I just realized that we are huge carrot eaters at home. That is, approximately one and a half kilos per week for a family of five people. It’s enough, isn’t it?
And it is that the carrot, in addition to being cheap and nutritious, is one of those things that give flavor, color and texture to any dish. And they require nothing more than peeling them, cutting them (or grating them) in the right way and that’s it.
An ordinary vegetable soup comes to life, a salad becomes a song to the rainbow, and I don’t know who else happens to it, but finding the little orange cubes in the pasta sauce fills me with anticipatory excitement.
Baked Kohlrabi, Carrot and Parsnip
At home we make a grated salad with carrots, cabbage, sometimes beets and almost always cilantro. But we also use it in icing sticks (butter and sugar, nothing more) and for our legendary and world-famous carrot cake.
On this week’s menu I have included, as usual, the #lunessinmeat, two servings of fish, three of legumes, at least one vegetarian option per day and a few carrots. Take advantage!
Weekly menu
Monday
Breakfast: Toast with fresh cheese
Lunch: Cuban style rice with black beans and fried egg
Snack: Fresh fruit or dried fruit
Dinner: Barley Salad
Tuesday
Breakfast: Low sugar cereal, milk
Food: Baked rabbit with potatoes
Snack: Fresh fruit or dried fruit
Dinner: Cream of carrot and ginger soup
Wednesday
Breakfast: toast with tomato
Food: Grilled fish, sauteed spinach
Snack: Fresh fruit or dried fruit
Dinner: Roasted vegetable salad with goat cheese
Thursday
Breakfast: Muesli with yogurt and fruit
Food: Rabbit stew with chickpeas
Snack: Fresh fruit or dried fruit
Dinner: Creamy parsnip soup with leeks
Friday
Breakfast: Eggs as you like
Food: Baked fish with vegetables.
Snack: Fresh fruit or dried fruit
Dinner: Potato omelette
Shopping list
Dairy products
1 liter of milk
1 liter of Greek yogurt without sugar or sweetener
200 grams of fresh cheese
1 roll (200 grams) of goat cheese
100 grams of unsalted butter
Fruits and vegetables
1kg onion
1 ½ kg of tomatoes
1 ½ kg of carrot
1kg of potatoes
4 courgettes
4 or 5 medium parsnips
1 eggplant
2 courgettes
1 cucumber
3 or 4 red peppers and one green
1 head of garlic
2 or 3 leeks
1 or 2 stalks of celery
Parsley
1 piece of ginger (50-100 grams)
3 or 4 kg of fresh fruit
Fish
8 (100 – 125 g) fillets of hake or other white fish
Butchery and delicatessen
2 rabbits chopped
Cans and preserves
2 cans of black or red beans
1 can of chickpeas
1 small brick of fried tomato
Packaged and frozen
1 dozen eggs
½ kg of barley
1 or 2 potato tortillas, depending on the size. You can prepare them at home with this recipe (the ingredients are not included in the list)
1 small bag of muesli
Bakery
1 kg of fresh sliced bakery bread (village bread, farmhouse bread, country bread, etc.).
condiments and others
shall
Pepper
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
dried rosemary
Dried oregano
bay leaves
Oregano
cumin
sweet paprika
Step by Step
1. Turn on the oven at 180ºC. For the baked rabbit with potatoes, we are going to marinate one of the rabbits with three or four cloves of garlic and a handful of parsley, well crushed in the mortar, salt, pepper and olive oil. Meanwhile, on an oven tray, prepare a bed with four potatoes and an onion cut into very thin slices. Place the rabbit pieces on top, add ½ cup of water and a splash of olive oil. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
2. For the baked fish, prepare a bed of vegetables cut into thin strips: 1 onion, ½ pepper, 1 courgette, 1 carrot and ½ leek stem (the white part). Add salt, pepper and a generous splash of olive oil. Place four previously salted fish fillets on top. Cover with parchment paper and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the paper and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
3. To make the saucecoat bottom of wide skillet with olive oil. Saute over low heat two onions, 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, a leek (the white part) and a pepper cut into very small pieces. When the onion is poached, divide the sauce into three parts:
Chopped onion and bell pepper
a) For the rabbit stew with chickpeas, Brown the rabbit pieces in a very hot saucepan. Once golden, remove them from the heat and keep them aside. In the same saucepan, put the sofrito, three tomatoes, three potatoes and three carrots cut into cubes. Let cook for about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with sweet paprika, oregano, rosemary and bay leaf. Cover with water (about two cups), add the rabbit pieces, and cook covered for about 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.
b) For the creamy carrot and ginger soup, Add two tablespoons of grated ginger to the sauce. Cook over medium/low heat, stirring occasionally, for two to three minutes. Add four or five carrots and two diced potatoes. Cover with water or broth (approximately 1 lt), and cook until the carrots are very soft. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of cinnamon. Process with blender or pymer.
c) For the black beans, add the two cans of black beans (drained) to the sauce. Cook over medium/low heat for about 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Season with oregano and cumin.
Carrot soup
4. For the grilled fish, Season with salt and pepper and very lightly flour the fish fillets. Cook in a skillet over medium heat with two or three tablespoons of olive oil.
5. For barley, prepare a cup of barley according to package directions.
6. For the white ricePrepare two cups of rice following package directions.
7. For the roasted vegetables, Cut the aubergine and the two courgettes into slices about a finger thick. Brush each slice with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables on a very hot griddle or skillet. You may have to do it in batches. When they’re done (with golden to dark brown spots), remove them and let them cool. To serve, season with olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar and pieces of goat cheese.
Bowl of white rice with parsley
8. For the sauteed spinach, an onion cut into thin strips, sautéed over medium-low heat in two or three tablespoons of olive oil. Add the spinach and cook until completely wilted. If you have and feel like it, you can add a little pine nuts and a handful of raisins. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg powder.
9. For the creamy parsnip and leek soup, Sauté two leeks (the white part) in two or three tablespoons of butter. Add 4-5 parsnips and two diced potatoes. Cover with water or broth (approximately 1 lt), season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are very soft. Process with blender or pymer.
10. For the barley salad, using cooked barley as a base, add two diced tomatoes and a cucumber, a grated carrot and, if you have it on hand, some dried fruit. Season with salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Recommendations for a successful ‘Baig cooking’
one
Use airtight containers to store your dishes
two
Let food cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge
3
Label the containers on the outside so you can easily identify the contents of each one.
4
Take advantage of the oven to cook large quantities.
5
The microwave, the blender and the freezer are your allies. Take care of them!
6
Don’t lose your papers! Film paper, paraffin paper and aluminum foil. Always have them at hand.
7
Use creativity. Prepare large quantities of
same food and serve it in different ways throughout the week
8
Don’t worry too much about the perfection of the recipe, but about the balance. If your meals contain protein, fiber, and a good amount of fruits and vegetables, you’re on the right track.
9
Do not be ashamed of boats, cans and semi-prepared foods (omelette, pizza dough, cooked vegetables). Great chefs use them all the time. They also save time and money.