Week of January 22

As mentioned last week, potty training a toddler evaporated my energy to the point I couldn’t quite get posts updated and recipes written. I decided to give myself a break and write-off the recipes from last week, so I’m starting this week with a clean slate- on which I think I managed to cook pretty spectacular pictures.

Slow cooked pork loin tacos

I think last week’s lunches were such a hodge-podge of whatever I could scavenge that my menu this week was unconsciously developed around the leftover potentials- I have 3 meals that involve slow-cooking large portions, and will store well for lunches through this week and next. Overall, it was a good week; I think my pictures have improved somewhat, too (doesn’t that taco look really good?).

Week of January 22:

Sunday: Panko and citrus crusted salmon, cabbage salad, quinoa, and broccoli (recipe here)

Monday: Pita chip chicken and eggplant caponata

Tuesday: Grilled ham and cheese, with roasted red pepper tomato soup

Wednesday: Shredded pork tacos, with pickled cabbage

Thursday: Super-duper healthy chili and baked potatoes

Friday: Chicken soup w/ matzo balls

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday’s salmon was a great recipe, even if the fish itself was a bit dull and flavorless. I’ve heard disparaging comments about quinoa and so should mention how I make it. If you still think it tastes like cardboard, then you just don’t like quinoa and should use some other hearty grain- like barley or wild rice. Boil 1 1/2 cup water or broth for every 1 cup of quinoa. Add grain, cover, and turn down the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes- stirring occasionally. When it’s done, the liquid should be completely absorbed. To serve, drizzle with a good portion of quality olive oil and add salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Just about the best reason I can come up with for getting out of bed some mornings

You can also eat it like oatmeal- just add a little brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup and some nuts and dried or fresh fruit. Just be sure that you cook it in water- NOT BROTH- if you plan on doing this. This is a truly nourishing breakfast, and travels well. I think the picture on the left is actually farro, rather than quinoa, which works well, too, and I find even tastier. Both are whole grains with tons of protein, but farro (and barley, which is easier to find than farro and very similar) has a nutty flavor and is less granular than quinoa.

Crunchy food makes me happy

Monday’s chicken is one of my family’s favorites. It’s got the crispiness of fried chicken, without the fried-ness. While not the epitome of a healthful diet, it’s likely a win with picky kids (and picky grown-ups, too). I enjoyed the eggplant caponata, though neither the Ninja or PMM did- the Ninja isn’t a huge fan of vinegar, and this does have a definite acidic bite to it. I had leftovers for lunch on Tuesday mixed into the leftover quinoa, and it was fabulous. I know the raisins seem like a strange addition, but they actually really complement the vinegar.

Enough like the elementary school version to elicit nostalgia; better enough to be worth eating in its own right.

Tuesday: who doesn’t like grilled cheese? Add grilled thick ham slices, fancy whole grain bread (the kind from a bakery) and a carton of pre-made low-sodium roasted red-pepper tomato soup, and you have an upscale version about which I’m not embarrassed to write. I particularly like to generously sprinkle Italian seasoning on the buttered bread before grilling, and into the soup for an extra earthiness to the otherwise single-note flavors. This was an easy night, and there were definitely no complaints, and no leftovers.

Wednesday’s meal I basically made on Tuesday night after the kid was asleep. I set up the steamer to ‘Boil/Simmer’ for 4 hours (after which time it ‘Keeps Warm’) when I went off to work on Wednesday. Arriving home to the smell of cooked food is indescribably lovely. I had to shred the pork, and if it hadn’t been for a toddler insisting on potty breaks literally every 2 minutes, that wouldn’t have taken long. We now have plenty of leftover pork- that will be re-invented as enchiladas next week.

Pickled cabbage or onions add color, and bite

I have tried numerous recipes for pork in my not-quite-slow-cooker, and I think this is the family favorite. The recipe is here, though I did sub a 3lb pork loin (leaner meat) and use prechopped garlic in a large quantity (I think about a tablespoon). The grocery store was out of red onions (really, Ralphs?) so I used some of the remaining red cabbage from Sunday night instead and it worked well.

Thursday’s chili was an experiment. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the blender prior to blending, but we basically decided to use chili as an excuse to eat more veggies.

Since this has been a week of slow-cooker meals (without actually owning a slow-cooker), I will make chicken soup Friday. I am sautéing a tub of chopped onions, celery, and carrots with a bunch of chopped herbs (I have a lot leftover, so I’ll just throw them all in). To this I will add a lot of liquid- 1 quart water and 1 quart pre-made chicken broth- and one whole chicken (innards removed). This will cook on boil/simmer in my steamer for 4 hours, after which time it will keep warm until I arrive home and complete the meal by making matzo balls (from the recipe on the side of the box).

If that doesn't warm your heart, I can't help you.