Leftover Makeover : Prime Rib Roast Bone Soup

Sorry no image for this one as it was really tasty and we ate it up before I remembered to take a photo.

Beef ribs from the prime rib roast

Cabbage 

Carrots
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
Tomato paste

Extra seasoning : cayenne pepper, Bay leaves, thyme, oregano, paprika 

Boil until meat is falling off bone. Enjoy!

Veggie Casserole

I'm still working on the vegetarian repetoire of meals. It can't just be a regular salad because there isn't enough "stuff" in it to fill me up. A lot of people think that's what a vegetarian meal is like but there's so much more. What I'm trying to learn is how to create a healthy, hearty and tasty vegetarian meal...that won't leave me hungry 2 hrs after I eat.

So, after rummaging through my fridge for suitable veggies (I'm not very proficient with meal/grocery planning in advance...though mind you, it's sometimes the more economical way to just buy whatever is well priced and then figure out the meal later) I have:

Five cheese ravioli
Zucchini
Tomato
Onion
Eggplant
Goat cheese
Tomato paste
Various dried herbs


I chopped the onion and tomatoes and sauteed it first to make a tomato-y type sauce. I added tomato paste to thicken and add flavor. And then I layered it all together.


And ta-da!

The starch and cheses from the ravioli made the dish quite filling. Yes, I could've cooked it all separately and had ravioli with roasted veggies on the side, which I will probably do one day, but I was lazy and just wanted everything in one dish. =) Enjoy!

Veal Flank Stew and Spring Salad

I bought some veal flank meat and thought a stew would be nice....but as Spring is here, pairing it with a fresh salad would be even nicer.

Stew:
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Veal flank
Onion
Garlic
Cumin
Paprika
Sugar
Sriracha
BBQ Sauce
Ketchup
Tomato Paste
Various herbs that seemed to smell good together

Salad:
Spring Greens
Naval Orange cut to bite sizes
Chopped Almonds

Dressing:
Olive Oil
Grainy mustard
Honey
Lemon Juice

Meatless Rotini Casserole

It was another Meatless Monday and this time I was going to experiment with tofu. I had grown up eating it Asian style...but was told that it really takes on whatever flavors you cook it in...so I was going to use it in a "meat" sauce for a pasta casserole....that didn't have meat in it.

Tofu
Tomatoes
Onion
Tomatoe paste
BBQ Sauce (for smoke)
Basil
Oregano
Parmesan
Goat's milk gouda
Tri-colored rotini

End result....it was really really good! I could still tell tofu was tofu...but it wasn't as if I was trying to hide the tofu in the first place. Now I know that I can experiment more with cooking tofu like meat. However, as most of the soy products in North America are GMO....I also have to be wary about where the tofu comes from. It's unfortunate because tofu can be so good for you otherwise.

Tomato Zucchini casserole

I was running out of vegetables in the fridge.
There was some leftover tomato paste that would go bad soon if I didn't use it up.
It was cold out.
I had dishes to do.

And this tomato zucchini casserole became the solution! Baked veggies, especially with cheese and panko on top always tastes good. Cold season = casserole season. And while it baked, I was free to do the dishes. Genius!

Tomato
Zucchini
Tomato paste
Frozen corn niblets (found those in the freezer)
Cheese
Panko
S&P
Dried basil flakes (Really, whatever dried herbs you have around would do)

I got the thin slices of zucchini with a mandoline and then just layered everything together. Adding a spoon of tomato paste now and then. Baked it at 400 F. And it was delish! The dishes got done too.