Vegetable cacciatore, pancakes, pot roast, vegetable chicken skillet and naan bread pizzas
It's been kind of an odd winter around here. The temperature has vacillated between freezing and thawing, and we still haven't had any really good winter storms. I guess I should be grateful! And I am. I just happen to love winter and snow days (at least when I don't have to go anywhere).
Our winter meals have not been odd. I continue to enjoy creating meal plans using what we have on hand and discovering new family favourites. My list of "must-try soon" recipes continues to grow. I'd love to hear what's on your "must-try" list!
On the menu January 26 - February 1, 2020:
Sunday Vegetarian Cacciatore with green salad
We really enjoyed this, but keep in mind, cacciatore is a thin sauce. I loved the mix of vegetables and the fresh Parmesan on top is always delicious. I served this over spaghetti tonight. The recipe made enough for 4 people. Love that this is easily adaptable to veggies your family likes and/or you have on hand. It's also a great way to use up odds and ends in your fridge. (Yes, there may be a bit of a theme happening with that this year!) I made the recipe as linked.
Monday The Ultimate Buttermilk Pancakes with sausage and fruit salad
Tonight was "breakfast for dinner" - our favourite pancakes and breakfast sausage. I used one full cup of all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour less 3 tablespoons and added in 3 tablespoons of quick-cooking oats instead. I also used one cup of fresh blueberries (not pictured), although you could definitely use frozen. I do love a good pancake drowned in maple syrup and slathered with butter! Apparently, my son does too because he was searching the fridge for leftovers as soon as he got home from work.
Tuesday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
Wednesday Simple Sunday Pot Roast with coleslaw
This was the most tender roast beef I have ever served. Just AH-mazing!! A great big thank you to Trick's Creek Farm for the roast. If I'm honest, I don't think I can buy beef anywhere else anymore. Every single cut we have tried has been super good, but so far this was the best. I was actually a little daunted to make this. I may have mentioned my gravy struggles, and this was also a very large roast (nearly 8 pounds). I actually didn't brown it before roasting because it was too large for my frying pan. I roasted it low and slow at 300F and it was melt-in-your-mouth. The original recipe comes from "Yum & Yummer" and I was excited to try her "zesty gravy". As the linked recipe mentions, I also needed more cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I would recommend tasting the gravy before serving - my roast was still partially frozen when I started cooking, so it may have had some additional liquid and it needed more salt and pepper. The carrots and potatoes were just right, though, and I would definitely make this again!
Thursday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
This meal makes me happy because it's pretty and delicious. Although it has "Fall Harvest" in the name, the vegetables used are available all winter, so it's perfect for this time of the year as well. I also love how quickly it comes together. Feel free to leave out the nuts for those that don't like them (or can't have them!) and top with some crumbled goat cheese.
I found a couple of pieces of Naan bread in the freezer and since it was just Mom and me tonight, we opted for homemade pizzas. I finished off a jar of pesto sauce and topped the bread off with a bunch of chopped veggies (broccoli, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, halved cherry tomatoes) as well as some black olives and goat cheese along with the mozzarella. The more cheese the better! I love this kind of meal because it is yet another great way to use up odd veggies in your fridge or on your counter and it works with any sauce you like - pesto, pasta or pizza.
#quickandeasymeals #weeknightmeals #mealplanning #eatmoreveggies #yumandyummer #alltheveggies #Iloveveggies #trickscreekfarm
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