Food Ideas for The Nine 9 Days

I really doubt that when chazal, our Jewish sages, decided that during the  Nine 9 Days, we shouldn't eat meat they could have known that fish meals would be much more expensive for us. That was the topic of this morning's post on Shiloh Musings, 9 Days Rather Ironic, Fish Yes, Chicken No.

My husband and I generally eat Shabbat leftovers for the entire week, and I have lots of portions of cooked chicken in the freezer. All you have to do is to recook them with vegetables and carbs. But during the Nine 9 Days, I have to cook every meal. Sometimes I have a stock of vegetable soup, but in all honesty, hot soup on hot days isn't a favorite.
Following are a few recipes. Your comments, recipes, reactions and ideas are welcome in the comments section, thanks.  Sorry, but I don't go for exact measuring of ingredients or cooking time. I encourage variations and would like to hear about yours.

Latest Breakfast, No Cravings
Yummy Cauliflower Casserole/Kugel
Frying Pan "Lentil Stew"
Do you Quinoa?
Simple Chickpea Salad
One-Pan Meal, Tuna Steak and Veggies
Shakshuka Plus
Lovely Lentil and Mushroom Dish
Pancakes
No Mayonnaise Egg Salad
Low-Carb, Crustless Dairy Quiche
This Year's Purim Soups, Yes Two 2

9

Which is your favorite? And what do you suggest from your own repertoire?

It's Official, The OU Has Declared Quinoa Non-Kitniyot Kosher for Passover

recipe

For those Ashkenazi Jews like yours truly, the American OU is still my "expert rabbinic" source for certain decisions.  So, I'm glad that they have finally declared that quinoa isn't kitniyot, lentils.

Following extensive research and on-site investigation of cross-contamination issues by OU Kosher personnel at all quinoa growing areas including: Puno, Cuzco, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Junin and Chiclayo in Peru; and Alto la Paz and Chayapata in Bolivia; as well as the collection, washing and milling stations of quinoa, OU Kosher is pleased to announce that, for the first time, it is recommending quinoa for Passover, when processed with special OU Passover supervision and bearing the OU-P symbol.
In addition to quinoa, OU Kosher has concluded that related canihua, kiwicha and maca seeds processed under supervised conditions may also be approved for Passover (OU-P).” 

It's not one of our staples and I actually stay away from rice.  I personally eat the same during Passover and the rest of the year, barring the bread, matzah instead of challah, on Shabbat and holidays. The only difference is the oil.  On Passover I only use olive oil, even for cooking.  That's because I'm on a low carbohydrate diet.  It works for me.

Considering that the whole kitniyot issue is based on minhag, custom, I pray that it will soon be deleted, cancelled eradicated by the coming of the Mashiach bimhaira biyamainu, the Messaiah quickly in our days, G-d willing.  We must be one nation without ethnic barriers.

8 Pounds or 3.6 Kilo

No, that's not the weight of a baby, though it could be. It's the amount of weight I lost in the first three weeks of my Start Fresh kosher weight loss diet.

Thank G-d; I can't complain. I have no real weightloss goal. I just want to get my life back on the right food track. Whatever weight goes off, deserves to be gone. I have lots and lots more to lose. Oops! Suddenly I felt like I was sounding like the Israeli government trying to explain its war aims. It's OK in a diet, as long as a doctor didn't prescribe major changes, oops! again.

Thank G-d it's raining, but I just couldn't drag myself out for a walk, and I was too cold in my house, and I do need daily exercise.

Tonight I made quinoa for the first time. I cooked up my usual vegetables, onions, carrots and squash (sauteed in oil) and added the quinoa and some boiling water when the vegetables were almost cooked. Start Fresh considers it a carbohydrate, and I'm allowed two servings per day in week three. I think I used too much water. It was sort of like a soup, but that's OK. It's winter, freezing winter. Not only didn't I measure exactly, I didn't even consult with a cookbook. So sue me!