Vegetarian Recipe Links -- by Stace

We have been eating vegetarian meals on weekdays for about two weeks. We tend to eat a lot of our meat on the weekends, so it has made sense to try and find new ways to prepare veggies and beans for during the week.

We only order 5 lbs of local grassfed beef per month, but lately it seems like we buy other easy things like hot dogs if we are too busy to cook. We do not want to spend money on bad meat from the grocery store, so we are trying to find inexpensive, healthy veggie meals for weeknight dinner.

Here are the recipes I am using this week:

Monday: Egyptian Edamame Stew (went over well -- Boddhi did not eat it, but I saved him some brown rice and edamame without the other stuff, and he gobbled it up)
Tuesday: Bean Bolognese (yummy! I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe. It really tastes like a rich pasta dish, and it has no meat - I was full all night -- did not even need a midnight snack. I gave Boddhi some pasta with plain beans, and he enjoyed that).
Wednesday: Creamy Avacado and White Bean Wrap (I will let you know how it turns out, but I am really looking forward to this one!)
Thursday: Eggplant, Mushroom Tomato Casserole (not so excited about this, but I have been wanting to try an eggplant recipe - will let you know).
Friday: Homemade pizza (this one is always a hit with everyone. We use the pizza dough recipe from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters and the kids have fun rolling out the dough and creating their own individual pizza. We do use some of our grassfed beef for the pizzas on occasion, cooked with habanero peppers from the garden --so yummy).

I have also found that if I force myself to commit to a menu plan, I spend so much less at the grocery store. I just buy what I need for my recipes (plus fruit, bread etc.), and I am all set for the week. Weekends are usually casual and unplanned -- I am trying to let Dude and the girls take over on cooking and cleaning during the weekend since they really do not have a lot of time to help during the week, and I end up cleaning up after them all (which is not my job just because I am at home!).

What works for your family?

--posted by Stace

Pasta with Asparagus -- by Stace

Ingredients:

1lb Asparagus (or more depending on your taste)
3 (or more) cloves of garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb fettuccine pasta


boil water for noodles
cook noodles, drain and set aside
Heat olive oil
add garlic and pine nuts
stir until toasted
add asparagus and cook until tender (not too tender)
add oil, asparagus, pine nuts and garlic to the noodles (add salt to taste as needed)
toss all ingredients together and serve

Great summer dish!

Green Bean Bundles - Grandpa Leo

Food Memories: This recipe came from Lauren's grandmother (Faye Fields). It quickly became a favorite for the Bray's and was a part of their holiday meal every year.

Ingredients:

2 cans whole green beans (not cut)
garlic powder seasoning
brown sugar
butter
1 lb. bacon

Drain green beans and place in a large mixing bowl. Season to taste with garlic powder. Toss gently. Set aside.

Slice bacon strips in half. Wrap bacon around approximately a 1 inch bundle of green beans and place in a 9x13 inch baking pan. (usually use glass).

Melt 1 regular stick of butter in a sauce pan. When melted add brown sugar to taste (usually 2 to 3 tablespoons). When disolved, pour over green beans and bake in oven at 350 degrees until bacon is brown. If you overcook, green beans will shrivel.