Cafe Coconut Girl: More Photos from the Meal Ticker

The Meal Ticker is a daily list of meals I’ve made at my house, which I post on the Coconut Girl’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Its purpose is to provide simple menu ideas for families. Many people have told me that coming up with healthy meals is a daily source of stress. This is particularly true of the overtired and harried among us–such as parents of babies and young children. Once readers have an idea of what to make, most are able to track down recipes (though I’m happy to provide these upon request via email).  The Meal Ticker provides some quick online inspiration.

At our house, we’re flexitarians, per author Michael Pollan’s term in his book In Defense of Food. That’s to say, we’re 95% vegetarian, though I do use chicken and meat stock–homemade and organic, when I can. The menfolk in my house also enjoy organic chicken, hot dogs, or cold cuts every now and then.

Here are some images of Meal Ticker repasts from the last week or two.

Top Row: Left: Pasta w/tomato sauce (Paesana brand), sauteed mushrooms, garlic & zucchini, as well as canned chickpeas (Cento brand), and fresh Italian parsley. I use half regular spaghetti, half Barilla Plus pasta, which is made from whole grains and chickpea flour. It makes the pasta hearty but not dense, and contributes protein and Omega-3s to the meal. Top pasta with freshly grated parmesean, a twist of pepper, and torn fresh basil. Center: Breakfast for the kids: broiled cheesy toast. Place sliced cheddar on whole grain bread coated with a thin layer of mayo. Fresh oranges and blueberries brighten things up. Right: Homemade vegetable dumplings. Wrappers can be found in grocery store produce section. We fill with minced broccoli, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, scallions, fresh ginger, tofu, and a bit of sesame oil and plum sauce. Pan fry in vegetable oil for about 2 minutes each side over high heat. Then add 1/4 cup water and cover with lid to steam vegetables on med-high heat for about 4 minutes. Serve with a dipping sauce made from 1/3 soy sauce, 2/3 white vinegar.

Middle Row: Left: Cauliflower and green pea curry, served with spiced basmati rice, papadams, and plain yogurt. The curry comes from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I make two changes to the recipe: 1) I add 2/3 can of coconut milk at the end of cooking to make a nice sauce, and 2)I use frozen peas instead of snowpeas, as I usually have those on hand. The spiced basmati rice recipe is from Madhur Jaffrey’s paperback, Indian Cooking. Papadams are crunchy, flavorful Indian tortillas, available at Indian groceries. They’re fried for a minute or two on each side, and add a delicious crunch to the soft texture of curries and rice. Center: Homemade burritos. Here I tried to copy our favorite burrito in Charlottesville, the Vegetarian from Aqui es Mexico. The key seems to be pinto beans, and cooked, diced potatoes and carrots, of all things! Makes the burrito soft and hearty, along with the usual favorites: crema, avocado, rice, chiles, and salsa. Right: Making Marcella Hazan’s broccoli and potato soup from her book, Marcella Cucina.

Bottom Row: Left: Beet greens, sauteed in olive oil with garlic for 3-5 minutes. I splash in a bit of chicken broth towards the end to finish the cooking, then add a few drops of balsamic vinegar on top. Beet greens contain the most iron of any of the leafy greens, which is why, as mostly-vegetarians, we eat them a lot. They’re great in quesadillas, panini, or with pasta. Center: Banana puddings, per the recipe on the ‘Nilla wafer box. A  good friend of my children who’s nut-allergic was visiting that day. So we made a pudding for him without any cookies, just in case. (His mother has taught us that sometimes manufacturers use the same lines to produce multiple cookies types. This means even non-nut cookies can become contaminated with trace amounts of allergens.). Right: Salad of mache, pink grapefruit, avocado, and shallots. I squeezed a little fresh grapefruit juice into the vinaigrette as well.