I have always intended to plan a weekly menu for dinners around our house. I even have a folder with recipes I have ripped out of mags or printed off from websites. Darling husband and I didn't really get serious about any of this until we realised that Baby Poutine was on his way... for realsies.
So far our plan goes like this:
We each come up with 3 recipes that we will cook sometime over a 2 week stretch. The rest of the days are filled with leftovers, quick meals for when the other partner is not home and occasionally take-out. It only takes about 1/2 hour every 2 weeks to choose the recipes and has so far saved us time and money at the grocery store.
Some meals we have had over the past month have included:
- Flank Steak over Corn Kernel Polenta with Tomato, Basil and Balsamic salad
- Couscous Stuffed Cornish Hens with Roasted Carrots
- Baked Sausage, Fennel and Potatoes with Fontina Cheese
- Lo-Fat Buffalo Chicken Bites with Sweet Potato Fries and Dipping Veggies
- "Sunny's" Cheese Steaks with Red Peppers and Avocado
- Pork Paprikash
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
July 7, 2009
Menu Planning
May 17, 2009
Mother's Day Menu
One of the worst symptoms of this pregnancy is the food aversions. Normally, there aren't many things that I will not eat, or at least try. During my first few months, I was not interested in eating much at all. Not eating obviously equalled not cooking.
It has only been since late April that I have jumped back on the cooking train. For Mother's Day, and my mom's birthday, we celebrated by preparing a lovely meal. I have never used so much buttermilk in one menu!
Heirloom Tomatoes with Basil, Fleur de Sel and Aged Basalmic
January 3, 2009
Holiday Cooking ... And Eating.
I am stuffed, still. The sad part about having friends and family that are awesome cooks is that they make great food. And during the holidays these amazing dishes are at their peak. Who am I to turn down good eats?
Over the past two weeks my husband and I have crammed our faces full of great stuff at brunches, dinners and cocktail parties. Here are the menus:
Brunch for 6
Wild Mushroom Frittata
Dinner for 15
Green Salad
- we used a femily recipe but this one is not bad either
- I didn't use walnuts and I added a splash of red wine vinegar at the end
Cynthia's Corn Pie
- one of my favourite comfort foods
Honey Glazed Ham
A New Year's Cocktail Party for 15
Iceland- Icelandic Lemonade
Fish Balls with Dipping Sauce
- yummy, with crunchy panko crust
Brazil - Pineapple Capirhania
- will knock your socks off, but is gooood!
-best served warm and wrapped around the beef
-I used flank steak and sliced it instead
Newfoundland - Screech
- will clean out your pipes!
Nova Scotian Sausage
Chile - Pisco Eggnog
Empanadas
-loved all the layers of flavour
Ontario - Walkerville Beer
Sliders with Cheese
- great way to cap off the evening
September 27, 2008
...Gonna Get Ma-a-arried!
My sister was married earlier this summer in a gorgeous ceremony over looking a quiet lake in cottage county. It was a very small fete so she and her partner decided to invite the rest of their friends and family to a celebration of their wedding at their own place in Southern Ontario.
My mother and I were the caterers and spend about 12 hours last week, cooking ourselves silly. The fruits of our labour seemed to be enjoyed by all.
The menu included:
Asian Sesame Slaw
Grilled Vegetable Anitpasto
4 Cheese Penne
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Thai Dressing
Grilled Flank Steak with Florentine Mayo, Peach Salsa and BBQ Sauce
Fresh Fruit with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate, Vanilla and Coconut Wedding Cupcakes
August 11, 2008
My recent culinary adventures...
...and not one of them has to do with me cooking anything!
Over the summer I intended to cook every recipe from a particular cookbook. Sort of like the Julie and Julia Project. It was a romantic notion -- it never happened.
Some things that have occurred - food wise - this summer, besides our trip out West.
1. My husband and I took a day to compare the Coney dogs of four different diners.
Look for my upcoming article about the amazing Detroit Coney Dog on the Food Network Blog. In the meantime check out this article about the competition between the original American and Lafayette Coney places.
2. I ate at friend's and family's houses. They served pear and watercress vichyssoise, seared lamb chops, mango chicken stir fry, barbecues chorizo and one of my favourite indulgences - party potatoes (so gross and SO GOOD!)
3.My husband brought home every local fruit and veggie he could find from stands on his way home from work. What a good boy.
4. I experienced my sister's baking. She is not a cook, just has no interest, yet she concocted these two gorgeous cakes for her step-daughter's birthdays. I am utterly impressed.
July 4, 2008
This is the life...
My in-laws adore France. I can't remember how many regions they have visited or times that they have taken vacations there, but they continue to return and enjoy their experiences. This year they ventured out into the Bordeaux Region and had some amazing food and wine adventures. Above are some of their pictures.
February 12, 2008
Curry in a Hurry
Last week I decided to have my mom over for dinner, since we hadn't had any quality time together in a while. I needed to find a recipe that I didn't need to buy a tonne of ingredients for, as well as one that was fairly quick to make. After a bit of searching I was able to find a recipe for "Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes".
I made the following substitutions:
* 2 t grated lemon peel for the lemongrass
* 2T curry paste for the powder
* fresh cubed and boiled sweet potatoes for the canned ones
* no carrots
I served the curry over a bed of baby spinach. It was lovely and smooth with just a hint of heat.
January 4, 2008
Christmas Eve Brunch
By Dec. 24 I was starting to get my ability to taste and smell back - thank goodness. It was on this date that my husband and I hosted a brunch for our families. The Frittata Stuffed Mushrooms seemed to be the most loved of all the dishes served.
The menu included:
Prosecco with Pomegranate Molasses
Minted Fruit Salad
Frittata Stuffed Mushrooms (see below)
Miniature Lobster Crepes with Bearnaise Sauce *
Port Basted Peameal Bacon (see below)
Pecan Sticky Buns *
* recipes available in Food & Drink Holiday 2007 edition, which should be available online by the end of January 2008.
Frittata Stuffed Mushrooms
24 large white mushrooms, stems removed and partially scooped out
3 green onions, finely diced
2 t dried dill
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
2 eggs, beaten lightly
Preheat oven to 325 F. Place mushroom caps on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until caps are filled with liquid. Remove from oven and drain off liquid and pat caps dry with a paper towel.
Mix together green onions, dill, S&P, and feta cheese in a small bowl. Scoop a small amount of the mixture and place into each mushroom cap. Spoon beaten eggs on top of cheese mixture until the caps are brimming over.
Bake mushrooms at 325 F for about 10-12 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Serve warm.
Port Basted Peameal Bacon
(adapted from a Canadian House & Home recipe)
2 lb piece of peameal bacon
3/4 c ruby port
1/2 c brown sugar
1 T brown mustard
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Place the bacon in a baking dish and bake, uncovered for 1 hour. Basting every 15 minutes with the port. While bacon is in the oven, combine the mustard and brown sugar. 15 minutes before the bacon is finished, spread the sugar mixture over the meat and finish baking. Let the meat sit for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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