Meal Planning Moment

Rereading my old blogs, I got inspired to continue my meal planning tradition of sitting for a moment with my recipe box and pulling out 5-7 main dishes to cook over the next week.

Many years ago I made a recipe card for even the simple dinners we eat, not that I needed to follow the recipe for it, but more as a physical note of the meal.  Once a week, usually Saturday morning while everyone is sleeping or doing their own thing, I sit with my recipe box (and my calendar for the next week) and pull out the cards of the dishes I want to make and keep those cards out, either on the counter or in a cabinet, but somewhere I can flip through them.  I fill up the grocery list on the productivity app my family shares, and by Sunday night I usually have all the ingredients I'll need for the week.  Having that list of meals plus their ingredients on hand makes getting dinner on the table easier.  I tried assigning a meal to a certain day of the week, but I prefer to just cook what I have time for as each day comes.  Some days I'll have more time than others, so I just cook the meal that seems to fit in best at the time.  It saves so much time.

When I'm done with the cards for that week, I file them in the back of their category leaving me with the cards of dishes not recently prepared.  Yes, I do try new recipes, and if there's one that will make the cut into our rotation then I file into my box!

The calendar sits with me so that I get a realistic view of who will be home for dinnertime and which kids need hefty pre-game meals.  

These are just the main dishes; don't be alarmed at the lack of veggies!  I usually make either an Arabic style salad or roast some vegetables, or both.  

This week we travel Friday, so I'm not going to have as full of a list.
~ Zesty BBQ chicken (crock pot or Instant Pot) for lunches
~ Meatloaf      (won't be needed)
~Musaka
~Homemade Lasagna
~ Chicken Shawerma

Nope, we're not vegetarian.

meal plan

Assalamu alaikom.  I know it's been ages since I've posted anything, but I'm just going to jump in and start posting stuff.

With lacrosse season in full swing I've been better at meal planning.  By full swing I mean that Musa plays 5 days a week, Heba plays 4 days a week, and Aisha play 2 days a week.  Lots of extra driving around on top of regular errands and homeschooling classes.

Normally I pull out my recipe box on Sunday (or Saturday) morning and plan what I need from the grocery store for the week in addition to the regular items that always rotate on our grocery lists.  I pretty much sort the meals in my mind as to which days would be better to prepare each one depending on how my 'at home' time looks.  About my recipe box: a few years ago I wrote down even the meals I prepare by memory so that when I meal plan I can pull that card out and keep it on the counter for the week.  It's not always used as a recipe card, but more like a name card.

We're on spring break this week!  This week's plan:

Meatloaf  (some kids put the sliced meatloaf in burger buns); Mixed veggies that were already cooked like sauteed cabbage, roasted brussels sprouts.

Roast chicken with potatoes and garlic;  (roasted at 450 degrees.. wow!)

Grilled chicken skewers

Mejaddara (lentils cooked in rice)

Sloppy Joes

Friday: invited out.

Turkey Chili

I made turkey chili for the first time today, and it was well liked by boys and girls alike in this house! Wow!  I found halal ground turkey at Trader Joe's and figured I'd give it a try.  After looking at a couple of recipes online, this is what I ended up putting in the pot:

1lb ground turkey
1/2 white onion
1/2 red onion
4 cloves garlic
2 thin carrots, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 14oz cans diced tomato
1 14oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (taken from 100 Days of Real Food)
salt, pepper

Saute the vegetables in a bit of oil for a few minutes, then add the ground turkey.  Crumble it up and drain if needed.  Add the tomatoes and beans along with two cans full of water and the spices. Let this simmer an hour or two until the liquid reduces to your desired thickness.  I would also transfer this to the crock pot once I browned the turkey and add everything else in the crock pot and let that go for a while.

I set out some toppings like shredded cheddar, sour cream, jalapenos, freshly chopped onions, and the leftover crumbs of our gluten free chips.  You could make cornbread or eat this over burger buns :D

Homemade Cream of Mushroom

A couple of years ago I cut back on using canned cream of mushroom soup in recipes that called for them.  Instead I started making my own just for the sake of cutting back on processed foods.  It's been a while now since I've used a canned cream of mushroom and wanted to share the recipe I use in its place. 

Oh yes, mushrooms aren't something I keep in my fridge regularly so it is very likely that I wouldn't have any on hand when I needed the cream of mushroom soup.  I just make it anyway without the mushroom, and while you do lose that flavor, I just add a few extra shakes of seasonings like onion powder and garlic powder.

I plan to make a potato casserole tomorrow, Insha'Allah, and went ahead and made the cream sauce tonight so that I'll be that much ahead tomorrow. 

In a saucepan I melt 1/4 cup butter.
Add to that 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms and saute till they are soft, a few minutes.
Add 1/4 cup flour and blend well.  Cook and stir over medium heat to blend it all well. 
Add 1 cup milk (I use whole milk) and stir until the flour has mixed into the milk.
Sauce will thicken within a minute, and then you can add about 1/4 tsp salt and some pepper. I like to use white pepper. 
That's it.  You're left with a gloppy, goopy, creamy mushroom base!
Here's my picture... it's not glamorous!

Friday recap

This school year has a nice rhythm and schedule that we've never had before.  I'm enjoying the days we spend at home because they come after 3 days of being out of the house and running.

Today is Friday and is a 'stay at home' day.  The girls and I (we are currently the homeschoolers) know it is a home day start the day with a calm tone.  Today I put in a load of darks shortly after I got dressed, but not right away because I knew one of my kids wanted a morning shower.  Breakfast wasn't rushed, and my youngest could take her time eating and getting herself dressed. 

Luckily the two older girls got started pretty close to 8:00 on their first subject (always Math) while I tidied up the kitchen, straightened my hair, and helped the littlest with a fashion emergency (it happens).

I joined the schoolroom around 9am to make sure all was well.  It was.  Youngest One took down the October calendar so that we could change it over to November.  She put the dates back up while naming the numbers and me showing her how they looked on the calendar.  We then talked about the months, how her birthday month is next after November, and then she did the weather chart by pointing the arrow to 'cloudy' (big surprise for Seattle).

 



Like I mentioned earlier, I like the predictable rhythms our weeks take this school year.  On Fridays I can take care of household work, sit by the girls while they focus on work, and I can spend some good, quality time with the youngest in some educational interactions.  I won't call them 'lessons' because they're not really that formal yet with her.  She won't be 5 years old until the end of December, so we just talk about all things preschool such as colors, numbers, patterns, songs, stories, and letter recognition.  I've been using a book called Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, but in all honesty we've done all of 12 lessons since starting in July.  How's that for laid back?  She is learning how to read from exposure to letters and books, so this book is kind of a guide for me and not The Standard by which I must sit my 4 year old down and drill daily.  She actually read an entire Bob Book today with little help from me, so something is working.

The older girls will be done with most of their independent work soon (plus some time with me during grammar), and then we'll get into an hour-long history lesson.  I read aloud from The Story of the World and then we do map work, place events on a timeline, and read extra books I've already checked out from the library.  After that we'll have lunch and then the girls will spend some time reading from the 'required reading' list (which I make). 

We had been in the habit of attending Friday Prayers at the mosque, but we haven't been in a few weeks.  One masjid is holding a later service at 3:30 to accommodate the school aged kids, so we went to that one time.  The only down side is that it took half an hour to get there after spending 20 minutes picking up my son.  So adding up travel time and prayer time, that outing took us 2 hours which kind of wore everyone to the point of crankiness late on a Friday afternoon... I'm not so encouraged to repeat that.

As for the remainder of the day, I made up some pizza dough for dinner tonight.  I also cooked up some taco meat last night which I'll probably use for Saturday's lunch.  Broccoli is also waiting  in the fridge to be turned into soup.

Have a great day and take it easy.

Potato Casserole

Sometimes we're fortunate enough in this short life to find comfort and joy in simple things.  For me, today, that simple thing is a potato casserole that could always be found on the table at family gatherings at my grandparents' house.  I think it's my uncle's wife who made it first, but the recipe was shared and so the dish found its way into more and more homes.

My family is not so big on potatoes, but my friend's family more than makes up for what we lack in love for the root vegetable!  Small disclaimer: this is not health food!  It's a guilty indulgence that happens to feed a crowd very well with little effort.  The main ingredient, the potatoes, can be easily found in the freezer section of the grocery store.   For anyone wanting to cut their own potatoes, it's a small dice you're looking for.  Little cubes.   Here's the recipe. Share it, love it, and enjoy.   (and feel free to make healthier substitutions where you can)

Potato Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Mix the following in a large bowl:

32 oz (2lbs) Southern Style Frozen Hash Browns

16 oz Sour Cream
10 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Spread into a 9 * 12 baking dish.

Melt 1 stick of butter (8oz).  Add to the melted butter 2 cups Corn Flakes that have been crushed/crumbled and then spread on top of the potatoes.

Bake at 350 for an hour. 

A quick search for "potato casserole" on any recipe site (like www.allrecipes.com) will yield many variations on this recipe.

Click HERE for a printable version.

Crock Pot and Arabic Food

I started using a crock pot, aka slow cooker, only a few years ago.  I quickly noticed that most of the recipes for this appliance were full of canned foods, packets of seasonings, processed cheeses (lots and lots of it).  The meals were very typical "American" foods like shredded ____ (insert type of meat) from which you'd make tacos or sandwiches.  Others were for pots full of noodles, cream, cheese, milk, butter, and maybe some meat.  It was looking gross.

I've figured out a few things I can make successfully in the crock pot without compromising the quality of the meal.  And on top of that, I've figured out how to make a few Arabic dishes in there too!  And that's the main idea about today's post is to share with my friends how to use the crock pot to prepare some of the Arabic foods I've adapted for the crock pot.

The first one is easy; it's a boneless leg of lamb.  This is especially convenient for  days when company is coming because the oven is free for your veggies or other side dishes. 

Leg of Lamb:
Rinse and trim fat off of one leg of lamb (3-5lb).
Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and no more than 1/2tsp of allspice.
Sear the lamb in a hot skillet.
Transfer to a cold crock pot. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup water to pot.
Turn it on High for an hour or two and then turn it to low for the remainder of the time.
4-5 hours of total cook time is usually perfect.  If you have a leg smaller than 3 lbs then cook it 3 hours, but the ones that are 4-5lbs can go 4-5 hours.

On a busy school day last year I decided to try prepping for the eggplant dish called Musa'ka and to put in the crockpot rather than have to bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  I wanted to dish to be ready when we got home from being out all day rather than come home and have to preheat the oven and bake the dish.  It worked!

I made my ground beef, onion, green pepper and tomato paste mix.  I broiled the sliced eggplant under the broiler and lightly salted them.  Then I sprayed the crockpot with a nonstick spray and put the eggplant in.  After that I poured in the meat/onion/tomato mixture in.  You don't need to add extra water because the lid keeps the steam in.  And that is it.  I put it on low and it was plenty warm when we returned home 4 hours later.  If you like to top your Musa'ka with a béchamel sauce then this might not give a great result, however, I have read recipes where they say to take the lid off for 30 minutes at the end to allow cheese to cook up and not be gooey.

And finally, I made a great pot of Fasulieh bizZeit (green beans in olive oil) last night.

Green beans in oil:

Wash and trim 1.5 lbs green beans (I'm totally estimating on the amount.  I had a Ziploc bag full of beans from my neighbor's garden, so I just used all that up)

Snap the beans into smaller pieces and set aside.

Pour 2-3 Tbsp olive oil in the crock pot.

Slice a medium onion and put over the oil.  Chop a large tomato or 2-3 smaller ones and put over the onions.

Now put all the beans over the onions and tomatoes.  Sprinkle with a  1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt.

I cooked on high for 4 hours.  Results were fantastic.

I don't have any picture to post right now, but if I snap one I'll come back and add it.

Try some of your dishes in the crock pot and see if it can work for you!

Taco Soup

This is a pretty standard taco soup recipe, but I'm posting it for those following some of my other posts.

1lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
(brown those two in a skillet)
Add a packet of taco seasoning or make your own
(at this point you can put this and the following ingredients into a crock pot, or you can cook stove top)
Add:
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can hominy
1 can Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes with chiles)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1 cup water

Let this simmer on the stove or in a crockpot for a while.  It will taste great for a few days.  Serve with many garnishes such as cheddar cheese, sour cream, chips, hot sauce, cilantro, or cornbread.

A few meal amendments in March

I didn't make a monthly meal plan in March on purpose.  I had a lot of overflow from January and February that I hadn't gotten around to making, so I was loosely using those meals as guides. 

In the meantime, I've come across a really neat website which has given me so many new ideas!!  All this access to information is great and tiresome at the same time.  I want to try new things, I try to fit them into my busy days, I compare them to other things I used to make and do.... sometimes "simpler" might be better!  So here are a few new things I've tried that have also improved the supply and quality of food in my home.

* boil a couple of dozen eggs on a Sunday and keep in the fridge for snacks or breakfasts

* bake 8-10 chicken breasts plainly seasoned.  shred 3-5 of them and make a chicken salad.  slice the rest or cube and freeze or keep in fridge for casseroles, fajitas, or soups.

* make a pot of chili with 2lbs of beef. freeze half and keep the rest for lunches or dinners. this also works for taco soup for a variety.

* wash a few head of the romaine hearts, dry, and keep in ziploc to make salad prep easier.  you could also slice up some veggies, just not too many in advance.

These few ideas helped me a lot in the last two weeks, and that along with some meal planning have kept things moving along smoothly.  I might try to simplify the actual cooking for the month of May, so I will hopefully make a thoughtful post on that later on. 

This is the great website from where I've gotten ideas, recipes, and inspiration!  I follow her on facebook and love to see what she packs for her kids' lunches!  I even bought some lunch boxes like the ones she uses because they're just too cool.  This recipe for granola bars lasts very little here.  Over half of it will disappear within 24 hours, masha'Allah, and the rest soon follows.  I've made it 3 times just this month.

I hope I can pass along just some of this excitement in making food planning easier on those of us who are in the thick of it.  My growing children need the benefit of wholesome foods, and of a good balance of protein vs. carbs.  It takes planning and dedication, but I do believe it is very worth it!

Carrot Soup (or Sweet Potato)

Here's the recipe to a delicious, invigorating, nourishing soup.  I thank my mom for the recipe.

Carrot Soup (or Sweet Potato Soup)
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
1" fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup rice
2T oil
3-4 sweet potatoes or 2lbs carrots, peeled and cubed
10 cups water or chicken broth

Saute onion and ginger till translucent. Add rice and curry; stir one minute. Add carrots (or potatoes) and broth. Simmer for about half an hour and then puree till smooth.

I wish I had a picture. 

Briefly before bed...

If you like the taste of mexican food, here is a quick family dinner you can make (and alter) easily:
5-6 chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup salsa
1 pkg taco seasoning (I don't use that,so I put chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and 1T or 2T tomato paste.)
2 cups water
1 can black beans (optional)
Cooked rice

In a large skillet, cook chicken in about 1 T oil til it's white.
Sprinkle with seasonings, add salsa, water. Bring to boil, reduce and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes. You can add the beans towards the end.

I serve with cooked rice, but another way is to put some minute rice in the skillet and let it cook with it. Top with cheese if you like.

On the menu for the next few days:
Homemade Hamburgers
Fasulieh (Arabic dish with green beans and cubed beef)
Chicken Paprika
Maybe a grilled something or other on the weekend.