I took the kids for a treat at YogurtLand this afternoon at the Riviera Village and stoped by Petit Casino to buy a fresh baguette. I confess I’ve never bought or tried anything but their French baguettes which are always fresh.  It’s the best dang baguette in the SoBay.

I tried to gather some of the loose items in the fridge and came up with this for dinner:

ARUGULA SALAD W/ PAPAYA SESAME HONEY VINAIGRETTE  (I bought papayas at Costco last week and after eating papaya for breakfast almost everyday it was time for our last solitary super-ripe papaya to meet a different destiny. I started putting ingredients together and it worked. Here is the recipe in case you find yourself with one too many papayas in the fridge.)

PAPAYA VINAIGRETTE

1 ripe papaya, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp of  each one of these items: sesame oil, canola oil, apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, honey, orange juice and water. Blend it with a blender or hand mixer. Taste. Make it your own… add more honey if you prefer sweeter dressing, more soy sauce if you need more saltiness or cayenne pepper if you like it sweet and HOT!

KIDS DINNER

OUR DINNER  (Fresh made balsamic onion relish, Canadian Bacon, leftover steamed spinach and a fried egg on top to keep things warm. Why a fried egg? Why not?)

BALSAMIC ONION RELISH (Try it on toasted bread topped with goat cheese for a sweet and creamy appetizer)

1 sweet onion diced, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp of lemon if available. Saute onion in olive oil on low heat until transparent (approximately 12 min. Do not brown the onions. Use very low temperature). Add sugar and caramelize it (saute until brown). Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on medium heat until all the liquid evaporates and the onions take on a jelly-like consistency. The slower it cooks the better consistency you’ll achieve.

Food shopping tomorrow anyone? Come back for local deals. Share your weekly menu suggestions here.