Whew....

Where did that week go?

And not a single picture this week - we scarfed all our food down too quickly to mess with photography!

Sunday: empanadas
-We made empanadas stuffed with various combinations of black beans, queso fresco, onions, and red bell pepper.  We fried most of them and baked a few.  While the baked ones were fine (and would be improved by brushing them with oil next time) the fried ones?  Wow.  That was a dangerous little discovery.  So, so good, and pretty easy.  Probably not a weeknight meal, but still, so good.

Monday: mac n cheese
-made from this recipe, using 1/2 mozzarella and 1/2 havarti with dill cheeses, gluten free flour and corn macaroni.

Tuesday: black bean tacos using leftover black beans and corn tortillas made from the last of the empanada dough.

Wednesday: celeriac and potato rosti
-coarsely grate one large potato and one medium celeriac.  mix with enough flour and egg until you think you can press it together to make a patty.  mix in chopped celery and press the whole deal into the pan.  cook over medium to medium high for 5-8 minutes, flip, repeat.  We made two rosti and put the first one in the toaster over at 350 while the second one cooked, and we both enjoyed the baked rosti more than the griddle-only one.  Serve with a mix of plain yogurt, sour cream, and dill.

Thursday: Indian take-out!  yum.  I was looking forward to this all week!

Productivity

Happy President's Day!

Let's wrap up since last post:

Thursday: was still a snow day. For dinner, we had giant salads (yum! green things!), the husband's topped with leftover chicken with a side of cornbread. Mine was just veggies, with chicken and melted cheese toasts on the side. Or was that Wednesday? We also had toasted chicken & cheese sandwiches sometime last week.

Friday: back to work for me. Dinner was mild Italian chicken sausage sandwiches with slaw.

Saturday: I had some sort of stomach bug, so I had plain white rice. Husband ordered a pizza from the Italian Pizza Kitchen with sausage and kalamata olives. I snuck a bite (or ten). It was delicious.

Sunday: pan-fried potatoes with onions, garlic, mild Italian chicken sausage, and chard.

Today, I took a trip (via Metro, since the car is entombed in snow) to Whole Foods and Giant to pick up a few things. Then, I bade a big pot of black beans in the oven and a veggie florentine lasagna to get ready for Lent. We've decided to go vegetarian for Lent, which starts on Wednesday.

Black Beans:

1/2 small onion, finely diced

3-4 garlic cloves, smashed

1lb dry black beans

saute 1/2 a small onion and a few smashed garlic cloves in a large pot

pick over the beans, removing any stones or broken beans

add beans to the pot and add water to about 1 inch over the level of the beans

cover the pot and place in a 325 degree oven for about an hour and a half. check after an hour or so and see if you need to add more water.

Tonight, I'm making seared scallops with creamy spinach risotto. Pictures to come!

Vegetarian Lasagna recipe coming on Wednesday!

Snowmageddon and Snoverkill (or Snowfecta, if you prefer)

Well, after 25" of snow Friday-Saturday we are set to get another 10-16" tonight. Federal Government (and thus, the entire city of DC) closed early Friday and has been closed Monday and Tuesday. Here's how we've been spending our time:

-knitting

-reading

-playing Wii fit

-watching bad tv and movies.

We've been eating well, though! We might be a little too well-stocked for the storm. There's no way I'm getting through this storm without gaining a good 5 pounds.

Saturday: freshly baked pumpkin bread with pecans, chicken sandwiches for dinner, leftover cornbread and pinto beans.

Sunday: our Super Bowl party of 7 turned into 2 so we've had lots of food! Pulled chicken sandwiches, potato chips, veggies and dip, chips and queso (Rotel dip), chocolate chip bars, and chocolate brownies, and of course, beer.

Monday: Our Super Bowl guests spent the night because Metro was so slow, so we started the day with pumpkin bread, cheesy ranch scrambled eggs, and bacon, with a game of Blockus on the side. Monday night we made arepas and stuffed them with some of the leftover pulled chicken. Chocolate chip ice cream on brownies for dessert.

Today, Tuesday, I think we'll be eating lots of leftovers. I made a big salad for lunch - the anti-brownie.

Week ending with: Snowmageddon!

Monday: turkey and swiss sandwiches with Utz sour cream and onion chips.

Tuesday: fried brown rice with onion, carrots, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, and frozen broccoli, tossed with sauce of chili paste, tamari, and fish sauce. Topped with a fried egg. Condiments of gomasio, kimchi, and sesame oil.

Wednesday: nachos! Tortilla chips topped with canned black beans, shredded Mexican blend cheese, onion, and cherry tomatoes.

Thursday: gluten free pizza from Lilit Cafe! Chicken, red peppers, onions, and green olives.

Friday: pinto beans (cooked earlier, from the freezer), prepared with onions, garlic, and bacon, served with Bob's Red Mill cornbread mix, to which we added shredded cheese, green onions, and jalapeno.

On tap for the weekend: cooking chicken for pulled chicken sandwiches, caramel-pretzel-peanut brownies, chocolate chip cookie bars, and pumpkin quick bread. I may make another batch of black beans too. And 20-30" of snow. Hooray for snowy, productive weekends!