March 8, 2012

FAMILY MEALS: WEEK EIGHT

This week has been busy, busy. I have a friend's wedding that I have been prepping for this weekend and a few other busying things. Despite the frenzy I feel, I have still been trying to keep up the cooking for my family. They deserve good meals after all...

Monday was Wintery Spring Rolls...
family meals
True still hasn't taken to tofu, but Brave and Soul loved this. Ben and I did too, but I knew we would instantly. I have made spring rolls before and forget how easy it is to make. It looks like a fancier dish, but really the wrap is so simple. I am thinking a version of this using shrimp must be made very soon. The recipe didn't come with a sauce recipe, so I kind of winged it. It turned out alright. I made the girls one using sunflower butter because True is allergic to nuts.

Tuesday I made Oven Fried Chicken and Mashed Sweet Potatoes since it was True's request...
family mealsfamily meals
I have cooked that chicken dish before (see here) and oh gosh, it is still so yummy! We were all devouring it pretty quickly. The mashed sweet potatoes were similar to this, but I winged it a little more. I am really slowly getting more comfortable to trying things out not exactly like a recipe. Maybe one day I will be almost as good as Ben because that guy is just good at putting things together to make something yummy without following a recipe. I just feel more comfortable following things exactly, but hopefully I will keep learning how to break away from it.

Week 3/12 - 3/16
Monday: Mexican Pizza
Wednesday: Chicken Piccata (from week 3)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza

I haven't decided on vegetable dishes yet, but you can be sure they will be there next week! How do you do your weekly dinners? Any tips or guidelines you use for family dinners?

See the past weeks...

9 comments:

  1. I love that you're doing this! I plan our family meals 2 weeks worth at a time and am needing new recipes! I'm thinking the spring rolls AND the baked chicken are going on my menu plan:)
    I just bought tofu for the first time this week and have yet to make something with it. I'm honestly clueless. Do you guys have a fav recipe that uses tofu?

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  2. this one is good! http://www.weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2012/02/korean-spicy-quick-braised-tofu-cooking.html love it!!! made it week five: http://mycakies.blogspot.com/2012/02/family-meals-week-five.html

    highly recommend it!!

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  3. Hi! I come from Bilbao in the Basque country! historically we are pretty good cooks and cook quite a lot. If there is anything you would like to cook or any specific vegetables you want to introduce, let me know and I could maybe help! :)

    http://www.amazon.com/Basque-Table-Passionate-Regional-Cuisines/dp/1558321403
    http://www.amazon.com/Pintxos-Small-Plates-Basque-Tradition/dp/1580089224/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331282002&sr=1-5

    I have a mental plan for our family meals and there are some rules we try to folllow (then I can always have a look at what it's left in the fridge and prepare a meal):
    -every week we only have pasta one and rice once (modern diet includes too much of these)
    -every week we have at least 1 all veggie dishes (green beans, cauliflower)and 1 legume dish (lentils, chickpeas, white/red beans)
    -every week we have at least once cow meat and twice fish (even if one of them is canned tuna in olive oil)
    -try to reduce the amount of eggs we take per week
    -we take most protein for dinner
    - we try to always eat fresh

    At the moment we are trying to eat specially healthy so our fat consumption is reduced and our sweet desserts are all frutty, but I could give you more yummy/sweet/fatty as your family is not in that situation and kids need to eat some fat to grow healthily.

    We don't like tofu that much...Iwould apprecitae if you could explain me the reasons why you include it in your family's diet and recommend a starting dish with tofu.

    Thank you!

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  4. I forgot to mention...
    I know it's double the work but try not to make more food in order to prepare meals for two days.
    Food that has already been cooked looses many of its nutrients and as tempting as it is to prepare meals in advance (I do it very often...I do it every week!! I don't have enough time to work, cook healthily and live! :) ) it's not a good rule to follow!

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  5. We eat very healthy as well and I strive for lentil dishes, fish, beans etc and a few veggie each night. I am making a effort to have left overs for dinner one or two nights a week because I hate to waste food! Although we do not make extra there is always extra and paired with a few more fresh veggies it's a meal!
    Tonight was cauliflower soup using half a onion that nedeed to be used, some questionable carrots, half head Cauliflower, potatoes garlic and after frying it I cooked with veggie stock then purred with some left over corn kernals and jar red peppers, shredded cheddar and some hot mustard! It was Devine!

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  6. Another quicky dinner is rice paper rolls! And black bean and corn enchiladas. I buy the kits but add a can of tomato and then make a mexican fresh veg salsa
    Go to all recipes and type in Mexican black bean salsa
    It's so Delish and healthy!

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  7. I'm inspired by you! I struggle with creating a menu for the whole week. My vegetable choices are always about what I find fresh at the grocery or market so we've been eating a lot of winter greens lately-- kale, mustard greens. And broccoli is a fav with the kids. I make my own sauerkraut (higher vitamin C than regular cabbage + probiotics!). I was wondering why you were eating tofu because I've read that soybeans are estrogen disruptors unless they are fermented, then they are healthy. I also read that soy can increase risks of breast cancer. We stay away from any unfermented soy. I do use sunflower oil in my baking now as a sub for recipes calling for vegetable oil- healthy oil and tastes good! And fresh eggs from free-range farm chickens are a staple around here! They are the perfect protein and are a cheap alternative to pricier free-range meat (we have that too!). I make eggs for breakfast practically every morning!

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  8. Oh that looks so delish! With my new stomach condition, your foods are a great alternative to my old food recipes.

    <3 Jjanga
    www.sayhelloandsmile.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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