How to Meal Plan, Made Simple

      My seasonal job has started back up for the year and as a result I've been a bit extra busy these last several weeks, so posting has been a bit sparse. I've been trying to keep posts scheduled so that things aren't too barren around here, but that's just how it goes. 

With my new, mostly nocturnal, schedule I've been keeping the cooking down to simple one-dish meals that are easy and quiet to prepare at 2AM. Here's a sampling of what I've been cooking as of late:

The top right photo features Corn Chowder with Roasted Potatoes. This is a new dish I am making that is inspired by the method I use to make black bean soup. I have not posted about that black bean soup because the pictures of it seem to come out poorly, but I won't let that be an excuse to keep such a simple and quick recipe from you. Both the corn chowder and the black bean soup are very simple and can be made in under 30 minutes! Bottom right is the beginnings of Lentil & Brown Rice Soup, with just an onion, seasonings and a lentil blend in the pot. The final picture is of Berbere Mixed Vegetables which I featured last month, along with what is pictured in the top left photo, Kale and Zucchini Stir Fry.

I'll be posting the recipes for the Lentil & Brown Rice Soup as well as the Corn Chowder with Roasted Potatoes over the next week or so. Also coming up will be a Wokin' Stir Fry Recipe! One of my birthday gifts this year included a wok and I couldn't have been more surprised. It was used within the week and we took lots of pictures that I'll post along with the recipe. 

The thing about making these 'easy' meals is that it is make possible with a meal plan diligently created each week before we grocery shop. While meal planning isn't exactly exciting - it's quite far from it, actually, and can start arguments you wouldn't normally have about broccoli vs cauliflower - it does need to be taken care of. I've made a small system to help with that time of the week. First, I made a document on my computer that includes dishes that I make on a regular basis broken down into pasta, rice, and vegetable based dishes. When it's time to meal plan for the week I open up this list, grab a cookbook or The Flavor Bible, and maybe open up a few good websites to browse (I like Open Source Food as of late). I use some loose leaf paper to make three line sections where I'll fill in a rough breakfast/lunch/dinner schedule as follows:

As you can see, I've got kale, zucchini, and lentil soup, chili & corn bread, Mexican casserole, pesto & white bean quinoa (seen in this months' Vegetarian Times), lasagna rolls, pizza, and a black bean avocado taco superevent on the menu for this week. I don't really worry about making Thursday's meal on Thursday, we're pretty flexible on when that happens and sometimes you just don't feel like what's on the meal plan, and that's okay. The real point of having all this is so that I know that when I go to the store with the list based off this meal plan, that I will be purchasing enough food to theoretically feed myself and the boyfriend for however many days I've planned for. 

It might be a bit overkill. Do I really need to fill in oatmeal, waffles, and eggs for breakfast every day? Yes, I do, because I will forget to put them on the grocery list to buy. Sometimes we'll shop for just dinner stuff and think we have some extra money to splurge on a bottle of something and then we realize we have no lunch or snack stuff available during the week. Lame.

So pictured above is my meal plan for this week, my grocery bill at Whole Foods came out to $68.50 and we bought juice, cookies, and a couple of personal items that weren't on the list. It is possible to shop healthy on a budget - even with a special diet!
- Patricia

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Spring Mixer and a Recipe

Farmers Market Stir Fry

     It's hard for me to believe that March is almost over. Very much an 'in like a lamb, out like a lion' year for me so far. As the year has progressed, the natural order of things has changed around our house as I returned to my seasonal night shift job and our schedule was turned on end as a result. We're eating and sleeping at much later hours than usual. I'm drinking coffee at 9:30 PM as I write this.

     I've been so busy lately reading, making meal plans that I want to share with you, finding new products, and trying out some new recipes. Finding the time for me to sit down and write about it all can be a challenge at times, so forgive the absence.

New Products
     I've come across a couple of new products I want to share with you. This first one is excellent prepared falafel from Falafel Republic. It comes in traditional and roasted garlic flavors and both are superb. Being huge fans of falafel, we have eaten and enjoyed both flavors. He eats them in pita pockets, while I just eat them plain with a dollop of hummus and a little chili garlic paste on top. They heat up in the oven in just under 10 minutes at 300. Our local HEB grocery was carrying them, but I think we may have bought them out. I hope they restock...

     The other product is Bob the Builder corn and rice pasta. I also found this at my local HEB but unlike Falafel Republic, I cannot find much information on the company. A Google search turns up mostly British results to stores where it is available for purchase. I don't know how common it is in the United States, but I can purchase it for $1.99 a bag. This is by far the cheapest gluten free pasta I've bought. It holds up to boiling and tastes good. Reheating does break the shapes apart, but it does not turn to mush. I do feel a little childish purchasing this at the store, but it's cheap and it's delicious.

Recipe
      This springtime dish is the result of our weekly CSA box. We pretty much force feed ourselves vegetables in order to get our way through the box each week. I can't complain - we all need more vegetables in our diet. Simple vegetables are the key here - spinach can be subbed for kale if that is outside your comfort zone, and bell peppers could be swapped for the zucchini without any problems. Play around and find out what spring vegetables you enjoy most. 

Farmers Market Stir Fry
Serves 2

Ingredients
3 handful kale, rinsed and ripped away from the stalk
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, washed and sliced
2-3 tbs water
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Herb blend of choice

Method
First... Heat oil in skillet, add onions and dash of salt, and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Then... Add vegetables, herbs, and water to skillet and stir well. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender before adjusting seasoning to your liking.

Finally... Serve vegetables over rice and pour any excess water over rice for additional flavor. Add a dash of tamari for additional flavor!

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