Tuesday: Hummus Soup, Roasted Cauliflower and Bread
Wednesday: Tilapia Burgers with Watermelon Salsa and Beet Slaw
Thursday: Tabouli, Baba Ganouj, Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Muhammara),Toasted Tortillas and Raw Veggies
Friday: Smoked Salmon on Naan Bread with Raw Veggies
Saturday: Wild Mushroom Pasta and Ice Cream
Sunday: Salmon, Salad, Grilled Eggplant, Sauteed Veggies and Bread with Ice Cream
Quinoa Patties with Salad and Dill Sauce
The other day driving home from the lake Hannah was asking about school and if big kid school would be her last school. We explained that she would then go on to university or college to learn how to do a job and then asked her if she new what kind of job that might be. She replied, "Maybe a chef." (Harper answered that she wanted to make T.V. tickets as a job).
Today as I'm getting dinner ready Hannah and Harper are playing outside. Hannah comes in with a handful of dandelion leaves that she's collected to add to the salad. She then made her own dressing for her salad tonight. She mixed together a little mayonnaise, soya sauce, hoisin sauce and vinegar - not exactly what I would have chosen but she has no fear in the kitchen and she ate every bite of her salad with pride!
Recipe
I've made quinoa patties before, but have never been completely satisfied with them. I still may tinker with these ones but for the most part was quite happy. The lemon and cilantro really gave them a fresh taste. We had them with a salad and dill sauce, but they would also be good popped inside a bun or pita or with a poached egg over top (maybe with a sliver of Parmesan as well).
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 carrots, peeled and then grated
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1/4 each yellow and red pepper, chopped fine
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, juice and rind
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 450F.
Cook quinoa according to package directions. While it is cooking heat a glugg of olive oil in a pan and saute the onions, carrots and peppers until soft, adding the garlic and salt at the end and cooking for another minute or two.
Once the quinoa and veggies are cooked, mix in a bowl with the cilantro, lemon rind and juice, mustard and eggs. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray with a little olive oil. Form mixture into eight patties, this is messy and they seem like they are going to completely fall apart, it's alright once they cook they'll hold. Bake in the middle of the oven for ten minutes a side.
Dill Sauce:
2 Tbsp light sour cream
2 Tbsp yogurt
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise
2 tsp grainy Dijon
a pinch of salt
lots, and lots of dill
Mix together, add a little milk if you like it runnier.
Hummus Soup, Roasted Cauliflower and Bread
Harper and I spent a couple hours playing games and drinking tea this afternoon before having some visitors. She beat me bad at Skip-Bo, Go Fish and Membory, at least she was a very gracious winner yelling, "Yay!!!! I winned, I winned, I winned!"
I took Hannah to soccer tonight. It was very cold and I had wished that I'd worn my winter jacket, but she ran around with no real worries. She looks so long running around that field. She scored tonight and did a double arm raise to celebrate. She can sometimes be very timid and cautious, so I loved seeing it just burst out of her!
Recipe
The sun finally came out late afternoon today but it was still quite chilly out. I was craving soup and hummus so I threw a few things in and made hummus soup. It turned out really tasty and was quite popular.
Olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled, quartered and chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 19 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp cumin
salt
water
lemon wedges for serving
Heat a good glugg of olive oil over low heat and saute onions, carrots, garlic, cumin and a pinch of salt until veggies are soft.
Meanwhile puree two thirds of the chickpeas in a food processor until soft (you may need to add a splash of water). Add the pureed chickpeas and whole chickpeas to the veggies along with 1 of the cans filled with water. Stir, adjust seasoning and serve with a squirt of fresh lemon juice.
We also had this with thick slices of homemade bread and roasted broccoli.
Tilapia Burgers with Watermelon Salsa and Beet Slaw
Tonight was Hannah's dance recital! We solved all the makeup issues by buying some sparkles and putting a few on her cheeks and giving her some chapstick to wear, which made her perfectly happy. She was thirteenth out of twenty before the intermission - thank goodness. So I dropped her off backstage at the Concert Hall (to put it in perspective this is where we saw Wicked), and found our way to our seats. Our seats were way at the back, because I had no clue that you needed to buy them immediately as if you were getting tickets to see John Lennon live! It's alright, we were able to see and had Harper away from the die hards. Harper perched herself on the edge of her seat and rocked out side to side to almost every song.
Hannah's little group came out, she looked so tiny after seeing lots of big kid groups on stage. They marched out to the middle and continued to do their routine. Hannah was front and center and perfect, exactly what you would expect to see from a six year old, I was very proud. She was enthusiastic and a little stunned at the same time, about one step behind of the other kids (she's totally my kid) and absolutely adorable! I loved every minute and more importantly she did too!
Recipe
This is the recipe of the week so far. I highly recommend it. The only change that I would make is that I would add half the amount of smoked paprika, I found it a little overpowering. I found it on this blog, how Sweet it is. We cooked ours on the side griddle on the BBQ, just spraying it lightly instead of in a pan with oil.
1 1/2 pounds fresh (or frozen and thawed) tilapia
2/3 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg + 1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I would use 1/2 tsp next time)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup cubed watermelon, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
the juice of 1 lime
whole wheat buns (we used whole wheat english muffins, toasted)
Add tilapia to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add egg, panko, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and basil. Mix until combined, then form tilapia into patties (form tightly with your hands, trying to prevent cracking). Heat a skillet oven medium heat and add half of the olive oil, then cook patties until golden on each side, about 3-4 minutes or on a sprayed griddle. Repeat with remaining burgers.
While burgers are cooking, combine watermelon, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice with a pinch of salt. Once burgers are ready, serve on toasted buns with avocado slices and salsa on top.
When my sister was here she mentioned she had been making a raw beet salad, it sounded very simple and fresh but of course I can't remember what she was puttiing in it, so I just googled it and found this one from OH she GLOWS, I altered it slightly to fit my fridge and pantry needs, and it was so fresh and delicious.
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
3 smallish red beetroots, peeled and grated
1 apple (sweet variety), chopped (I would grate this too next time)
1 garlic clove, minced (or less if you are not a garlic fan)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 tbsp Sesame seeds
In medium bowl mix together the grated carrots, beets and apple. Assemble the dressing by whisking together the minced garlic, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Adjust dressing to taste. Pour the dressing onto the vegetables and mix well. Allow to sit for at least a half hour so the flavours can develop. Add in your desired seeds and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tabouli, Baba Ganouj, Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Muhammara), Toasted Tortillas and Raw Veggies
I completely forgot to mention the ride in the car to the dance recital last night. My mom came in the car with us (my dad wasn't feeling well) and she sat in the front, Dave drove and I squished in the back with the girls. We're driving along and Harper starts talking very quietly to herself, "Weally, buddy? Weally?" over and over again. These are the exact words Dave uses when he's frustrated in traffic...I suppose it could have been a lot worse!
Recipe
Now I don't know what to rave about more, yesterday's tilapia burgers or today's tabouli. It just tasted like summer - oh, how I have missed cooking new things!!!
The Tabouli and Baba Ganouj both come from Moosewood Cookbook.
Tabouli
1 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed
black pepper to taste
4 scallions, finely minced (whites and greens)
1 packed cup parsley, chopped
10 to 15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 medium sized ripe tomatoes, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced (I used half red, half yellow)
1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
Combine the bulgur and boiling water in a medium large bowl or pot. Cover and let stand until the bulgur is tender (20 to 30 minutes minimum).
Add salt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and black pepper, and mix thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving.
About 30 minutes before serving combine all ingredients with dressing, serve cold.
Baba Ganouj
Olive oil
1 medium eggplant (about 7 inch)
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
olive oil and minced parsley for the top (I forgot about the parsley, but I'm sure it would look pretty)
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, and place face-down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until very tender. Cool until it's comfortable to handle.
Scoop out the eggplant pulp and discard the skin. Place the pulp in a food processor or blender, and add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and salt. Puree until smooth (you could also mash by hand, for a little chunkier consistency).
Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Muhammara)
This recipe I got from my mom a few years ago and I make it often, it is so easy, quick and good. I thought she had gotten it from epicurious, but when I searched I didn't find it. So it's one of those ones that has kind of floated along, if I figure out where it does come from I will add it later.
1 jar of roasted red peppers
1 cup walnuts
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
Pressed garlic, number of cloves depending on how garlicky you like it. I used 1 large for this batch as we had a lot of garlicky things already.
Puree all ingredients together and serve.
To go with the dips we had carrots, peas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives and baked tortillas. For the tortillas I preheated the oven to 400F lined a baking sheet with parchment, sprayed it lightly with olive oil. I cut whole wheat tortillas into triangles and laid them single layer on the sheet, baking for about 5 minutes a side, until golden and crispy.
Smoked Salmon on Naan Bread with Raw Veggies
Ahhh, we are potty training again. I know, again is maybe the first error since consistency is probably the number one key to potty training, or maybe it's praise? or bribes? shame? No, I know for sure it's not shame, but I would kind of like to know what it is. We're going with consistency and are all in, no going back this time, although I'm not gonna lie, by accident number two I kind of wanted to turn back. This too shall pass, right? No one ever has to potty train for years, do they? I think that the key to my sanity is going to be deep breaths, the fact that we have mostly hardwood floors and staying away from public bathrooms at all costs. I'm not sure if that last one is avoidable. It's like there's this programmed in need for littles to visit all public toilets, I'm going to try, but I don't think there's any hiding from it. At the end of the day Hannah and I went shopping together for a couple of birthday presents for parties she has this weekend and Harper and Dave stayed home, I'm pretty sure I ran to the car...
Recipe
We were at my aunt's for dinner last Sunday and she made this as an appetizer, we all enjoyed it so much that I made it tonight for dinner. Everyone loved it, the kids especially loved it because, after I made the naan bread they topped it themselves.
I made it with naan from this post, but you could do it with any kind of flat bread, or pizza crust. We then topped with with cream cheese, which I whipped in the mixer to make it easier to spread, and added fresh dill, smoked salmon, red onion, capers and a squeeze of lemon.
Wild Mushroom Pasta and Ice Cream
Could today have been any nicer? I gardened all day (for those of you that know me and my yard - that's a bit of a shock). This morning I found myself at a nursery wondering the rows and rows of plants, taking photos of things I want to eventually have and then carefully selecting my herbs and a couple plants for the front. When I got home the girls and I planted the front (I still need a couple things in there), they dug all the holes and lightly pinched the roots while singing, "wake up, wake up, wake up." and then planted them.
During the afternoon Dave turned the sprinkler on for the girls and the yard was filled with running, giggling girls.
And finished the evening with yummy ice cream.
Recipe
Dave made this pasta from the Flourishing Foodie, with a couple of changes, and it was delicious. We all gobbled it up!
1 package fresh fettuccine
3 tbsp oil2 garlic cloves, pureed
2 small portobello mushroom, sliced
4 oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp cornstarch
4 oz soft goat cheese
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
In a large frying pan or wok, fry the garlic in
oil until light brown, on medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms have become soft. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set to the side on a plate.
Immediately add the white wine to the same
frying pan. When it has reduced by half add the vegetable broth.
Meanwhile boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with cold
water to create a slurry. Add the mixture to the frying pan, while stirring with
a wire whisk. Add the goat cheese, butter, and salt and pepper to taste.
Continue to cook, whisking to prevent lumps, until the sauce thickens.
Once the sauce has thickened, drain the pasta
and add it to the sauce, followed by the mushrooms. Mix all the
ingredients together and then add grated cheese, lemon juice, and some lemon
zest for flavor. Serve warm.
My children are so deprived. They are so deprived that they have to pretend to eat meat (for the record they are allowed to have real meat if they so choose), theyhave to pretend to have pets and today they were playing in the yard with their watering cans pretending to clean with chemicals (we use vinegar to clean). "These are my chemicals, we're pretending to clean with chemicals like it's a school or something..." (?)
We had a delicious dinner at my parents. I was especially addicted to the eggplant which was cut in rounds, brushed with olive oil, slated and grilled!
I hope the sun shines down on you this week!
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