Bento: #28

Hurrah! It’s the first bento of the year. I actually made over 150 bentos last year which is pretty impressive and hopefully this year will be as productive (or more).

Pasta with green peas and spinach, salad, apple

Tortilla soup, extra cheddar and tortilla strips, salad, and Apple and probably the worst picture of the year

Sausage and roasted vegetables, salad, grapes

Breakfast burritos and apple. Burritos contain: eggs, beans, rice, onions and pepper, chopped jalepeno, cheddar, salsa, and sour cream

Menu: Happy 2018!

Technically it’s going to be the second week of 2018 but you know how the new year and holidays mess up schedules with a bonus of my friend was in town so this is the first menu of the year instead. Enjoy.

Saturday toast and eggs
out @ Jürgen’s

Sunday pancakes
vegetable galette

Mondaylentil falafels, couscous, yogurt sauce, fruit
spatzle with mushroom ragu

Tuesday chicken and dumplings, roasted brussel sprouts, fruit
vegetable pad thai

Wednesday spatzle with mushroom ragu, salad, fruit
lentil falfel

Thursday vegetable galette, salad, fruit
chicken and dumplings

Friday vegetable pad thai, boiled egg, pickles, fruit
homemade pizza

Things to Make

chicken and dumplings
vegetable galette
lentil falafel
spatzlewith mushroom ragu
vegetable pad thai

Shopping List

tomato sauce
rice noodles
apple
plums
oranges
onions
zucchini
tomatoes
red peppers
carrots
chives
mushrooms
salad
potatoes
pecans
pasta
red lentils
couscous
milk
eggs
butter
cereal
drumsticks

Bento: #27

There’s only one more week in the year so it’s okay that this weeks food is boring and next week might also have boring food but…

Japanese Style Chicken Curry, rice, salad

Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche, salad, mandarins

Minestrone, salad, apple

Fried cauliflower, rice, soy sauce, carrots and hummus, apple

Menu: Friendship Around Town

I have a friend coming in to town on Thursday which always mucks up menus but since most of the week is before that I’m assuming it’ll be find until Thursday night so there might not be a real menu next week but we’ll see when we get there.

Saturday leftovers
out @ burger place

Sunday eggs with toast
veg stuffed meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad

Monday Xmas menu:
Chicken Liver on Bread
Mushroom Tortellini in Duck Broth
Sausage with Vegetables
Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

Tuesday meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit
aloo dahi, rice

Wednesday Xmas leftovers, carrots and hummus, salad
black bean tortilla soup, cornbread

Thursday aloo dahi, rice, spinach salad, fruit
pick up John/probably eat out

Friday black bean tortilla soup, cornbread, fruit
homemade pizza

Things to Make

Xmas:
tortellini
sausage with vegetables
peppermint biscotti
—–
meatloaf
aloo dahi
black bean tortilla soup
cornbread

Shopping List

boxed potatoes
ketchup
salsa
chili beans x 2
peanut butter
corn
spinach
salad
fruit x 3
potatoes
mushrooms
onions
pepper
carrots
duck pate
baguette
ricotta
parmesan
butter
plain yogurt
eggs
milk
candy canes
ground turkey

Recipe: Mushroom Ragu

This is one of those recipes that doesn’t seem like much but it takes mushrooms from a bland, boring food to the perfect topping for almost anything. I used this ragu smothered over the tops of popovers but it’d be great on polenta, over rice, and even as a pasta sauce.

Mushroom Ragu

Menu: Form-ing

Whew the year is almost at its end. I already have plenty of goals for the new year and what I’d like to do with my cooking during that time. I feel like I learned a lot this year about how to cook successfully for ourselves in another country so hopefully I can finalize that going forward. But now, a menu:

Saturday leftovers
out @ party

Sunday eggs and toast
pasta with vegetables

Monday spinach and cheese quiche, salad, carrots and hummus, fruit
salmon, couscous, roasted vegetables

Tuesday japanese chicken curry, rice, fruit
general tsos cauliflower

Wednesday minestrone, salad, breadstick, fruit
spinach and cheese quiche

Thursday stir fry noodles with vegetables, miso soup, boiled egg, fruit
japanese chicken curry

Friday general tso’s cauliflower, rice, salad, fruit
homemade pizza

Things to Make

spinach and cheese quiche
japanese chicken curry
minestrone
stir fry noodles
general tso’s cauliflower

Shopping List

egg noodles
canned tomatoes
white beans
apples
grapes
bananas
carrot
onions
cauliflower
small pasta
salad
goat cheese
zucchini
eggs
cereal
cat food
chicken breast
frozen mixed vegetables

Recipe: Vegetarian Scotch Eggs

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. While the recipe is technically quite close to a scotch egg what it actually resembles much more closely is falafel stuffed with a boiled egg. The scotch eggs do not really end up tasting anything like your meaty scotch eggs but it is a great twist on falafel. Make sure you spice your chickpea mixture well as the flavor seems to get a little lost after frying.

Vegetarian Scotch Eggs

Adapted from The Swirling Spoon

Bento: #26

This felt like a lot less plums when I was packing them but I guess it’s fine. I was thinking about trying persimmons because they’re pretty cheap here and I don’t quite remember what they taste like? We’ll see.

Egg fried rice, scallion pancakes, plums Creamy orzo with roasted vegetables, tomato soup, plums Chicken noodle soup, Danish carrot roll, apple Bean and Rice Bowl, carrots and hummus, saladTurkey and Cranberry Jam Sandwich, boiled eggs, salad, yogurt with plums

Menu: Lots of Vegetables

I don’t know why this shopping list seems to be 90% vegetables but I’m not complaining, that happens sometimes especially when you have a lot of the day to day staples still on hand. Mid-week I’ll do some shopping to make some festive cookies for the weekend but this is just the food based menu.

Saturday leftovers
chicken katsu, rice, tsukemono

Sunday toast and eggs
out after theater 🙂

Monday rolled omelette, rice, tsukemono, fruit
miso udon

Tuesday lasagna, salad, fruit
arepas

Wednesday miso udon, tempura vegetables, fruit
pasta with vegetables and goat cheese

Thursday black bean, avocado, and cheese arepas, corn and tomato salad, fruit
lasagna

Friday potato and carrot fry, chipati, spinach and green pea soup, fruit
homemade pizza

Things to Make

vegetable lasagna
chicken katsu
rolled omelettes
miso udon
arepas
potato-carrot fry
chipati
spinach and green pea soup
tsukemono

Shopping List

canned tomatoes (2)
udon
nori
carrots
potatoes
squash
avocado
onions
eggplant
cabbage
cucumber
apples
persimmons
oranges
cherry tomatoes
pepper
mushrooms
zucchini
salad
masa
rice
ricotta
parm
mozz
eggs
milk
cat food
cereal
chicken breasts
peas
spinach