Monday: Minestrone Soup
Tuesday: Pan Bagnat
Wednesday: Shrimp Curry with Rice
Thursday: Omelets, Roasted Sweet and Red Potatoes and Salad
Friday: Tofu Burgers
Saturday: Beans and Greens Risotto
Sunday: Fried Rice and Veggies with Lime Gelato in Lemon Cups, Raspberries and Cookies

Minestrone Soup

I made this:

Seriously, I made this today! Isn't it pretty and rustic? Thank you Catherine Newman for the recipe! She talks about how it looks like it was bought and bicycled across a field in Provence and it's true. Although my bread fantasy involves an old cottage and a wood stove, wearing a dress with little tiny flowers on it covered by a pretty apron with sunlight streaming in and children running in the kitchen from the field as I shoo them out again, except in Italian or French. But, that's just me, and perhaps I've shared too much. Well, anyway the part about me making the bread is true and it was just as easy as using the bread maker and took about the same amount of time. There's no kneading, seriously. The best part (well, besides how pretty it is and tastes that way too) is that the recipe makes three loaves, you can put the dough covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks so you can make a fresh loaf as you run out (which means daily in this house).

3 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast (2 packages)
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons kosher salt, depending on your saltiness preference (or half as much table salt)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
6 1/2 cups flour (I used 4 cups white, 2 cups whole wheat, and 1/4 cup each ground flax and wheat germ.)
Cornmeal

Pour the water in a bowl (one you won't miss if it sits in the fridge for a little while) and add the yeast, salt and vinegar. While it does it's yeasty thing, get out the flour you plan to use and add it to the water. Stir it all up until there's no dry spots, the dough may seem all wrong - raggedy and loose, that's alright, cover it with plastic and set it in a warm dry place to rise for at least 2 hours and up to 5.

Like the sunbeam on the living room floor.

Once it's risen you can cut off 1/3 of it and cover the rest and leave it in the fridge. Flour a board or pizza peel heavily with flour and then sprinkle with cornmeal. Pull the dough over itself so it's round and taunt on the top gathering the rest underneath. Place on the board, lightly flour the top and cover to let rest for another 40 minutes (if your using dough from the fridge increase resting time to 1 1/2 hours).

When there is 30 minutes left for the dough to rest, heat the oven to 450F and put a heavy pot with a lid in the oven to heat. I used my corningware, it can be cast iron, enamel, Pyrex, or ceramic as long as it holds at least 2.5 quarts and has a lid.

When the bread is ready to cook, slice an X on the top with sure, quick strokes so that your knife doesn't stick, slide it into the heated dish (careful not to burn yourself), put the lid on and pop it back in the over for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes and then cool on a rack. Presto - beautiful bread. I think total active time was probably 5 -10 minutes (with a little one helping me, so if you're on your own half that time).

"This is my most favorite bread ever!"

Recipe
This recipe is from Jaime's Italy with only a few changes. The original recipe calls for bacon or smoked pancetta which I obviously omitted and I add a sprinkle of smoked paprika to retain the smokey flavor.

19oz can canellini beans

Olive oil

Dash of smoked paprika
2 small red onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 head of fennel, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
a small bunch of fresh basil, leaves and stems separated
2 14 oz cans of good quality tomatoes
2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 glass of red wine
1/2 lb Swiss Chard or spinach, roughly chopped
2 cups veggie stock
2 oz dried pasta
Parmesan cheese

Heat a good glugg of olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, smoked paprika and finely chopped basil stems. Sweat very slowly on a low heat, with the lid just ajar, for around 15 to 20 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, red wine and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Now add the chard or spinach, stock, and beans. Put the dried pasta into a plastic bag, squeeze out all the air and tie the end up. Bash gently to break up your pasta and empty into soup. Stir and continue to simmer until pasta is cooked. Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh basil.

Pan Bagnats
So we try our best to limit T.V. around here. The basic rules are; the girls get three T.V. tickets a week, each ticket is worth half an hour and they can use them whenever they like, but when they're gone, that's it. Of course there are other times when they get to watch T.V. Usually we have Friday night movie night, and often at Sunday dinner they get to watch a little, also if they are sick or alternatively if I'm sick. The system seems to work fairly well for everybody...Well, sometimes my feelings get a little hurt. Today I had a terrible headache and so this afternoon I took a Tylenol and told Harper I wasn't feeling well and she could watch a little TV while I laid on the couch and had a little nap. This was met with, "Yay! Mamma's sick so I get to watch TV!"

Recipe

These were quite good and would be idea for a picnic dinner. The recipe is from Lemon and Anchovies, and were gobbled up by all.

2 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ciabattas, halved
1 regular cucumber
2 medium-size, ripe tomato, sliced
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1 tin of Tuna packed in water (the original calls for oil packed)
8 large basil leaves
4 tablespoons sliced pitted olives, preferably a mix of black and green
2 hard-cooked egg, peeled and thinly sliced.

Whisk together the garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly. Slice cucumber thinly then add to vinaigrette and toss well.

Spread half the cucumbers on bottom of bread. Top with tomato and onion slices, then with tuna, basil, olives and egg slices. Top egg with remaining cucumbers and vinaigrette. Cover with second bread half and firmly press sandwich together. Wrap sandwich tightly in foil, waxed paper or plastic wrap, then place in a plastic bag. Put sandwich under a weight such as a cast-iron frying pan topped with a filled kettle. Weight sandwich for 7 to 10 minutes, then flip and weight it for another 7 to 10 minutes. Unwrap and serve immediately, or keep it wrapped for up to 8 hours before serving

Shrimp Curry with Rice

We have this huge bucket that sits at the backdoor and holds all our mitts, tuques, scarves and who knows what else gets put in there. It's not pretty, not even really convenient since you have to pretty much empty it every time to find what you are looking for, but it keeps it all off the floor and I don't have to get the kids stuff for them because they can reach it themselves. One of the drawbacks is that the kids also then use it all as dress up stuff and then when it's time to go we can never find anything, this drives me crazy. Now that I've actually written this down, I realize that it's really a terrible system because it doesn't even actually keep it off the floor, because the kids play with it all the time and throw it on the floor...but it at least has a place to go and that's more than I can say for most of the stuff in this house. Anyway, what I actually wanted to share with you was not this rant about my bucket, but this picture of Hannah incorrectly using the items in the bucket, but at least it made me belly laugh.

Hannah: LOOK I'M A CHICKEN!!!!

Recipe

This curry was so incredibly easy and good. It was inspired by this recipe from Wishfulchef  with only a few changes.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 cup potatoes, diced into small cubes
1 can light coconut milk

900g shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium tomato, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
3/4 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pan, heat oil and add curry powder, cook for about two minutes. Stir in garlic and shallot and cook for a minute. Mix in potatoes, then stir in coconut milk. Add shrimp, tomatoes, tomato paste, honey and chili powder. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add frozen peas and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice.



Omelets, Roasted Sweet and Red Potatoes and Salad
Harper is trying really hard to understand that there was life before her. Whenever we talk about when Hannah was Harper's age she asks, "And I was how many Hannah is now?" Hannah of course very quickly responds with, "No, you weren't born yet Harper." Harper will look at her very intently, frown a little and say, "No. I was 6." Perhaps, she isn't trying really hard to understand, but she is managing to infuriate Hannah.

Recipe
Did I ever tell you how I learned to make an omelet? I was at the Fort Garry Hotel for brunch, (mmmm, brunch) at the omelet station with a friend and we were discussing how we didn't know how to make omelets, they always turn into scrambled eggs. Somehow it ended with them explaining it to us and me having to flip my own omelet...I didn't quite make it with the flipping motion, but it did inspire me to go home and practice. Now, if I could only get them to teach me how to fry an egg...

Tofu Burgers
It has been windy the last couple of days. Normally I would be annoyed by the cold chilly wind, except this week it seems to be my ally. Harper has taken to running to the bus stop when she feels the wind pushing her. When it's not at her back, she likes to tell me what the wind does do when it's at her back and run some more. Mother Nature is a genius!

Recipe
I was going to make a different kind of veggie burger tonight, but as I was cooking up some of the ingredients my attention was diverted by a certain little one and smoke filled the kitchen while they burned. I think I had enough ingredients to try again, but sometimes you need to admit defeat for the time being...

1 block of tofu, cut in half and then horizontally into 8 slabs
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, pressed
Roasted red peppers (I used jarred)
4 thin slices of cheddar
4 thin bagels
Basil

In a pan heat a glugg of olive oil and saute onions and mushrooms with garlic until soft, season with a little salt and pepper.

Spray a baking sheet and place the tofu on it, spray the top and broil until golden and then flip to do the other side.

Slightly toast the bottom half of the bagel under the broiler and then top with tofu, roasted red pepper, mushroom mixture and cheddar. Place under the broiler again with the top half facing up to toast. Once the cheese is melted top with some ripped up basil and the bagel top and eat.

Beans and Greens Risotto
I had a big day planned today to visit a new little one and his family and then to have my two nephews and my niece sleepover. Last night, Harper got sick and so after giving her a bath, new pjs and new bedding (three or four times) I put her into bed and crawled in with her in the wee hours of the morning. She slept and I stared at her, finally closing my eyes only to wake at every little sound. So instead of a day filled of busy and activity we're riding the couch together watching TreeHouse (poke my eyes out).

Recipe
This recipe is from Moosewood Simple Suppers.

1 quart low sodium veggie stock
15 oz can of diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
15 oz can of red beans, rinsed or drained
1 small head escarole, chopped (about three cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
lemon wedge (optional)

In a saucepan, bring the broth and tomatoes to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan on medium-high heat, cook the garlic in the oil until just golden, a few seconds. Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated with oil. Ladle in the hot broth and tomatoes a cup at a time, stirring often. After each addition, let the rice absorb most of the broth before adding more. Add the beans with the last cup of broth.

When most of the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender but still al dente, stir in the escarole, in batches if necessary, until it wilts but is still bright green. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, with wedges of lemon if you wish.

Fried Rice and Veggies with Lime Gelato in Lemon Cups, Raspberries and Cookies
It's spring! It's spring! It's spring! It was plus 9 outside today and so we took full advantage. By full advantage I mean, a family castle building activity which took a couple of hours an outdoor picnic in the snow castle and a shared beer on the swing in the sun...ok so the last part was just for Dave and I, sort of. We thought it would be lovely to watch our girls play in the snow while we sat back and shared a beer, they thought it would be way more fun to climb all over us while we tried not to spill said beer - it doesn't matter, PLUS NINE!!!!

Hard at work!

Resting with a little snack.

We were at my aunt's for Sunday dinner and it was lovely and delicious, but we unfortunately had to cut our visit short, returned home where Hannah, Harper and I were struck down with the flu. My apologies for this late post, but I have just risen so to speak.

I hope the sun shines down on you this week (and the flu avoids you). Happy St. Paddy's day to you all!