Category Archives: Easy Weeknight Meals

No-Recipe, Clean Out the Fridge Minestrone

Easy Weeknight Meals, Low Calorie, Main Courses, Soups, Vegan, , , , , , , , , ,

green minestrone

Minestrone is a staple in my house, it’s healthy, loaded with vegetables, and hearty.  It’s a great way to use up whatever vegetables you have in your crisper, and the rest of the ingredients are things that you probably already have on hand in your pantry.

I don’t have a “recipe” for minestrone, I make it with what I have on hand.  The key to great minestrone is starting with aromatics, then adding a combination of vegetables, beans and starch (optional).  You can finish the soup with a little olive oil, fresh herbs, cheese or croutons.  Serve with a salad or crusty bread (or both) – and you have a healthy and satisfying meal.
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Chicken and Mushroom Clay Pot

Easy Weeknight Meals, Low Calorie, Main Courses, , , , , ,

A few months ago I was in Dallas and I ate at a hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese restaurant that was amazing. They specialized in clay pots, or one pot meals cooked in a clay pot with a lid. I had an amazing clay pot with glass noodles and it prompted me to go out and buy some clay pots and start experimenting. I found some clay pots at World Market and when I got them home and started researching recipes, I realized that they are often used on the stovetop (I assumed they meant exclusively for the oven). Unfortunately, I don’t have a gas range, so I wasn’t even sure that I would be able to use them. However, after some research and experimentation, I have come up with clay pot recipe that is cooked entirely in the oven.

claypot1

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“Beef” Bourguignonne

Easy Weeknight Meals, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s starting to feel like fall in Seattle, and while I’m still enjoying summer vegetables from the garden, I’ve been craving a cool evening and a great fall meal.

This recipe is a vegetarian version of the classic french dish made famous in the US by Julia Child.  If you are not a fan of meat facsimiles, but still want to keep this vegetarian, you could omit the the Gardien beefless tips, and double the mushrooms.  You wouldn’t get the same meaty texture though.

mushroom
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