weekly food report

This week I tried some new things.

On the weekend, I pulled out the waffle iron and made yeast-leavened waffle, which were delicious--crisp outside, tender inside. They needed to rise for an hour and a half before cooking in the waffle iron.

These were so popular at breakfast that I made them again for a savory dinner, topped with slices of "veggie ham" (a vegetarian meat substitute), sharp cheddar cheese, and runny fried eggs. So good.

P'tit minou un consumed at least five of the savory waffles, declared the dinner to be enormously inadequate (despite having had a banana, a glass of milk, and a cup of salted peanuts just prior), and proceeded to make himself a giant sandwich after dinner. Teenagers. It's hard to keep them fed to their satisfaction.

I baked a batch of whole-wheat banana-chocolate-chip muffins with the first egg the Ladies have laid in weeks (hurray! here's hoping it's just the beginning of the season!).

I made a giant pot of minestrone soup. It is tomato-based, with sauteed onions, carrots, broccoli, and rainbow chard, orzo pasta, red beans and garbanzo beans, and seasoned with fresh parsley, basil, oregano, lots of garlic, and a little red wine. Simmered for hours so the flavors meld. Very nice for dinners.

I also am planning to make and freeze a batch of burritos that can be pulled out individually or a few at a time for dinner or snacks, with whole pinto beans (cooked them myself), cheddar cheese, black olives, and salsa. We will see how the flavors and textures hold up.

What are you cooking this week?

simple sunday

Something simple for dinner...soup.

Healthy, filling, satisfying...

I make a pot on the weekend and we eat it all week (the kids don't usually partake, sadly).

Sometimes it can be a complete meal in a bowl, vegetarian chili or minestrone.

Lately we have been really enjoying vegetable soups, the French way (pureed, not too thick).

This week's recipe:

5 russet potatoes, scrubbed, with skins
5 large carrots, scrubbed, with skins
2 large zucchini squash with skin
2 cloves garlic
1 small head broccoli with stalk
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with basil
Cook all together in a large kettle until soft, let cool
Puree , adding water until desired consistency
Add salt (or Lo-Salt) and black pepper to taste

Enjoy! It gets better each time you warm it up. Add salad and good bread, maybe a sprinkle of fresh parmesan, a few nuts or a fried egg, and you have a complete dinner in no time.