Sunday food for thought

...just  a few hours late...

Wow, only the first of the four weekends before Christmas, and already I am feeling waaayyyyyy behind!  Last week's menu was bumped into this week (as you may notice!). And that is not a good start, given how busy the next four weeks will be.  So, I am going to try and bit somewhat proactive going into this week...

• Sunday: Lasagna, salad and bread (we had chowder on Saturday night!)
• Monday: Baked pork chops, mashed potatoes and broccoli!  (I can hear my 10 year old cheering now!)
• Tuesday: out for dinner...There is a birthday in our house, and the request was the Chinese buffet, so healthy eating begone!  Let them eat Sweet and sour pork and white rice (oh and chow mein noodles!), and all the chicken wings they want.
• Wednesday: Baked Salmon with rice and Greek Salad (off season, but Rob brought a whole box of tomatos home from Costco...at least they are BC grown!)
• Thursday: Shepherd's pie and salad
• Friday: Dad's night to cook: Pancakes!
• Saturday: I am leaving this one open.  

When I look at the calendar, I just shake my head.  There are two meetings this week (School and skating); an extra soccer practice (why?), Christmas show practices for dance and for skating, Showcase for skating down South Island, volley ball practices (and Provincials), and Friday night is card night (no, not poker...Christmas cards!).
Everyone's house gets crazy around the holidays, what are your tricks to keeping a balance and making sure everyone is on track?  Love to hear your tips!

And lunches...well, there just might be quite a bit of peanut butter on the menu!

Happy packing!

Kim

Greek Salad (made with mostly local ingredients)

Island Hot House Sweet Bell Peppers

 This time of the year, Greek salad  is a staple on our supper table.  The veggies are fresh and local.  The garlic is from this year (especially if we have been to Salt Spring Island!  The best garlic!  I usually buy two braids and that gets us from September until about April).  The local cheese places all do their own version of Feta cheese.  And sometimes we even get some local goat feta (but it costs twice the price for half as much!).  And the oregano is from our own patch.  Both dried and fresh.
Unfortunately, we don't have local lemons...we don't have local Olive oil and we don't have local olives...And greek salad just wouldn't be the same without it.  Oh well, another reason I have a really hard time with that 100 Mile Diet!
I have read a number of recipes for Greek Salad and some use lemons and some don't.  For me, it just doesn't taste right without the acid added to the dressing.

Long English Cukes, from Port Alberni

Paradise Island Feta Cheese

Fresh tomatoes

Chopped veggies ready for dressing

 

 The recipe for Greek Salad is very simple:
3 tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 large sweet pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 long english cucumber, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives (from the deli counter, not from a can!)
125 grams of feta cheese, coarsely chopped.

Veggies tossed, ready for dressing

Then you are ready to make your dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons (juice lemons at room temperature, you will get more juice)
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I grate mine)
1 heaping tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste (go easy, you will get salt from the olives and the feta)
Good extra virgin olive oil...1/4-1/3 cup depending on how juicy your lemons were.
Combine all ingredients except for oil.  Mix or whisk until well combined.  While still whisking, add olive oil, in a steady stream.  Whisking while adding, helps to bring the dressing together.
Pour over veggies.  Toss.  Add olives and feta.  Serve immediately.  Usually serves 6-8 people.  Unless one of them is my husband, in which case, it serves 5.

Maybe just a bit more garlic...

local garlic!

Best way to get all the juice out...Citrus Remer

Ready for the feta

Save some for the salad

Ready to serve!

They don't grow them here yet...

Use this salad with chicken breast and homemade tzatziki in wrap.  So yummy!  (if you have any leftovers!)
Head over to What's cookin Wednesday and check out some more delicious eats!

Happy Packing!

Kim

What we ate Wednesday...

Wow!  I found a new website/blog today...oh my goodness!  (I am not sure my waistline is going to stay where it is if I make too many of her recipes!)...So I am sharing "What we ate Wednesday" over at Peas and Crayons  with you...
We ate well this Wednesday, that is for sure.  And we finished with some awesome treats from The Picky Palate (Heck, who is gonna be picky when those are on the menu!)  I finished the day by making Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirl Fudgy Cookies  ...Thank goodness I have four kids around to eat them!

But first, we had some supper...
Greek Salad...New potatoes...and Chicken breast seasoned with smoked paprika on the bbq...
And that is what crazy skater girls who are on the ice 15 hours a week, need to be eating!  (and I was including the chocolate peanut butter crazy yummy cookies in that!)

And we have a few cookies to take to the skating coach in the morning, but I am happy to say that they ate it all!  No leftovers!

Happy Packing!

Kim