Chicken parm with pasta. 12/22/22

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Beebamom
Chicken parmesan with fusilli

I made some spaghetti sauce for our “meatball bar” on Christmas Eve and used part of it in tonight’s dinner. This is really kind of a shortcut chicken parm as all I did was nestle some rotisserie chicken in part of the spaghetti sauce until it was warmed through and then melted mozzarella on top in the microwave. John cooked the pasta and I also whipped up a salad (not shown.) Really it was too much for me to eat. The dinner scavengers here finished up my plate.

What with all the cookie makings and spiced nuts that are around this time of year, we could have just omitted dinner entirely. Maybe that is what will happen on Friday!

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Asian tofu bowl. 12/21/22

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Beebamom
Tofu bowl with cucumber, edamame, cabbage, avocado, peppers, and cilantro over rice

This is my favorite bowl of the three we make. And it is probably the easiest. We get very firm tofu that gets marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic powders and then everything else (except for the rice) is merely cut up. The whole thing is served with a soy vinaigrette. Fast, economical, easy, nutritious, and delicious!

Posted in Asian, Easy, Legumes, Methods, rice, Salad, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Leave a comment

Potato latkes and salad. 12/20/22

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Beebamom
Potato latkes and salad

Before we are totally enveloped in Christmas celebrations we took time out for John’s holiday, Hanukkah. Although this is a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar it has gained status due to its proximity to Christmas. Since it celebrates the miracle of one day’s worth of oil lasting for eight days, the foods for the holiday are fried in oil.

John made a bunch of delicious potato latkes (pancakes) which we served with sour cream and a Mediterranean type salad. Since we rarely fry anything the potato latkes were a real treat. Many people served the pancakes with applesauce but we are definitely a sour cream family.

Happy Hanukkah!

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Vegan lentil stew. 12/19/22

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Beebamom
Vegan lentil stew over kale with pretzel garnish

Usually when we make a lentil stew we add turkey sausage but I felt a totally vegan dish would suit me better. I started by sautéing the mushrooms and onions in a little olive oil. After they were softened I added celery, red bell pepper, and part of the carrots I was planning on using in the dish. I wanted the carrots for flavor in the base of the stew and then added again nearer to serving for some texture.

John picked over and rinsed 1 1/4 cups of brown lentils and added them along with 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth to the pot. Then it simmered for about 1/2 hour with the reserved carrots going in for the last 5 minutes.

I put a layer of raw shredded kale in my bowl, then the stew, and garnished with a few broken pretzel sticks for crunch. The carrots and red bell pepper gave the stew a subtle sweetness, the mushrooms added a meaty flavor, and the pretzels added a salty crunch. Success!

Posted in American, Easy, Legumes, Methods, stew, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Breakfast for dinner. 12/18/22

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Beebamom
Scrambled eggs over chickpea patty and toast

As I am easing my way back into eating after being sick, eggs seem like a good choice plus they are our usual Sunday night dinner. I toasted a piece of rye bread and set a chickpea patty on top followed by scrambled eggs. It was filling and gentle. I am looking forward to regular eating starting on Monday.

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Weekly menu. December 19-25, 2022

Posted on December 18, 2022 by Beebamom

I need to get back into the whole food process — planning, preparing, eating. Since my stomach virus I just have not felt like doing any of it. But new week and I think I am ready to dive in again.

There are three holiday celebrations this week. We have candle lighting and latke eating planned for Hanukkah on Tuesday, our annual Christmas Eve party with the family on Saturday, and Christmas dinner at our son’s house on Sunday. What a week!

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Pasta with pesto, mushrooms, and broccolini 12/14/22

Posted on December 16, 2022 by Beebamom
Fusilli with pesto, mushrooms,and broccolini

I have been sick with a stomach virus or food poisoning. Hard to say which it might be but it was horrible. After being so sick I did not eat anything yesterday so no post for 12/15/22. I imagine whatever I eat today will be very mild, maybe chicken soup or something with rice. It is going to take me a few days to get back to regular eating.

I cannot imagine that there was anything in Wednesday night’s dinner to cause my stomach upset. It is the usual kind of Wednesday fare, pasta with mushrooms and some sort of additional vegetable. I threw in a cube of my frozen pesto which made the sauce yummier. I added some Parmesan on top but for a vegan dish omit or replace with a plant-based product.

Posted in Easy, Italian, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | 1 Comment

Afghani dal with rice and kale. 12/13/22

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Beebamom
Afghani dal with rice and kale

Dal are lentils and the type of lentils you use in this recipe are red lentils. Red lentils are actually coral colored and they turn yellow when you cook them. They tend to break down a bit which gives this dish its creamy texture. They are also faster cooking than brown lentils.

I got this recipe from an Afghani website and we make it fairly frequently. It is economical, nutritious, and delicious! Adding a base of raw kale and a portion of rice makes it quite filling. We made a double recipe yesterday since our daughter was eating with us but we still have plenty left over for a couple of lunches.

I added some plain yogurt on top of mine since John is in charge of the spices and I know his spice level is higher than mine. The yogurt is a nice cooling element. But if you want to keep it vegan skip the yogurt or use a plant-based yogurt.

Posted in Afghan, Easy, Healthy tips, Kitchen tips, Legumes, Recipes, stew, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | 1 Comment

Classic chicken dinner. 12/12/22

Posted on December 13, 2022 by Beebamom
Chicken breast with gravy, mashed butternut squash/potato, broccoli

We went to Costco today and bought one of their rotisserie chickens. What a deal for $4.99! I should buy one every time we go. When we got home I took the chicken apart. I knew John would like a leg and thigh while I would prefer white meat. After I deconstructed the bird I put the carcass in a pot with some water and thyme and cooked it for an hour.

At dinner prep John took our pieces from the fridge and warmed them slowly in a gravy made from the stock I made earlier. I cooked the potatoes and squash together in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes on high and then mashed them. The broccoli was simply steamed.

What a good dinner! And so economical! Plus I have more than half a chicken left! The Costco chicken, twice the size for almost half the price of a grocery store rotisserie chicken.

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Big veg bowl 12/11/22

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Beebamom
Vegetables over cauliflower rice

Tonight I took the leftover edamame and cabbage and stretched those with onions, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and celery to make a big vegetable bowl. Keeping with the theme of all-veg I set those stir fried vegetables on top of cauliflower rice. As a condiment I used the leftover soy vinaigrette from Saturday as well.

This bowl of vegetables was very satisfying and kept me eating for quite a while, which I always like. No guilty feelings tonight!

Posted in Asian, Easy, Healthy tips, Legumes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | 1 Comment