Name that Vegetable and Meal Planning Monday

 

Last week Rob and I visited a new-to-us grocery store.  This isn't a new chain or a new specialty shop, but rather a new location of a familiar store, one found in almost every city in Ontario and I think even Alberta, British Columbia and parts of Eastern Canada.  

While there we found the above vegetable.  Isn't it fascinating?  I was completely unfamiliar with the name and the item itself, and I'm wondering if any of you know what it is or how it is cooked.  Ben had a so much fun with this and finally decided that it looks like " a banana that has been eaten by a deranged alien". Jackson just thought it looked like a plant and declared it was "something he would not ever, ever eat".

Do you have any idea what it is?

Here is our meal plan for the week.  How about you, what are you eating?

Monday - No cooking tonight....we're all out at various places

Tuesday - Goat cheese and mushroom stuffed chicken breast, braised leeks

Wednesday - Turkey and ricotta meatballs, rice and greens beans

Thursday - Chopped chicken salad with couscous and veggies

Friday - Homemade fish and chips

Saturday - Homemade pizza with artichokes, arugula and gruyere

Comments

[Ginger & Pickle]

hi Jan! is that a bitter gourd/melon? I have seen them around here too, but haven't ever tried one! Let me know what you end up doing with it! How do you make your home made fish and chips?! Beer battered?

[wanda]

Looks like bitter melon to me too! I've only seen it cooked in Chinese dishes with slices of beef or pork and I believe black bean sauce.

[Ann]

I don't have any idea what that is! Deranged alien sounds spot on to me.

Here's my menu for the week:

Monday--dutch oven pot roast with sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives (new recipe)
brown rice and green salad

Tuesday--spaghetti with meat sauce
green salad and sourdough garlic bread

Wed--eat out

Thursday--hamburgers on the grill
roasted broccoli/cauliflower
applesauce

Friday--chicken and homemade noodles
peas
green salad with beets and goat cheese

Saturday--chicken salad from leftover roast chicken
oranges
biscuits

Sunday--leg of lamb, roasted potatoes and carrots, green salad and rice pilaf

[Jan Scott]

Sounds like a delicious week, Ann!

Sent from my iPhone

[shayma]

Hi Jan, thanks for the lovely comment you left on my blog. I love the concept of your blog, wishing you lots of luck with it. this is a karayla- a bitter gourd, used very often in Pakistani cuisine. It has to be peeled and then cooked- it remains slightly bitter even when cooked. Usually it is served on it's own, chopped into small pieces sautéed with tomatoes, garlic and onion or stuffed with minced meat and tied with a string, then cooked gently (this was my grandmother's signature dish). it's a tough one to make and i dont attempt it- am waiting for my mum to visit me this summer so she can teach me! best wishes and have a lovely week, shayma

[zobars]

Its a little late but it is called KARELA in India and the English is bittergourd.