1/13/2024 0 Comments cheese
0 Comments
7/31/2022 0 Comments sunday eggs and toast
3/17/2022 0 Comments Clearing out the freezerIt's time to thaw out the garage freezer and start from scratch. I don't want this food to go to waste and I would like get rid of all the frost build-up and sanitize everything. First step is to take inventory of what I need to use. I was actually not looking forward to this. Usually the stuff that I have left over is not first on my list of what I want to use up, but I'm going to try really hard to make food that I am excited to eat! Will add more pictures as I make these meals throughout the week!
Tex Mex Egg RollsThe Tex Mex Egg Rolls turned out amazing! Everyone enjoyed these little Friday night bites. The recipe was a copycat of the Cheesecake Factory's version of this. It was a great way to use up these egg roll wrappers and chicken.
instructionsStart with the sauce because this takes the longest. Add olive oil to a large saucepan and saute garlic with red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent. Then add the green bell pepper and carrot and saute until soft. Next, add the mushrooms and saute gently for a couple minutes. Add in the sliced italian "sausage." I like to add the seasonings to the saute before the tomatoes but I'm not sure the order matters. Add the seasonings and the diced, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Allow everything to simmer with the lid on for 2 to 2 and a half hours with occasional stirring. Add water if the sauce gets too thick. After simmering with the lid on, taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. I used about 2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. Adjust any of the seasonings as you see fit.
In the last 30 minutes of simmering time, prepare the noodles and the white sauce. Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions. Some require boiling and some require soaking. To prepare the white sauce, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, softened cream cheese, egg, cheeses, and parsley. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste or leave this out if you feel it doesn't need it. Cheese has some saltiness to it already. Now you are ready to layer. This recipe makes enough for two lasagnas. I made one for now and one to freeze for later. Start by spreading the red sauce on the bottom of two 9x13 pans to prevent sticking. Then add a layer of noodles, another layer of red sauce, a layer of white sauce (ricotta mixture), sliced mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, and then parmesan cheese. Continue this layering starting with noodles, red sauce, white sauce, and cheeses until you have filled the pans. Your top layer should be the cheeses. Bake covered at 375 F for 45 minutes. Take cover off and broil until cheese is golden brown on top. Serve with lots of salad and fresh bread. 10/16/2021 0 Comments coconut lentil curry with naana vegan-ized dishI used to make a chicken curry that had similar ingredients to this dish. In all of my various attempts of veganizing dishes, this one is one of my most favorite. My kids request this dish often and I get to feeling like it's time to make this dish when the weather turns colder. I've tried many recipes and combined all the aspects I like from those recipes into one here. It changes depending on my mood or what I do or don't have in stock. The aspect of this dish that makes the biggest difference is sautéing the spices in coconut oil until they are aromatic. Sometimes I make the naan from scratch and other times I buy it and dress it up and bake/toast it in the oven. I enjoy scooping the basmati rice and curry into the naan bite by bite. I'm making the curry in the instant pot and cooking the rice and naan while the curry cooks in the instant pot. Today is cooler than yesterday so I will also put some chai tea together for the adults and spiced cider for the kids. It's a good night to linger at the table and play a few rounds of scrabble while we eat our curry and drink some warm beverages.
Ingredients for curry 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds 1 tablespoon of cumin seed 1 head of garlic minced 1 - 28oz can of crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons of thai red curry paste 2 tablespoons of ginger minced 1 tablespoon of turmeric 3 cups of water 1 cup of dried brown lentils 1 can of coconut milk 3 handfuls of cherry or grape tomatoes 2 teaspoons of salt 1 teaspoon of cayenne Ingredients for Naan 1 1/3 cup of self-rising flour 1 cup of plain greek yogurt 1/2 tsp of salt minced garlic Olive oil for brushing Directions
10/15/2021 0 Comments Meal PlanningOne of the few domestic tasks I likeIt may sound silly, but I get excited about meal planning. I don't always have time every week to do it justice, especially in a hectic fall season filled with sports and work and school and a constant desire to explore outside. I guess to me, it's like I get to think about what sort of experiences I want to have for the next week or two when I come home. It's a challenge to think about what to do that fits all the boxes: easy, delicious, fast, and healthy. Just like anything else in my life, the methods constantly evolve. I'd like to think that crystallizing where you are in your own personal evolution provides a sense of gratitude and appreciation for time past and growth. When we crystallize we are both zooming out to who we once were and zooming in to a particular experience that captured an entire set of senses and thoughts and emotions. I digress... Let's get real, I just want things I don't have to think about that everyone loves to eat so that we can have a good time together and have a little bit of a morale booster sprinkled throughout the week. It makes me feel good to know I did something good for my family despite being separated for the entire day for school and work. My opportunity to connect. It better be delicious too. The week ahead and the next two weeks for that matter will be jam packed with cross country meets and practices, violin lessons, birthday parties, studying for my virology class, emails, teaching, planning lessons, planning a film festival, planning a community Halloween event for kids, the list goes on. Last week, I did horrible. It seemed like I was picking up take-out every other night. This week I want to do better and get back on track. I can do this. So here's my process. I broke it down in to steps because I'm extra, I guess. step-by-step thought process - 3 questions I ask myself to start
Both responsible and irresponsible, and a little self-indulgent just like me. what do we have to use?I go to the fridge and write down a few items that I have to use up. Also, I found this cute picture that my daughter drew on my notepad. So, I'm starting to think some sort of roasted vegetable and potato dinner might be something we could do or a vegetable lo mein or a stir fry vegetable ramen (authentic with quality broth). What do I feel like and what does my family feel like eating this week?I definitely need need need to make my Lentil Coconut Curry with Naan dish. It's comfort food and I can tell I will need to look forward to that. It doesn't fit the fast criteria so I'm going to make it my weekend dish. I asked my kids and they said tacos even though I just made enchiladas last week. I get it. It sounds good to me too. I then went back to my calendar and found what other dishes I planned to make but haven't yet made. Salmon with roasted vegetables and cuban black beans and rice. I usually only plan 5 meals a week because I figure we will have leftovers or go out to eat on the other two nights. How can I make it fast?First, I start thinking about the meal options that I am gathering from the first two questions. It looks like we are having:
Meal Prep:
Lastly, I research the recipes and make my grocery store list. That's it! That's what I do. Some may think it's too complicated, some may think it is not a well thought-out strategy. This is what I do and where I am at with meal prep. Throughout the week, most dishes will not take any longer than 30 minutes and hopefully much less if I meal prep on Sunday. except for the coconut curry with naan which I am saving for the weekend. I will add recipes as I finish throughout the week in their own post. |
Archives
January 2024
CategoriesAll Breakfast Brunch Cheese Comfort Food Cooking Curry Dinner Eggs And Toast Fall Cooking Food Freezer Cooking Holiday Food Indian Food Instant Pot Italian Food Leftover Leftovers Local Theater Low Waste Cooking Low Waste Lifestyle Meal Planning Meal Prep Musical Performance Oliver Oliver Musical Plant-based Russel Wright Smitten Kitchen Snack Sunday Theatrical Performance Vegan Vegetarian |