August 15, 2012
July 26, 2012
Warm Months Menu
I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but right now we've been (not) enjoying temperatures above 100 degrees EVERY DAY. Most of the time it's 105 or higher with the heat index taking it up another few notches. It's hot. Crazy hot. So hot I miss the Texas heat.
And because it's hot I'm trying to avoid turning on my oven. Ever. Once it's on my kitchen feels like a, well, oven, and I'm miserable. So, I've come up with a Warm Months Menu. One that we will use while the weather is hot. It tries to incorporate recipes that don't require the oven and instead relies on the crockpot, stove top (quickly) and/or lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Basically we'll use this for 5 to 6 months out of the year and then we'll switch to our Cold Months Menu (yet to be written). By switching only twice a year, I'll be able to stock up on those items I truly need. I can also do one big grocery shop for all the canned/frozen goods for the month. Or for 6 months! I'll only need to make quick trips for produce now and then. Yippee!
We're trying to cut down on our meat consumption so we've scheduled it twice a week, for a total of 10 meals in the month. Most of the recipes I have listed, we've already tried and liked. Some are new and will (hopefully) become a part of our regular rotation or they'll get booted and I'll try again next month. For some meals I have multiple recipes - like 4 recipes for black bean burgers. We'll try the first one and if we like it we'll stop there. If it's blah, we'll try a new one the next month until we find one we like. I'll try to post the new recipes we like so this index stays current with the actual recipes we're using.
I'm working on a master shopping list as well. I'll post that when it's done. It will mostly contain the canned/frozen/meat items that can be stored longer term (freezer or pantry). The produce will not be listed since it will depend on quality and season and which week we'll be eating that certain meal.
Pretty much every dinner meal we serve includes fruit and at least one veggie, usually 2. I may or may not go back and add those in to each meal plan....I may just go by what's available at the store and (hopefully) my garden.
Meat recipes:
1. Tacos - ground beef w/taco seasoning, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, salsa, sweet hot chili sauce
2. Hamburgers (or other "fire" foods - we have a Friday Fire every week) - we will probably try various different kinds of burgers
3. Cafe Rio Salad (made in crockpot and rice cooker)
4. Pasta Salad - we'll vary what meats we put in as well as the sauce we use - Italian, mayo-based, chicken, pepperoni, etc.
5. Make Your Own Rice Bowls (rice cooker and meats either in crockpot or stove top - can also make up a large batch of meats and freeze in meal-sized portions for later months, or freeze leftover meats from other meals)
6. Enchiladas Verdes
7. Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwiches (we may vary this with other types of sandwiches)
8. Pad Thai - I actually have several recipes for Pad Thai to try. I'll post the one we like best once we find it!
9. Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad (we may alternate other types of restaurant knock-off salads - Asian, Southwestern, Shrimp & Bacon, etc)
10. Eat out or Birthday Dinner - we have 6 people in the family, on the non-birthday month we'll go out to eat, on a birthday month we'll have a special birthday dinner chosen by the birthday person
Vegetarian recipes:
1. Fried rice (make rice in slow cooker then finish on stove top or try a crockpot version) - use whatever veggies available
2. Lo Mein
3. Bean Tostadas - same ingredients as tacos listed above, with possible additions of rice, corn, whole beans, can use refried pinto or black beans
4. Falafal (stove top, crockpot or toaster oven) - I have a bazillion falafel recipes Pinned. Will post our favorite when we've tried them all.
5. Make Your Own Salad with corn on cob or other "big veggie"
6. Baked potatoes (in crockpot), salad
7. Black Beans and Quinoa
8. Breakfast (pancakes/waffles/french toast/toast w/eggs, smoothie, fruit, etc)
9. Quinoa burgers - Again, I have a ton of recipes Pinned.
10. Quinoa salad w/black beans, avocado and cumin-lime dressing
11. Peanut Butter Noodles
12. Out Chinese Spring Roll salad
13. Navajo Tacos - I'll try to get this recipe posted soon.
14. Smoothie with fruit to eat on the side, raw veggies and non-baked treat like homemade Lara Balls - we'll have this twice in a month
15. Leftovers
16. Black bean burgers (stove top or toaster oven) - several recipes to try
17. Quesadillas, salsa, chips, Texas Caviar
18. New recipe - two times a month, until we find our "keepers"
And because it's hot I'm trying to avoid turning on my oven. Ever. Once it's on my kitchen feels like a, well, oven, and I'm miserable. So, I've come up with a Warm Months Menu. One that we will use while the weather is hot. It tries to incorporate recipes that don't require the oven and instead relies on the crockpot, stove top (quickly) and/or lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Basically we'll use this for 5 to 6 months out of the year and then we'll switch to our Cold Months Menu (yet to be written). By switching only twice a year, I'll be able to stock up on those items I truly need. I can also do one big grocery shop for all the canned/frozen goods for the month. Or for 6 months! I'll only need to make quick trips for produce now and then. Yippee!
We're trying to cut down on our meat consumption so we've scheduled it twice a week, for a total of 10 meals in the month. Most of the recipes I have listed, we've already tried and liked. Some are new and will (hopefully) become a part of our regular rotation or they'll get booted and I'll try again next month. For some meals I have multiple recipes - like 4 recipes for black bean burgers. We'll try the first one and if we like it we'll stop there. If it's blah, we'll try a new one the next month until we find one we like. I'll try to post the new recipes we like so this index stays current with the actual recipes we're using.
I'm working on a master shopping list as well. I'll post that when it's done. It will mostly contain the canned/frozen/meat items that can be stored longer term (freezer or pantry). The produce will not be listed since it will depend on quality and season and which week we'll be eating that certain meal.
Pretty much every dinner meal we serve includes fruit and at least one veggie, usually 2. I may or may not go back and add those in to each meal plan....I may just go by what's available at the store and (hopefully) my garden.
Meat recipes:
1. Tacos - ground beef w/taco seasoning, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, salsa, sweet hot chili sauce
2. Hamburgers (or other "fire" foods - we have a Friday Fire every week) - we will probably try various different kinds of burgers
3. Cafe Rio Salad (made in crockpot and rice cooker)
4. Pasta Salad - we'll vary what meats we put in as well as the sauce we use - Italian, mayo-based, chicken, pepperoni, etc.
5. Make Your Own Rice Bowls (rice cooker and meats either in crockpot or stove top - can also make up a large batch of meats and freeze in meal-sized portions for later months, or freeze leftover meats from other meals)
6. Enchiladas Verdes
7. Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwiches (we may vary this with other types of sandwiches)
8. Pad Thai - I actually have several recipes for Pad Thai to try. I'll post the one we like best once we find it!
9. Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad (we may alternate other types of restaurant knock-off salads - Asian, Southwestern, Shrimp & Bacon, etc)
10. Eat out or Birthday Dinner - we have 6 people in the family, on the non-birthday month we'll go out to eat, on a birthday month we'll have a special birthday dinner chosen by the birthday person
Vegetarian recipes:
1. Fried rice (make rice in slow cooker then finish on stove top or try a crockpot version) - use whatever veggies available
2. Lo Mein
3. Bean Tostadas - same ingredients as tacos listed above, with possible additions of rice, corn, whole beans, can use refried pinto or black beans
4. Falafal (stove top, crockpot or toaster oven) - I have a bazillion falafel recipes Pinned. Will post our favorite when we've tried them all.
5. Make Your Own Salad with corn on cob or other "big veggie"
6. Baked potatoes (in crockpot), salad
7. Black Beans and Quinoa
8. Breakfast (pancakes/waffles/french toast/toast w/eggs, smoothie, fruit, etc)
9. Quinoa burgers - Again, I have a ton of recipes Pinned.
10. Quinoa salad w/black beans, avocado and cumin-lime dressing
11. Peanut Butter Noodles
12. Out Chinese Spring Roll salad
13. Navajo Tacos - I'll try to get this recipe posted soon.
14. Smoothie with fruit to eat on the side, raw veggies and non-baked treat like homemade Lara Balls - we'll have this twice in a month
15. Leftovers
16. Black bean burgers (stove top or toaster oven) - several recipes to try
17. Quesadillas, salsa, chips, Texas Caviar
18. New recipe - two times a month, until we find our "keepers"
June 30, 2012
Breakfast Salad
I had the most delicious salad for lunch the other day. And even though it's a "breakfast salad" I could happily eat it any time of day.
The recipe can be found here. I think it would also be lovely to add some avocado, tomatoes, dried cranberries, and matchstick carrots. Maybe even some kale. I used mixed baby greens instead of spinach and really, any salad greens would work well. You could skip the croutons (I did) and make it gluten-free and omit the bacon (but who'd want to?) to make it vegetarian.
So, so yummy.
May 15, 2012
Lomo Saltado
This is not a vegetarian recipe. This is an authentic Peruvian recipe, made on Mother's Day by my adorable Peruvian sister-in-law with some help from me and our two husbands.
Start your rice. It's made in a similar fashion to the Brazilian rice, only with 3 to 4 cloves of garlic and no onion. She used a ratio of 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups water....and we made it for 16 people so it was a HUGE pot.
Next, cut your beef into strips (think stir fry) and place in a bowl. Add some chopped garlic, soy sauce and salt. Stir it around until it's all mixed together and then, when nobody is looking, swipe your finger into the blood on the side of the bowl and taste if it's salty enough. Or not. You can be 'truly authentic' or not. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. We used almost 3 lbs of beef for 16 people, 7 of them being children so make your best guess on how much you'll need for the number of people you're feeding.
Start peeling potatoes like crazy. Enlist the help of the whole family. As you peel them, put them into a bowl of cold water so they don't get all brown and yucky looking. When you have a few pounds peeled, slice them into french fry sizes and lay out on towels to dry just a tiny bit. Heat some oil in a skillet then start the never-ending process of frying the potatoes. Remove them to a pan/bowl/whatever with some paper towels to absorb some oil. Salt. We used almost 10 pounds and ended up hating potatoes by the end. To make this for my family of 6 I'd probably used 2 to 3 pounds.
While you're frying the potatoes, start chopping some red or green peppers and slicing some onions and tomatoes. You want the peppers in medium sized chunks, the onions in medium-ish slivers (cut from top to bottom, not across the middle) and the tomatoes in wedges (Romas work well for this). Chop up a bunch of cilantro while you're at it. You can also use zucchini cut into slices.
Fry the meat you had marinating in the fridge. You may have to do this in batches in order to get it browned on the outside. You want to sear the meat, not boil it. Remove it to a bowl when done.
Once the potatoes are done, remove any extra oil, leaving a thin layer across the bottom. Add the peppers and cook for a few minutes until medium soft. Add the onions and stir them around for another 2 or 3 minutes. You want them tender crisp, not soggy. Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. Now dump the meat and fried potatoes into the skillet with the vegetables. Throw the cilantro on top. Make sure it's a big skillet. Stir around and turn off the heat.
To serve, put some rice on your plate then top with the beef/potato/veggie mixture or lomo saltado as we call it.
Heave a big sigh that you're finally able to get out of the hot kitchen.....then enjoy some seriously delicious food. Then go back for seconds. And feel free to grab a bite of food from the skillet every time you walk through the kitchen. Hug your sister-in-law and try to convince her to move to Nebraska. Then snitch another bite from the skillet.
Start your rice. It's made in a similar fashion to the Brazilian rice, only with 3 to 4 cloves of garlic and no onion. She used a ratio of 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups water....and we made it for 16 people so it was a HUGE pot.
Next, cut your beef into strips (think stir fry) and place in a bowl. Add some chopped garlic, soy sauce and salt. Stir it around until it's all mixed together and then, when nobody is looking, swipe your finger into the blood on the side of the bowl and taste if it's salty enough. Or not. You can be 'truly authentic' or not. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. We used almost 3 lbs of beef for 16 people, 7 of them being children so make your best guess on how much you'll need for the number of people you're feeding.
Start peeling potatoes like crazy. Enlist the help of the whole family. As you peel them, put them into a bowl of cold water so they don't get all brown and yucky looking. When you have a few pounds peeled, slice them into french fry sizes and lay out on towels to dry just a tiny bit. Heat some oil in a skillet then start the never-ending process of frying the potatoes. Remove them to a pan/bowl/whatever with some paper towels to absorb some oil. Salt. We used almost 10 pounds and ended up hating potatoes by the end. To make this for my family of 6 I'd probably used 2 to 3 pounds.
While you're frying the potatoes, start chopping some red or green peppers and slicing some onions and tomatoes. You want the peppers in medium sized chunks, the onions in medium-ish slivers (cut from top to bottom, not across the middle) and the tomatoes in wedges (Romas work well for this). Chop up a bunch of cilantro while you're at it. You can also use zucchini cut into slices.
Fry the meat you had marinating in the fridge. You may have to do this in batches in order to get it browned on the outside. You want to sear the meat, not boil it. Remove it to a bowl when done.
Once the potatoes are done, remove any extra oil, leaving a thin layer across the bottom. Add the peppers and cook for a few minutes until medium soft. Add the onions and stir them around for another 2 or 3 minutes. You want them tender crisp, not soggy. Add the tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. Now dump the meat and fried potatoes into the skillet with the vegetables. Throw the cilantro on top. Make sure it's a big skillet. Stir around and turn off the heat.
To serve, put some rice on your plate then top with the beef/potato/veggie mixture or lomo saltado as we call it.
Heave a big sigh that you're finally able to get out of the hot kitchen.....then enjoy some seriously delicious food. Then go back for seconds. And feel free to grab a bite of food from the skillet every time you walk through the kitchen. Hug your sister-in-law and try to convince her to move to Nebraska. Then snitch another bite from the skillet.
May 7, 2012
Menu for May - 5th to 12th
In trying to maintain our "meat twice a week" idea (now that we've reached the warmer months), this is the planned menu for the week:
Tacos - grass-fed ground beef with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, cucumbers, avocados, sauerkraut, salsa, and sweet hot chili sauce
Vegetable Lo Mein, fruit
Lasagna, lettuce salad, fruit
Main dish salad with roasted potatoes - we'll probably include the following in small bowls and each person can add what they want: carrots, tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, olives, sauerkraut, croutons, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, sweet peppers, craisins/raisins....there are TONS of options, these are just the ones we like
Bean tostadas - with the same toppings as the tacos above, fruit
Brazilian Black Beans and rice, lettuce salad, fruit
Indian-spiced Lentils (without the chicken), rice, naan or tortillas, raw carrots, fruit
Tacos - grass-fed ground beef with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, cucumbers, avocados, sauerkraut, salsa, and sweet hot chili sauce
Vegetable Lo Mein, fruit
Lasagna, lettuce salad, fruit
Main dish salad with roasted potatoes - we'll probably include the following in small bowls and each person can add what they want: carrots, tomatoes, avocado, feta cheese, olives, sauerkraut, croutons, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, sweet peppers, craisins/raisins....there are TONS of options, these are just the ones we like
Bean tostadas - with the same toppings as the tacos above, fruit
Brazilian Black Beans and rice, lettuce salad, fruit
Indian-spiced Lentils (without the chicken), rice, naan or tortillas, raw carrots, fruit
Vegetarian Lo Mein
We made this for dinner yesterday and it was super yummy.
Add whatever veggies you want to a large skillet/pan and sauté until just barely cooked or soft, it depends on how you like them.
I used:
broccoli
shredded cabbage (a mixture of red and green)
onion (sliced thin)
matchstick carrots
other great ideas would be:
zucchini
mushrooms
snow peas
yellow squash
asparagus
greens - spinach, chard or kale
bell peppers
bean sprouts
garlic
green onions
Napa cabbage
Bok Choy
I cooked the onions until rather soft, then added the rest and cooked until a littler softer than crisp. I used a combination of coconut oil and water to keep them from burning/sticking.
When they were done I added cooked, drained noodles to the pan (any kind will do....and for my family I used the full package). To this I added half a bottle of Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce and stirred until heated through and the veggies were mixed in.
We had enough to feed everyone (with a few seconds) and two helpings of leftovers for lunch the next day.
This was super fast, super easy and very tasty. Not to mention mostly healthy.
Add whatever veggies you want to a large skillet/pan and sauté until just barely cooked or soft, it depends on how you like them.
I used:
broccoli
shredded cabbage (a mixture of red and green)
onion (sliced thin)
matchstick carrots
other great ideas would be:
zucchini
mushrooms
snow peas
yellow squash
asparagus
greens - spinach, chard or kale
bell peppers
bean sprouts
garlic
green onions
Napa cabbage
Bok Choy
I cooked the onions until rather soft, then added the rest and cooked until a littler softer than crisp. I used a combination of coconut oil and water to keep them from burning/sticking.
When they were done I added cooked, drained noodles to the pan (any kind will do....and for my family I used the full package). To this I added half a bottle of Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce and stirred until heated through and the veggies were mixed in.
We had enough to feed everyone (with a few seconds) and two helpings of leftovers for lunch the next day.
This was super fast, super easy and very tasty. Not to mention mostly healthy.
May 1, 2012
Brazilian Black Beans and Rice
This is my secret recipe for Brazilian black beans and rice. I learned how to make it looking over the shoulder of many a Brazilian woman so I don't have exact quantities....they don't use them and I never learned how. So this is a recipe and a cultural lesson. I should also add that I lived in Rio Grande do Sul so I make southern-style beans and rice.
For the rice -
Chop an onion (medium to large based on the amount of people you need to feed). Fry it in a pan with some oil or butter until soft and lightly browned. If you want to add a few cloves of garlic, do so now and only cook for a minute. Add the raw rice and some salt. (To test for saltiness, stir the raw rice with the salt and onions then cool a small amount and place it in your mouth. If it tastes salty, you're good. If not, add a bit more salt.) Stir the rice around until the grains have turned a light brown color. Add the water, cover and reduce heat. Allow to cook for 20 to 30 minutes then check to see if liquid is absorbed. If not, cover and cook another 5 to 10 minutes. If all the water is absorbed but the rice is still crunchy, add a bit of water, cover and cook until soft.
For my family of six, we use 2 to 4 cups of rice then twice the amount of water. So if I use 3 cups of rice I use 6 cups of water.
You could just cook the rice in a rice cooker, but the Brazilians I know rarely do this. Most of you reading this aren't Brazilian so do what you want!
For the black beans -
You can use either canned or homemade black beans. Start with cooked, however you get them. Chop an onion, medium to large and fry in oil or butter. Yep, do it again! Once the onion is soft and lightly browned add a garlic clove or two. Cook for one minute. Add the black beans and heat through, stirring every few minutes. Salt to taste. You can leave these thick or thin them out a bit by adding some water and mashing about half of them. Some people eat them thin like a gravy or sauce, others keep them looking like beans. You can alternately use garlic powder instead of the garlic cloves, and onion powder instead of the onion.
Most Brazilians use a pressure cooker for their beans, but I've never owned one so I use the stovetop method. If you do pressure cook your beans, and want an authentic flavor, add the cooked onions.
To eat it all -
We serve this with beans on the plate, rice on the side. Sometimes we put the beans on top of the rice like a gravy. Very often they will fry eggs and put it on top of the beans and rice....usually with a slightly runny yolk so it creates a type of sauce.
Often this is eaten with salted tomato slices or a tomato onion salad. To make the salada de tomate (tomato salad) slice an onion (yes, another one!!!) and place it in cold water. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes to take out some of the "bite". Drain. Add a sliced tomato or three, salt, then add a sprinkling of olive oil and vinegar. Taste it as you go. You want a salty, vinegary taste that doesn't overpower.
Another way to eat the beans is to put them over french fries, homemade if possible and usually with a fried egg on top of it all.
Bom apetite!
For the rice -
Chop an onion (medium to large based on the amount of people you need to feed). Fry it in a pan with some oil or butter until soft and lightly browned. If you want to add a few cloves of garlic, do so now and only cook for a minute. Add the raw rice and some salt. (To test for saltiness, stir the raw rice with the salt and onions then cool a small amount and place it in your mouth. If it tastes salty, you're good. If not, add a bit more salt.) Stir the rice around until the grains have turned a light brown color. Add the water, cover and reduce heat. Allow to cook for 20 to 30 minutes then check to see if liquid is absorbed. If not, cover and cook another 5 to 10 minutes. If all the water is absorbed but the rice is still crunchy, add a bit of water, cover and cook until soft.
For my family of six, we use 2 to 4 cups of rice then twice the amount of water. So if I use 3 cups of rice I use 6 cups of water.
You could just cook the rice in a rice cooker, but the Brazilians I know rarely do this. Most of you reading this aren't Brazilian so do what you want!
For the black beans -
You can use either canned or homemade black beans. Start with cooked, however you get them. Chop an onion, medium to large and fry in oil or butter. Yep, do it again! Once the onion is soft and lightly browned add a garlic clove or two. Cook for one minute. Add the black beans and heat through, stirring every few minutes. Salt to taste. You can leave these thick or thin them out a bit by adding some water and mashing about half of them. Some people eat them thin like a gravy or sauce, others keep them looking like beans. You can alternately use garlic powder instead of the garlic cloves, and onion powder instead of the onion.
Most Brazilians use a pressure cooker for their beans, but I've never owned one so I use the stovetop method. If you do pressure cook your beans, and want an authentic flavor, add the cooked onions.
To eat it all -
We serve this with beans on the plate, rice on the side. Sometimes we put the beans on top of the rice like a gravy. Very often they will fry eggs and put it on top of the beans and rice....usually with a slightly runny yolk so it creates a type of sauce.
Often this is eaten with salted tomato slices or a tomato onion salad. To make the salada de tomate (tomato salad) slice an onion (yes, another one!!!) and place it in cold water. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes to take out some of the "bite". Drain. Add a sliced tomato or three, salt, then add a sprinkling of olive oil and vinegar. Taste it as you go. You want a salty, vinegary taste that doesn't overpower.
Another way to eat the beans is to put them over french fries, homemade if possible and usually with a fried egg on top of it all.
Bom apetite!
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