Monday, March 30, 2009

Monday

Black bean burrito bake (recipe in the comments from November 5, 2007)
Avocado and tomato salad with lemon

Hot cocoa
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This is a favorite and looking over the blog we typically have this recipe about twice a year. It's so easy and the result is creamy, satisfying goodness without being especially bad for you. I love the heat of the chipotle chili, but this is a pretty big turn off for T at this point. I'll probably make him something else tomorrow. That said, M and I love this and everyone we have served it to (minus T) has been very appreciative. The recipe doubles easily, with no additional baking time. We like it this way, so the burritos get a bit crisp, but you can use more salsa on top for a moister end product. This salad is one of our favorite sides with all things Mexican. I love avocados and the tart tomatoes and lemon are perfect counters. The salad is a T favorite, so we will save some of that for him :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Chipotle chili, tomatoes, avocado
Time: 15 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to bake
Make ahead: I like these best right out of the oven, but I have never turned one down for lunch.

Reaction
J: "The easiest burrito ever."
M: "Ridiculously easy."

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Sunday

Pasta primavera (recipe in the comments from May 1, 2008)
Salad with creamy dill dressing

Hot cocoa
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It feels very spring-y here in Buffalo and we're especially grateful given that the middle part of our country got a fair amount of snow this weekend. M and I did our first big spring yard clean-up yesterday and we had a lovely soaking spring rain this morning that transitioned to warm, bright sun by this afternoon. What a perfect day for a primavera celebration! Despite this, both M and I are tuckered today, so our side is a simple green salad. Regardless of complexity, this is a fantastic, seasonal meal that we relish returning to :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Squash, garlic, Asiago, basil, parsley, dill (for dressing)
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I like this best fresh, but you can re-heat it - just don't let the sauce come to a boil.

Reaction
J: "Rain, then sun, plus crocus = primavera"
M: "A wonderful taste of spring!"

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Saturday

Quinoa egg bake with thyme and garlic (recipe in the comments)
Salad with balsamic vinaigrette

Hot cocoa
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This is one of the recipes we discovered when the blog was down right after we moved. As you know, we're on a quest to eat more whole (and unusual) grains. Quinoa isn't even that unusual anymore, but we don't really have any recipes we use it in. Anyway, I saw this on the Whole Foods website and it seemed right up our alley. The result is subtle, but truly yummy AND it's beautiful. The quinoa settles to the bottom of the dish and forms a sort of a crust, making this a bit like a quiche. We really like this with baked or roasted tomatoes - but the tomatoes didn't look good today, so salad it is. The only note is that, while the prep is super fast this cooks for an hour, so it's great for a weekend when you've just brought out your deck furniture and and you'd like to sit outside with a fire and enjoy the first breaths of spring while it bakes. Just an idea.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Garlic, spinach, thyme, cheese
Time: 15 minutes to prep, 1 hour to cook
Make ahead: The saves very well.

Reaction
J: "Transcendent!"
M: "Finally, a quinoa recipe in the repertoire!"

Friday, March 27, 2009

Friday

Spicy red lentil dahl (recipe in the comments for January 18, 2008)
Snow peas and colored peppers (recipe in the comments)
Naan

Hot tea
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We haven't had this in quite a while and it's such a favorite. The dahl is healthier than other versions we've made/eaten and the seasoning is perfect. Even T likes it. For whatever reason, it was even better than usual. We did forget to add the lime, but it seemed like a bigger difference than that. The snow peas and peppers are a new side option that we're trying to, once again, broaden our side dish options for Asian or Indian fare. This is colorful and easy to prepare and surprisingly good.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, trim snow peas, bell peppers, ginger
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Absolutely.

Reaction
J: "I can't even comment because my mouth is so full!"
M: "A nice change of pace!"
Thursday - Jessica goes to book club

I went to my book club again tonight and had a lovely pot luck dinner. M made seared tuna steaks, polenta, baby bok choy, and shitaki mushrooms. So, we had a separately yummy dinner.
Wednesday - Out to dinner with friends at Hutch's in Buffalo

So, this week is Local Restaurant Week here in Buffalo. This means that tons of locally owned restaurants have deals for $20.09 this week. This varies from a three course dinner at lower end places to a lowered entree and dessert cost at some of the higher end places. A lot of places were also doing bottles of wine for $20.09 as well. Trying to capitalize on this, we decided to go out for the event with some friends of ours from work. We picked a place that most of us hadn't been to. Of the four of us, only M had ever eaten there, and that was while he was interviewing for his job, so it wasn't the best circumstance to appreciate the restaurant :) Hutch's was also offering one of the better deals - three courses for $20.09 and a selection of wines for the same price. We all enjoyed ourselves and the food. The only true downside was that despite having reservations, we had to wait for 30 minutes for a table. Also, neither M nor I liked the wine much, so I'm glad it was inexpensive for a restaurant bottle. Regardless though, the company was the best part and I hope we see these friends again soon!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Tuesday

Fresh garlic broccoli soup (recipe in the comments)
Roasted tomatoes
Pretzel rolls

Hot cocoa with marshmallows!
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So, I know, soup two nights in a row is atypical for us, but when M and I were perusing our dinner options remaining this week, soup just sounded best. This is a new one for us. We have a cream of asparagus and a broccoli cheese, but no straight up cream of broccoli. I was attracted to this because I love nutmeg flavoring and it has no cream or milk in it, making it a good choice for my lactose intolerant friends and family members. That said, as it is a very plain soup, I think hearty sides are welcome. That said, it used to be a MUCH plainer soup. The recipe we started from was sort of pureed hot broccoli. Don't get me wrong, broccoli is good, but that was boring! The fresh garlic, cayenne, splash of lemon and (our secret ingredient!) cinnamon take this soup to the next level.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion sliced, broccoli, tomatoes halved
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: I think the soup would save fine, but the tomatoes need to be done just before you eat.

Reaction
J: "This is truly unique - another one knocked out of the park!"
M: "Simplicity with a twist."

Monday, March 23, 2009

Monday

Bree's lentil soup (recipe in the comments from March 3, 2008)
Multigrain rolls
Salad

Hot tea
Strawberry sorbet
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We were supposed to take a prospective student of M's out for dinner tonight, but she had a family emergency and had to go h0me this afternoon. Anyway, we needed to punt for dinner. We got some bread and salad stuff and defrosted the rest of the lentil soup from Ash Wednesday. It was quick and easy, especially as we didn't plan to cook tonight.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None
Time: 10 minutes
Make ahead: I got it out of the freezer last night.

Reaction
J: "I still love this soup."
M: "Easy and good."

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sunday

Corned beef hash (recipe in the comments from March 17, 2008)
Turnip and collard greens
Chunky applesauce

Hot tea
Strawberry sorbet
Lemon cookies

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Today is St. Patrick's corned beef part two: hash. Hash is one of my favorite recipes. It's simple, flavorful, and easy to make. Our version is even quite healthy for you (not a traditional hash description). I made this and the greens today during T's nap so we could all eat together after church this afternoon. We didn't make it to church because the sudden appearance of the sun made us all long for a good walk, so we went to "mass" outside. The hash was enjoyed by all and was somehow even better than usual. I have two theories on that: 1) I cooked it ahead and recipes like hash often like to sit and have the flavors blend or 2) I made a larger corned beef than usual, so we actually had 3 cups of meat leftover this year (a rarity). Whatever it was, dinner was yummy.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Potato, corned beef, onion, peppers, parsley
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Definitely

Reaction
J: "More excellent than usual!"
M: "Hearty and not that bad for you!"

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Saturday

M & J's famous purple pasta (recipe in the comments)
Salad

Hot tea
Oreos
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You'll note that this recipe is all M & J, not inspired by anyone. That's not strictly true, but the story is complex enough that I couldn't put it all in the title. While Ten Dinners? was offline last fall, M and I tried a recipe for Sweet and Creamy Red Beet Pasta that sounded FANTASTIC. It was sauteed beets, basil, and garlic tossed with pasta and goat cheese. How could this be bad? Well, it was. It ended up being flavorless, the beets were dull, and it was way too goat cheese-y. So it was just like a dry-ish ball of goat cheese and pasta with red pieces in it. Sigh. Anyway, while we were unimpressed with the original, both of us felt the idea of a beet pasta was too good to abandon after one failed effort. Anyway, this is our own attempt. It's inspired by the unsuccessful aforementioned Sweet and Creamy Red Beet Pasta, but the technique is from our amazing Moosewood Cooks At Home recipe for Pasta Fresca, made with fresh tomatoes. Here, the beets are pureed with raw garlic and lots of basil, with just a bit of lemon juice and olive oil. The result is rich and earthy (like beets should be), but with the brightness lent by the garlic, basil, and lemon. The color is a dream. You toss it with hot pasta and a bit of goat cheese (not much!) for an amazing result. Good job M and J, good job.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Nothing, but you do need a Cuisinart or blender.
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Make the sauce whenever and toss with hot pasta and cheese just before serving.

Reaction
J: "Success! Our beet pasta wins a blue ribbon!"
M: "Can't beet this!"

Friday, March 20, 2009

Friday

Pasta with green pea pesto (recipe in the comments from June 3, 2008)
Roasted grape tomatoes and garlic

Hot cocoa
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This is our "recovery" dinner from last week's disastrous pesto experience. We discovered this recipe just before our move to Buffalo and loved it. We haven't had it sicne, but I made a mental note that it would be a perfect early spring meal, as peas and mint always seem spring-y, but the miracle of frozen peas don't require vegetables to actually be growing when you eat them :) The result was as fantastic and as different from any of our more traditional pestos. What a gust of spring feeling to usher in the new season. Happy Equinox to you all!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Nothing!
Time: 25 minutes (perfect for grocery list night!)
Make ahead: The pesto could easily be made long in advance and even frozen. Just toss with freshly cooked pasta.

Reaction
J: "Who can help but think spring when they eat peas and mint???"
M: "It's green - Happy spring!"

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Thursday

Cate's springtime risotto soup (recipe in the comments from April 12, 2008)
A few slices of mustard seed cheddar
Whole white wheat bread

Hot cocoa
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Spring has really been fighting to come out here in Western New York over the past week or so. We had gorgeous weather this weekend and this week has been lovely. Today was supposed to be colder and gray, but it ended up less cold than we expected and sunny basically all day. We're really happy to have the warmer weather, no snow, and the first crocuses up. The snowdrops are already beginning to wilt! It feels so renewing outside. At any rate, this meal is intended as a celebration of the new season - officially here sometime tomorrow morning. We had white asparagus from a local hot house at our store and took advantage. That makes the soup less colorful, but white asparagus always seems festive to us. Between the pound of asparagus and the spinach, this really can be a one dish meal with bread and a few cubes of cheese. That said, broiled tomatoes would be excellent additions.

Note: We made this with Better than Bouillon's Organic "Not Chicken" vegetable base, which is a lighter veggie broth. I knew we'd both be taking this for lunch tomorrow - a Lenten Friday. We both give this product two thumbs up, but I doubt we'll find it in Buffalo. We moved it from Ann Arbor :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onions, lemon rind, asparagus, spinach
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: We do this last minute so the rice doesn't soak up too much of the broth and get soggy.

Reaction
J: "Happy equinox eve!"
M: "Perfect early spring dinner!"
Wednesday - Dinner out at Sole in Williamsville

So we've been to Sole once before for brunch and had a WONDERFUL meal. In fact it was the excellent sangria from that experience that had me angling to go back last night. Sadly, tonight's experience was far less satisfying. First off, the amazing sangria was truly lackluster last night, more resembling strawberry soda than anything an adult would drink. M's margarita wasalso sweet and not very flavorful. We both got salads to start, which were lovely, but huge and the waitress would have been better off to tell us that maybe we should share. In the end we were happy for them, because M's carnitas (which we fell in love with in California and have even found a good version of here in Western New York) were really bad. They tasted like pot roast, complete with beefy gravy. This was not what we were hoping for. My veggie quesadilla was excellent - fresh grilled veggies and goat cheese with a light mango salsa. Perfect. BUT it came with a salad, unlisted on the menu that our waitress should have mentioned. Anyway, we left feeling confused becuase after the rbunch and the dinner, we just don't know what to think. I expect we'll try it again to find out, but probably not very soon.

To recover we went and had coffee drinks and shared a banana cream pie slice at Creekview and were completely soothed. What a great restaurant.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tuesday - Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Corned beef and cabbage with root vegetables (recipe in the comments from March 17, 2008)
Grainy mustard and horseradish
Beer

Hot tea
Soda bread
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It's another year of our incredible crock pot corned beef. I just cannot believe how wonderfully this recipe comes together. This is far and away the most flavorful version of corned beef I have ever made and it is SO easy. We did have a mishap this year though. We bought a new crock pot early this summer because our old fell off the shelf where I was keeping it and the ceramic insert broke. So, this is the first time I have made this recipe in the new crock pot. Despite the new crock being the same volume as the old, it is narrower and taller and so the pot was "fuller". It was enough higher in the pot that I was worried it would take longer to cook, so I started it on high. Sadly, I was wrong and it all cooked faster than I expected, so I had to interrupt cooking, remove the veggies, and turn the meat to low. We plan to do a trial corned beef again soon to check this out. While all the shenanigans were a bit of a drag, the end product was AMAZING as usual. T loved it and we had a great family dinner tonight! Happy Day!

Note: Stay tuned - as the recipe indicates, this is the first of three meals made with the beef and broth from this dinner. Oh yum!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage
Time: 20 minutes prep, 8-10 hours cooking (unattended), 15 minutes to cook the cabbage last minute (mostly unattended)
Make ahead: That's the beauty of it!

Reaction
J: "I think we may be slowly becoming Irish!"
M: "Faith and begorrah!"

Monday, March 16, 2009

Monday

Goat cheese and roasted corn quesadillas (recipe in the comments)
Seasoned black beans
Salad of various greens and salsa verde dressing

Hot tea
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A new quesadilla recipe with goat cheese as a central ingredient! I was very excited to try this, as it seemed just similar enough to our black bean and goat cheese quesadillas to be a good bet, but different enough to warrant a new recipe. The prep on this is incredibly quick and the results were generally fantastic. That said, the original recipe called for corn tortillas and we both though that this would be MUCH better with flour. The corn tore easily and were hard to determine "doneness" with. Also, the filling is pretty liquid-y and so flour would absorb a bit better. Regardless though, this was a great meal and we will be making it again!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Scallions
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: I would make these just before serving.

Reaction
J: "This dinner made my Monday!"
M: "Good, but better with flour tortillas."

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Sunday

Crustless broccoli and onion quiche (recipe in the comments)
Pickled beets and hearts of palm

Hot tea
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This is my favorite set of ingredients in crustless quiche, but, as many of you know, this is infinitely variable. The premise of a good crustless quiche is a mix of colorful ingredients that are cooked just enough to not be crunchy after the quiche itself bakes. We saute the onion and then quickly poach the broccoli. You pour a flavorful egg custard over the whole thing (perked up with Romano cheese and pimentos) and bake. We add asmall amount of brown rice flour to the custard to give the base "weight", but it's not completely necessary. The quiche does cook for 35 minutes and then rests for 10, so this isn't the best on a busy night right after work. That said, it's perfect when you have a bit more time. As I've commented before I love the pacing of having baking time to clean up, prep the side dishes, and have a glass of wine. Anyway, I've included the recipe as a basis for whatever veggies (or meats, cheeses, etc) you'd like. Enjoy!

Note: This works fine with Lactaid milk for those of you who are lactose intolerant :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, broccoli, beets, hearts of palm
Time: 20 minutes to prep plus 45 to bake and rest
Make ahead: This reheats beautifully.

Reaction
J: "Mmmmmmm!"
M: "Well rounded goodness!"

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Saturday

Beggerman's stew(recipe in the comments from March 8th, 2008)
Irish-style salad with Shanagarry cream dressing
Beer and Irish hard cider!

Hot tea
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It may seem like we took a week off of our Irish celebration, but we were excited to get to have dinner at an Irish pub one night while we were on vacation (AND one amazing breakfast at an Irish tea house). That said, we're back to celebrating at home with a vengeance. Tonight is our favorite vegetarian Irish meal, a rich root vegetable soup and the most wonderful salad of all time. This meal always seems very wholesome and super satisfying to me and it's one we repeat each year around this time. We have even made this for St. Patrick's Day itself when we're having vegetarian guests. This year we're on our own so it's our traditional Corned Beef Three Ways for next Tuesday. We haven't made a new Irish recipe yet this year though, so I think we will carry St. Patrick's season a bit past the big day and make something new next week. Stay tuned!

Note: We have found that this really doesn't save well, so this year we only made a half recipe.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Rutabaga, onion, potatoes, parsley, watercress, cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, radishes
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I would do the stew last minute so the veggies don't absorb too much broth, but the salads can be composed ahead and dressed at the last minute (or at the table).

Reaction
J: "It's a wonder we don't think of more vegetarian Irish meals!"
M: "Real Irish fare."

Friday, March 13, 2009

Friday

Penne with broccoli rabe (recipe in the comments from May 7th, 2008)
Sauteed grape tomatoes

Hot tea
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This is our first dinner just us post-vacation and I expect you can detect a bit of recovery here. This is a very simple, light dinner. After eating extremely well for the past week, we're working to be closer to our eating norms :) Also, it's a Friday in Lent and this seems like a good dinner. This is one of those recipes we've made for so long that we don't even look at the recipe any more and so I forgot that we've started liking it better with whole wheat pasta. Oh well, next time. The overall effect is very homey and welcoming for us and the spark of the grape tomatoes is PERFECT!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Broccoli rabe, garlic
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: I would do this all just before serving.

Reaction
J: "An oldie but goodie."
M: "Simple, clean flavors."

Thursday

Whole wheat pasta with parsley pesto (recipe NOT in the comments)
Sauteed red, yellow, and orange bell peppers

Hot tea
Vanilla ice cream with blueberry wine from Niagara on the Lake!
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So we got back today from our wonderful mini-trip to Niagara on the Lake. What an AMAZING place. We had a lovely time and will certainly be back. M's mom was only going to be with us for one night before she had to go home, so we decided to make a new pesto recipe, as all of us love pestos. Well, it turns out that making new things for guests *is* unpredictable. The parsley pesto we tried pretty much tasted like pure lemon. We added more walnuts and Parmesan and it got to be ok, but it was never great. If you want to make pesto try any of our other favorite versions:

The best basil pesto out there
Spinach and arugula pesto
Green pea pesto

That said, the company was fun and the peppers were perfect - a bright spring-y side for these late winter nights. The ice cream was brought to a whole new level by the blueberry wine we brought home. Thus, even with a mediocre entree, a good dinner was had by all!

Prep Notes
It depends on which of the others you plan to make :)

Reaction
J: "This is never going to be a staff favorite."
M: "Not worth it."

Saturday, March 7, 2009

We're off tomorrow for a few days of couple time, while Grammie takes care of T. I think everyone will feel like it's a great vacation :) You'll hear from me again late next week! Enjoy the early spring bursting out all over!!!!
Saturday

Roasted tilapia with orange-parsley salsa (recipe in the comments)
Lemon parsley cous cous
Roasted baby vegetables

Hot tea
Cookies
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So, I just accidentally deleted this post, which had been up for a few days and I don't really remember what I had said about it. So, I'll do my best!

This was inspired by a recipe I cut out from Cooking Light recently that just seemed perfect to serve to M's mom who is in town as of today in preparation to take care of T while M and I take a few days of vacation. The original had a rice recipe with it that we eliminated and we've changed the salsa some. We were all very happy with the results. The oranges and parsley make a lovely counterpoint to the fish. It all tasted very springy and felt like a festive meal to share with company.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Broccoli rabe, garlic
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: You could make the salsa ahead, but I would do the rest last minute.

Reaction
J: "So spring!"
M: "100X better than a fish fry."
Friday - Leftovers

M's mom is arriving late tonight and so we are busy cleaning out the fridge. She will be taking care of T for a few days while we take a much needed adults only vacation. You can expect one more post before we're on vacation hold until the end of next week :)
Thursday

Eggplant cauliflower curry (recipe in the comments)
Basmati rice
South Indian spiced purple cabbage (recipe in the comments from April 11, 2008)

Hot tea
Strawberry sorbet
Lemon cookies
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We had one of my favorite students from last fall over for dinner tonight and made an Indian feast. This is one of my favorite curries and is very easy to do. I made both the curry and the cabbage while T was napping with no problem and both re-heated beautifully. We don't make traditional Indian desserts, but sorbet seems to serve well. I think this was enjoyed by all :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate for the whole meal
Chopping: Garlic, ginger, onion, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbage
Time: 50 minutes
Make ahead: Both dishes are excellent left over.

Reaction
J: "If push came to shove, I would say this is our best curry."
M: "Indian fare for company!"

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Wednesday

Tuscan chickpea soup (recipe in the comments from May 22, 2008)
Spinach salad with oranges and feta with sweet lemon dressing

Hot tea
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Since rediscovering this soup back in May, we have been singing its praises. I have suggested it to a few friends and we made it once last fall when the blog was down. It is truly incredible and tonight was no exception. I also love this salad, which is just a bit of a departure from our standard salad greens and homemade dressing. The feat and orange really capture a flavor combo we enjoy. This is a perfect example of the importance for our level of variety of writing a good side pairing down. It's in cases like this, where I would never think of adding feta and orange to a salad on a normal night when I'm on autopilot, that such notes are godsends. Anyway, a great dinner all around!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, Parmesan
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This saves really well.

Reaction
J: "I really think it's the balsamic that makes it for me."
M: "Excellent!"
Tuesday - Take out from the King and I

Thai steamed dumplings
Tom Yum soup
Salad with tofu and peanut dressing

Green curry chicken
The King and I noodles with beef

Hot tea
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We didn't manage to get a babysitter for our typical out to dinner this week, so we decided to do a take out meal. We both love Thai food and really love The King and I. They have a ton of vegetables in their dishes and very little grease. I especially love their dumplings and the green curry. The noodles (a first time order for us) were not our favorite, but we both agree that was our personal taste and that someone else might like the dish better than we did. Otherwise, it was a perfect dinner and who can pass on that prep time?

Monday, March 2, 2009

Monday

Spaghetti with carmelized onions and anchovies (recipe in the comments from May 4th, 2008)
Sauteed grape tomatoes and garlic

Hot tea
Chocolate chip cookies
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I know, anchovies? This is our only anchovy recipe to date, but we love it. I just finished telling my om that this is one of our more subtle and gourmet seeming meals. The anchovy flavor doesn't come through, but they give the pasta a rich flavor that is just not achievable with other ingredients. We will definitely try more anchovy recipes if they present themselves!

As an ingredient note: We now believe that Wegman's brand "Italian Classics" whole wheat pasta is the best whole wheat pasta around.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, anchovies, parsley
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Best done last minute.

Reaction
J: "I feel the Omega-3s!!"
M: "The anchovy is your friend!"
Sunday - Dinner with friend's 

We had a lovely dinner at a neighbor's house.  They made a fantastic chili, salad, and skillet cornbread.  They also had a homemade Toll House pie with creme brulee ice cream.  Yum!  Yum ! Yum!
Saturday

Cous cous burritos (recipe in the comments from October 24, 2007)
Spinach salad
Red globe grapes

Hot tea
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M was at work tonight for graduate student recruiting (he's recruiting his first student!!!!), so T and I shared one of our favorite meals that M is less partial to, cous cous burritos. I know it sounds weird, but it functions kind of like huevos ranchero, with cous cous for eggs. We love it and ate like kings together. T grinned through his cous cous and said, "Dis yummy, Mama. We eat dis tomowoah 'gain." (Translation: This is yummy, Mama. We should eat this again tomorrow.) It was a great meal to share!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Incredibly easy
Chopping: Bell pepper, tomato
Time: 15 minutes
Make Ahead: The cous cous saves well to be reheated into burritos

Reaction
J: "It's ok that M eats elsewhere some nights."
T: "Dis yummy, Mama. We eat dis tomowoah 'gain."