A pesco-vegetarian is someone who eats no meat except fish. That's what we do when we're at home and most of the time when we eat in other places. Last week I explained my family's approach to menu planning, which is that I write the menu and do the weekend cooking, while Daniel cooks weeknight … Continue reading Four Weeks of Pesco-Vegetarian Dinners (early autumn)
Recipes
Cauliflower leaves are edible!
Our CSA farm does not trim the outer leaves off a head of cauliflower because they help to keep the white part of the cauliflower clean until you're ready to eat it. The farm newsletter had mentioned from time to time that these leaves are edible, too, and we'd tried substituting them for kale in … Continue reading Cauliflower leaves are edible!
Masoor Dal (Indian Lentils) with Carrots
This started with a recipe I found online, but we've made some adjustments. The most interesting (though not authentically Indian) one is adding carrots, which turns this from just a high-protein main dish into a full meal. It's easy and pretty quick to make. It's vegetarian and can be made vegan, it's gluten-free and nut-free, … Continue reading Masoor Dal (Indian Lentils) with Carrots
Spaghetti Sauce, August 20 Version
This is part of my ongoing documentation of spaghetti sauce variations. Like the sauce I made around this time last year, this one contains the seasonal vegetables we happened to have on hand, but they were a little different this time. This sauce has about the maximum basil flavor I can stand. Here are the … Continue reading Spaghetti Sauce, August 20 Version
How to use old tofu and turn ramen noodles into a full meal!
The trouble with tofu is, if you don't use the whole block in one meal, you're supposed to store it in a container of water and change the water every day. That is pretty annoying! It's easy to forget it for a couple of days. Then, when you remember, it doesn't smell so good. I … Continue reading How to use old tofu and turn ramen noodles into a full meal!
Homemade Frozen Shredded Vegetables
Like reusing glass jars, this is an idea I've mentioned before that has increased its importance in my day-to-day life to the point that it deserves its own article! When you have more of a vegetable than you can eat before it goes bad, clean and shred the extra all at once, put measured portions … Continue reading Homemade Frozen Shredded Vegetables
Homemade Electrolyte Replenisher (Sports Drink)
UPDATE in 2016: This trusty recipe has now carried me through seven summers, another low-blood-pressure pregnancy, another two years of breastfeeding (which increases the risk of dehydration), and several digestive illnesses! Today I've updated some references in this post and linked up with Real Food Friday, where my recent post on using up the vegetables … Continue reading Homemade Electrolyte Replenisher (Sports Drink)
Spaghetti Sauce, May 7 Version
Well . . . I decided last summer that I was going to write down what I put into every batch of spaghetti sauce, to give better inspiration to readers learning the sauce-making skill set . . . and then for various reasons I didn't do it with the next 3 batches. But here's another … Continue reading Spaghetti Sauce, May 7 Version
Spring Sale Vegetables for Supper…and Breakfast!
The sale items in the produce departments of our local supermarkets for the last few weeks have included kale, Vidalia onions (at half the typical onion price--must be a bumper crop!), mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. We have favorite recipes using all of these ingredients, but I came up with a new one on the spur … Continue reading Spring Sale Vegetables for Supper…and Breakfast!
Things Not To Do: Cooked Fruit Edition
Don't cook cantaloupe. Most other kinds of fruit can be cooked and will still taste good, maybe even better. Cooking is an ideal way to use scraps or fruit that's too old to eat fresh. But not if it's cantaloupe. Cooking makes cantaloupe fragrant in a bad way. It doesn't smell like food anymore. It's … Continue reading Things Not To Do: Cooked Fruit Edition
Two Weeks of Meatless Menus for Late Winter
It's Lent, which means that a lot of omnivores are keeping meatless Fridays, and some have given up meat for the whole six weeks. Daniel and I used to eat a lot more meat than we do now, and giving up meat for Lent in 2002 was one of the biggest steps in our journey. … Continue reading Two Weeks of Meatless Menus for Late Winter
Speedy Sushi and menu planning with a six-year-old
The obvious solution was to have Nicholas work with me on the menu plan. A side benefit is that he's more likely to eat meals he planned. I know that it usually works better to get him involved in what I want to do than to try to keep him occupied somehow so I can do it, yet sometimes assumptions like, "Children don't like to do that sort of thing," creep in and talk me out of even trying!
Great source of nutrition and food-safety information!
One of the weird things about being an Earthling these days (at least, in many regions of Earth) is that there are many, many choices of food available and many people talking about what they eat and why and how. It's very confusing! That's why I'm glad the Center for Science in the Public Interest exists.
Things Not To Do: Dessert Edition, Volume II
from storyteller Fran Stallings (Becca's mom), a story horrifyingly similar to the tale of the Fruity Whip While our kitchen is being renovated, we've set up camp in the main bathroom, which we have equipped with electric skillet, small microwave, and toaster oven. Electric kettle and toaster are on the dinette table, which is camping … Continue reading Things Not To Do: Dessert Edition, Volume II
Apricot Lentil Soup
This vegan, gluten-free soup has an interesting flavor, different from most lentil soups yet not too sweet and fruity. It's easy and inexpensive!
Favorite Fall Recipes
I'm the sort of person who hates being cold. You might think I would choose to live in a warm climate instead of Pittsburgh, but I like it here for other reasons, and I like having four distinct seasons even though three of them can be chilly and the coldest one often seems very long--it … Continue reading Favorite Fall Recipes
Spaghetti Sauce, August 29 Version
Some people have complained that my Marinara Sauce recipe is too vague. They're right--it's more like general guidelines for making sauce, not very helpful if you've never done it before. My sauce-making technique is constantly evolving, and every batch is different. I decided to write down what I do each time I make a batch … Continue reading Spaghetti Sauce, August 29 Version
Things Not To Do, Dessert Edition
When I was in college, I belonged to a very silly geek social organization called KGB. We did a lot of weird things, including some which were worked into the structure of our weekly meetings. One of these was Things Not To Do: You'd get the floor, say, "Things Not To Do," and share an … Continue reading Things Not To Do, Dessert Edition
Grilled Cheese Worth 14 Years of Gratitude!
First the recipe, then the story. To make one delightfully delectable grilled-cheese sandwich, you will need: 2 slices of bread your favorite cheese, in slices about 1/4" thick, enough to cover one slice of bread about 1 Tbsp. marinara sauce (or use jarred sauce) about 1 tsp. yellow mustard plenty of butter a good frying … Continue reading Grilled Cheese Worth 14 Years of Gratitude!
THE Coleslaw Recipe!
I've tried many coleslaw recipes over the past 20 years but never managed to produce a batch of coleslaw that tasted quite right to me. Sure, I could eat a serving and enjoy it, but the typical cabbage is pretty big and makes a lot of coleslaw, and I never made any that I liked … Continue reading THE Coleslaw Recipe!
The Earthling's Handbook 