this week's menu + recipes + bento

pizza with caramelized onions, olives, and anchovies for the adults, pizza margherita for the child

pad thai

Vicki's Simple Dinner for a Cold Winter Night (I used bacon and fresh thyme and a bit of oregano), corn muffins (frozen the week before)
from Vicki's Sew Grateful giveaway comment:
In a large pot, fry about a handful of chopped salty meat (bacon, ham, sausage) with the same amount of onion + a bit of garlic + a bit of savoury or other herb if you like. When browned, add one full bag of frozen green peas (1kg). Add stock or water until the peas are covered. Cook until done (only about 15 minutes in a pinch). Blend with an immersion blender or in the food processor. Add stock/water if it's too thick. That's it. 

Janey's Pho, caramelized brussels sprouts
from Janey's Sew Grateful giveaway comment:
Simmer chicken thighs on the bone for at least an hour then take out the chicken and let it cool, once cooled, pull all the meat off and coat in fish sauce (nuoc mam). Pour the chicken stock through a sieve to get rid of the icky bits then keep it warm on the stove, season but not too much as you'll get the saltiness from the nuoc mam! Bring some fresh water to the boil, add rice noodles and cook until softened. Chop some spring onions and chuck them in a bowl. Put noodles in bowl, add stock, top off with chicken, eat! Add hot chili sauce if desired.

split pea soup with apples from the Love Soup cookbook

non dinner items:
green tea and brown rice porridge with lentils (for my breakfasts)
March Hare salad (cottage cheese, chopped vegetables, sunflower seeds, alfafa sprouts, etc.) for lunches from the good old Moosewood Cookbook
quick cabbage, carrot, and cucumber pickles for lunches
Gwyneth Paltrow's granola (checked out her cookbook from the library)
2 dozen cupcakes for the school bake sale, sigh
blueberry, ginger, and almond muffins to use up lots of leftover bits

I'm trying to get into the bento habit, packing healthy lunches at least a couple times a week for my extra beleaguered husband.  He's not a big fan of leftovers and doesn't (or shouldn't) eat the same things I pack in my daughter's lunch every morning, so it's kind of a challenge.  I'm doing what I can.

March Hare, veg pickles, hard boiled egg with matcha salt, apple and cheese

leftover pad thai and fruit

fruit, veg pickles, hard boiled egg, bibb lettuce, leftover millet with some anchovy dressing