Parsley Pesto, Crunchy Lemon Quinoa, baked Lemon Chicken, and

the usual mixed green salad. This has been a busy crazy week; I was out a couple of evenings. Birthday party one night, and a long meeting last night. Not to worry I will fill you in on our dinners :).

On Tuesday I made fresh parsley - yes parsley - pesto and served it over linguine. Yesterday we had the rest of the parsley with roast chicken. I know it sounds a little odd, but it was amazing. As you know - or may not know - both of our girls have Classic Galactosemia and we allow the to eat Parmesiano Reggiano. The origin of the recipe is New Seasons Market www.newseasonsmarket.com - try it, it is delicious...

Parsley Oregano Pesto
- 1 bunch curley parsley, washed & large stems removed
- 1/2 C fresh oregano leaves
- 1/2 C raw sunflower seeds
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/3 C Parmesiano Reggiano, grated
- lemon - juice, and zest of a small lemon
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 C Olive Oil
1. In food processor pulse parsley until chopped, then
2. add oregano leaves and pulse until combined with chopped parsley, then
3. Add sunflower seeds, garlic, and Parmesiano Reggiano and pulse until well combined, then
4. Add lemon juice, and zest - pulse and slowly add olive oil until well combined

So the theme - in a way - was lemon :) tired of pasta, potatoes, and rice I decided to serve quinoa as a side. I adapted the Crunchy Lemon Quinoa from this recipe http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemony-Quinoa/Detail.aspx

Crunchy Lemon Quinia
1/2 C sunflower seeds
2/3 C Quinoa
1-1/2 C water
1 pinch of salt
1/2 small onion finely diced
1/4 C cilantro leaves chopped
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cumin
lemon - juice and zest diced of a small lemon or 1/2 larger one
salt and pepper to taste

1. Toast sunflower seeds - remove once they start to get fragrant and turn slightly golden.
Remove and reserve in separate bowl
2. Add quinoa, water, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil and cook until all water is absorbed and
quinoa is soft,
3. Mix quinoa, with sunflower seeds and rest of the ingredients. Adjust salt, pepper - I also added
some more fresh cilantro

Enjoy!

Sausages with Sherry Caramel Glazed Pears = Tuesday Dinner

Dinner was delicious the day however was not so fantastic. Alena and I have caught some nasty cold which makes both of us crabby and there were a couple of meltdowns. The first one right before school some were late, and the second one just before I started on dinner. The two of us were not the happiest of campers, neither of us. We talked it through and it was at that time I realized that Alena was also not feeling good. We worked it out and all are happy again... But now dinner. I know it really is not pear season until fall but we had Maple Sage Sausage links from New Season's left and I remembered this recipe. It is a New Season's recipe which I picked up a couple of years ago and also made before. Today however it was the best yet. I served it with basic mashed potatoes and the ever present mixed green salad.

Here is the - adapted by switching Earth Balance for the cow butter'- recipe. Original by http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/.

You need
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C sherry vinegar
2. firm ripe Bosc pears, quartered, cored, and (if you want) peeled
Splash of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance or other vegan butter
2-3 large shallots, quartered lengthwise
1/4 tsp salt
App. 1-1/2 lbs. link pork sausage - app. 8 links

1. In a medium pan bring sugar and 1/4 C of water to a boil. Stir frequently until sugar is
dissolved, keep at a boil - keep stirring - until mixture is a deep golden caramel. Then
2. Carefully, add the sherry vinegar. It will STEAM so be very careful. Then remove it from the
heat and stir until caramel is dissolved. Pour into a separate bowl and reserve. Then,
3. Mix the pear spears with lemon juice and set aside. Next,
4. Add earth Balance, 1/4 C of water, and shallots to the pan in which the caramel was made.
Heat until the liquid is evaporated and the shallots brown.
5. Add the pears and continue to cook for app. 6 more minutes. Then,
6. Stir reserved caramel - step 2 - to shallot, pear mixture as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat.
7. Cook sausages in a different pan.
Source http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/

Serve sausage with the glazes pears, a side f mashed potatoes, and a salad. Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful day.  Certainly almost everyone must have had one here in PDX as it was just a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine.  Perfect to just hang out, or go for a hike, or bike ride - or like me just hang out.  I had a lovely day,  Ron did everything while I relaxed and read my book on a lawn chair in the back yard. Total bliss!!!

And yes, Ron also made breakfast, as well as dinner it does not get much better than that...

Ron and I toasted with delicious Gruet Rose and Lemon Sorbet.  The girls joined us with a big glass of lemon sorbet...

For dinner Ron made steaks on the grill, oven potatoes, and - you know we love it - salad...

The girls gave me a big smile.

And Ron even recorded a cover song for me...

Thank you so much!!! Signed with a singing heart, the mothership...

Dinner at a friend's house...

I just love Friday nights!  Well, I know that almost everyone loves Friday night, right?  The work week is over, the kids are out of school, and the leisure plus errands of the weekend await...Often times we pick-up Ron from work downtown and go out.  It is just a great night...

Yesterday one of our friends called to see if we were available for dinner.  What a treat as we have barely seen each other this school year.  The girls are best of friends, but with busy schedules it is just hard to get together. So everyone was super excited - plus my friend is an amazing cook,  and everything they served was 100% Galactosemia safe.  She even made sure to get vegan cupcakes from St. Cupcakes....

Now take a look at this amazing menu...

Artichokes

Grilled artichokes

Here is Alena and her friend enjoying the artichokes...

Delicious artichoke

The second course for the kids was fruit

while us adults - and Mia Rose - feasted on Stinging Nettle & Mushroom soup of which I forgot to take a picture. Lastly are friends served us flank steak with the most amazing homemade chimichurri sauce, grilled potatoes, and greens.

Flank Steak with Chimichurrie sauce

Take a look at these best friends....

Oven baked mustard-herb chicken thigs...

were requested for dinner tonight by my darling husband :) This is one of his favorite meals served with plain white rice and mixed green salad. Ron got to select dinner tonight as the mothership - me - went out...I think everyone liked their dinner - judging from the leftovers - and there is also some left for lunch tomorrow for the girlies as well as for Ron. Yay!!!

I have posted this recipe before, as I make this dish quite often. Here is the link to my recipe http://galactopdx.blogspot.com/2009/01/panko-baked-chicken-thigs.html
I have increased the amount of chicken to 2 lbs as both girls now seem to eat more meat...

Wednesday Taco Night...

was a huge hit and guess who ate meat and beans tonight? Yes, the bean lover Alena also ate meat and the meat lover Mia Rose also ate beans. Well, that's a first and you know what they told me? "Mama, you are the best cooker in the world!" it so made my heart sing :)

Today we also had Daiya cheddar style vegan cheese. Neither girl usually likes fake cheese - but oh my did they love this...So Taco's with beef, black beans, guacamole, fresh onions & tomatoes, vegan cheese and vegan sour cream. So tonight, I declare dinner success :)

Sunny Tuesday and Rice & Beans for dinner

Do I dare even talk about the beautiful sunshine we had again today?  It is wonderful, I can almost smell summer...kids are playing outside while parents sit and relax on the front steps.  Look at my lovely family - all sitting on the front step...

Dinner was black beans & rice with avocado, and chicken breast.  A big surprise to me was that both girls finished their entire plates.  Alena ate her all of her chicken, our usual vegetarian while Mia Rose, our carnivore,  finished all of her rice & beans.  That was really the big surprise of the day :)  So here it is the picture of the dinner plate, and guess what the girlies will have for lunch tomorrow? Yes, exactly - rice & beans....

Lentil Soup - Linsen Suppe - on a warm spring day

Yes, to both; lentil soup and a warm day. I usually think of lentils more on cold days, when it's grey and misty but I also think of summer and camping. So really lentil soup is the all around comfort food :) Oh, and yes it true we had another beautiful day here in Portland. So let me just hope that I did not jinx it....

Do you want to hear more about the soup? Yes?! It is super and delicious. Easy to make it vegan - just leave out the Mini Bites.

- Splash of Olive Oil
- 1 onion chopped
- pinch of salt
- 3 carrots cleaned & sliced
- 3 (individual) celery stalks diced
- 1 leek, cleaned and cut into fine rings -> I use the entire leek just not the root :)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- Pepper to taste
- 1 C dried lentils
- 1 small can diced tomatoes & 3 cans of water
- Splash of white Balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar
- 1/2 lb of small smoked sausages (always double check the label)

1. Heat Olive Oil, then add onion with a pinch of salt. When onions are soft,
2. add carrots, celery, leek, garlic and Herbs de Provence. When vegetables turn bright in
color, and herbs are flagrant add,
3. Lentils, cannes tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Leave at a
Slow simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are soft,
4. Add splash of white Balsamic vinegar, and adjust Salt and Pepper to taste. Then
5. Add sausages - if using - and gently heat them in the soup.

Serve with crust bread!

A Sunday with lots of sunshine...

...at last - it has been raining for the last two weeks off and on. Probably more on than off, so finally today sunshine. A perfect day to play outside...Both Girls wanted to go to Jam on Hawthorne for breakfast and since we have not been out for breakfast in a long time. Vegan Chai Pancakes for Alena, and - new choice - scrambled egg with bacon for Mia Rosie.

At home it was time for me to play in the yard by planting tomato, cucumber, and zucchini starts, folowed by some weeding. The girls had one of Mia Rosies' classmates come over for a fun playdate. Look at my little Snow White and her friend...are they not super cute?

Overall fun for all which ended with dinner for all. Pasta with a vegetable-olive tomato sauce and Parmesiano Regiano....

Rhubarb-Meringue Kuchen aka Rhabarber Kuchen

What other cake says "Spring is here" like rhubarb?  No other, that I can think of.  Rhubarb - Rhabarber - reminds me so much of home. Rhubarb compote, rhubarb with vanilla...tangy yet sweet and so delicious!!!  So I was thrilled to find rhubarb on the Portland Farmer's Market this past week and just had to get some.  I promised Ron to bake this cake - he actually asked if I would make a pie but I had to remind him that I make Kuchen and not pie ;)

Here is the recipe for Rhubarb-Meringue Kuchen

You need

- 1 stick of Earth Balance or other vegan butter

- 325 gram sugar

- 3 eggs

- 50 gram corn starch

- 125 gram flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 pinch of salt

- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

- 1-1/2 - 2 lbs of rhubarb

1. Clean the rhubarb by peeling it and cut it into app. 1/4"pieces

2. Separate 2 eggs carefully. Reserve the egg whites.

Make the dough

1. Add stick of Earth Balance, 125 gram of sugar, 1 whole egg, 2 egg yolks, cornstarch, baking powder

    and flour to a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly until you have a firm dough.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F

3. Spread dough into baking form, and top with rhubarb

4. Bake for about 30 minutes, or longer until dough is just slightly golden

Make Meringe

1. In a clean mixing bowl beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm

2. slowly add lemon juice, and sugar

5. Carefully spread meringue over the top of the cake

6. Bake for another 20 - 30 minutes, depending on your oven this could be longer or shorter until 

    meringue turns a little brown.

Enjoy!

It turned out great, I really like rhubarb a lot so next time,  I will add a lot more rhubarb :)

Here is the link to my initial post for this recipe..http://galactopdx.blogspot.com/2009/06/do-you-like-rhubarb.html