Sane Menu Planning

What's for dinner? Some nights when six o'clock rolls around and I still don't know what we'll eat. Cooking dinner every night can be a real challenge, with added challenges of making something interesting/healthy/relatively simple/with leftovers for lunch/budget-friendly/gluten-free or whatever diet or taste restrictions apply. I have a love-hate relationship with cooking, and we go through cycles accordingly and to the extremes. Either nothing sounds good (I'm not motivated to cook if I'm not hungry) or everything sounds good (produce overflows the drawers in the fridge and spoils before it gets used); I can only find gourmet recipes that sound good but cannot justify buying pomegranate molasses; I get on a single-recipe kick and everything starts to taste the same (summer of 2008, aka the Summer of Curry). With a little thought and organization, I start to love cooking again, and it seems to love me. My sister-in-law Whitney inspired and reminded me of a couple great ways to organize dinner.

image from dailymail.uk.co

First, plan ahead: come up with a menu and shopping list for at least two weeks. This saves money and time. You don't have to be too rigid with specific days--sometimes Wednesday's dinner works better on Thursday--but no matter what I know I have the ingredients I need for the next few meals.

Second, cook with the seasons. It's cheaper, the food is better because it's at its peak, and it builds variety into your menu. It's also a great way to discover foods that might be new to you, and if you're like me, if something like a parsnip is new to you, it becomes rather exciting. (That's right, parsnips. Really. And leeks. Mmm.)


image from curbly.com

Third, come up with a formula. Whitney sets goals for the two weeks of meals, and her formula looks something like this:
at least 1 new recipe
2 crockpot recipes
1 vegetarian entree

Sometimes I struggle with variety and budget, and some foods are good to eat but only in moderation, about once a week. So my formula for 1 week looks more like this:

1 red meat recipe
1 fish recipe
1 vegetarian recipe
1 soup recipe (especially in the winter)
1 crockpot recipe

Breaking up planning like this really helps with the planning--first I put in the formula items, then fill in the rest of the blanks with whatever (enter the chicken! and rice!)

Now I want to know--how do you plan dinner for your family? Do you have any tricks that help you put dinner on the table?

Corn Chowder

I was reading a friend's blog and she said she's been craving corn chowder. This was a couple weeks back and I don't know if corn chowder still sounds good or if she found a good recipe. No matter what, it gave me a push to post a new entry, so thanks B! And if you still need it, hope this helps.
Corn Chowder, like most soups, is very flexible. I've tried a few recipes and really have liked them all. The key ingredients for corn chowder at our house:

corn (fresh would be good but frozen is great and easy)
bacon
onions
garlic
jalapeno or green chiles (we really like spicy food, so we use either 1 fresh and chopped or a 7 oz can of diced chiles)
milk

Other bits we like to throw in the pot:

diced potato
bites of chicken
cheddar

Following are two variations on corn chowder. You can mess around with most of the ingredients, especially if you want to keep it lower (or higher) in fat. We like to use bacon for flavor and will also add chicken and potaoes to make it more hearty. The main things to remember that will make the chowder tasty:

browned meat (either chicken, bacon, or both) or sauteed onions and garlic give a nice flavor boost
milk or half and half as the liquid base for creaminess
salt or bouillon or stock to bring out the sweet flavor of the corn

Chicken Corn Chowder
about 30 minutes
1.5 lbs chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 or 2 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons butter
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup hot water
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups milk or half and half (or a mix of both)
2 cups monterey jack cheese (cheddar works too)
1 can cream corn
1 can green chilies

Brown the chicken with the onion, garlic, and butter in a medium saucepan. Dissolve bouillon in hot water and add to the saucepan, along with the cumin and milk. Reduce heat and cover for five minutes. Add cheese, cream corn, and chilies. Warm until cheese is melted. Serve hot.
this recipe comes from Brad's mission in Texas.

Fresh Corn Chowder
about 45 minutes
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, diced
6 small ears of corn, about 2 to 3 cups (frozen works too)
4 1/2 cups milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Place bacon in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium heat-low heat until it release all of its fat and is beginning to crisp (10 to 15 minutes).
Leave bacon in the pan and spoon out all but about 2 Tablespoons. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring, until tender and slightly browned (10 to 15 minutes).
Remove kernels from cobs, if using fresh; reserve kernels.
Add cobs, milk, and potatoes to the pot. Push the cobs int the milk to fully submerge them. Reduce the heat and cover, until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cobs.
Stir in reserved corn kernels along with salt and pepper.
Simmer gently until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Wiht a slotted spoon, remove 1 1/2 cups solids from the soup and puree until smooth. Return to the soup and add the butter.
Let stand until the butter is melted, then stir. Ladle into warm bowls.

Pluots and Apriums

Pluots and apriums are hybrids of apricots and plums. pluots are more like plums, while apriums are more like apricots. image from alice q. foodie.

Ahh, the fruits of summer. It's been a while in coming--we've suffered from an extreme case of Junuary--but finally, summer is here.
It's at the farmer's market, where cherries, sugar snap peas, fava beans, and wild strawberries tempt with their vibrant color and sun-soaked flavor.
It's in our backyard, where wild roses bloom, the river runs high, and blackberry bushes are starting to flower, a sweet white promise of what's ahead.
And of course, summer is in my mind. As the weather shifts, so does my palette. I start craving light, fresh food--pasta tossed with chicken and vegetables, tostadas topped with fresh tomatoes, smoothies in every color of the rainbow, plums and berries and nectarines and peaches, all delicious with little adornment or fuss.
Summer is also a time of bbq. Alas, we are grill-less. We
This summer I'm excited to experiment with more rice bowls and pasta dishes. For gluten-free versions, we highly recommend Tinkyada brown rice pasta. It has a great texture and neutral flavor that works with anything we've tried. It also comes in many shapes--rotini, fettucine, even penne. As for rice, it's always a treat to try basmati (think Indian food), or jasmine (think Thai). No matter what kind of rice or pasta, the possibilities for a delicious bowl are endless. I'll try to share recipes as the summer wears on.
What's your favorite summer meal?

Broiled Tomatoes with Bleu Cheese
( Joy of Cooking)
Allow one tomato per person. At least.

4 Ripe tomatoes
4 ounces bleu cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (oregano, marjoram, or basil; or scant 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
extra-virgin olive oil

Cut tomatoes in half and arrange cut-side up in a ligtly-oiled gratin dish or glass pie pan.
Sprinkle with bleu cheese, herb of your choice, and ground black pepper, to taste.
Drizzle olive oil over the tops.
Broil about 6 inches from the heat until the cheese has begun to brown, about 7 minutes. Serve hot or let cool slightly.

I Am My Own Worst Enemy: Gluten-Free Brownies

Saco Chef: is that a devilish grin?

**Warning: these brownies are really easy to make. And really good.
Brownies have been a special treat at our house. We tend to save them for moments that are worth spending the money on a Bob's Red Mill Brownie Mix because these have been our favorite GF brownies.
One day I noticed the recipe on the Saco Premium Cocoa box and decided to try adapting it. The bad news for me: they came out excellent. And unlike some brownies, only take 25 minutes to bake. And don't require chocolate chips. The bottom line: I can have hot, chewy, gluten-free brownies in about 40 minutes. Now, so can you. But don't say I didn't warn you.

Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup SACO premium Cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup rice flour (all-purpose flour for you wheaties)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x8x2-inch pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter or margarine (or in the microwave in a one-quart container).
Removed melted butter from heat, ,add cocoa, and stir until well-blended.
Add sugar and mix well.
Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.
Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt. DO NOT OVERBEAT. Fold in nuts, if using.
Spread in prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

would you like some delicious (gluten-free) scones?

image from time inc. this recipe makes scones that look very much like this.

One of my favorite cookbooks ever is the Joy of Cooking*. I haven't branched out to other encyclopedic cookbooks yet because I'm still learning so much from this one. It seems like if you want to cook anything, you will find it listed in the vast index. I was amazed to find that the Joy even includes three gluten-free baking recipes: pizza dough, pie crust, and scones. These are not the deep-fried scones you'd buy at a drive-thru in Utah; they are the refined pastries of tea time in Mother England. They are not flaky like they're traditional counterpart, but they are as light as any gluten-free pastry we've tasted yet.
The procedure for making gluten-free scones seems quite different from making traditional scones, but I imagine filling and topping can be done the same way. These scones take some time but are relatively easy--especially worth it once you taste the results.
This recipe makes about 14 scones.

Gluten-free Raisin Drop Scones
1 cup raisins, dried currants, or dried cherries
1/4 freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup buttermilk (a quick substitution: 1 Tablespoon white vinegar+enough milk to make one cup. let sit for five minutes before using)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sugar per scone, for dusting
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Combine the raisins, orange juice, and zest in a small bowl and let stand at least 30 minutes.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a heavy-duty mixer bowl until combined.
Add butter 1 Tablespoon at a time while mixing dry ingredients on low speed.
Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You may also turn off your mixer and use a pastry cutter or even your hands until you get the right consistency.
Add the buttermilk, 1 egg, and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
Add the raisin mixture and mix on low for 30 seconds.
Preheat the oven to 425. Line an insulated or heavy cookie sheets with parchment paper or coat with vegetable oil spray.
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter on to the cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
Whisk together 1 egg and water and brush over the tops of the scones.
Sprinkle each scone with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, or even a little more (the dough has very little sugar so don't worry about making these too sweet).
Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes.
Remove to a rack to cool.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serving suggestion: Top each scone with quick white icing or cream cheese frosting as they cool.
Cooled scones can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days (if they last that long) or in the freezer up to 3 months.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Great on anything you'd frost, from sugar cookies to carrot cake.
8 ounces cold cream cheese
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla
up to 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a food processor or in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar to start, then 1/4 or 1/2 cup at a time as desired, tasting as you go. Be careful not to over mix or over process.
Makes about 2 cups.
*My Joy is from 1997--I am not sure if the newer edition includes gluten-free recipes.

Gluten-Free & Tasty: Bars

We are always on the lookout for tasty, nutritious, gluten-free "granola" bars for Brad to take on the go. So far, these are our favorites. I think they're a delicious treat, though due to cost I usually come back to Kashi TLC Granola Bars (they have good nutrients but not too much sugar). Note: all of these bars contain nuts.


image from gliving.tv

Larabar. These raw-food wonders come in an array of flavors--I'm especially drawn to the chocolate variety, especially the Jocolat bars, but I've enjoyed every one I've tried (mmm, pistachio...). They are tangy and filling and pretty widely available--our Costco has them, or you can find them at any health food store, or in the health food aisles at your grocery store, or on amazon.com, where they are consistently the best deal (for a case). You will likely find the most flavors at a health food store or online.

Mrs. May's Trio Bars. These bars also feature a very short ingredient list. Read: Cashew, Almonds, Pistachios, Cranberries, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower S. No wonder eating them feels like immediate health boost! These are also available at our Costco, or online.

Tiger's Milk Bar. The original gluten-free snack bar, these are more candy than granola. They offer sweet taste and a nice boost of protein. They're better than a peanut butter cup, but with a similar flavor. They're available at health food stores, and most grocery stores.

Some others to look for:
Organic Food Bars (I'm not sure if all flavors are gf, so check the label to be sure)
Think Thin Bars (Again, I'm not sure if all flavors are gf, so check the label to be sure)

Gluten-free or wheaty, what's YOUR favorite snack bar?

To Quinoa or Not to Quinoa

photo from organicjar.com

Thanks to Kalli for inspiring the quinoa entry idea--her ideas sound so good I think I'll have to get more information on how she prepares them (do you cook the quinoa in milk or use leftover that's already cooked and mix it with milk and strawberries? And isn't it exciting that strawberries are coming into season again very very soon?)
I first bought quinoa when I saw it at our supermarket here in Seattle; I bought it again after reading Gluten-Free Girl, the book by the famous gf blogger. I always feel a little exhilarated when I try a new recipe or buy a new food or ingredient, so any opportunity to do both at once--I can't pass that up.
Quinoa has kind of a nutty flavor, and a soft texture. It's like little pearls of slightly bitter nuttiness, if you will. "Tiny rice" we call it with Jane. Supposedly you have to rinse it well to get rid of any bitterness. I do not notice the bitterness much, but Brad does, so you should probably rinse it better than I have--until the water runs clear, they say. I will too.
Quinoa is a great gluten-free alternative to rice or potatoes or corn, our main gluten-free staples. In some ways it's better because it is such a complete food nutritionally.
I found this recipe on marthastewart.com and thought it was pretty tasty. I also tried to make this hot pot from 101cookbooks.com with quinoa instead of bulgur with great success. Whether you are gluten-free or not, quinoa has a lot to offer, including the rush of trying a new food. Enjoy!

Spicy Lemon Quinoa

2 cups quinoa
Coarse salt
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan, add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water is completely absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes.
2. Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl along with pine nuts, lemon zest, parsley, cumin, cayenne; drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss until well combined. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chickpea Hot Pot

1 large yellow onion, chopped
a splash of olive oil
a couple pinches of salt
2/3 cup uncooked bulgur (or cooked quinoa; uncooked may also work...)
1 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cup cauliflower, trimmed into small trees
2 cup kale or chard, destemmed and cut into thin ribbons
olive oil for finishing drizzle
red onion, chopped for garnish

In a large pot over medium-high heat saute the onion in the olive oil along with the salt - for a minute or until the onion begins to soften a bit. Stir in the bulgur. Stir in the chickpeas and the stock. Bring the ingredients to a simmer. Cook for another few minutes, it should start to thicken. Taste to see if the bulgur is cooked through, if so add the orange juice. If not, simmer for a couple more minutes before adding the juice. Stir in the cauliflower and the kale as well - simmer another few minutes, until the cauliflower is just tender. If the stew is on the thick side, thin with a bit more water or stock. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and red onions.

Serves 4 - 6.