January 10 - 15

Are you totally feeling the need to sit on the couch and eat warm things?  Salad totally does not appeal right now.  Ugh.  I've also started my "official" (i.e.  I made a plan and put it on the fridge) marathon training, so I'm needing to think about what I'm eating as my miles increase.  All signs point to soup.

Anyway...

Saturday, January 10

We contemplated going out tonight, but it's been snowing all day...  enough of an excuse to stay in.  But we'll eat well:

Steak 

Oven-roasted potatoes

Oven-roasted brussels sprouts (with big chunks of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper...  sprinkle parmesan 5 minutes before done)

Also, Phil found a recipe for peanut butter and banana ice cream.  So we'll drag out the ice cream maker sometime this weekend too.

Sunday, January 11

We've both been craving french onion soup, but I've been cranky about all the butter.  So Phil found an alternate recipe that we'll try -- you roast onions, shallots and garlic in the oven first.  Yummy!

Onion soup

Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches

Monday, January 12

Chicken Pizza Italiano

This is another Phil recipe.  He has this cookbook from college, Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars.  Oh dear.  He loves this recipe:

2 whole chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. chopped parsley

1/2 tsp. each garlic salt, onion powder and sugar

shredded Mozzarella cheese

Place chicken in baking dish.  Combine sauce and spices, pour over chicken, cover and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Top with cheese and continue to bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

We'll have broccoli and bread, too.

Tuesday, January 13

Garden minestrone:

Chop about a cup each of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash.  

Chop half a cup each of red bell pepper and onion.

Mince a few garlic cloves.

Put it all in a big soup pot and saute until onion is tender.

Add about 28 oz. vegetable broth, 1 28 oz can of tomatoes, a bay leaf, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 15 min.  Remove bay leaf.

Add some chopped parsley, 1 tbsp (or more) pesto, some oregano, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 cans drained and rinsed chickpeas.  Cook 5 minutes or so.  

Stir in about 2 c chopped spinach, serve.

You can sprinkle parmesan on top.

This will be leftovers for Wednesday, too.

Thursday, January 15

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia (or whatever fish looks good when I get to the store)

Roasted potatoes and carrots

Maybe some peas