

I get nervous...

2009-10-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

I cook pretty regularly. For myself and for groups. And I'm use to cooking pretty cheaply.Last night I glanced at a recipe and made hamburger soup, substituting ingredients as I went based more on what I had than on taste. I forgot the tomato paste and hardly noticed until I was sitting down to eat a slightly thinner soup than expected. No one else noticed (especially the guys who went back for

Weekly menu for 18th October, 2009

2009-10-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Planning meals has been going well (even when I forget to post my menu here). This week I knew I wouldn't have time for much shopping; so I'd be eating down the fridge (so to speak). In my case there's far more sauces and condiments than actual food to use up, but we'll see. I'm hoping to free up enough space in the freeze to make ice cream on Saturday morning before I go do my shopping for next

Weekly menu for Sept 27/09

2009-09-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

With the new fridge and stove now safely standing in my kitchen, you'd think I'd be baking up a storm. After 6 months of using only my barbecue and range top, I'm a bit trepidations to going back to using the stove. We'll see how it goes.Sunday27Baked fish, french fries and green saladThere's no menu for this one. I used frozen fish fillets, string fries and a home made mix of romaine, spinach,

Do I really need 5 types of mustard?

2009-09-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Every food blogger worth their salt has posted what should be in your pantry along with starter-kitchen lists (equipment, regular foods etc). With a pantry filled with such wonders, coming up with a week's worth of recipes is supposed to be easy.My First Apartment - Starter pantry and staples checklistMinimalist - The lastest must-havesHomecooking - Pantry basicsCanadian Living - Pantry staples

Menu for September 20, 2009 & starter kitchens

2009-09-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

This is the week I'm supposed to get my new fridge (and hopefully) my new stove. I'm very excited. So excited the fact that the new couch and love seat are being delivered the same day have hardly registered. This does mean, however, that I'm cooking mostly from reserves -- trying to empty out the fridge and freezer as much as possible. I've played around with clean-out-the-fridge/pantry blog

In a perfect world (Spaghetti with sausage and vodka rosé)

2009-07-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

In a perfect world, I'd print a recipe from the web (or find it in a recipe book), pull the ingredients out of my well-stocked pantry, and have dinner ready within 30 minutes. And the dishes would be magically done while we sat down at the table to enjoy a perfectly rounded meal at our leisure.Sigh.In reality however, you come home hoping you remembered to pull something from the freezer,

Menu for the week of July 26, 2009

2009-07-28T04:37:00.000-07:00

Every week I try to make a weekly plan for what I'm going to eat, and then shop accordingly for those ingredients. Most weeks I make it until Wednesday before my plan fails utterly. If I'm really lucky, I am able to use up what's in the fridge before it goes bad. Once in a while I get upset at the amount of food in the fridge/freezer/pantry and try to plan most of my meals around it.Here's this

Menu for the week of July 19, 2009

2009-07-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

My desire to cook weakens over the summer. Sunday19Breakfast: Egg sandwich with sausage patties on whole grain breadLunch: Minestrone soup (leftovers), scones & devonshire creamDinner: hamburgers, all dressedMonday20Breakfast: Minestrone soup (leftovers), crackersSnack: cottage cheese, appleLunch: Roast chicken & mixed vegetablesSnack: snack bar, appleDinner: The best and simplest green salad (

Stir-fry chicken with vegetables

2009-07-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

This recipe is taken from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, p386 ISBN: 0-4717-8918-6, published March 2006.I chose this recipe because I was looking for a nice, quick, chicken recipe. Following the advice in the book, I decided that stir-fried chicken and vegetables would fit the bill. The recipe is simple, and since I cook in a mise-en-place fashion, comes together very

Spicy Coleslaw

2009-07-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe is taken from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, p104 ISBN: 0-4717-8918-6, published March 2006.I love coleslaw. I love mayonnaise. But I don't like the two of them together. Flipping through the book, How to Cook Everything, I came across this strange recipe that called for dijon and balsamic vinegar in the dressing. It sounded curious, so I decided to try it. The recipe title,

Quickest chicken stock by Marc Bittman

2009-07-14T06:28:00.000-07:00

This recipe is taken from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, p46 ISBN: 0-4717-8918-6, published March 2006.The recipe promises to be the quickest and simplest yet tastiest stock ever made. High praise for something so very simple. The complex notes of browned bones & cooked meets are not present, but the stock is very light in color and flavour--perfect for heavily spiced dishes and most

Menu for the week of July 13, 2009

2009-07-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

This week my recipes are pulled from Mark Bittman's How to Cook everything (softcover, yellow cover). I've owned this book for well over two years, but never really tried to cook regularly from it. I like most of the recipes I've tried; and yet I seem completely unable to cook the recipes as written. I'm always changing something -- adding an ingredient, replacing, etc. Sunday12Breakfast: Egg

Menu for the week of June 29, 2009

2009-06-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

So this was to be the week I ate down my fridge (EDF). The problem is that I have a very tiny freezer; I picked some meals that work their way through my staples, but I was almost completely out of produce and protein; so I went shopping. I didn't exactly save any money and now my fridge is full again. Sunday29 Day of leftovers. Leftover roast chicken (deli purchase), leftover soup (from the

A lunch-time salad

2009-06-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

A brightly colored and crunchy salad that doesn't use lettuce. A great summer time lunch or a side-dish for grilled meats. Prep time: 10 minutesCooking time: 0 minutesServes: 5 (main course), 10 (side dish)Version: 2.0Original: Colorful black bean and crab salad.Posted by Just Call Me Martha on Oct 2, 2002 Notes/Modifications I was looking for a low-gi lunch salad that didin't use lettuce.

Menu for the week of 21 June 2009

2009-06-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

Last week was warm, I worked late, and we ate out a lot more than we should. The past few months we've tried to use the BBQ as much as possible. The only BBQ tools I have are: a wire brush (to clean the grills), a silicone brush (to spread oil on the food/grills), and aluminum foil (to wrap vegetables to steam them). Hopefully this week will go better. Sunday24 BBQ Honey garlic chicken breasts,

Menu for the week of 7 June 2009

2009-06-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to expect this week. I got my garden basket last week, so I have a fridge full of veggies to use up. The gyros, tilapia, steak and whole chicken will be cooked on the barbecue (weather permitting). Can you tell we love our barbecue?Sunday I made eggs Benedict for one with this recipe. It was tasty, but I didn't quite get the proportions right. It's definitely too rich to make

Menu for the week of May 24, 2009

2009-06-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a very hectic week. I've got great plans for cooking, but I'm sure things will change along the way. Sunday24Steamed vegetables, Basmati rice & Beef Sate with Peanut SauceMonday25Dinner out at Mirada Restaurant & BarTuesday26Dinner out at McDonaldsWednesday27Sloppy Joes & mixed green saladThursday28Memories of Scheshwan chicken & steamed vegetablesFriday29Asian Chicken with

Menu for the week of June 1st, 2009

2009-06-01T05:16:00.000-07:00

I've been using spring pad for the past three weeks to track my weekly menu. For me, there's been a fair bit of a learning curve. I like a lot of its features, but I'm having problems getting away from the habit of having my shopping list and my weekly menu printed. The website allows me to print the pages I need, but the layout isn't quite right for my tastes; and I'm not sure how to fix that

Marinated barbecue steak

2009-05-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

This recipe probably doesn't need a recipe; but it is something I enjoy eating from time to time -- marinated barbecue steak. The exact cut of meat is (mostly) immaterial, but the marinade allows you to choose a very low-fat steak. The leaner the meat, the longer you should marinade it. I recommend marinading flank steak overnight, whereas a lean boston steak often needs no more than a few hours.

Weekly menu for the week following May 16th, 2009

2009-05-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

I make up a weekly menu because I'm cheap. Breakfasts always very, as do snacks, based more on what I have in my pantry than what I write down here. Some days I successfully mix and match and other days are carbon copies of the day before.Saturday:L: Chicken sandwich with cheese, lettuce, spinach & sliced tomatoD: OutSundayL: Leftover Beef & barley soup with tomatoesD: BBQ steak, baked potatoes

The failure of a new paella recipe

2009-05-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try a "new" paella recipe that I found on the ABC website. It sounded like it should taste good, if a bit too spicy for me. The following is the recipe with the changes I made to make it less hot. It was still too hot for me though, and something was definitely not to my taste. Paella to me brings to mind the taste of saffron and short-grain rice. This recipe lacks the saffron and

Weekly menu for the week following May 8th, 2009

2009-05-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this will change once I get my Victory basket on Tuesday, but for now -- here's my menu. I bought the rosemary roasted pork cold-cuts believing that I'd be making a lunch for 5, and the soup was for a dinner for the same 5 people; but that didn't turn out. So my initial menu is changed to try and eat up all the left-overs.Sunday:B: BLT on Chiabata bread, tea.L: Rosemary roasted pork

Weekly menu for the week of May 4th, 2009

2009-05-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

It's another week, and thus another menu. When searching online for these recipes, I came to realize that about 1/2 my recipes are on another site (I seem to be forever finding new places to write, and new things to write about). I'm going to migrate posts from the other site to here (and cheat by backdating the posts). Hopefully it won't cause any problems. Fingers crossed.Monday:Lunch: BBQ

Carnitas, my way

2009-04-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

What follows is actually 2 recipes; the first takes a bit of preparation, and the second can be thrown together easily for a quick and delicious week night meal. Beef brisket This dish takes a bit of planning, but once made can be the source of several delicious meals. Notes There are tons of recipes like this out on the internet, and they're all about the same. Cover the meat with some kind

Menu plan for the week of April 26th, 2009

2009-04-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Another week of trying to buy as little as possible and eat meals derived primarily from my pantry. As much as I wish I could say this was brought about by the success of the Eat down the fridge attempt, it's really driven by a desire to save money.My CSA box will arrive this week, and I suspect I shall have to do something with the accumulation of onions, beets, and potatoes. Onions and

One-pot lemony chicken and couscous

2009-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

A quick and easy weeknight dinner of chicken, vegetables, and couscous. The lemon makes everything taste fresh and the spices provide an unexpected depth of flavour for this simple dish. Notes This is a combination of two recipes: Spiced chicken with couscous and Lemony chicken with couscous. I wanted a one-pot meal with chicken thighs and couscous; but I didn't have all the ingredients for

The sweet 100

2009-04-08T18:01:00.001-07:00

Inspired by the omnivore's 100 (found via ruth's kitchen experiments) , Cakespy has created the sweet 100! Copy this list into your site, including the instructions! Bold all of the sweets you've eaten--or make them a different type color. Cross out any of them that you'd never ever eat. Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your "To Do" List. Optional: Post a comment here

Beef fajitas for 3, spanish rice and guacamole

2009-04-08T17:45:00.001-07:00

Beef fajitas are one of those recipes that I tend to make when I don't really want to cook. Funny, because it still involves a lot of cutting, measuring, and the like. But I've made it so often that I can almost make it with my eyes closed (but then I'd probably cut myself and that would be bad).So, with company coming, I set to work preparing the meal.First I made spanish rice.I diced up a red

Baked potato soup

2009-04-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

So, at one point in the past there was a potato soup that someone loved. It was served to him at a restaurant. It was thin with just the hint of potato and a ton of cheese. He doesn't remember any other flavorings and has been looking for me to make this recipe (of a food I've never eaten) for a while now. It is, sad to say, one of many such requests. I found a nice potato soup and tried it

One frying pan pasta meal (sort of)

2009-04-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

I bought a couple of Lean Cuisine's skillet sensations recently. They're quick and easy to prepare and are a great alternative for me on nights that I really don't want to cook (and the allure of take out beckons). From time to time I play with the concept of making such a meal from scratch. The skillet sensation is rather like pan hash, replacing the potatoes with pasta and gravy with

Menu for 4-April-2009

2009-04-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

So, this week my freezer's full of ingredients; and now I need to start working my way through them. I didn't succeed in making many lunches last week. The down-side of trying to cut back on what you eat is that you often don't have as much left over to work with. I'm sure I'll find a balance eventually. SaturdayBreakfast: Scrambled eggs, fruit, 1 piece brown toast, peanut butterLunch:

Vegetable Spring Rolls

2009-04-01T14:03:00.001-07:00

I was flipping through old recipe books, looking for something interesting for lunches this week. I found an old hand-book that I bought ages ago; mostly because the pictures looked good and because I'd just been diagnosed as a Diabetic. The hand-book is "Better Homes and Gardens Diabetic Living Healthy Snacks". The handbook promises (and delivers) a photo of every recipe.I really like crunchy

What kind of party can you have for $50.

2009-04-01T14:02:00.001-07:00

The NY Times Diner's Journal posted this question as the title of an article where two coworkers put together dinner parties for six people. The title alone gave me pause.Once a week I put together a dinner for $30.00 CDN for 5 people. At the cost of $5 a head I've served roasts, stews, fancy layered salads, curries, and all manner of dishes. So I'm use to thinking this way. Admittedly the

Weekly menu for 28 March 2009

2009-03-31T15:41:00.001-07:00

This week is already off to a bad start. What I planned for Saturday I cancelled (as my plans were cancelled), so we had Monday's meal instead. Sunday got rained-out, so we're having that dinner on Monday night. Fortunately I have a few quick-meals in stock. Unfortunately, many of them are not that healthy. This week I'm trying to cook a bit more than I need to refill the

Weekly menu for 2009-03-21

2009-03-20T18:54:00.001-07:00

Weekly Bento plannerSource: Just BentoThis week I'm back to trying to count the calories; which means small lunches and as much protein (and as few carbs) as I can manage. My Bentos are exceedingly western in all ways except 2: the portions, and the colors. Each lunch has as many different colors (lots of greens, some yellows, a bit of red) as I can afford to shove together. I find the colors (

Weekly menu for 14 March 2009

2009-03-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

SaturdayBreakfast: Scrambled eggs, tomatoes, fruit, 2 pieces brown toast, peanut butterLunch: Chicken, mixed green salad with feta and italian dressingDinner: Take-out sushiSundayBreakfast: Kashi go lean cerial & skim milk, 1 small glass OJLunch: 2 cajun chicken wraps with emmentaller, lettuce & tomatoDinner: Cheese burgers with pickles, green salad with red wine vinagrette

Homemade Pistashio ice cream

2009-03-05T05:28:00.000-08:00

A Thrify Thursdays post that fails.Pistashio ice cream is a rare treat for us. Me, because I'm diabetic and shouldn't eat such things, and him because it's really hard to find locally. I got a Kitchen Aide ice cream maker for Christmas and I've used it once before to make the triple chocolate ice cream from their recipe book. The results were great, but didn't taste as good as I thought they

Eating down the Fridge

2009-03-03T06:07:00.000-08:00

The Washinton Post's blog A Mighty Appetite with Kim O'Donnel has announced an interesting challenge. Eating Down The Fridge starts on March 9th. The goal: Eat from your staples and your pantry rather than running out and buying fresh.This is a problem I've struggled with for quite some time. I hate throwing away food; but due to a lack of planning (or an inability to follow the plan once made) I

Menu for the week of 2009-02-28

2009-03-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

SaturdayBreakfast: Scrambled eggs, tomatoes, fruit, 2 pieces brown toast, peanut butterLunch: Salami, cheese curds, cruditésDinner: Homemade sushiSundayBreakfast: Fruit yogurtLunch: Salami, cheese curds, cruditeDinner: Leftover everything soup & grilled monterey jack cheese sandwichMonday Breakfast: Oatmeal Lunch: Crab (3 legs), sesame tofu, broccoli, plum, diet cokeDinner Chicken & black bean

Everything soup

2009-02-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

Summary: Making soup with leftovers. Nothing else tastes this good or is so good for the budget. While I doubt I can ever make this exactly again, the basic idea of beef broth + black beans + meat balls is one I definitely have to remember.Serves 8-10 (or 6 generously with leftovers for a good lunch)Time to make: 1 hour (total). 45 minutes prep time;could have been faster but I was fussy and

A hurry-up and Eat dinner (Potato & hamburger fry up)

2008-10-07T08:39:00.001-07:00

I try to eat well on weeknights, really I do.But some nights it's not just my pantry that's against me.I came home exhausted and never quite did get that nap I wanted. Instead I settled down before the TV with my computer before me. As I did some mindless data entry, I watched home improvement shows. Surprisingly (or maybe not) this combination seems to sap my will to leave the room, go to the

The Cooking question

2008-10-01T07:58:00.001-07:00

How do you learn to cook.Where do you start?I started by calling my mother (I'd just moved out into my first shared apartment) and asking her how to broil a potato. I knew how to do it, I even had books that could tell me the details, but I felt uninspired and homesick. So I called.I learned to cook from my mother and my grandmother; but if you'd asked me if I cooked before I moved out -- I'd

Recipes to try

2008-09-05T09:57:00.001-07:00

Here's the list of recipes I've marked on del.icio.us today:Tyayuda with Black Bean Puree from Mark Bittman's the Minimalist.Key lime tart from Smitten Kitchen.Zucchini chocolate cake from Baker's Banter (and I promise, if I make this for you -- I'll never tell you there's zucchini in it).Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn from Cheap, Healthy, GoodSkate and Salad, Irresistible and Easy From a guest

Menu of March 8, 2008

2008-08-03T05:15:00.000-07:00

SaturdaySundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridayMeat loaf & steamed veggiesDinner out.Chicken and soba noodle soupBBQ Easy Asian chicken parts & hash-browns with cornBroiled lemon-pepper fish and steamed cornTake out: Souvlaki pita and saladSaturdayI did a lot of cooking Saturday.I made a double-batch of Mark Bittman's meat loaves. I shape them in individual portions. Then I froze two for later

"Guilt-Free" Cinnamon Rolls

2008-05-19T07:50:00.001-07:00

These are quick and easy cinnamon rolls. While they are about 1/2 the calories of the more traditional recipes, I wouldn't actually call them completely "Guilt-Free"; they're still really sweet. I've made them twice with good results. I got the recipe from Cooks Illustrated's Cooking Light magazine (Spring 2008). The recipe calls for a lot of equipment, fortunately I keep a pan of hot soapy

Best Light Lemon Bundt Cake

2008-05-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased Cook's Illustrated Light Recipes (Spring 2008). The first recipe I tried was their "Best Light Lemon Bundt Cake" by Julia Collin Davidson. I was pretty nervous and time was fleeting.Gathering my ingredients together, I gave them (and my kitchen aid mixer) a pep talk. Thinking to save time, I filled a tub with hot soapy water and did the dishes before starting. Reading down

Leftover chicken

2008-05-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

I love roast chicken. It's become our new quick meal as roast chickens in this city are pretty cheap when purchased fresh from a deli. The birds are fairly small, but they are more than enough for a meal for two plus leftovers. This has, unfortunately, led me to throw away or freeze far too many chicken parts. To try and reduce waste, I've compiled a list of recipes for what to do when you have

Meal plan, April 5th, 2007

2008-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

SaturdaySundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday otissery chicken, bagged salad Crockpot hamburger soup for 3 Marinated butcher's blcok steak, baked potato/sweet potato & steamed vegetables Sauté chicken with lemon sauce, mixed green salad Mexican pie & kale for 6 Spagetti & meatballs BBQ salmon (or trout) and steamed vegetables

Meal plan for April 23, 2008

2008-04-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

SATURDAYB: 1/3c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2c skim milk, 1c fruit saladL: No-sugar bagel, light cream cheese, 1/2 a diet snappleD: Out with a friend.SUNDAYB: Egg sandwich on an english muffin with sausage, lettuce & cheeseL: Soup, small roll, diet coke, small fruitD: Steak sandwiches on good bread, cheese. Fruit saladMONDAYB: 2/3 cup cereal, 1/2 cup skim milk, strawberriesL: Pasta marinara

Vegetable basket

2008-04-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

A friend delivered my first "Medium" vegetable basket. It's got a lot of goodies in it. 1 head celery (now I've got three in the fridge. I'll have to figure out something other than celery sticks for snacks to do with it).1 head lettuce (looks like a curly leaf variety).4 heads of garlic (yay! I love garlic.)4 oranges4 potatoes1 pound of carrots (I've already got 2 pounds in the fridge. So now

Menu plan for April 18th, 2008

2008-04-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

SaturdayB: 1 egg, 1 egg white, 2 potato hashbrownsL: 1 cup tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwhichD: Whole-wheat Ravioli and tomato sauce with Parmesan and salad for 5 SundayB: Cinnamon and strawberry pancakes, 1/2 cup skim milkL: Tuna wrap with lettuce, radish, and greens.D: Curried Potato and vegetable soup for 5 MondayB: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milkL: Soup, small

Menu Plan April 12, 2008

2008-04-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

SaturdayB: 1 egg, 1 egg white, 2 potatoL: 1 cup tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwhichD: Whole-wheat Ravioli and tomato sauce with Parmesan and salad for 5 SundayB: Cinnamon and strawberry pancakes, 1/2 cup skim milkL: Tuna wrap with lettuce, radish, and greens.D: Curried Potato and vegetable soup for 5 MondayB: 1/3 c raw oatmeal, bananas, cinnamon, 1/2 cup skim milkL: Soup, small roll, diet

Mexican Pie

2008-04-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Taken from a Live Journal’s Recipe Maven post. Posted by neokibo on the 6th of December, 2005. This is a variation on shepherd’s pie. It’s far more flavorful and downright messy to cook. Serves: 4Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking Time: 45 minutes Modification/NotesCilantro is optional, as to some it has an unpleasant taste. Remember to put a baking sheet beneath your casserole dish as Mexican

Crockpot Hamburger Soup

2008-04-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Taken from: Recipe*Zaar. Recipe #133649. Posted by Kittencal; and Shirley Downey. Both recipes had good points to them, so I’ve combined them. Equipment Measuring spoons and cups.Paring knife and cutting board.Can opener.Skillet (to brown the meat).Plate with paper towel (to drain the meat). Modification/NotesI keep consomme in my freezer whenever I can, store-brought broth can be used instead.

1960's cookbooks & potato chips

2008-04-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

The Irresistible Recipes with Wise potato chips is a tiny cookbook (the images are actual size) that I found at the bottom of a bag of old clippings and cutouts, cookbooks and recipe cards in my closet. I've always meant to put them on the web somewhere.I always figured I should try to make some of these recipes; but if I did - could I resist not trying to reduce the fat, or change the

Meal Plan: March 29, 2008

2008-03-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thrusday Friday White Chili Chicken stew and buttermilk biscuits (for 4-6) Soft-shelled beef tacos with salad and homemade salsa Chicken wings and salad Mustard chicken and steamed vegetables White beans and barley with ham (slow cooker recipe) Horseradish and herb-crusted beef roast, roasted potatoes and mixed romaine salad (for 6) SaturdayLunch:

Meal Plan: March 22, 2008

2008-03-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thrusday Friday Roast turkey (unstuffed) au jus with roast potatoes Roast turkey (stuffed), baked turnip, green beans, mashed potatoes Meat loaf and steamed green beans and carrots Cheeseburgers, all dressed Chicken soup Wings Dinner out SaturdayLunch: Split pea soupDinner: Roast turkey (unstuffed) au jus with roast potatoesI don't often roast a

Easy Asian Grilled Drumsticks

2008-03-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

Taken from RecipeZaar Posted by Kittencal. The sauce is sufficient for 10 drumsticks, but can easily be doubled. Version: 2.0Preparation time: 10 minutes + 8 hours marinade time. Serves: 5 (2 pc each)Cooking time: 35-45 minutes. Equipment: Mixing bowl and wire wiskMeasuring cups and spoons.Cutting board and knife.Barbecue or baking sheet lined with tinfoil.Tongs. Notes:This is a great recipe. I

Meal Plan: Leftovers

2008-03-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

For the first time in a long time - we didn't go shopping on the weekend. I've always got a few weeks of food stored, so we shouldn't starve. Choosing to do this does, however, greatly limit my experimentation. It also means I'm using a some prepared foods (Hamburger helper, and the taco mix) that have sat in the house for a long time. The funny thing is - after this week I'll still have plenty

Meal outlaw: Test

2008-02-28T06:32:00.001-08:00

#mealoutlaw_badge_element_class {font: 11px Calibri, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif; color:#666666;}

Meal Outlaw, a review

2008-02-28T05:57:00.001-08:00

Meal outlaw is a good example of a web 2.0 site. It relies completely on user-entered data; providing only a format in which to display your data, and ways to distribute it. There are several such services, but the others tend to associate with large databases of recipes. This one does not. I discovered Meal outlaw through a link provided in the comments of a post about menu planning. To use

Menu for the week of March 1, 2008

2008-02-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

SaturdaySundayMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday Meatball soup (for 6) Beans and rice (for 6) Pork chops & salad Chicken Piccata & salad Steak sandwiches with spicy cheese on fresh baguettes & tomato soup Broiled lemon-pepper fish and steamed corn Vegetarian cassoulet (for 6) Updates from the week that is SaturdayThe meatball soup was well received. Everyone enjoyed it and I even had

Meatball soup

2008-02-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

Originally from the Relish! menu planning website, I modified the recipe to reduce the salt. I picked the recipe originally because it seemed straightforward and probably could be modified to work with the crock-pot. My first test of the recipe was a resounding success. Version: 2.0Serves: 6 (1 1/2 cups each)Prep time: 15 minutesCook time: 35 minutes Equipment Measuring cups & spoons.Cutting

Taco seasoning mix in a jar

2008-02-21T06:24:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on a website about Gifts in a Jar. It’s a nice mix that keeps well for 6 months or longer if stored in a well-sealed mason jar. This mix can also be made fresh. Version 2.0Serves: 5 (Yields about 2 cups)Preparation time: 5 minutes.Cooking Time: None. Equipment required: Mason jar and funnelMeasuring cups & spoons Modifications/NotesAdd pasta to create Hamburger

Plan B. Improving what I eat

2008-02-18T08:41:00.000-08:00

So, it seems I'd best try planning out all three recipes a day to try and reduce all the extras. Last weekend's grocery receipt (compared against a few older ones) shows a few things I regularly get. Baguettes.Hot cereal mixes.Snack bars.Instant meals.Flavored yogurt.Drinks (chocolate milk, juices, sodas, etc).Taco mix, or sauce.Junk food. Most of these things I can either make at home or just

Using what I bought - II Putting it into Practice

2008-02-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

Friday I updated my pantry index, and it got me thinking. I do this pretty regularly -- but I still base my menu on what I see on websites, blogs and in magazines and not what's in my pantry. Vegetables still go bad in my rotter, and milk products go bad in their containers in my fridge. So this week I'm going to try and put my idea into practice. Using the dataSo, I have my hastily written

Using what I bought

2008-02-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

It sounds so simple: if you buy it, you must use it. But it's a philosophy I've never quite managed to master. Often I end up buying something for a new menu and either (a) I don't like it or (b) it goes bad before I can find another recipe that uses it. Not that either of these reasons stop me from trying something new. This week (and part of next) I'm trying recipes from the sample menu from

Grocery Shopping, is there a better way?

2008-02-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

So, following my usual round-about route, I ended up reading an article on the Real Simple website describing 6 menu-planning services. It's a good article, and naturally, I spent some time last night trying the free previews of each. Some are more focused on kid-friendly meals, a few have options for vegetarians, and low-carb meals; but none quite meet my needs. Thinking that I might be too

Not all experiments succeed

2008-01-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I tried a few new recipes. These included: Lentil chili and festive diabetic cornbread; both were good - but neither could be called a complete success. The lentil chili was really good - but I botched the recipe (using a 28 oz can of tomatoes instead of a 14 oz can). So it was lentil soup. To thicken it I added a cup of barley. It thickened a bit too much, but still tasted OK

Menu January 19th-25th

2008-01-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

Hey, hi and howdy - and a belated new year to everyone.SaturdayLunch: Chicken sandwich with hummus & romaineDiabetic festive cornbread & Lentil ChiliSundayBreakfast: Lightened Scrambled Egg MuffinsLunch: Soup & sandwichDinner: Hamburgers on multi grain with romaine lettuceMonday4-Alarm Salsa Chicken & mixed romaine saladTuesdaySpicy Ginger beef & riceWednesdayBalsamic chicken & cheddar mash with

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2007-11-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

Saturday was just one of those days. Friday had been fine, but by not visiting the butcher's early, I was in a real bind. I hoped they'd have something called "pork butt shoulder roast", and having seen pictures of it -- I thought they might.We usually call on the butcher by around 10 in the morning. The store-front's in a fancy 80's mini-mall, and always well lit. The butcher's a friendly guy

Barbecued Lemon Trout

2007-11-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

This entry first appeared on Recipe Maven (LJ).Entry: When I first met the fish - it was two frozen trout fillets and, while it had good color - it was frigid and almost without promise. A day or so in the dark and coolness of my fridge made the trout relent, and it was far more malleable when I got home. I didn't want any evidence - so no photos were taken.By then, however, the lemon and the

Menu for the Week of November 10th, 2007

2007-11-09T05:07:00.000-08:00

SaturdayBreakfastOutLunchPulled pork sandwiches.DinnerTortellini & Bolonaise Pasta sauce.SundayBreakfastFruit Pancakes & cut up melon & banana.LunchSoup & 1/2 chicken sandwich.DinnerMeatloaf & spinach salad with pear dressing, blue cheese & walnuts.MondayBreakfastWW toast, PB & low-sugar jam, light juice, banana.LunchOnigiri (tuna) with chicken tender & cut up vegetables, yogurt & flax

Leek, Potato & Carrot Soup

2007-10-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is a simple soup with a gentle onion flavor. Adding a spiced cheese on top makes it much more spicy - but you could just as easily add a drop of hot salsa or hot sauce for the same effect. Such spiciness is always optional. The soup stores well, but cannot be frozen unless it is first pureed (otherwise the potatoes develop an odd texture when they thaw).Peeling vegetables is never a favorite

Menu for the week of October 20th, 2007

2007-10-23T05:18:00.000-07:00

My menu plan for the week this week is pretty basic; with cold weather (supposedly) setting in I'm still pretty focused on soups and hot meals. I'll use the barbecue until it's too cold to stand outside with the food.SaturdayVilla Souvlaki.SundayLeek, potato & carrot soupMondayBucher's block steak with smashed herb potatoes and steamed green beansTuesdayBBQ chicken breasts with barley

He hates cooking but needs to love it

2007-10-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

This Metafilter post came up this morning in my blogroll. It's incredible how often I hear, read, or am told about this situation.You never need to love cooking, but it does help. A lot of folks cook every night for themselves and their loved ones. I can't believe they all love it; I love to cook but there are nights I really don't want to do it (and some nights I wimp out and order in, insist we

Menu for the week of October 13th

2007-10-17T07:59:00.001-07:00

My menu plan isn't all that planned out this week.SaturdayGreek (take out).Sunday3-Amigos (Dining out)MondayVinni Gambini (Dining out)TuesdayRoast Chateaubriand, steamed green beans, baked potato, and salad with red wine vinaigretteWednesdayChicken & bean fajitasThursdayMarinated butcher's block steak with smashed rosemary potatoesFridayRed wine and beef stew with vegetablesTuesday's meal is easy

Vinnie Gambini's (a review)

2007-10-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

Vinnie GambinisMontreal Marche Centrale, Quebec951 Cremazie OMontreal, Quebec H4N 2M5Tel: 514.387.8464Vinnie Gambinis is a posh-looking Italian restaurant with high-backed booths, comfortable chairs and dark wood decor. Our party of four was seated near the bar, and the waitress immediately mixed a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for us.Service was polite and prompt. Fresh bread came