Day 4 Dinner: Ginger Jasmine Rice with Sauteed Shrimp & Edamame

I had a whole hand of fresh ginger in my veggie bin so I planned on making a very aromatic rice,  I infused my broth with peeled ginger, garlic, bay leaf, lemon rind, S & P and turmeric .  It was amazingly fragrant and delicious.. In a separate skillet a sauteed 1 pound of raw frozen shrimp (25 count) in a skillet that I had already infused the oil with minced garlic and minced ginger.  I added some soy sauce and sesame oil.  I removed the shrimp and added about a cup of frozen shelled edamame to the pan, which I heated until hot.  I then added the shrimp back to the pan until all was hot and squeezed in some fresh lime juice.  I plated the rice and added the shrimp mixture.  It was a delightfully delicious meal.

Ongoing Breakfast Items and Snacks

We call them Tookie Cookies in our house because the have a lot of FIBER.  These are the simple classic oatmeal raisin cookies recipenthat are on the canister with a couple of modifications to make them a little healthier and cake like.  I cut the butter in half and add apple sauce.  Add a some chocolate chips, ground flax seed or wheat germ.  I then bake them in a pan and cut into bars.  These are also great for a quick breakfast or after school snack.  I doubled the recipe so I used all my remaining 4 eggs.  Things are going to get a bit more challenging now!  At least I am assured of breakfast for about a week. Between the muffins and these bars, I'm also sure all of us will be regular.

Ongoing Breakfast Items and Snacks

I now have only 7 eggs left so I thought about how I could get the most bang for my puck.  So all day I BAKED.  I baked 24 jumbo raisin bran muffins.  These are a great quick breakfast item that we all enjoy.  They also are great during the day with a cup of coffee or tea.  I used 3 of my eggs.  Normally, the recipe calls for 2 eggs and 2 yolks, but I just used 3 whole eggs.  Honestly, I like them better this way because they are a little lighter.  I probably will make them this way in the future.

Day 4 Lunch: Chicken Salad

I had about 3 poached chicken breasts in the fridge from last weeks chicken soup.  I also found GOLD in the fridge, 1/8 of an onion and about a tablespoon of minced parsley.  I chopped up the chicken, finely diced the onion and added the last couple tablespoon of the light mayo to the bowl. Then the creative part was to has a dollop of horseradish sauce.  I then made them into  sandwiches for my kids lunch boxes.  When they both came home from school, they commented on how great it was and how I am cooking better then ever.  Who knew? 

Day 4 Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancakes

My inspiration for todays breakfast was buttermilk.  I had about a half a container of buttermilk, so I instantly knew pancakes were in order.  Last week, I made banana pancakes, but today no bananas are around so I searched for something else.  I found in my pantry a can of pumpkin.  During the fall I usually make them a couple of times a season.  I did not have a chance to make them this fall so I thought these would be perfect, and they were!  These pancakes contain A.P. flour and cornmeal which I always have on hand.  They also contain a lot of different spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.  These pancakes are like a pumpkin pie flapjack.  YUM!

Day 3 Dinner: Antipasti Pasta Salad

This is a meal in one.  I had about two tablespoons left of giardiniera in a jar, so in a large bowl I added about 2 cups of canned garbanzo beans.  To that I added a 1/2 can of olives which I sliced, 1/2 can of drained diced tomatoes.  I then diced up some jarred roasted red peppers, cut up artichoke hearts, and added about 1 pound of diced summer sausage.  I needed some extra seasoning so I added some additional olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and oregano.  I also had about 2 cups of cooked egg noodles in the fridge so I added that as well.  Topped it off  with about 1/4 cup of grated asiago which was also in the back of the fridge. BADA BING!!!

P.S. Lunch was a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich, yogurt Kiefer smoothie, pretzels, and raisins! Simple and quick!!! My kids love this kind. 

Day 2 Dinner: Cuban Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew, aka "The Castro Special"

This stew was inspired by the 3 sweet potatoes I had in the pantry.  I sauteed 1 shallot with 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil for about 2 minutes. I added the one can of black beans, and one can of diced tomatoes. I seasoned this with the following spices: cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and tabasco sauce. To this mixture I added cubed cooked sweet potatoes. I heated the entire stew for about 20 minutes on medium heat. I also found some pumpkin seeds in my freezer, so I toasted them in the oven, then sprinkled them on top of the stew.  Everyone really enjoyed this cuban vegetarian dish. Yum Yum!