menu for the week of Nov 15-20

Sat
tacos with homemade Black Calypso beans from Rancho Gordo- those beans were sooooo good!

Sun
I tried a Wildwood Sprouted burger- (good but a little tofu-y with a dry mouthfeel- I like Amy's better.)
Dh had a Bocca burger
Soy Braised Mustard greens- Vegetables Every Day

Mon
Broccolini, Cherry Tomato, and Butter Bean Udon- found on this great meal planner website- DH gave this 5 flamingos- I loved it but would love to add some garlic and mushrooms!  Here are my suggestions and some changes I made.
ciabatta
Mash for the ciabatta- from The Balanced Plate- I'll post the recipe later

Tues
Mu Shu in Moments- epicurious- Gourment- Feb 06- I my vegan version is below

Wed
not sure- I'm going to see Jack Bishop at Politics and Prose and wil be getting home later than normal- leftovers??

Thurs
pasta with marinara
salad

Sat
its the last saturday for the farmers market at the Kentlands- and the Homestead Farms in
eastern Maryland has had the best greens- last week I came home with kale  (young and fresh and so good), red mustard, and green mustard.  This week I'm hoping for some Tatsoi to make for dinner.

mu shu in moments

adapted (veganized) from Gourmet February 2006
Makes 4 servings
 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 heavy teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 heavy teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 (16-oz) bag coleslaw mix
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 bunch scallions, coarsely chopped
8 (6-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
1 pkg Morning Star's Chick'n strips- served at the table for DH

Accompaniments: hoisin sauce; chopped scallions, mung sprouts, extra chopped purple cabbage
 Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until shimmering, then heat the Morning Star Chick'n strips, stirring, until just browned. Transfer to a bowl. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to skillet and heat until hot then cook ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add coleslaw mix and 2 tablespoons water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until coleslaw is wilted, about 5 minutes.

Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 2 tablespoons water, and hoisin sauce in a small bowl. Add to coleslaw mixture along with scallions and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.


Heat tortillas if needed and put on a plate.

To assemble, spread hoisin on each tortilla and top with mu shu mixture, chicken, and scallions, then roll up. (I prefer to put all the ingredients on table so that we can make our own as we go.)

menu week of Nov 2- Nov 5

Sunday
take out- busy finishing planting bulbs and panseys and hitting the outlets (I needed a mid-weight winter coat for recess)
Sean roasted our pumpkin seeds

Monday
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe- The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
Salad

Tuesday
Panang Curry- The Curry Book
leftover coconut rice
steamed broccoli

Wed
DH might be on his own
or Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wraps- Eating Well

Thursday
Mu Shu in Moments- Gourmet
steamed greens

misc
Pumpkin Millet Muffins- Rebar

Halloween

It was a bit rainy for Halloween so we didn't put out any appetizers to enjoy while passing out candy but not so rainy that we weren't able to stand outside together with the neighbors to enjoy our drinks.  We invited the neighbors over for dinner after trick or treating- the recipes are below.  The kids this year were so cute- their costumes showed time and care not just a pillow case over the head and hey- I'm a ghost.  They were also so polite- remembering to say trick or treat and *thank you*!!  I have inflatable witchy legs that I stick out of my trunk.  Still a big hit.  One girl, who was about 3- kept staring at the legs- you could see her wheels turning trying to figure those legs out!  Dad took a picture.

menu
Vegan sloppy Joes
baked beans
coleslaw

Sophisto Joes
adapted from Gourmet October 2007

These are the Jay Gatsbys of sloppy joes—suave, debonair. But we'd be remiss if we let the black-tie frippery of these cosmopolitan joes belie their true nature: Just as with Fitzgerald's famous hero, there's substance underneath all that class. These civilized sandwiches are hearty, delicious, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.
 Makes 4 servings

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained or tomato sauce
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter- like Earth Balance
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 pkg tempeh, steamed for 10 minutes and cooled and crumbled
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 whole wheat rolls, split
Purée tomatoes in a blender if using the whole tomatoes.
Cook onion and garlic in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add tempeh, stirring to break up any large lumps, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add puréed tomatoes, wine, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and serve on the rolls.


Carolina Cole Slaw
adapted from Bon Appétit March 1996
Caroline Belk: Richmond, Virginia

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar- I used a heavy 3
6 tablespoons vegetable oil- I used 3 as suggested in the notes posted online
2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 medium cabbage (about 1 1/4 pounds) (I used about 1 pound green, 1/4 red and one large shaved carrot.)
Combine vinegar, sugar, oil, mustard and celery seeds in non-aluminum medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and dressing comes to boil. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.

Combine cabbage and dressing; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate until cold, tossing occasionally, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep refrigerated.)
Yield: Serves 8


Bean Pot
adapted from Even More Special

2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar- (really I like closer to 1/3 cup, DH likes the full 1/2 cup packed!)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 16-oz can pork and beans
1 16-oz can lima or butter beans, drained
1 16-oz can kidney beans, drained
Preheat oven to 350F

In a skillet, heat the olive oil; saute the garlic and onion until soft (not brown).

In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic and onion with the brown sugar, vinegar, catsup, mustard, salt and pepper.

Add remaining ingredients, mix well, and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish.
Bake 45 min to 1 hour, covered.
12 servings

menu week of Oct 24/25- 29

Sat
Red Lentil Chickpea Burgers with Spicy Peanut Sauce- The Healthy Hedonist
steamed broccoli

Sun
leftovers

Mon
black beans and rice
steamed red kale

Tues
pasta with marinara sauce
salad

Wed
out with friends

Thurs
big salad
bread

menu for Oct 18-24

I had bought some Kalijira rice last year when I got my rice cooker.  This is my week to play!  I found three recipe to make- one pudding and two pilafs.  One of the pilafs is a quick and easy version made in the rice cooker and the other is a slighly longer recipe with a few more ingredients.  Below is the description of the rice from the back of the package.

Considered the premium rice of choice in Bengal, Kalijira is known as the "Prince of Rice" for its delicious and delicate nutty flavor. This tiny aromatic rice is easy and fast to cook, producing firm yet tender separate grains. Use this heirloom rice in your favorite recipes and as an alternative to basmati for pilafs. Also makes an exceptional rice pudding. Lotus Foods

Sunday
Reubens- The Healthy Hedonist- love the Russian dressing sauce from this recipe too
french fries

Monday
either Chinese takeout or black beans and rice-
steamed kale
salad

Tuesday
Aromatic Kalijira Rice Pilaw- The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook
Pilaw or pilaf, as this rice-based dish is know in some parts of the world, is made in different ways in different regions of India. A rice is reserved for special occasions, pilaw is served with a generous sprinkling of almonds and raisins on top. But even without the embellishments, this pilaw is a pleasant change from boiled rice. This is a traditional northern Indian method of preparation, coutesy of Lotus Foods.
Gita's Dal- Seduction of Rice 
Curried Mustard Greens with Tomatoes- Vegetables Every Day

Wednesday
Singapore Rice Noodle- The Curry Book
steamed broccoli

Thursday
quesadillas
salad

The last two weeks have been full of dining out and a few tried and trues.  Back in the kitchen this Sunday with an old favorite.  and i am finding that i'm going back and using this blog for help in menu planning- so much that i am regretting the weeks that i didn't bother posting :)

Sunday
Black Beans Enchiladas- AYIAVK

Monday
White Bean Hummus with Roasted Garlic, Sage, and Pine Nuts- rebar
Linguine with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans- The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen- also found in the Silver Spoon along with a photo
***both of these recipes were very very delicious- company good!

Tuesday
Classic Thai Fried Rice- Seductions of Rice

Wednesday
pasta with tomato sauce
salad
edamame soup- recipe testing

Thursday
tacos

menu and yummy new spread

I have found a really yummy new spread!  My school has become peanut and tree-nut free which means no peanut butter. And I love peanut butter on apples for lunch especially in the fall.  The honey crisps have been really good! I've tried soy nut butter but didn't think I liked it well enough. Well, I was in Whole Foods this week thinking I would try a different brand but found this- and it is really really good!  Much tastier to me than soy nut butter- almost reminiscent of peanut butter.  I love the natural crunchy version.

Sunbutter


menu for the week of Sept 20

Sunday
take out- I was busy face painting all day at a Greyhound Reunion Picnic north of Baltimore- it was great fun :)

Monday
pasta with homemade marinara sauce
salad
steamed greens
and two recipes from Compassionate Cooks for lunch this week- I'm recipe testing- lots of fun!!

Tuesday
Saffron-Garlic Rice- Veganomicon
a green veggie- green beans or broccoli or ??
salad

Wednesday
quesadillas- I make mine with hummus :)  YUM!!

Thursday
undecided