creative meal ideas

One of my Aunts emailed recently and mentioned that she could use some creative meal ideas these days.  I definitely was feeling the same recently.  So I did some research (feeling thankful for the internet and the too many cookbooks that I packed in our suitcases!), and now have a few new meals in my repertoire.  I thought I would share some here, with either a link to a recipe, or even just a general idea to work from.  I'm guessing that my Aunt is not the only one who could use some help in the recipe department!

And really, I still could use some help myself.  So please leave a comment with your own favourite recipe, even if it's just an idea or link to a recipe.

Beef Teriyaki 
(click here for a recipe)
-I slice the beef thinly and cook it with cabbage, carrots, broccoli and teriyaki sauce (I make my own) and serve with rice, for a meal that is similar to what you'd buy at the food court, but probably healthier!

Ginger Beef and Green Bean Stir-Fry
(click here for a recipe)

Beef Curry
(click here for a recipe)
-a very spicy beef curry from scratch: I like spicy food, but this is a bit too hot for me, so you may want to cut down on the spices a little

Twelve Boy Curry
-Google this for a recipe.  The recipe I used is from My African Cookbook, which you probably don't own.
-I did a ground beef curry and served it with rice.  The best part of Twelve Boy Curry is the many sides you serve it with (use any or all): coconut, nuts, pineapple, apple, banana, raisins, mango, cooked diced pumpkin, etc.  Each person can top their own dish with the sides.

Morrocan Tagine
-Again, Google it.  I used a couple different recipes and made up my own seasonings, and it was okay, but not great.  It had great potential, though, had I used a recipe and had the right spice combo!
-I've made it with whole chicken pieces, eggplant, zucchini, tomato, lemon slices, raisins, and almonds.  Serve with couscous.

Are you noticing a theme yet?  Beef and curry, I'd say!  :)  The point of this was slightly different recipes, remember?  And the reason for so much beef?  We live in West Africa, where I only buy chickens whole on butcher day, and they're expensive, so it's not a staple.

Mexican Flatbread Pizza
(click here for recipe)
-Okay, so I just came across this.  But it looks good!  And definitely qualifies as different.

Tilapia and Summer Vegetable Packets
(click here for recipe)
-I haven't made this yet, but I plan on making it tonight for supper.  The recipe is for the BBQ, but I'm going to bake it in the oven instead.  It sounds like a nice change to our usual (beef!) and a perfect choice for sharing with our friend Lisa who is supposed to eat gluten-free.  I'm going to serve it with couscous for a really easy supper with very little last-minute work.

Spicy Tortilla Soup
(click here for recipe)
-We love this soup.  Of course, seeing as it's my own recipe.  :)

Simple Sesame Noodles
(click here for recipe)
-I recently made sesame noodles (albeit from a different recipe, in My African Cookbook) and they were delish.  My recipe also had tahini in it, which gave them a creamy texture.  Otherwise this recipe is similar and also sounds amazing.

Lettuce Wraps
(click here for recipe)
-I've had something similar at a Thai restaurant before... except they were made of ostrich meat.  :)  Using ground beef or turkey sounds much more tame, but still tasty.  I'm looking forward to making these soon.

 Don't forget to share a recipe or two in the comments!