Greek salad pita pizzas, italian sausage & white bean soup, thai red curry chicken, roasted cherry tomato & fresh mozzarella pizza.
This week I tried a few new recipes. For a few weeks, it has felt like I haven't really had time to check out too many new ideas, but this week I was back "on track".
If I'm honest, I rarely prepare all of the ingredients before starting to cook; however, this week I tried it, and in the end, I think it made cooking a lot more efficient. It was also kind of important for the Italian Sausage & White Bean Soup and the Thai Red Curry Chicken.
Do you generally prep everything on the fly, or do you gather and measure all of your ingredients ahead of time?
On the menu September 28 - October 5, 2019:
Sunday Greek Salad Pita Pizzas
We had company for lunch today (including three lovely teenage girls), and I needed something quick, delicious and preferably vegetarian to serve. I showed my son a few recipes, and he thought this was the best choice. He was right! I prepped all the veggies ahead of time and set them out in bowls so everyone could customize their own "pizza". You really should check out the "Skinnytaste" cookbook to see how she made them - they were so cute, and the girls loved them. Actually, we all did. Tzatziki would make a great topping as well, along with the hummus, and you could also add some cold roasted chicken if you wanted a heartier meal. My only regret is not taking any photos!
Monday Italian Sausage & White Bean Soup with fresh buns and cheese
As soon as the weather gets cool, I start dreaming about soup, one of my favourite foods! I am a big fan of stretching a few ingredients to make delicious, hearty meals, and soups are a great way to do that. This one comes from Greta Podleski's "Yum & Yummer" cookbook. This is everything a soup should be - hearty and filling with so much flavour in every bite.
Tuesday Thai Red Curry Chicken with Vegetables and basmati rice
I'm so excited to share this recipe with you! I may have mentioned here before that I am not really a fan of hot and spicy (or "exotic") foods. Neither do I have much experience with them. Meal planning and posting on this blog have really opened up my "food horizons" and so tonight I thought I'd give this recipe from "Yum and Yummer" a try. I used cilantro and basil from a tube which was easy and flavourful, and I stuck to the original recipe as printed, using red pepper, eggplant, and sugar snap peas. I was expecting this dish to be spicy, but it wasn't at all. The flavours were surprisingly complex - there was a good variety of veggies and I didn't get tired of the sauce. (You know how that happens sometimes, especially with one-pot meals?) The sauce was creamy and yummy and perfect over rice. We had company tonight, and this easily served four of us, including two growing teenage boys. It was a total hit, in spite of the eggplant (which my son always says he hates). He described this dish as "quite good" and later asked me, "Why is that so good?" (meaning in spite of the coconut milk and eggplant!) The leftovers were happily eaten for breakfast (I know, not my thing either, but whatever works...) We highly recommend this dish.
Wednesday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
Tonight we celebrated my son's 18th birthday at Cowbell Brewing. If you've never been, you should check it out!
Thursday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
The Italian Sausage & White Bean Soup I cooked on Monday made a big batch, so we had leftovers tonight along with a garden salad. It was just as good warmed up, and maybe even better.
We decided to try the Good Food box again since we had another coupon code. My son really wanted to see what this pizza was like, and it did not disappoint! If I could make pizza like this at home all the time, I'd never need to order takeout again. The crust was amazing and the toppings were just right. This came with a salad of mixed greens, thinly sliced radishes, and a delicious balsamic vinaigrette.
Saturday Taco Mix with Black Beans with flour tortillas and taco toppings
Tonight we celebrated the birthdays of two of my best friends who happen to be twins, so we ate out again, but this was what I would have been making if we'd stayed home. We love this. Our favorite taco toppings include diced tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, chopped avocado or homemade guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
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