Planning for the Week

On Sunday's I try to get some cooking done so that I'm free during the week to help my girls with their homework, etc. Today, I'm making 2 maple pumpkin pies (because Amelie just loves them), a beef stew (for the kids hot thermos lunches and for a supper), and Steak with Roasted Potatoes and Arugula for dinner tonight. Holy red-meat week! 

I just finished making the maple pumpkin pies (from www.realsimple.com)...here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 store-bought piecrust, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate
• 2 large eggs
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the lowest position and heat oven to 350º F. Place the pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.
3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust and bake until the center is set, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Now I'm going to make the beef stew from www.realsimple.com. Here is the recipe.

Beef Stew

• 4 pounds bottom round, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup olive oil (plus more if needed)
• 2 large onions, diced (2 cups)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 pound potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1/2 pound baby carrots (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions

1. Coat the beef in the flour. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer to a heavy casserole or a heavy, covered saucepan or Dutch oven. 
2. Add the onions to the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and coat the onions; transfer to the casserole. Pour the wine into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits; add to the casserole. Stir in the broth, salt, thyme, and bay leaf.
3. Cook the casserole in a 325° F oven for 4 hours, or in the saucepan or Dutch oven on the stovetop over low heat for about 2 1/2 hours. In either case, stir occasionally and add up to 1 cup of additional beef broth if necessary. Add the potatoes and carrots during the last hour of cooking, and the peas just before serving. 

And for supper tonight I'm making steak with arugula. Here is the recipe. 

Ingredients

• Steak
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)
• carrots
• green peppers  
• parmesan cheese
  

1. Mix arugula, carrots and green peppers
2. Mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper and soya sauce together to make dressing for the arugula. 
3. Toss arugula and salad dressing.
   
4. Season the steak with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and BBQ to medium rare.
   
5. Slice steak into strips and serve over top of the arugula. 
6. Grate some Parmesan cheese over the top of the steak salad.
   

I took a few days off "Working-Out" this week...for a couple of reasons. 1) I have a cold that I'm trying to fight off and 2) I got the flu shot on Wednesday and it really packed a punch - felt like I had a bruised arm for two days. Although my cold started over the weekend, I still worked out Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues. and I think I over did it. But I'm happy to report that I'm starting to feel much better now. 

Tonight I'll be doing the Abdominal, quadriceps, hamstrings and calf exercises from Body for Life - A Woman's Plan for Physical and Mental Transformation by Pamela Peeke.