menu items for next week

Crockpot ratatouille http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=791877 with garlic bread
Vegan tamales with roasted peppers & tomatoes http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1199920 with beans
Samosa wraps http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/06/es-samosa-wraps.html (in sparks as http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1141795 ) with salad
Eggplant, Potato and Okra Sabji http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=617306 over rice or with naan
Pav Bhaji (Indian mixed vegetables) http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=11811 on buns with chipotle-roasted carrots
Portabella pepper steak http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1125051 with rice
Vegan dad’s burgers, salad, roast potatoes

Pav Bhaji Masala (converted from the recipe provided here)

3.5 T red chili
3.5 T coriander seeds
5 ¼ tsp cumin seeds
5 ¼ tsp black pepper
.8 oz cinnamon
5 ¼ tsp clove
4-5 black cardamom
5 ¼ tsp dry mango powder
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
Roast all the ingredients separately. When cool, grind it. Shift them and mix dry mango powder, turmeric powder and fill in the bottle.

Sunday dinner

Yay! My good friend Susan's coming over! She'll be staying over so we get a chance to visit, and we plan to feed her well. I sorely miss our lunches together since I moved 20 miles away & ended my coursework (I am perpetually mid-lit review at this point). You might think I was becoming totally unsocialized (and you'd be right, not uncommon from what I hear about doc students!) Err, anyway. We decided to keep it simple and yummy (and I will add that she's not vegan, but has loved the curries and samosas and calzones we've served her.

- Vegan Dad's awesome burgers, on jugalbandi's sundried tomato sourdough buns (haven't tried these yet), with fixins
- roasted potato wedges, with olive oil, garlic, and smoked paprika
- Kittee's fresh strawberry pie
- maybe a small salad, or some sauteed collards. I'd prefer asparagus but they are SO expensive this year - I never even got any. I can't bring myself to pay almost $4 per pound.

I don't think anyone will leave hungry. And I might remember how to socialize - here's to staying in touch with good friends!