Meal Plan:  Greek Week
Just in case you missed talking to me last week, I'm trying something new around here.  We love tasty, exotic, fresh, healthy food, but with a busy homeschool and travel schedule, and a mischievous toddler, I feel like I'm always cooking, teaching, nursing, or kissing bo-bos.  Monday is difficult, and impractical to start as Day 1 because it is possible you will need to run out to gather ingredients you may be missing after those last-minute guests showed up on Saturday night(or Sunday after church!).  So Day 1 is Tuesday, not Monday!

I'm using a bean--because beans are healthful and cheap--as the center of each week's meal plan.  Last week, garbanzo beans were the star of the menu.

Monday--clean out the fridge and serve leftovers or soup.  Soup is always good on Mondays, when everyone is tired starting the week.  During the cooler weather, it's a low-stress option because you can throw it together in the morning when you're lucid(right after your first or second cup of coffee) and let it  simmer all day.  After a nice nap for you and the kids you can enjoy a supper that only needs crackers or cheese bread as accompaniment! My favorite (gluten free, of course)cheese bread recipe here.....

Day 1--Set pot of (dry) garbanzo beans(also known as chick peas) on to boil, in the morning with 1-2 TBsp of butter and 1-2 TBsp of red wine(I save the dregs of the bottle to use for cooking beans).  Defrost your meat of choice:  ground beef(Greek meatballs), leg of lamb, or chickens(easy oregano chicken or chicken shawerma).   Supper time:  make a pot of rice, process garbanzo beans into hummus, roast your meat or prepare meatballs and pan fry or bake.  For recipes, just ask and I'll post.

Day 2--Using some of your leftover plain rice, make grape leaves and tahini sauce.  If eating bread, you can prepare sandwiches from any of the meats mentioned above, stuffed with lettuce and tomato and drizzled with the tahini sauce.  Serve hummus  on side, and use grape leaves as side dish. 

Day 3--Using the rest of your leftover rice, or a new pot of rice, make cabbage rolls.  These are very filling, and cheap to make.  The rest of your meat can be served on the side, with the leftover hummus, grape leaves, and tahini sauce for dipping(if you have any chicken left).  Mint sauce is a staple in my fridge, and the good stuff(mentioned in my post on leg of lamb) lasts a LONG time around here....especially since we use it for its flavor, and don't slather it too generously.  Good things can be savored....even kids can learn to be frugal to make something delicious last longer!

Day 4--Your food was so good, you may or may not have random leftovers.   Stir together leftover meat, stuffed grape leaves(chopped into slivers), boiled chickpeas(which you may have leftover from hummus making), green peas out of the freezer, sauteed onions and garlic, and chopped parsley and mint into a pot of fresh rice.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and serve as a "Greek" stir-fry.   

Day 5--Saturday!  Sandwiches or hotdogs or fruit and cheese and salami for lunch, and pizza or breakfast for supper! :)

Gluten-Free or Not, these were amazing!

I made this recipe to spec, except the modification of using gluten-free baking mix as a substitute for the all-purpose flour. I didn't know if it would work, and I thought using only rice flour would taste...wrong. It was delicious, and my guests didn't even guess that it was gluten-free! The glaze IS a bit on the vinegar side--you smell the very pungent smell as the food nears your lips--but the heat was not overwhelming, and for the mixed crowd that I had, it was perfect. I did use the Asian chili sauce(Sriracha) instead of chilis in adobo or ancho chili powder, but out of respect for Bobby I live in a TINY town of 7,000 in the Midwest and you just CAN'T find those ingredients without driving at least 34 miles. I absolutely think that with the addition of a bit more Sriracha sauce they would have been PERFECTLY fiery, for all the reviewers who wanted that, but as for me and my mixed crowd of kids and moms and dads, it was a perfect fit(Okay, yeah, I did just make some of the chicken plain fried--no glaze--for the kids under 4!). Thanks for another great, no-fail recipe, Bobby! We love you!

Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner Quiches!!

Thanks to my friends Kristy and Dorene, we now enjoy these crust-less quiches whenever we travel or whenever we want a quick breakfast/snack ready to heat and enjoy. They're real food, they're delicious, and they're so easy that kids can make them! Give them the cheese grater if you use carrots, squash, zucchini, or anything else you'd like to include in a sneaky way--small pieces are easier to eat and easier to disguise.

6 eggs
1 cup of milk(also delicious with some half and half or heavy cream substituted for part)
approx. 1 cup sauteed minced veggies:
onion, garlic, bellpeppers, tomatoes,broccoli,
asparagus, corn, spinach,squash, zucchini, carrots, etc.)
1/2 cup grated cheese, cottage cheese, or crumbled cheese(depending on type)
1/3 cup of cooked bacon or ground meat, or minced pepperoni, or minced cooked chicken
sprinkle of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon or more of salt(if you use a saltier cheese, less may be required)

Pour into greased muffin cups, bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until firm in the center(but not browned and dry)
I used a mini muffin pan and the baby LOVED the small "treats!" Of course, big brother did too....and remember that if you let the kids choose the ingredients, or at least help chop them and add them and scramble the eggs and mix it up, it is the easiest recipe for them to do--they can't possible make it a "wrong" way! If you don't want cheese, or meat, you can leave them out, but they usually taste best when you include one or the other, if not both.

Planning my week....Meal Planning

Most often, I start my week on Monday with a tired-out feeling after the fun of the weekend, and a fridge full of things that don't seem to coordinate or have magically started to go bad, after one day being gone. I also, this week, came home after a long day on Sunday at church and visiting with friends, to find that my zucchini fairy had left a present on my doorstep. How does zucchini fit into what I crave this week--and how can I use it all up without wasting it, in a way my family won't tire of?

This week I'm starting with easy lunch--canned salmon which tastes delicious made into salmon salad, eaten in lettuce wraps with tomatoes and cheese. Then, tonight, vegetables jalfrezi with whatever meat I can scrounge thrown in. I'm using an amalgamation of this recipe from Jamie Oliver and this one from a random person on food.com. I'll post my recipe later on, when I know what I've done and whether it worked well.

Today I also clean out the fridge and evaluate what I have....Chickpeas already boiled and ready for hummus(in a mason jar from last week), cooked pinto beans ready to make into refried beans, and various odd veggies and fruits and ingredients(chutney, anyone?). Maybe the meal plan will be posted on Tuesday....

Hummus Recipe

Home-made hummus is better than anything you buy in the store. Okay, now that I've made a couple people mad(sorry!) I'll tell you why, with a few(well, just one--see #2) caveats:
1. You control the ingredients, and you're not likely to find any anti-fungal, chemical preservatives in home-made hummus. Those added chemicals are, well....not food. They taste chemical-ish, and add a funky after-taste that you won't like once you start making it yourself.

2. It's not fresh. It's not fresh. It's not fresh. (unless they made it, that morning, in their kitchens there at Fresh Market/Whole Foods/etc.) It's more probable that you'll find wonderful, fresh, amazing hummus at your locally-owned, family-operated Greek or Lebanese restaurant. If you have to buy it, buy it from them in bulk. It'll last you all week, it'll taste amazing, and it's usually a GREAT price. :) Just ask them...and tell Nidal that I sent you.

3. It's CHEAPER. Yes, this is a shameless frugalista admitting that when I'm tied to a strict budget and have to bring food to feed lots of people, I want it to be special, but I don't want to feed them better than I feed my husband on Friday night, if you know what I mean.

Okay, okay, here's the recipe:
Adjust the amounts according to your family's taste, which means lots of finger-dipping and tasting at the end!!! :) (just use a clean finger each time, okay? okay!)

1 bag dry chickpeas(also called garbanzo beans)
1 med.-lg. head of garlic
1/3 cup GOOD lemon juice(Volcano juice at Cosco--best ever!)
1/3-1/2 cup tahini(sesame seed butter--and sesame seeds should be the only ingredient)
kosher salt, to taste.

Cook dry beans until soft and buttery-tasting. Use an acid and a fat in the cooking water for a nice texture bean--I use leftover bottom-of-the-bottle week-old red wine(about 1-2 TBsp) and a couple tablespoons butter. Don't use margarine, it's not an animal fat and won't have the desired effect. And it's not real food!

Place peeled garlic cloves in bottom of bowl of food processor with tahini and lemon juice and drained cooked beans, still warm if possible(the flavors will blend more smoothly). Toss in a teaspoon of kosher salt to start, and blend away. Go brew a pitcher of black tea(Luzianne, of course) to make Lebanese iced tea while you let the blender go, go, go.

Taste and add more salt as needed, and more reserved chickpea liquid or lemon juice as needed to acheive an almost-pourable, very creamy consistency.

To serve: Place in a platter with slightly up-turned sides, drizzle liberally with good olive oil, and top with crumbled feta and a couple Kalamata olives, or chopped parsley, or tomatoes, or all of the above as one of my dear friends does! :) My husband likes things simple, and I usually never have all of those garnishes in my fridge at the same time. Frugal means that I run out of those types of ingredients at times...but I'm always grateful for what we do have, and we NEVER go hungry(thanks to my wonderful providing husband).

**This hummus has lasted a week in my fridge. Once. When I was gone and left a huge amount for my husband(who wasn't so hungry without us....). We typically eat it within a couple of days, but you can definitely keep it even longer....with all the garlic and salt, and a layer of olive oil over it, it is preserved beautifully when refrigerated!

Something else--NOT tuna fish!!!

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich on the Food Network

After a long morning of weeding, planting, mowing, and sweating, I wanted to make something hearty for the men in the house, and tasty and a little exotic for me! Forget what it says about taking over an hour to make, and pull out that leftover roast chicken you have in the fridge. If you don't have it in there now, make plans to cook one this week....or 2, depending on the size of your family, and then enjoy making the whole thing in about 10-15 minutes(it depends on how much trouble the baby is getting into while you're making it!) using all those odds-and-ends of chicken you have left over. You know what I mean...because even my 8-year-old can't clean all the chicken off of his bones. :) Disregard what it says about using breast meat only--dark meat is delicious, too, and more tender and flavorful.

This salad is super-simple to whip together, especially with the treasure of some $.69 Stonewall Kitchen chutney I found at Kelly's here in town. 3 ingredients in the dressing, and 3 ingredients to add to the chicken make it easy to remember for next time, and deliciously fancy enough to make and serve as special picnic food....or to sweet friends coming over for a quick visit!

Because we're doing the gluten-free thing, we ate it over various crackers(Ryvita and Finn Crisp for the men, gf crackers for baby and me) with Fuji apple slices and ginger lemonade served on the side; it would taste amazing served in lettuce wraps as well.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! We are grateful for all our servicemen, as well as the ones in our family who are veterans. We love you!

Leg of Lamb

Costco has some of the best prices on boneless leg of lamb, and preparing it is simple...and yummy! :) When I defrost it in the sink in cold water, it takes a couple of hours, and if I take it out around lunchtime it's usually ready to roast by 4 or 4:30.

First, preheat your oven to 450°F. Cut garlic into slivers and insert randomly into lamb, using point of sharp knife. Leave the net around the lamb--it's meant to hold it all together in cooking because they have removed the bone! I usually use a whole large head of garlic--and it's worth the trouble! Separate the cloves by smashing the head with the flat side of your cleaver or a small flat cutting board, and then use the flat side of your cleaver to mash a couple of cloves at a time--they will pop out of their skins, making it easy enough for a two-year-old to peel!

Place the lamb in your roasting pan--surround it with one large cut-up onion(I slice in half, and then in large slivers, nothing perfect!), and rub it generously with room-temp butter. Now season with kosher salt and ground black pepper, or Tony's, or kosher salt and rosemary. Simplicity in seasonings will not detract from the flavor, but underseasoning might! :) Also, overcooking the lamb is another thing to avoid.

Now, roast at 450°F for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 325°F and roast an additional hour (for a 6 pound roast), about 10-12 minutes per pound. If you are cooking a roast bone-in, the bone will act as an insulator and will require a longer cooking time than a boneless roast.

Also, the shape of the roast will have an impact on the cooking time. Some roasts are rather long and thin, while some are oval and egg-shaped. A thicker roast may take longer than expected.

Now the fun part: while your roast is cooking, and smelling up your kitchen with the most delicious smells, pour a glass of red wine. A red wine is absolutely wonderful served with lamb--and there are many sides you can prepare quickly to accompany it. Some of our favorites are:
mint sauce(we LOVE this Gilway Fresh Garden Mint Sauce, which they sell at Whole Foods and Coop Grocery in Carbondale)
hummus
spiced rice with peas
garlic butter mashed potatoes
roast carrots
roast asparagus
garlic butter fresh steamed green beans
garlic stir-fried yellow squash
deviled eggs
pickled beets

Don't forget to check your lamb's internal temp, and cook to your preferred doneness. We like to make ours medium rare, because it is lusciously tender and re-warms BEAUTIFULLY the next day, or days, depending on how much you have left! :) I wouldn't know how long it lasts in the fridge, because we never have a problem eating every single last bit in a couple of days(it's usually a pretty large--5 to 6 lb--roast for our little family). Scrumptious! I think that temp is about 145 F.

I've heard you should never allow ice water or any cold beverage on the table with lamb. The cold makes the lamb fats congeal in one's mouth, which produces an unpleasant flavor or after-taste. If you are introducing it for the first time to your family, try beverages which complement the flavor, i.e. mint tea, warm or room temperature, or wine, or sweet tea(again, not too cold!).

Happy eating!

Using fresh garlic

Now, really, this is the time to confront your scaredy-cat self. Using fresh garlic is NOT hard. In fact, it can be the easiest thing to teach your little one about cooking in the kitchen. Peeling garlic should be one of the first jobs your kids or grandkids do for you in the kitchen....because, truthfully, they're good at it and you don't really want to do it if THEY can! :)

Have a trash bowl on your counter surface, next to the cutting board(thank you, Rachel Ray). You will use it the whole time you're prepping the meal, and it's great to have it RIGHT THERE where you are chopping, opening cans, cleaning meat, snapping beans, etc. Separate the head by slicing through it with a big knife, or prying it apart by brute force.

Using the side of a very wide, big knife(I have a great cleaver I use exclusively for all chopping) press down HARD on a clove or two of garlic at a time, until you hear and feel a "POP." This is very satisfying if you are frustrated or in a mood to kill something. Since your husband is probably the one killing the meat around your house, this is your chance to be rough with the food. Repeat until every clove has been whacked!

Crushing the individual cloves will make them literally FALL out of their respective, crackly skins. This is the part the kids love. Give them a clean little prep bowl for their freshly-peeled garlic, or just point a spot out to them on the cutting board for their peeled pile.

Use a garlic press to add garlic to your recipe without too much fuss and trouble; remember, with garlic, more is better!

Cooking rice

When I married the most wonderful man in the whole world, I didn't own a rice cooker. As the oldest child of a large family, that is the only way I knew how to "cook" rice. My husband, on the other hand, could make a killer pot of rice with very little effort.

This is the trick.

If you think you have a good idea of how much rice you need, dump it in your pot. A good estimate is 2 cups for about 3-4 generous servings, and 4 cups when you have 5-6 people or want leftovers. Truthfully, I don't measure anymore.

Fill your pot(which has the rice in it) with water til the water covers the rice THIS high.
THIS: stick your middle finger into the water until the tip rests on the top of the rice. The water should cover the first segment of your middle finger, from tip to first joint(just about an inch). It doesn't matter if you have long, slender fingers or banjo hands--this trick works for everyone. Turn the burner onto high, if you're in a hurry like me, and bring to a boil. Turn down a little bit and simmer until holes appear on the surface of the rice, like crawfish burrowing in for the winter. Depending on how much rice you're preparing, add 1-2 TBsp butter to the pot. You will hardly see any water by this time. Turn the burner off, but leave the pot there and cover with a lid. It will be ready to serve in 5-10 minutes or longer, if you've made it during the kids' naptime and want feel like you've made something for supper already!

Cuban Food...short cuts

So, if you're in the mood to dish up your ground beef in a new and tasty way(yes, your family will eat this!), try this easy recipe I learned from my cousin. I may be forgetting a couple things...but a couple of years ago, when she showed me, this is what I came away with, and I've been making it faithfully for a couple of years. It's a great way to feed company when you're on a budget, too! :) Showing love to friends and family by feeding them is essential; spending a fortune is not.

And no, I am not claiming that this is AUTHENTIC Cuban. If you are Cuban, or have family or friends who are, be assured I would LOVE a personal cooking lesson to hone my skills! Come on over and teach me!

Piccadillo
1 medium onion, minced
1 sm. head of garlic, minced(yes, fresh. It's better, I promise!)
1 small green bellpepper, chopped

1 lb. ground beef(or bison)

1 lg.(family)can mild Rotel,DRAINED, or 1 can chopped tomatoes + 1 sm. can chopped gr. chilis or2 C. fresh-grown chopped garden tomatoes and 1/3 cup green chilies
2 cans tomato sauce
about 1 cup green manzanilla pimento-stuffed olives

rice

Saute the first 3 ingredients in an enameled Dutch oven, or stainless pot or wok.
When onions are almost clear, add ground meat and continue stirring until meat is just barely cooked(break up into smaller pieces).
Add Rotel, or whatever combo of tomatoes and chilies you are using, as well as the tomato sauce. If you'd rather substitute a can of tomato paste for one of the sauces, that works too--just be attentive to your sauce and don't let it burn!
SIMMER for about 15-30 minutes, or longer. You can make it a crock pot meal at this point, or any point after you saute the first three ingredients.
When company arrives, or you just can't take it anymore, season well with Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoned salt(if you're 'cadienne you'll say "tony's" and everyone will know what you're talking about). You can buy it at WalMart, no matter where you live.
If you like, you can add additional sea salt and pepper(if it's not freshly ground black pepper, it'll be underwhelming...maybe you should forget about it, then!).
Add green olives at the last minute, to warm slightly. If you leave them in the whole time, their wonderful texture will be wrecked. Just don't do it. I usually only add what I'll need to serve the diners for that meal, so that I can warm the leftovers the next day and add nice, firm olives to that batch when I need them. This recipe=excellent leftovers. Your husband will BEG to be the one to eat them. They improve with time...and the tomatoes preserve this dish quite well. It is refrigerator-stable for several days, with proper handling(if it lasts that long!).

Serve on the side of(yes, on the side of) Moros y Christianos.

Moros y Christianos
Take out some dry black beans. Yes, dry. They're cheaper and healthier for your family, since you control how much salt is added and they're free of all the other scary stuff you don't care for. They taste good too, and isn't that why we're cooking, anyway?
Soak overnight, with a little bit of acid(apple cider vinegar or red wine).
Drain, and cook on med. heat for 4-6 hours in water. No precise measurements here, just don't let them boil dry. And for heaven's sake, please cook your beans with a fat and an acid.

I use red wine and coconut oil+butter for my black beans. IF you don't have time/forget to soak your beans, throw them on anyway, in the morning in the crock pot on high or in the afternoon on the stove top on high(be warned, you need to keep an eye on them when you rush 'em!).
You absolutely should throw a whole head of fresh garlic in there, minced, for the entire cook time if possible. It is a good rule to follow that you should NEVER salt your vegetables until the end of their cook time, because it toughens them. This especially is true of beans...and as far as any flavor is concerned, you may depend on the wine, butter, and garlic to provide delicious flavor and creamy, perfect texture. No gritty, tough, chewy beans will rest in your pot when it's time for supper!

Serve these wonderful black beans, seasoned to taste at the end of course, over a fragrant bed of rice. I prefer jasmine or basmati rice, because they have delicious aromas while cooking and are versatile accompaniments to many different ethnic cuisines. Also, they're easy to cook and yummy! See my post on rice cooking if you need help cooking the perfect pot....