30 Days of Real Meals - #1

Welcome to Day #1 of Real Meals!  It's winter, the pickings are slim, but we're eating, and eating real.  Good or bad, I am going to share with you what my family of four (2 adults, a 5 year old, and a 2 year old) eats every day for the next 30 days.  In many ways, we are your typical Canadian family, with a few twists.  For one, we never eat out.  We eat only organically. We strive to eat seasonally and as locally as possible.  So within those parameters, my job is to juggle raising two kids, and make three healthy meals, every day.  The pictures may not always be pretty as I reach for the camera regardless of the lighting or perfection of the dish I'm photographing - but hey, over here, we like to keep it real.

DAY #1 - DINNER

Romano Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

Steamed Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts with Nori- drizzled with olive oil and umbeshi vinegar

Roasted Haddock with Salsa and Romano Cheese

ROMANO ROASTED POTATOES AND CARROTS

4 cups organic Yukon Gold potatoes (3/4" on all sides)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp garlic salt or powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp organic paprika

1 tsp organic ground black pepper

5 Tbsp grated Romano cheese

Method: Preheat oven to 425*.  Place the cubed potatoes into a baking dish or cast iron skillet.  

Transfer dish to the oven and bake 30 mins. 

Remove from the oven and toss - put back in oven for another 15-25 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.

HADDOCK with Salsa

4 pieces hook and line haddock, rinsed and patted dry

1-2 cups organic tomato salsa

sea salt and pepper

romano cheese

Method:  Preheat the broiler in your oven.  Spread the salsa onto the fish, season with sea salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Broil for about 10-15 minutes, or until fish is firm.

DAYS OF HARVEST

The fields and orchards are being harvested, and we are fully celebrating and enjoying the bounty.  As I previously mentioned, I was up to my armpits in tomatoes this week, and so I made 29 jars of homemade salsa and ketchup.  Canning is one of those things that makes a huge mess in your kitchen and totally exhausts you.  By the end of it you really start to wonder why you do these things, and then you turn around and look at jar upon jar of ruby goodness and can't help but feel pretty darn proud of yourself.  Besides, you have a whole year to recover before you do it all over again.  I've already cracked open a bottle of the salsa for breakfast burritos, and ketchup for these awesome potato delights I like to call Flying Saucers.  I am sure someone else has already discovered that it is much easier to make baked french fries if you cut the potatoes into thin disc-like slices instead of frites, but anyway, I like to think I am somewhat innovative and created these.  They tasted awesome dipped into my homemade ketchup.

FLYING SAUCERS


organic potatoes
organic e.v olive oil
sea salt
organic pepper, ground

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  Slice the potatoes into 1/2" discs.  Toss in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Bake in the oven until one side is golden, flip and bake until potatoes are cooked and they are browned.

Tomato massacre.

Loving the Vita Mix for perfect ketchup making puree.

SALSA

• 10 cups chopped organic tomatoes
• 5 cups chopped organic green and red peppers
• 5 cups chopped organic onions
• 2  cups chopped organic hot pepper
• 1 1/4 cups organic local apple cider vinegar
• 6 organic garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh organic cilantro, minced
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 (6 ounce) can organic tomato paste
• Method:  Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in a large sauce pot.  Simmer until it reaches desired thickness.  Stir in the tomato paste, and then ladle the hot salsa into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Wipe rims, seal and process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.  

This week in mommy kindergarten we are honouring apples by singing about apples, doing fingerplays about apples, telling apple stories, painting and stamping with apples, drawing apple trees on chalkboards, and of course, eating apples!  This morning my son and I made an apple pie together which was a lot of fun, and a lot of yum.  He especially enjoyed using the apple corer/segmenter wheel.  When he tired of that he used my melon baller to dig holes in the flour.

I was so excited about the pie I even called Scott at work to tell him the good news.  Faegan was really proud of himself for making an apple pie too.  It is amazing how much more pleasant our days are together now that we have a nice rhythm going, and spending our mornings on planned activities.  I love it!

APPLE PIE

1 organic whole wheat pie crust

5-6 cups peeled, cored and sliced organic apples

1/4 cup local maple syrup, or more to taste

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp organic corn starch

1/4-1/ 2 tsp organic cinnamon powder

1 Tbsp organic lemon juice

Method:  Prepare the pie dough and let it chill in the refrigerator while you cut and slice the apples.  Preheat oven to 450*.  Place the apple slices in a large bowl and toss with the maple syrup, salt, corn starch, cinnamon and lemon juice.  Remove pie dough from fridge and roll out the bottom crust.  Line a 9" pie plate with it and fill with the apples.  Roll out the other half of dough and cover the pie with the crust.  Prick it with a fork and cut a cross in the centre with a knife.  Bake the pie in the oven at 450* for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350* and bake for 45-60 minutes.

Breakfast Wrap

My usual fried egg breakfast involves melting cheese on a fried egg and sandwiching it between two slices of whole wheat toast smeared with dijon mustard.  But I didn't feel like toast, and that was when I spied some leftover chapatis in the freezer.  Next thing you know, out came the salsa, sprouts, sauerkraut, cilantro and sprouts.  And it was good, very very good.

EGG WRAP with Tomato Salsa, Cilantro and Homemade Sauerkraut

1 organic whole wheat chapati, tortilla or flatbread

2 Tbsp organic salsa

1 organic egg

1 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1/4 cup organic cheese (I used swiss cuz that's what I had)

1 handful organic cilantro, ripped up

handful organic sprouts

1/4 cup organic cortido (seasoned sauerkraut, recipe follows)

Method:  Heat the chapati in a cast iron skillet, but only enough so that it is still malleable.  Fry the egg in the olive oil by cooking over medium heat in a cast iron skillet.  When you break the egg, be sure to break the yolks too.  Flip over after about 2-3 minutes, top with grated cheese and cook until the yolk is solid.  Spread the now warm chapati with the salsa, followed by the cortido.  Place egg in the centre, top it with the cilantro and sprouts.  Roll the wrap up, being sure to tuck in the sides too.

CORTIDO (from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions)

1 large cabbage, cored and shredded

1 cup carrots, grated

2 medium onions, quartered lengthwise and very finely sliced

1 tablesoon dried oregano

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

1. In a large bowl mix cabbage with carrots, onions, oregano, red chile flakes, sea salt and whey.
2. Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for abou 10 minutes to release juices.
3. Place in 2 quart-sized, wide mouth mason jars and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jars.
4. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage

One Idea, Two Ways

So last night I didn't bother posting our dinner because it was a repeat of a menu I had already posted.  I made Mexican Burritos and they were very fine indeed.  Actually they weren't exactly like the ones I have posted.  I substituted frozen peas, spinach and grated carrot for the veggies and added sauteed seasoned ground beef.  After a long day of going into the city for our Waldorf inspired parent-child group, and then a two hour baby and me nap, I didn't much feel like cooking. Luckily we had some of the refried beans and beef leftovers in the fridge, some salsa and cheese.  Perfect for making a Mexican style Mac and Cheese.  And once again I had room for chocolate ice cream with peanut butter.  Can you cay ADDICTED?

MEXICAN MAC AND CHEESE

1 box of whole wheat rotini, very al dente

2 cups ground beef fried and seasoned with onions and chili powder, green peas, spinach and grated carrot

1/2- 1 cup of refried beans

a whole lotta organic cheddar and mozzarella

3/4 jar organic tomato salsa, with 1/4 cup water mixed into it

6 green olives, sliced

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Spread the beans on the bottom of a baking dish, followed by some of the salsa.  Add a layer of the pasta, then beef, salsa, olives and cheese.  Repeat, ending with lots of cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes or until all bubbly and starting to get golden on parts of the cheese.  Serve with some sour cream and coleslaw.

CABBAGE SALAD with Beets and Carrots in an Apple Cider Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 small organic cabbage, shredded finely

1 medium organic beet, shredded

1 organic carrot, shredded

3/4 Tbsp Boates apple cider balsmaic vinegar

1 Tbsp e.v olive oil

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss.

This is the "after" picture!