Hey Good Lookin'...

...whatcha got cookin?

I don't know how good lookin' I am, but Kerry did ask what I was cooking with all of that yummy food I got at the farmer's market. At the risk of turning this into a food and kids' stories blog with no deep thoughts, I thought I'd oblige. I should warn you that I don't cook from recipes very often, and when I do, I usually adapt them to what I have on hand. I'll only go into detail on one or two meals, and you can e-mail me if you want the rest.

Sunday: Lasagna, garlic bread, and salad
I have the easiest homemade lasagna recipe in the world. We buy Alexia brand garlic bread, which has none of that yucky fake butter stuff. It tastes like I made it, but I didn't have to! Bonus, each bag of bread has a coupon on the back, so once you buy one, you save every time you buy it after that. The salad used up some of our lettuce, radishes, and green onions from the market.

Monday: Sesame Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry with rice
Another easy and yummy recipe. I just coat the slices of a cheap piece of (local, ethically raised) meat with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds before stir frying in hot oil. Remove the meat when seared and stir-fry asparagus, then add meat back with some ground ginger and soy sauce. I added cooked edamame beans this time, which I picked up frozen at the grocery. I just boiled them a few minutes first. The boys loved them. Hobbes has been asking for them ever since. He calls them "Eat mommy beans."

Tuesday: Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Frittata and sausage links
The eggs, tomato, asparagus, and sausage all came from the farmer's market. Don't think my boys are super-eaters or anything. They avoided the asparagus and had cheddar on their part. I served this with a loaf of homemade bread (my mother-in-law's amazing recipe).

Wednesday: Chinese Noodles
This is a favorite and the whole reason I bought baby bok choy at the market. I browned and drained a pound of ground sausage and set half aside for pizza another night. (You could use plain ground pork, but I like the extra spice.) Put one package (16oz.) of rice noodles in hot water to soak for 25-30 minutes. Heat 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium in a wok or frying pan. Stir-fry 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots for 3 minutes, add 3 chopped baby bok choy, and a handful of sliced green onions. Stir-fry until carrots are tender. Add cooked pork and 1-2 teaspoons of ground ginger. Add softened rice noodles (I only used 3/4 of the package for our small crew) and stir-fry until tender, adding soy sauce to taste. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons sesame oil before serving. If you want to spice it up, add some of this stuff, but be warned! One or two drops per serving will do it. I do mean drops! And don't even try it with young kids.

Thursday: Baked Chicken with root veggies
I usually bake a chicken every couple of weeks. This week I'll use up the parsnips, potatoes, and carrots I got at the market, and serve it all with a loaf of the bread I made yesterday.

Friday: Pizza and Salad
Trader Joe's has awesome garlic and herb pizza crust. I usually make my own but indulged this week. We'll top this with the rest of the sausage and some veggies, and use up the radishes and lettuce in our salad.

Saturday or Sunday: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
We are likely to eat with the in-laws one of these two days, so I'll only plan one meal. The casserole uses up the rest of the chicken from Thursday. I usually can get two meals out of the meat and a good bit of chicken broth from boiling the carcass. For the casserole, I boil some broccoli to make it a bit tender (about 2 cups), add shredded chicken, salt and pepper, and my own concoction of chicken broth, sour cream, and milk in place of a can of cream of chicken soup. I usually make a 9x9 dish for the four of us. Top it with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs and bake until bubbly.

So there you have it. Now that you think I am an amazing planner and cook huge meals every night, it is time to confess. This is a good week. I must have been inspired by my trip to the farmer's market. Some weeks it's spaghetti, tacos, hot dogs, and mac 'n' cheese for our menu. I guess I'm saying you shouldn't expect too many of these types of posts. Do e-mail if you want more details. I definitely cook by feel and taste and not by recipes, so sharing is difficult.