Rabbit Food

Congratulate me all around, folks. I chopped up the cabbage last night. I was motivated by the arrival of a new CSA box full of produce (out with the old, in with the new!). So I riffed on an asian slaw recipe bouncing around and produced my own. The girls decided that a certain stuffed bunny was very excited I was making slaw.

This was a blend of green cabbage, bok choy and fresh broccoli tossed in a vinaigrette made of olive oil, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, sugar, ginger and garlic. Oh, and a splash of sesame oil. Folks, it's good.

Another CSA win? The girls love carrots "from the farm". These little beauties were a hit. Note the further appearance of Cupcake the Bunny.

I served the fresh carrots with the stems attached alongside ranch dressing but noted while I was rinsing dishes that the dressing was barely touched. Why mess with the perfect sweetness of a fresh carrot? Two more headed into school in lunches today along with fresh hummus, pita chips and fruit.

Meal Plan: Week of Feb 6

So, my latest obsession is this soup. I sub veggie broth for chicken and it's still a-mazing. Seriously, folks. And the beans themselves are perfection. Sunday, I experimented with making both a big pot of black beans and a pot of chickpeas using just the bean-applicable instructions and they both turned out wonderfully. So, now I have oodles of black beans and chickpeas to use this week, as well as a big pot of Spanish rice for the week. I'd say I did a pretty good job making use of my rainy Sunday.

So far, the plans are as follows:

Monday (that's today): Since I wanted to avoid Super Bowl crowds, I eschewed grocery shopping yesterday and will get it done today. This means I need a simple dinner. Voila. Black beans and Spanish rice. Served with: avocado, diced onion and cilantro. I also have fresh roti to serve on the side since I made a stop at the Indian market yesterday after my run.

Tuesday: Sandwiches. For David and me, that means Chickpea Tuna Salad. There are other recipes out there, but Robin Robertson's in the link above is the easiest I've found. Always turns out deliciously.

Wednesday: Martha Stewart's yellow lentil soup. I'm drawn to the cilantro chutney served alongside. And yes, I got the pappadum to serve with it.

Thursday: Taco night. The girls will eat the black beans again. David and I often prefer something a bit more meaty - such as quorn ground beef style sauteed with onions and taco seasoning or a lentil variety.

Friday: Pizza night. We have had two Friday nights of homemade pizza and it's hard to beat it. David and I have been making ours vegan, but we've continued to use cheese on the girls. Still, overall I feel better about knowing every single thing that's going into our dinner than ordering out or buying frozen. Now, if I can only learn to relax while I have two very young children "helping" me roll out pizza dough. Just breathe, right?

Saturday: I'm planning to have enough black beans left to mash into black bean burgers. And I am also hoping to get our CSA cabbage chopped into slaw by then as well. Wish me luck. I often feel daunted with the prospect of facing a cabbage.

That's our plans, though I'm also turning some of the chickpeas into hummus for the girls' and David's lunches. I felt super proud the other day when my four year old told me she only liked my homemade hummus. I hear that; store-bought varieties never match up in flavor or consistency.