A week of meals

I try to plan meals for a week and go to the grocery store once a week. There is always the call to Daddy to pick up odds and ends on his way home from work but it works well to do one big shop a week. This week will are having for dinner,
Pasta with Broccoli
Ribollita soup
Hand Pies (I'll post about these soon)
Sesame Soba Noodles
Millet Fried Rice
Fettuccine with spinach
Chicken sausage, potatoes and green beans

I'm not into eating much "kid food" but I also recognize that I can't challenge the kids every night, Pasta with Broccoli is my idea of a compromise.

Pasta with Broccoli
1-2 bunches of broccoli florets
1 pound fusilli pasta

Sauce enough for 1/2 pound of pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon
1/4 cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts or walnuts
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the broccoli.Pour half pasta and broccoli into another bowl, toss with olive oil and parmesan cheese (this is for the kids).

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the remaining broccoli and pasta. Toss well. Season to taste, sprinkle with the nuts and cheese, if using, and serve.

The kids inhale this and ask for seconds and with the lemon garlic sauce and nuts it's quit tasty to us adults.

For those of you who say you can't make tasty soup here is a very flavorful soup from my favorite Food Network hottie, Giada. Often when I make soup I'll make extra and freeze it, making double the soup does not take double the time so it saves time in the long run. That frozen soup is my idea of fast food for those nights when dinner just isn't comeing together I grab some good homemade soup and warm it up. Also I freeze leftover tomato paste in an ice cube tray in approximately Tablepoon portions and store in a plastic bag after frozen for later use.

Ribollita

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on bread
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained
1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 (3-inch) piece Parmesan rind
4 to 6 ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise or 1 loaf, sliced
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Drizzle the ciabatta halves with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve with soup.