Friday Food: An Elk Encore

Friday

Short version: Elk bites, garlic bread, curried cauliflower, leftover coleslaw

Long version: I took out one the three remaining bags of elk, because I am nothing if not persistent when it comes to using up meat.

This time, I trimmed and cut up the entire bag all at once. This bag must have been the hind quarters, because there was a lot of clean meat without connective tissues. So most of it I cut into thin pieces for the elk bites and stir fry.

The stir fry meat I put back in the refrigerator in a marinade.

The tougher bits I made into chili. It was never above 80 degrees for a delightful change, so I cooked the chili this day even though I knew we wouldn't be eating it this night. Sometimes I'm smart like that.

Saturday

Short version: Elk chili, cheese quesadillas, frozen peas

Long version: I had had a different plan for this night, but then we took our unexpected outing and got home at 5 p.m. At which point I was very glad I had made the chili the day before.

Stop! Photo time! (I hope everyone just heard that in a Hammertime voice.)

I randomly found this Nerf gun hanging by the front door. Don't worry: It wasn't loaded.

Sunday

Short version: Leg of wether, roasted potatoes, garlic/lemon yogurt sauce, roasted garlic heads, leftover coleslaw, leftover curried cauliflower

Long version: When I asked A. what he wanted for Father's Day dinner, he immediately said, "Lamb." And when I went freezer diving, I found that the only lamb we had left from the wether was some ribs and one leg roast. Perfect. The leg roast, that is.

I marinated the roast in olive oil, vinegar, and garlic, then roasted it at high heat until it was done. Roasted potatoes and two heads of freshly-dug garlic at the same time. The yogurt sauce was yogurt, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper.

When A. ate his lamb, he covered it in yogurt sauce and squeezed the roasted garlic all over it, too, thereby achieving a triple-garlic meat. Perfection. For him, anyway.

Monday

Short version: Leftover elk chili, rice, frozen green beans

Long version: Nothing to see here.

Except for another random photo!

My mom brought one of these bouncy ball things for each kid, with the result that at any given time there are four shrieking blurs ricocheting around the enclosed porch.

Tuesday

Short version: Elk stir-fry, leftover rice

Long version: The time had come to use the marinated elk meat. I actually used all fresh vegetables in the stir-fry this time--carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, onion, green beans--both because I actually had them and because I'm out of frozen stir-fry mix. Gotta re-stock on that.

Wednesday

Short version: Pizza wether, pasta with pesto, cauliflower with pesto, carrot sticks, frozen green beans

Long version: I had half a can of tomatoes in the refrigerator that needed to be used, plus a few slices of the lamb roast, plus the remainder of the pesto from the previous Thursday. So, I made a marinara sauce with the tomatoes and some of the pesto, then heated the lamb up in that and melted some asadero cheese on top.

I saved a little of the pesto and Parmesan from the pasta to put on the leftover cauliflower, and you know, it was really almost as good as the pasta. I mean, nothing is really going to be as good as pasta, but it was satisfying enough as an accompaniment to the meat.

For me, that is. Pretty sure the kids wouldn't agree.

Thursday

Short version: Carnitas-style pork, boiled potato chunks, frozen peas

Long version: "Boiled potato chunks" probably doesn't sound too appealing. What if I told you that they had half a stick of butter mixed into them? Yup. They were good.

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?