Well I'm hosting shabbos dinner this week. 6 adults, 1 fusspot.
According to a blog I read (with no citation, of course), the average American grocery story has 45,000 items. The average grocery store here has 15,000. And in the absurd exchange rate (which basically rules out salad) and the fact that it must be vegetarian by necessity (haven't made it to the butcher yet) and I'm sort-of at a loss for ideas ... oh, and my oven only goes up to 220 degrees. Of course, that may explain why the kitchen has no baking trays or pie pans (ruling out cookies or pie for dessert). Beats me why.
So, any clever ideas for easy, fun vegetarian dinner ideas? I was thinking of making a butternut squash soup (only ingredient purchased thus far) and a vegetarian curry. Recipes much appreciated. Maybe bruschetta for an appetizer, maybe an apple crisp for dessert? Any ideas for easy appetizers, entrees, sides or dessert very much appreciated.
My guess is that I am feeling so uninspired to cook (and I really do love to cook and to bake) because next Friday I'll be in the USA eating yummy holiday-food! That's right folks, only one more week until I see my much-missed husband again. 2.5 months down, 1 week to go.
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hummus for an appetizer- no cooking needed. And I have a very yummy side- wild/brown or just plain old rice with either craisins, dried apricots, or whatever with some pine nuts or sliced almonds. throw in some garlic, cumin, ginger, whatever spice floats your boat really. Super easy & quick & much yummier than plain rice.
Desserts I always like some baked or poached pears or peaches- sprinkle with some cinnamon & if you want some whipped cream on top...
oh- and my word verification is 'spermo'!!!
Is it 220 degrees C? That's usually plenty hot enough for baking.
What about pasta with pesto? Most places sell jars of pesto sauce and you can cook up some mushrooms and garlic to add to it.
I was about to suggest some sort of apple and/or other fruit crisp for dessert. You can basically cook the fruit on the stovetop until tender, then top it with the crisp/crumble topping and brown it under the broiler (do you have a broiler feature? If so, you should be able to overcome the whole 220 limit thing, though perhaps not too precisely...).
I think the butternut squash and veggie curry sounds delicious. I like Jenn's idea of a pilaf-style side, too. Or what about a pasta with lemon-olive oil-garlic style sauce? Easy, simple, inexpensive, tasty. A little plain, though. Maybe a pasta primavera kind of thing? Canned/jarred veggies used as appropriate to bring the overall cost down (canned artichokes are good, if they aren't too pricey on that side of the ocean...).
Are eggs okay? If so, what about a frittata? Or what about a breakfast for dinner kind of thing- pancakes/muffins, fruit and an egg dish?
Or maybe a lentil soup or other bean soup, something more substantial to make it more a main course than a starter/side? I have an excellent black bean soup recipe that I *think* could have been made with ingredients I found in H's dad's kitchen. Polenta + beans? Vegetarian bean chili? What about some sort of vegetarian patty (falafel comes to mind, but there are tons of other grains/flours that can be used besides the noble chickpea...) that you could saute on the stove then use the oven to keep warm, etc.?
Um, yeah. Those are my ideas. And now, I'm hungry...
Rachel, this is totally off topic but when you are home next week pick up some enzymatic cleaner used for dog accidents at your local pet store for the carpets around the fusspot's potty. The enzymes actually breakdown the urine on a cellular level and remove the stain as well as the odor.
I do animal rescue and this is a live saver and keeps from having to have carpets replaced. The best brand is Nature's Miracle available at PETCO. It is the the one that all the rescue groups uses, it comes in a concentrate, it is all natural and you can get a bottle, pack it in your suitcase and then bring it back with you. I have used it for years, and the thing with old dogs and puppies that are training, if they can still smell it they will continue to use the same area, so I know that it really works.
You can also use this on the leather, especially if there are cracks in that have caught some urine, but I would test a small spot first, just to be same.
Hey Rachel!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I am so excited to share my "crazy diet" with everyone who will listen!
If you check out my posts from June 13 & 19, I go into pretty specific detail about the diet. It is very basic (basic does NOT = easy!) and I have all of the "rules" of the diet listed.
Also, as for the meds, the only thing I am taking right now is glumetza (a form of metformin). I take 1500mg (3 pills) each night. The good thing about it is that if I slip up and ACCIDENTALLY have a cinnabon for lunch (what?! you don't?!), the meds make me PAY for it, big time. So it's a nice way of keeping myself in check.
For now, I am so incredibly happy with the results. The weight loss is a great side effect and I swear it has fallen off. Yes, I try to stick to the diet, but I haven't worked out once (horrible!) since I started the meds in June.
Let me know if you have other questions. Good luck!!
220 degrees centigrade is plenty hot enough to INCINERATE anything you care to bake. You can make pizza at 220 C. OK, not restaurant-quality pizza, but fine pizza (and I know, I grew up in Italy). Most baking is done at 180 C. Unless American recipes are completely different from European ones and are cooked for much shorter times much hotter, I do wonder if you've got Farenheit and Centigrade entwined.
If you can get halloumi, stir-fried halloumi cubes with greens or zucchini or, pretty much, any veg at all, with onions and garlic and a little paprika, is fabulous, and very quick to make, which is nice if you're totally not in the mood to cook.
Enjoy your trip home! Hurrah for seeing your husband again!
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