Thursday, April 26, 2012

{Project: Food Budget} Week 30



Just before I get to this weeks menu, I had a lot of limes this week. I made this Lime & Yoghurt Cake and these Lime Muffins...both were SO good. You should definitely try them both!

I made some other things this week too...so I'll just interject this food post with a couple of pics:P

 This is a Sophie Tunic made from thrifted vintage curtains.

...and these I drafted the pattern myself. The shape turned out pretty cute:)
Any who...

Thursday - Dim Sims with vegetables
Friday - Curried Lentils With Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard
Saturday - Mung Bean And Pumpkin Soup


While searching for something to do with pumpkin and mung beans I found this Moroccan Pumpkin Soup recipe. I'm posting it below to remind me to add it to next weeks menu...sounds delish!



Moroccan Pumpkin Soup (Shorabit Yatkeen)
(6 to 8 servings)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 leeks (white and light green part only), or 2 medium onions, chopped
8 cups vegetable stock or water
5 to 6 cups (2 to 3 pounds) pumpkin, butternut squash, or other winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 cup (8 ounces) dried yellow split peas
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks (optional)
1 to 4 tablespoons brown or granulated sugar
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks, or about 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric or saffron strands
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice or nutmeg
About 1½ teaspoons table salt, or 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (see note) or pine nuts, or 1 cup sautéed mushrooms

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the stock, pumpkin, chickpeas, optional carrots, sugar, spices, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the pumpkin is very soft, about 50 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks.
2. To serve: Sprinkle with the parsley or toasted pumpkin seeds, or top each bowl with a little mound of sautéed mushrooms.

VARIATIONS
Creamy Pumpkin Soup: Omit the chickpeas. In a blender or food processor, puree the cooked soup until smooth. Or you can substitute 4 cups of canned pumpkin puree for the fresh pumpkin. Return to the pot, if desired, add 1 cup light cream or milk and reheat.

Hot Pumpkin Soup: Omit the cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Add with the onion 1 minced clove garlic and 1 small hot green chili or scotch bonnet chili or add about 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper and ½ teaspoon ground cumin with the pumpkin.

Bukharan Pumpkin and Mung Bean Soup (Mosh Kovok): Omit the chickpeas, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Add with the pumpkin 2 cups cooked white beans, ¾ cup (about 6 ounces) raw mung beans, and 2 peeled and diced medium boiling potatoes. Serve topped with a dollop of yogurt.

Sunday - Home made pizza
Monday - Silverbeet Tuna Dolmades
Tuesday - Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Onions
Wednesday - leftovers:D

The Week 30 Participating Blogs:

    Emily Levenson
    Dairy-Free Cooking
    Test Kitchen Tuesday
    Red Pen Mama
    Acquired Tastes
    Fit Flexitarian
    Warm As Pie 
    Katy Rank Lev
    My Inner Healthy
    Little Blue Hen
    xox, b
    Project Food Budget 2.0
    Fresh...A New Chapter
    Two Eggs Over Easy 

    Thursday, April 19, 2012

    {Project: Food Budget} Week 29



    Meal planning time of the week again...my goodness that comes around!
    This week I'm all over cheap and simple. This is no philosophy driven intervention - I just couldn't be bothered this week.
    I am managing to stay within budget ($200 per week, 6 mouths) most of the time. I need to recommit to produce market visits - that's my to do list this week...uh huh, one thing - I like to dream big...:P

    Thursday - Baked potatoes with tinned baked beans, salad, cheese and yoghurt.
    Friday - Zucchini and carrot slice
    Sunday - Home made pizza
    Tuesday - Warm roasted vegetable salad with haloumi and semi-dried tomatoes
    Wednesday - leftovers...




    Wednesday, April 11, 2012

    {Project: Food Budget} Week 28



    Good morning!
    Sorry about last weeks absence - got a little busy with Easter and house guests...
    Anyway, back to it this week.
    Here's the menu:)
    $200 budget for the week for our 6.

    Thursday - Creamy spinach and avo penne (olive oil, garlic, red capsicum, green beans, spinach, avo, pine nuts, cream cheese, lemon zest, nutmeg)
    Friday - Lentil pie (olive oil, onion, garlic, lentils, potato, pumpkin, curry powder, tomato paste, pastry)
    Saturday - Carrot soup (olive oil, leek, carrot, juice of 1 orange, stock, chickpeas, mixed spice)
    Sunday - Home made pizza
    Monday - Dal Palak
    Tuesday - Couscous and cannellini bean burgers
    Wednesday - leftovers:D

    The Week 28 Participating Blogs: