Wednesday

Creamy artichoke and spinach soup (recipe in the comments)
Hummus and pita
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
Cocoa almonds
______________________________________________________________
I am a huge fan of Greek avogolemono soup - a citrus-y chicken based broth with eggs and rice in it. We have a good recipe for it, but M resists making it because it's so light that it doesn't really feel like a dinner. With this in mind when I saw this recipe for a heartier avogolemono style soup, I jumped on it. Adding artichoke hearts and spinach really ups the nutrient level, plus adds color and complexity. We had some leftover hummus and pita from my mom's visit, making this a no brainer for this week. In the end though we both still felt like this *needed* to be part of a Greek feast (i.e. soup just one minor component of a meal with hummus, Greek salad, olives, feta, etc). It was good, but still not interesting enough to be the centerpiece of a meal (plenty hearty though). I think we're back to doing our regular avogolemono soup with lots of sides.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Dill, cucumbers
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This will reheat fine as long as you are VERY careful not to let it boil.

Reaction
J: "I still like regular avogolemono better."
M: "A good part of a Greek feast"

Tuesday

Turkey mini meatloaves (recipe in the comments)
Baked potatoes
Roasted asparagus

Hot cocoa
______________________________________________________________
This is a new recipe for meatloaf. It includes cous cous in the loaf mixture, which is undetectable inthe finished product, but give this recipe a light and fluffy texture that is most welcome! You also make these in muffin tins, limiting the time usually required to cook meatloaf. The added veggies make it particularly healthy and colorful too. We ruined the fast cooking time by doing baked potatoes, but you could easily roast potatoes or do noodles instead. Roasting the asparagus (the first of the year from the farmer's market!) was a snap. All in all an easy meal to make, homey flavors, and lovely to look at. We do think that we'll try to zing up the flavors next time. The loaf is very good, but we think it could be outstanding with a little more omph. We'll let you know next time we try it.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Zucchini, onion, red pepper
Time: 20 minutes to prep + 25 to cook (the potatoes were an hour)
Make ahead: These were excellent for lunch the next day and could be served hot, warm, or cold.

Reaction
J: "Very spring-y meatloaf."
M: "Very tasty as is, could be even better with some added zing."

Monday

Pea soup (recipe in the comments)
Salad
Bread

______________________________________________________________
This recipe originated with my Dad's mom. She passed it on to my mother, who has passed it on to me. It is simply the best pea soup in the world. It's easy to make, as most of the cooking is unattended simmering. You just have to be prepared to make this 2 hours before you want to eat.

Note: Though this is supposed to be a thick soup, it thickens a lot as it sits. Add water if you are reheating it to thin to a more reasonable consistency.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, carrot, celery
Time: 15 minutes to prep, 2 hours to cook
Make ahead: A make ahead wonder. It freezes well too.

Reaction
J: "Thank you Grandma Rose!"
M: "Yum."

Sunday

Greek fish packets (recipe in the comments)
Greek festival orzo (recipe in the comments)

Hot tea
Cocoa almonds
______________________________________________________________
This was our first recipe that cooked fish in a packet, introducing us to many years of successful at-home fish preparation. As I mentioned in an earlier (though less tasty) post about fish packets, packet cooking is a very reliable technique for the novice fish chef. It takes the guess-work out of done-ness and everything gets cooked together. In this case we made a simple orzo side dish while the packets baked, but that could be omitted or simplified (plain orzo, anyone?). I love the flavors in this recipe - the fresh fennel is an ingredient that doesn't get used enough and I love it's aromatic flavor. The final sprinkling of feta is a great finish, but could be omitted. The Greek festival orzo is a recipe we created to replicate the orzo dish at one of Washington DC's most famous Greek festivals - tomato-y orzo with oregano. Yum.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Fennel, tomato, onion, dill
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Make all of this last minute.

Reaction
J: "It has been *way* too long since we've made this. Excellent."
M: "Fish perfection."

Saturday

Bread rounds with artichoke heart/red pepper tapenade

Pork chops with zesty sauce (recipe in the comments)
Mashed cauliflower
Butter lettuce salad with radishes, tomatoes, and dill

Hot tea
Heath bars :)
______________________________________________________________
This is another of our favorite Jacques Pepin recipes. This sauce on the pork is a blend of the weirdest ingredients - everything from kalamata olives and fresh tomatoes to A1 steak sauce and chili sauce. Yet, somehow, the blend is exquisite. Everyone we've made this for raves about it. I think it's improved because we always make it with our mashed cauliflower, which is a revelation in the side dish department. It's somewhat like mashed potatoes, but is so much more flavorful and also lighter. They will never replace mashed potatoes (quite the ultimate comfort food!), but they mix things up in a fantastic and unexpected way. The slight bitterness of the cauliflower really accents the savory sauce perfectly for this meal. Thus, this is a go-to meal for impressing others/enjoying ourselves. As tonight is a bit of a celebration - it being my mom's last night here -we thought this would be perfect. It was.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Tomato, onion, cauliflower, scallions
Time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: Yes on the pork, not as good on the cauliflower.

Reaction
J: "Pork perfection."
M: "Ridiculously elegant and easy."
L: "Delicious. *Very* delicious."

Friday

Spicy red lentil dahl (recipe in the comments from January 18)
Naan
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
My mom is a big fan of another dahl recipe we have made in the past. It is truly amazing in taste, but involves a LOT of oil/butter. This makes it a heavy meal to eat and, of course, not the best for you. This is our first time making the lighter dahl for my mom, who really liked it. This one is a bit more complex in flavor, though easier to prepare. I think the mixture of spices is truly fantastic and the coconut milk adds richness without being overwhelming. This is also excellent warm or cold, making it great picnic/camping fare. All in all a great first homemade dinner after our trip!


Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, cucumbers
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Yes

Reaction
J: "Dahl-licious!"
M: "Classic M and J. Yum!"
L: "I think I like this one just as well!"

Thursday - Out to dinner at Logan in Ann Arbor

Creamy spring soup - All (amuse buche)

Asparagus tempura - J
Shrimp spring roll - M
Ginger shrimp - L

Mini Logan salad - J
Crispy bluefish - M
Mini green papaya salad - L

Seared yellowfin tuna - M

Shrimp fennel tagliatelle - J
Crispy duck - M
Braised lamb shank - L

Cookies and milk - J
Pear pastry-M
Chocolate truffle - L

_____________________________________________________________
We went back to Logan tonight, this time with my mom, to have a thank you dinner for her much appreciated efforts taking care of T while we were away. They both had a great time and I swear he's taller since we left on Sunday! The dinner was amazing and quite the celebration. If anything it was better than our first visit. We shared two amazing bottles of wine, great conversation amongst ourselves and with the owner, and fantastic food. M had the six course chef's tasting menu, while the rest of us had fewer (not by many!) courses. Regardless, everyone left happy and full. We'll certainly be back soon!

Reaction:
J: "Truly one of the best restaurant meals ever."
M: "Best fine dining in Ann Arbor (probably Michigan!)."
L: "I've decided to marry the owner."

M and I are going away for a few days to check out a potential new job/place to live. L, my mom, will be here taking care of T and C (our dog), but she has (wisely, I think) chosen not to post while we're gone. We'll be back late Wednesday, so expect the next meal post on Thursday. Have a great weekend and early part of next week!

Friday

Sate burgers (recipe in the comments)
Homemade peanut sauce
White rice
Grilled zucchini and red peppers with peanut soy dipping sauce

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
I know we haven't made this recipe for my mom before, because we've never made it for ourselves!!!! We love burgers of all types and make a wide variety. Our love of sate and other Indonesian inspired foods really drew me to this recipe. With the onset of grilling season 2008, this seemed like a natural when we were planning our meals this week. Little did we know that today would be freakishly warm - 77!!! What a day for burgers and grilled veggies. These burgers were truly amazing and all of us LOVED them. The original recipe didn't call for a sauce, but they'd be too dry without. I did like them over rice, as opposed to on buns. The sauce was good on the rice as well as a dipping sauce for the veggies. YUM!!!

FYI: Despite it being pre-Derby, Mint Julip season is also in full swing :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Cilantro, peanuts, garlic, zucchini, red pepper
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I would make the burgers ahead and then grill at the last minute.

Reaction
J: "These may be the best burgers I've ever eaten!"
M: "Fit to be Thai-d!"
L: "mmmm. Mmmmmm"

Thursday

Saag tofu (recipe in the comments from Jan 2)
Jasmine rice
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
Candy
______________________________________________________________
Apparently we didn't look back at the blog when we planned tonight's dinner as a welcome meal for my mom, L. We made this for her when she was visiting last January!!! I have no recollection of doing so, but, luckily, she liked it then and liked it now!!!! This is a great tofu recipe with plenty of leafy green spinach, without the heaviness of the saag dishes you get in most Indian restaurants. Trust me, I love that heaviness when I'm there, but am not inclined to cook that way at home. Anyway,this is a fabulous dinner that relies on our "no fail tofu" preparation. M was at a work related dinner, so it's just mom and I for reactions tonight.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tofu, onion, garlic, ginger, cucumbers
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: This saves very well.

Reaction
J: "Tofu and spinach - what could be better?"
L: "Very delicious! A great combination of flavors."

Wednesday

Artichoke pasta (recipe in the comments)
Grilled eggplant, sweet onion, and bell pepper

Hot tea
English toffee
______________________________________________________________
This is one of my favorite meals. It seems quintessentially spring-y to me and dinner rarely gets easier than this. That said, it's not one of M's favorites. So, we don't eat it very often. He is sweet enough to know it's a favorite and we have it sometimes though and tonight is just such a night. We try to have a great side dish to perk him up and there is rarely such a good option, where either of us are concerned, as grilled vegetables. Tonight is the launch of the 2008 grilling season and we're both thrilled! A little fire in our backyard firepit, fresh grilled veggies, warm day - what could be better???

Note: M really liked th pasta tonight. Maybe it's a new realization on his part!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Artichoke hearts, parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: You can pre-make the sauce and toss it with fresh pasta.

Reaction
J: "I love artichoke heart pasta."
M: "This is really good tonight!"

Tuesday

Sloppy lentils (recipe in the comments)
Broccoli slaw
Fresh watermelon

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We are babysitting for the 2-month-old baby of some friends of ours tonight, so a super easy meal seemed warranted. Crock pot to the rescue! This is one of our favorite vegetarian slow cooker meals and one of the earliest ones we did. It's very flavorful and makes a filling and festive meal. I don't think the lentils really taste like sloppy joes, but the concept is similar and this recipe is excellent on its own merits (rather than as a fake meat). The slaw is just shredded broccoli tossed with a simple dressing (whatever strikes our fancy - even something bottled - tonights was a balsamic mustard creation). All in all (after a simple morning or night before prep) this is a super simple meal. It's warming enough to be good for a spring night, but makes one long a bit for the summer nights to come. On that note I love using my slow cooker in the summer, as it doesn't heat up the kitchen!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, bell pepper, broccoli
Time: 25 minutes prep + 8 hours to cook unattended
Make ahead: The whole idea.

Reaction
J: "Vegetarian at its best."
M: "Perfect for tonight."

Monday

Chicken sausage with quick sauerkraut (recipe in the comments)
Spaetzles

Hot tea
English toffee
______________________________________________________________
As if we're recovering from yesterday's more involved dinner, this is a new recipe we're trying that looks very speedy. M and I both have a well documented love of sausage and our (if less well documented) love of sauerkraut is similar. In fact German inspired fare is a genre we'd like to explore more, but it rarely fits into "the 5". This recipe, however, seems to fit the bill. We bought some organic bell pepper and onion chicken sausage, which should pair well with the sauerkraut. Spaetzles are one of my favorite starches and if you don't add much butter (and certainly no gravy, which I don't like anyway), they're fine for you as well. Even though I might typically target this dinner for fall, it seems appropriate for a night when our lows will either be in the low 30s or low 20s, depending on who you believe. We were both totally impressed with this meal. I'm sure you'll be seeing it again in October or so. I think I'd add something green though next time for balance - salad?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, apple
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Sure, just cook the spaetzles last minute.

Reaction
J: "This dish is AMAZING!!"
M: "Fo Schnitzel!"

Sunday

Salmon croquettes with remoulade (recipes in the comments)
Orzo with parsley and butter
Spinach salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is one of our longer recipes to make. It's not hard to do, but it involves a lot of steps and two separate chilling times. It's not surprising, given our speed requirement from "the 5", that we don't make these very often. Despite this though, it is a wonderful meal and M and I both love it. It's a good Sunday dinner, when you (hopefully) have a bit more time for cooking. This particular Sunday seemed ideal for a little extra effort, as it was nice and slow paced. T actually slept pretty late for him (7:30!) and we lazed in our bed with him and some books for another 30 minutes or so. Then we had pancakes with berries (frozen) and cottage cheese for a nice Sunday breakfast. Like I said, slow. This was all prompted of course, by the UNSEASONABLE SNOW we did receive this morning. We were not thrilled about this, but it did make this afternoon's sun and warmer temperatures especially appealing. At any rate, the slow pace that spring snow engendered in us, has made us very up for a slightly longer dinner prep. The croquettes turned out fabulously tonight and I think some of the tweaks we made this time to the recipe for both the croquettes themselves and the sauce made a BIG difference. Anyway, it was a lovely dinner and a nice end to a good weekend.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate and on the long side
Chopping: Onion, celery, saltines, parsley, scallions
Time: 1 hour
Make ahead: Make the croquettes and remoulade ahead, but cook the croquettes right before serving.

Reaction
J: "Maryland meets Boston all in a tasty nugget."
M: "We have achieved croquettes!"

Saturday

Cate's springtime risotto soup (recipe in the comments)
Parmesan cheese
Roasted garlic rolls

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
So this dinner seems a lot like our meal of cream of asparagus soup from last Saturday. Fresh asparagus just seems to call us in these early spring times and the tenor of this meal is somewhat different. That said, as today was cold and we may get snow showers tomorrow morning, perhaps we are simply yearning for the wondrous weather we had last weekend and hoping to call it to mind with this sort of repeat meal! We have only made this soup once before, back in February of 2005. For context, we were celebrating early spring then too - we still lived in southern California, where winter is merely a theory and spring flowers are out in late February as a matter of course. Still we missed the seasons then and tried to keep them as best we could. Now that we live in Michigan, we still celebrate the seasons as we are aware of them in a much more visceral way. The soup was excellent tonight and made us both wonder why it's been so long. We hope to repeat it sooner rather than later this time!

Everyone reading please give our magnolia a brief thought of hope. A late frost last April (our first spring here) caused it to skip blooming and the cold nighttime temperatures in the next two days threaten a repeat this year. It would be so sad if we didn't see it in its glory again!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, lemon, asparagus, spinach
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: I think this one is best last minute - the rice soaks up a lot of liquid if left to sit. That said, I still like it for lunch the next day!

Reaction
J: "This *is* springtime soup!"
M: "Springy and refreshing."

Friday

Punjab spinach sauce over our classic tofu (tofu recipe in the comments)
Basmati rice
South Indian spiced purple cabbage (our version in the comments)

Hot tea
Candy (we're almost done!)
______________________________________________________________
It's grocery list night and we're trying a new convenience product - well, new to us: Trader Joe's Punjab spinach sauce. I saw this sauce mentioned in an article about healthy prepared foods and thought, "Indian, spinach, healthy, easy - what could be better!" This has very low sodium for a prepared food (one of my major peeves with convenience fare) and when simmered over our no fail tofu, makes an super easy dinner. I was VERY impressed with this sauce and I always love our tofu, so overall a total success. The cabbage is a new easy Indian side dish I found on a blog I've been checking lately, Raspberry Eggplant. It was mentioned in the Mark Bittman article on microwaving that I posted last week and has some great recipes. M and I are always looking for good, ethnic sides to compliment our meals. The issue is we don't want to do something as complicated as the main dish (obviously not really an issue tonight, but still), but we don't want to have the same side every time we do something, say, Indian (cucumber salad again, eh?). We have a great okra recipe, and this cabbage is a good new addition. It a tiny bit more labor intensive, but the product is excellent, very colorful, and I think it still gets filed under easy.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy main, easy side
Chopping: Tofu, cabbage
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Jarred products are always "made ahead" :)

Reaction
J: "Indian food is SO excellent."
M: ""

Thursday

Fuscilli with creamy bacon, and peas (recipe in the comments)
Salad with garlic dressing

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is one of my favorite early spring meals. After a brief flirtation with VERY spring-y weather, today has been windy and cold - not so cold to make one think "winter", but pretty cold. Thus, this pasta is perfect for tonight! The creamy, richness of the sauce (not to mention the smoky bacon flavor) warms you up, while the fresh basil and light peas are the perfect reminders of the warm weather to come. The richness is countered well with the garlic in the dressing. All in all an easy and sumptuous dinner!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Bacon, onion, garlic, Parmesan, basil
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I would do this last minute. You could try making the sauce up through melting the cream cheese, and then finishing the rest last minute.

Reaction
J: "This is so good- and even easier to make then I remembered!"
M: "Creamy bliss."

Wednesday - Dinner out at Vinology

Shared small plates and the like:
Snack board
Popcorn chickpeas
Mixed green salad
Crispy calamari
BBQ Pork spring rolls
______________________________________________________________
Last week I took our coin jar in to be turned into paper money. M and I have been putting change in it for as long as I can remember and we've been together for over 12 years now! It turned out to be about $60. In thinking what to do with the little windfall, we decided to go out to a slightly swankier place then we usually would for our regular weekly dinner out. We've been wanting to try Vinology on Main St. for quite a while and so tonight was the night!

We were both quite impressed with this restaurant. We decided to do small plates and share, so I have no experience with the entrees, but we heartily enjoyed everything we ate - even more so because of the extensive menu of wines by the glass. Our two favorite items were the popcorn chickpeas and the calamari. The chickpeas are pan seared in extra virgin olive oil with pan roasted garlic and rosemary. This dish is TRANSFORMATIONAL! Rarely do we have something out that I say, "We have to figure out how to make this at home", but this is one of the few times. These crunchy little gems are the perfect appetizer, giving Barbara's Peppery Pecans a true run for their money. Stay tuned and I'll let you know how the home cooking experiment goes. In what turned out to be a chickpea theme, the calamari were so wonderful because rather than a standard breading, they were gently coated with seasoned chickpea flour! Ingenious!!! It took us a while to figure out what made them taste so unusual. I am a true fan.

At any rate, it was a lovely evening, with lovely food. I am certain that we'll be back soon!

Note: I didn't realize until after I had ordered my first glass of wine that you can order any of their by the glass wines as a taste (about a half glass) for half the glass price! Perfect if you're, like me, a bit of a lightweight!

Reactions:
J: "An excellent new dining locale!"
M:

Tuesday

Made up artichoke heart and anchovy marinara over pasta
Baby brussel sprouts

Hot tea
Candy
______________________________________________________________
Today was one of those days. We got some information about a potential job, requiring a move, and other considerations. There was so much talking and discussion that we didn't even begin to think about dinner until 8:30. Nothing on the docket sounded fast or effortless enough for such a late (and overwrought) start. So, we punted. M and I often make up a pasta sauce with what's lying around. It's easy, comforting, and occasionally transformational (see trollop pasta). Tonight's wasn't transformational, merely good and soothing. We sauteed diced onion in extra virgin olive oil, added a can of tomato paste and a dollop of anchovy paste, heating until it began to be fragrant. To this we added chopped artichoke hearts, capers, a can of tomato sauce, and pasta water. We then stirred in some chopped fresh oregano. We let this all simmer while the pasta and brussel sprouts finished. At the end we added a bit of sugar and pepper. Perfect for this weary night.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, artichoke heart, oregano
Time: 20 minutes

Monday

Mock risotto (recipe in the comments)
Salad with balsamic vinaigrette

Hot tea
Candy
______________________________________________________________
Well we're back on track to our normal eating habits after yesterdays lapse :) We re-tried the mock risotto recipe from Feb 16 with instant brown rice to try to make this a bit shorter to prepare. As you may recall, the first version we did was out of sight, but we hadn't been able to find the instant brown rice our recipe called for at either of our main stores (Whole Food's and Trader Joe's). After a special trip to a "normal" grocery store, we procured the instant version. In all the recipe is very similar to that made with the regular long grain brown rice, except faster (obviously) and I like the texture a bit better with the instant. It is somehow more "risotto". We have added several additional seasonings and like this new version even more. It's always such a blessing when the shorter version is the better version. Excellent all around!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, asparagus, bell pepper, scallions
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I think this saves reasonably well, but if I had my preference, I would make it just before serving.

Reaction
J: "I can't believe this is instant rice!"
M: "Unbelievable."

Sunday

Swedish meatballs (recipe in the comments)
Egg noodles
Carrots, wax beans, and green beans

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
You're not going to believe this. This recipe is so far off our standard fare map that I don't even know where to begin. It's meaty. It requires the use of prepared foods (jar gravy anyone?). It's not particularly good for you. It was one of my favorites growing up. Ahhh, it becomes crystal clear. The siren call of a family favorite is hard to ignore. This was my mom's answer to Stouffers when I was growing up and hers is better than theirs. We have this every few years and I love it EVERY time. Convincing M this was a fantastic dinner was not hard. No, it's not typical for us, but it's yummy and so it stays in the rotation. Next time you need to revisit a simpler, happier time in your life, maybe Swedish meatballs will be right up your alley.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Onion
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Yep - it even freezes well. Serve over freshly cooked noodles.

Reaction
J: "Homey."
M: "Always reliable."

Saturday

Cream of asparagus soup (recipe in the comments)
Whole wheat baguette
Irish cheese

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
It's finally a new recipe - even with the decreased work this past week of cooking all super easy meals, I've been in withdrawal! Today was 60 degrees (or a bit above) and sunny here in MI - a totally blissful day. We went hiking with T and C (our dog) and had the first picnic of the season with the leftover trollop pasta from Thursday. What a glorious way to spend a Saturday! Tonight's dinner is a true spring meal - early asparagus (not from Michigan, sadly) becomes a lovely light soup with a bit of sharp cheese on the side for balance. We often make broiled or baked tomatoes (16 minutes at about 400) with this for color, which is also yummy. If you do that, spread some bread rounds with goat cheese and bake them for the last 8 minutes or so of the tomato cooking time. Too yummy! We're celebrating the whole amazing day with our first backyard fire (in our little firepit), opera, and cocktails session of the year. Aaaaahh, spring!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Asparagus, lemon zest
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This soup saves great!

Reaction
J: "I think we'll eat this all season long."
M: "Even better than I remembered."

So, I've been checking out some forums associated with the Foodie Blogroll and there's a lot of chatter out there about "flexitarianism". M and I first encountered this term in an Eating Well from last year. I can't find the article on their website, but it was just a brief blurb. They defined flexitarians as people who mostly ate vegetarian food, but occasionally ate meat. M and I immediately defined ourselves as flexitarians! Since we try to only eat organic, humanely raised meat, our bank account doesn't allow for a lot of meat consumption. Eating low on the food chain also makes sense from an environmental perspective - growing vegetables takes far less energy than growing a similar amount of meat. Even with both the financial and environmental factors that push us toward a plant-based diet, we're just unlikely to go completely vegetarian. We like meat and completely going without it eliminates a huge range in our cooking reptoire. Even more, every time we buy meat from a small farm with humane care and butchering, we send a very real message that we support this type of farming. Each time that message goes out, more farms consider using these practices. I'm a huge fan of voting my opinions with my dollars. So all this puts us pretty firmly in the flexitarian camp. We probably eat meat no ore than once or twice a week and often in very small amounts when we do eat it.

That said, as I read more recent definitions of the term flexitarian (such as this set from the Urban Dictionary), I get the impression that term mostly refers to people who eat vegetarian at home, but will eat meat at restaurants or with friends. If it was up to me (which it's obviously not), I think I'd use the term "social omnivore" to cover that class of diet, reserving "flexitarian" for people who more completely embrace the limited meat diet. Then again, maybe there's an even better term for me out there...

Note: I liked this brief story on flexitarians from MSNBC, because I'm totally in this woman's camp - I LOVE sausage.

Friday

Bree's lentil soup (recipe in the comments from March 3)
Seeduction rolls
Mixed vegetables in Dijon vinaigrette

Hot tea
Candy
______________________________________________________________
This is the second half of the lentil soup that we made in early March and froze. It's also our last super easy post vacation meal. I'm so happy we planned for these few days after our return! We didn't know how sick we'd be on the trip and this extra period of easy dinners has been a true blessing. The soup was excellent again. I'm still impressed with the conversion to a crockpot dish and the freezing didn't hurt the flavors at all. While warmer than the day we first made this, today was also chilly and damp and this flavorful warm dinner was very welcome. We're looking forward to a warmer, sunnier weekend!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Defrosting is always easy
Chopping: None
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: We did!

Reaction
J: "Lentil-licious"
M: "Freezes well!"

Check out my new sidebar item: The Foodie BlogRoll! Yes, it's a blogroll specifically for food related blogs. The ten newest blogs on the roll will be listed, as well as a random assortment of blogs that have been on the roll for a while. These are updated very regularly and give food lovers, like me, amazing amounts of reading material. What an inspiration! Check it out and let me know if you find favorites...

Thursday

Trollop pasta (recipe in the comments from November 14)
Green beans with warm balsamic bacon dressing

Hot tea
Candy
______________________________________________________________
It's a repeat!!! This shouldn't be surprising since we're just back form a trip and looking for easy things to make from staples. Also, I fessed up back in November that if we did only make ten dinners, this would maybe be two of them. I've missed it and am happy to be wrapped in its comforting yumminess. I think that every time we make this we say that it's better than usual -maybe we just can't remember quite how good it really is between times. Regardless, this is a great meal and should definitely be in your arsenal.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Green olives, parsley
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: Make the sauce ahead and toss with fresh pasta

Reaction
J: "Can we move in with the trollops?"
M: "Still the best."

Here's an article from the NY Times by one of my favorite chefs, Mark Bittman, about, of all things, the microwave! I have had a bit of a renaissance with our microwave myself this past year, using it for all manner of vegetables. I've found the results surprisingly good - often better than stove top preparations. This article confirms my findings and gives me a ton of ideas. It seems that this appliance does, indeed, do more than pop popcorn and re-heat my tea!

Wednesday

Corned beef soup (recipe in the comments from March 17)
Pumpernickel bread
Buttered peas

Hot tea
Profiteroles
______________________________________________________________
We're back from our trip, on which everyone got some sort of horrendous intestinal virus. Yuck! This makes us glad to be home and happy to be welcomed by a freezer containing some great leftovers for easy prep dinners. Tonight is the last of the St. Patrick's trifecta, Corned Beef Soup. This is basically a simple chicken soup recipe, where we have replaced the chicken stock with the wonderful leftover stock from our St. Patrick's Day dinner. It's so easy, extremely economical, and amazingly good. It's comforting, with just enough of a twist to keep your interest up. T loves it- he's into slurping noodles lately! Normally I would have this with a salad as my vegetable, but I didn't want to go to the store right after we got home, so a frozen vegetable works fine. The profiteroles are an odd indulgence. They come frozen and were part of our Valentine's Day blow out. We had some left and I figured we'd never be in better shape to eat them than after several days of intestinal disorder. Very tasty!!!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Carrots, celery, onions
Time: 25 minutes, assuming the broth is made and defrosted (if necessary)
Make ahead: I would make this last minute so the noodles don't absorb too much liquid.

Reaction
J: "Corned beef soup for the soul!"
M: "Prolonging the corned beef magic."