Game Plan

What the Gutsteins Might Be Eating This Week - Summer Week 3


Wednesday
Soup from the deep with a fresh burst of Kale

I am no gourmand and I rely heavily on my stockpile of banked freezer items like soups. Whenever I take something out of the freezer, I like to add at least one fresh ingredient. Kale is a great green to add to soups and is versatile. I’ve dumped it into potato soup, yellow split pea, vegetable or minestrone and it has been well received. Then again, Josh will eat just about anything. To add the kale, I just cut out the thickest parts of the stem, chop it up and add it to my pot. A nice benefit of this is that all the good nutrients from the kale stay in the soup instead of being steamed away.


Thursday
Stir Fry with Daikon Radish
Also featuring: Red peppers, broccoli, onion, ginger, garlic and tofu

Sometimes we like our stir fry with a little something different. This carmelizing stir fry sauce, adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooks: More Great Tastes is rich and delicious:
2 T low-sodium tamari sauce (I usually just use whatever soy sauce I have)
2 T brown sugar (I could use 1 T per recipe and be just fine)
pinch red chili flakes
2 t sesame tahini

In a small saucepan, combine tamari sauce, brown sugar, chili flakes and tahini. Simmer until sugar is melted and mixture bcecomes a syrup, about 5 minutes, and set aside. This sauce is for about 4 sensible servings. Serve the vegetables and tofu over brown rice or soba noodles.

Friday
Grilled Salmon and Asparagus

The grill is already heated, so why not use it to cook up the vegetables,too? My brother-in-law Jon is especially good at grilling asparagus, and he recommends brushing them with olive oil, grilling, and then finishing with lemon and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

Sunday
Cilantro Pesto Pasta
Salad with farm lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and balsamic and olive oil dressing

This recipe is from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I've never actually made it, but always thought it sounded novel to use something other than basil. For the other dairy-free people out there, it's also a no cheese version:

1 C loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 C loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1/3 whole amonds
1 small fresh chile, or 1/4-1/2 t cayenne
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 T fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

To make the pesto, whirl all the ingredients, except the oil, in a food processor. When everything is well chopped, add the oil in a thin stream to form a smooth paste. If you try the pesto and it's too strong for your tastes, I have found adding a handful of raw spinach works wonders to mellow the flavors.


Monday
Spinach Mushroom Omelettes
Oven Potatoes with last week’s oregano

There’s at least one egg night in our house each week, and it’s usually Monday. After a busy day at work, it’s nice to have an easy go-to-meal.

I didn't feature a suggestion for strawberries because they are one of the first things to get eaten, sometimes on the way home from a Tuv Ha'aretz pick-up. If you haven't used your strawberries and they are looking a little wilted, see our recipe for Rhubarb/Strawberry Applesauce, which could certainly be made without the rhubarb.

Enjoy!