Ten dinners?

2009-10-23T09:48:00.002-04:00

Thursday - Out to dinner at Verbena

Can you tell we like this place? Given mom's visit, we knew we wanted to go back and experience the new fall menu. As usual, we had an excellent experience. The food was fantastic, the environment lovely, and fun was had by all. They seemed short staffed though, so things were a bit oddly paced and there were several things the kitchen or wine cellar were out of. Even still, we had a lovely dinner and I'm sure we'll be back soon

Appetizers:
"Cobb" salad - Mom
Pan roasted stuffed quail - M
Grilled pear salad with blue cheese - J

Entrees:
Slow braised beef short rib - Mom
Crisp seared duck breast - M
Pasta with fresh tomato sauce, clams, and mussels - J

2009-10-22T14:52:00.001-04:00

Wednesday - Mom cooks AGAIN!

Mom took another cooking shift today while M did lecture preparation. Isn't she a saint? This was an amazing dinner too - and an especially beloved dinner for Mr. T :)

Scallops in lemon garlic sauce
Saffron rice
Grilled red peppers

Mmmmmm!

2009-10-22T14:47:00.003-04:00

Tuesday

Tuscan chickpea soup (recipe in the comments from May 22, 2008)
Garlic infused Italian bread
Salad

Hot tea
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My mom loves a good soup and this is quite the unusual bean soup. First off, it's pureed and had very few other vegetables in it. That said, it manages to be incredibly flavorful. It's easy to make and the result is quite impressive. This is another recipe that depends on an immersion blender unless you want to do the multiple batches of pureeing in a blender. Yuck. At any rate, with an immersion blender it's a breeze. This was enjoyed by all!

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

Reaction:
"This is much better than the individual ingredients suggest - an amazing soup."

The kid report:
Definitely a hit. Two bowls, three pieces of bread, and even a bit of salad (notoriously not a T favorite).

2009-10-19T20:15:00.002-04:00

Monday - Mom cooks!

My mom knows that M has to work a lot on Mon and Wed to prepare for his lectures the following days, so she is taking on cooking Mon and Wed this week to save him the time of extra cooking. It's GREAT! This is the first Monday M has finished his lecture text before dinner - probably all due to Mom doing the cooking :) Also, dinner was lovely!

Pork chops with savory cornbread stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce
Steamed broccoli
Pumpkin ice cream

It's a fall festival!

2009-10-18T19:37:00.004-04:00

Sunday

Grandma's savory tofu casserole (recipe in the comments from December 7th, 2007)
Baked potatoes
Salad with garlic vinaigrette

Hot tea
Oreos
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So as M and I made this casserole tonight, I was thinking how this is my version of the quintessential Sunday dinner. Homey, filling, savory, and served with potatoes. We don't eat a ton of potatoes because we have so many meals with the starch built in (stir fries over rice or pasta dishes), but I LOVE them. Anyway, this is also one of my mom's favorite recipes, so we had to have it this trip. We all went on a GORGEOUS hike this morning - fall in full fury, full sun, and temps in the mid 40s. It was glorious. And this was the dinner to follow it. PERFECT.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy to prepare and long to cook, but totally worth it
Chopping: Onion, carrot, pepper, garlic
Time: 25 minutes to prep + 1 hour to bake
Make ahead: This stores very well.

Reaction:
"Still one of our best tofu dishes."

The kid report:
Following a recent Sunday tradition, Theo ate practically nothing at dinner. He said he liked the tofu and *didn't* like the potato (yeah, right). I think he just wasn't hungry.

2009-10-17T21:01:00.003-04:00

Saturday

M & J's famous purple pasta (recipe in the comments from March 21, 2009)
French green beans with bacon and red onion

Hot tea
Cake!
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My mom, a fellow beet lover, arrived today and I have been dying to share this recipe with her. As an invention of M's and mine I am proud of this one and VERY sure that she would love it as much as we do. Anyway, the meal was a HUGE hit. My mom LOVED it. I still can't believe how well it turns out and how easy it is.

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:
"We're purple, pasta eaters!"

The kid report:
Two bowls. Very happy boy.

2009-10-17T20:57:00.003-04:00

Friday

Rotisserie chicken (Thanks Wegmans!)
Farfalle with butter and Parmesan
Butternut squash, carrots, and green beans (Thanks Wegmans!)

Hot tea
Halloween Oreos (Thanks Grammie!)
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M and T went on a field trip together today and I was at work all day, so we needed a speedy meal! Chicken is always so easy. Whenever we have a meal of a meat starch and vegetable, it looks so traditional! This one was enjoyed by all :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: Yes, since someone else did :)

Reaction:
"Convenient and good."

The kid report:
Very positive - especially on the pasta and carrots.

2009-10-15T20:00:00.004-04:00

Thursday

Spinach kugel (recipe in the comments from November 3, 2007)
Pickled beets and hearts of palm

Hot tea
Halloween Oreos (Thanks Grammie!)
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We haven't had kugel in WAY too long - especially since this is right up T's alley. This is a spinach casserole with eggs and cottage cheese as bulk. It bakes up fluffy and savory with nutmeg, garlic, and lemon juice for zing. Pickled beets and sliced hearts of palm is one of my favorite fall/winter side dishes. Nothing can be easier, it's colorful, and always in season. T also downs HUGE amounts of both. I think he's definitely related to me :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Garlic
Time: 25 minutes to prep, 45 minutes to bake
Make ahead: Yes - this saves perfectly.

Reaction:
"Still amazing after all these years"

The kid report:
A definite winner.

2009-10-14T22:44:00.003-04:00

Wednesday

Twice baked Tex-Mex potatoes (recipe in the comments)
Corn and pimento salad
Green salad with salsa verde dressing

Hot tea
Peanut butter cookies
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We LOVE our salmon stuff potatoes, so when saw this recipe I thought, "We have to try this!". It turned out a bit bland, but the additions we made were amazing. This is going to be a regular in the repertoire. The two sides were great with it too, though you could do one or the other and have plenty of food. The corn salad is very simple (1 1/4 cup corn kernels (defrosted, if necessary) + 1 2 oz jar chopped pimentos (drained) + 1 t oil, 2 t red wine vinegar, and cumin, salt, and cayenne to taste) and a great, colorful addition.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Potatoes, scallions
Time: 1 hour to bake, 30 minutes to finish
Make ahead: I bet these will re-heat well

Reaction:
"Another fantastic twice baked potato."

The kid report:
He ate an whole potato (yes, two halves!). Woah.

2009-10-14T22:39:00.002-04:00

Tuesday - Out to dinner at Gin Gin

M and I were going to see Avenue Q (the musical with puppets) tonight, but didn't have our sitter until 7, so we decided to go out with t and were looking for somewhere near campus. We'd been wanting to try a Chinese place near UB, called Gin Gin for a while, so we gave it a whirl. The food is supposed to be more authentic than our current favorite Golden Duck. The results were mixed. I think M liked it a lot, but while I found some parts excellent, much of it was very greasy and overly sweet to my taste. Also vegetables were virtually non-existent - always a downside for me. So, maybe we'll have to give it another try before we get a final verdict.

Appetizers:
Steamed dumplings (dumplings = some of the best ever, sauce = VERY sweet)
Hot and sour soup (AMAZING)

Entrees:
T - Shrimp lo mein (good, but a bit greasy)
J - Mongolian beef (really sweet, sticky and greasy)
M - Special marinated duck over rice (M reports this was great, but it looked VERY heavy)

2009-10-14T22:31:00.002-04:00

Monday

Slow cooker Italian sausage agrodolce (recipe in the comments)
Egg noodles
Salad with balsamic vinegar

Hot tea
Raisinettes
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Yet another Wegman's Menu magazine recipe that's totally amazing. This is very Italian, but unlike anything else we make - hard to imagine. The sweetness of the sauce, cut with the acidic vinegar and slightly bitter cabbage is AMAZING. Served over egg noodles with a bit of butter you could take over small nations with this recipe. And the house smells wonderful all day! Fantastic :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Cabbage, onions
Time: 20 minutes to prep, 10 hours to cook
Make ahead: Yep.

Reaction:
"Really, this would work better than WMDs."

The kid report:
Totally enthralled - especially with the sausage and the raisins, but in general very positive responses.

2009-10-11T21:19:00.002-04:00

Sunday

Sesame maple tofu (recipe in the comments from November 23, 2007)
Rice
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
Raisinettes
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The weird set of ingredients in the title makes this a surprisingly amazing dish. There's nothing else we make or eat that is anything like this. It's both rich and light. The whole thing is super yummy. We like feeding it to people and watching their reactions :) It was a good Sunday dinner because it's beautiful and feels festive. The clean up is easy too, which is good ebcause we prepped a crock pot dinner for tomorrow as well. That already smells fantastic!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tofu cubes, sliced onions, cucumbers
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Best right out of the oven.

Reaction:
"Simple, elegant,and delicious!"

The kid report:
As usual with tofu dinners, T picked out all the tofu to eat first, ate a few bites of rice, and was coaxed into a couple cucumbers. Tofu really may be his favorite food.

2009-10-10T21:09:00.006-04:00

Saturday

Late harvest veggie pasta (recipe in the comments)
Grilled peppers

Hot tea
Apple mash with orange crumbles and vanilla ice cream
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This is another Wegman's Menu magazine recipe and another home run. We used very few actual Wegman's products for this one, other than their amazing fresh lasagne sheets. The cool thing is you cut those into thick noodles for the pasta here, making a truly homestyle noodle dish. That and the rich blend of veggies and the strong garlic and oregano flavors made this truly outstanding. This will definitely be featured again!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy (bordering on moderate)
Chopping: Zucchini,squash, onion, garlic, oregano, peppers
Time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: I would do this last minute if possible

Reaction:
"Outstanding - noodle should always be huge!"

The kid report:
T was verbally enthusiastic about liking this, but petered out pretty quickly. Hard to tell.

2009-10-10T20:26:00.007-04:00

Friday

Quick tomato soup (recipe in the comments from February 10, 2009)
Local "meckt" cheese
Sourdough bread
Yellow fleshed melon (like watermelon)

Hot tea
Oreos
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This is an amazing easy meal. We have made this a couple times right before travel as an easy meal with no leftovers. This makes it great for Friday nights as well! Theo was thrilled with the soup and cheese. None of us were thrilled with the yellow fleshed melon, so that probably won't be featured again. Otherwise it was a great meal. Happy weekend!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, parsley, melon
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: I think this would save fine.

Reaction:
"Really I had never experienced tomato soup until this recipe."

The kid report:
T said this was "super!" I wonder if he meant "Soup-er!"

2009-10-08T20:19:00.004-04:00

Thursday

Farfalle with almond tarragon pesto (recipe in the comments from April 18, 2009)
Sliced hierloom tomatoes

Hot tea
Oreos
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The tarragon plant is going crazy. I think it's almost as big as our dog. We had to do something before frost, so we're having our pesto again. How else can you use up a cup and a half of tarragon in one blow? This is AMAZING and really quite unusual. It's hard not to get seconds or even thirds. T ate four helpings! We also think the heirloom/tomatoes-in-general season is about up, so we're squeezing in as many fresh tomatoes as we can right now. It's hard to say goodbye to tomatoes, peaches and corn, even as we are embracing winter squash and the like. Regardless, an awesome meal!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Tomatoes
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: I made the pesto early an thinned it with pasta water just before we ate.

Reaction:
"I'm SO glad we can have an herb garden."

The kid report:
T ate four helpings - what more can we say?

2009-10-07T20:34:00.004-04:00

Wednesday

Slow cooker beef minestrone (recipe in the comments)
Spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Garlic infused Tusan-style bread

Hot tea
Snickers with almonds (who knew?!)
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Each season Wegman's puts out a magazine called menu that has tons of recipes and (incidentally, I'm sure) features their products. While, this can lead to purchasing more Wegman's brand things, the recipes are interesting and generally exceptionally good for you. We have several minestrone recipes already, but they are all vegetarian. This one sounded very different (the obvious switch to adding beef and far more tomatoes) and was a slow cooker recipe, which is very helpful these days, so we gave it a go. The result was incredible. A rich, meaty soup, with enough veggies for us, and super flavorful without being very salty. This also makes a TON of food. We'll freeze half for an emergency meal later! I LOVE recipes like this. So, while this will be hard to replicate without a Wegman's near you, it's worth the effort just for such a great result.

Note: We prepped this (through adding the stock, tomatoes, and sauce) the night before and then plunked it into our crock pot this morning. We then cooked it for 10 hours to make up for the cold start. Perfectamente and SO easy!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None
Time: 15 minutes to prep, 10 hours of yummy smelling,unattended cooking
Make ahead: Clearly

Reaction:
"Beef is GOOD."

The kid report:
T chowed down on this. I don't know if he was just exceptionally hungry (most of a bowl of soup, two pieces of bread, and two glasses of milk, PLUS a mini snickers bar) or if this was just a great dinner.

2009-10-06T22:04:00.005-04:00

Tuesday

Winter squash stuffed with lentil pilaf (recipe in the comments from January 6, 2009)
Broccoli with lemon

Hot tea
Sugar cookies
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Basically I have the same reaction to this as I had last time - this cannot be this good. It's based on a boxed rice mix, with nuts and cranberries thrown in! Yet, the combination of that pilaf and the squash is amazing. I'm not really sure what does it. Regardless, this is so easy that it's perfect for a busy day. I roasted the squash and prepped the pilaf before I went to pick up M and T. Then we just had to re-heat and add the cranberries and pecans. Especially with the super fresh broccoli we're still getting at the farmer's market, this was great. Also, there was something especially perfect about our squash tonight. Maybe because it's local?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Cutting the squash in half, chopping cranberries
Time: 50 minutes (most of that is unattended squash roasting time)
Make ahead: You can roast the squash ahead and re-heat it in a warm oven

Reaction:
"As yummy as it is beautiful!"

The kid report:
T loved the pilaf and was intrigued by the squash. He ate a few bites, but was more interested in pulling out the strings than chowing down on that part.

2009-10-06T21:59:00.004-04:00

Monday - Take out from Thai Orchid Cafe

I gave my first exam today and so we didn't want to plan anything too complex for dinner. It turns out the exam went perfectly and so we could have cooked, but take out was welcome anyway. This is a TRULY amazing restaurant. I can't wait to have Thai again and we JUST ATE!

Summer rolls
Green papaya salad
Green curry with chicken
Vietnamese curry with beef
Rice

2009-10-06T21:54:00.004-04:00

Sunday

Skillet gnocchi with chard and white beans (recipe in the comments from January 9, 2009)
Salad with red wine and bacon vinaigrette

Hot tea
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This was a great Sunday dinner. I made the first 2/3 of the recipe while T was napping and then we just tossed it all together and reheated after church tonight. The result was wonderful. the first time we made this we used Gia Russa brand shelf stable gnocchi, but Wegman's was out of stock. We used Wegman's brand mini gnocchis this time to great effect. T really liked the bitty size and ate heartily!

Prep notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, chard, Parmesan
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I did!

Reaction:
"This was the perfect post apple picking dinner!"

The kid report:
T was enthralled with this. He picked out all the chard and all the gnocchis to eat first :)

2009-10-03T19:53:00.002-04:00

Catching up!

This week has been a combination of crazy and I just haven't had time to post. I went to see a speaker at UB on Wed while M was finishing up some work, so we all got home late. Thursday M and I went to see David Sedaris (yes, he's amazing). Friday was just oneof those days. So, here I am catching up :)

Wednesday Sept 30 - Penne arrabbiata and steamed broccoli with lemon and garlic (recipe in the comments from March 16, 2008)

Thursday Oct 1 - Oktoberfest dinner at Creekview in Willaimsville. Amazing as it was last year. We love this restaurant all year long, but this is particularly a good time of year to go. T thought it rocked.

Friday Oct 2 - Lamb rogan josh (updated recipe in the comments), rice, zesty spiced cauliflower. This was our first trial of a recipe we converted to the crock pot (back in December of '07) and it was pretty good. I think with the additions/changes we made this time around it can be considered perfect!

Saturday Oct 3 - Cauliflower gratin, grilled eggplants with balsamic, salad. I know cauliflower two nights in a row. It just didn't occur to me until I'd started cooking! It was very good, but not main dish-y enough. I think both M and I thought it needed more. In the end our mac and cheese with spinach is similar enough and MUCH more satisfying.

2009-09-29T20:43:00.004-04:00

Tuesday

Bowties with sausage and sage (recipe in the comments November 4, 2007)
Salad with balsamic dressing

Hot tea
M & Ms
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This is fall. Warm pasta with tomatoes and chicken sausage and SAGE. In fact we increased the amount of sage we used this time, since we have a bumper crop still. It was even better than usual. The rain and cool weather have continued - in fact we never even made it to the mid-50s today. The warm pasta and obligate glass of red wine were very welcome. I'm already excited about my lunch tomorrow :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: I was working at home today and so I made the sauce before I went to pick upthe boys. We made pasta when we got home and, presto, dinner!

Reaction:
"Rainy day perfection" OR "Sage is my best friend!"

The kid report:
Direct quote: "You know the thing about this dinner? I just LOVE it!"

Not kidding :)

2009-09-29T20:32:00.004-04:00

Monday

Chili relleno casserole (recipe in the comments from January 10, 2008)
Corn tortillas, red salsa
Canteloupe

Hot tea
Reaspberry lemon ice
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This was the perfect meal for tonight. It was pretty chilly today and by evening very rainy. The warm casserole was great, but the lighter even summer-y flavors were perfect for early fall. Also, this may very well be our last local melon for the year and it was AMAZING! This is also a great meal because it's so easy. There were no classes today (Yom Kippur), so I came home early to work and quickly made the casserole before I went to get T from daycare. M pulled the casserole out just as we got home. How easy is that?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Scallions, grate cheese, melon
Time: 10 minutes to prep, 35-40 minutes to bake
Make ahead: I often will put the solid layers in the pan and whip the eggs and milk ahead, pouring the custard on just before baking.

Reaction:
"It's like a mix of summer and fall - just like our weather!"

The kid report:
T loved this and even was unusually excited about salsa tonight. We were so excited about watching him eat little burritos :)

2009-09-27T20:01:00.004-04:00

Sunday

Spicy red lentil dahl (recipe in the comments for January 18, 2008)
Multigrain flatbreads
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
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This is bar none my favorite of our dahls. It's easy, but somehow the result is incredibly complex and satisfying. The taste profile is almost a combination of Indian and Thai, rather than some of the more strictly Indian dahls we do. I expect it's the light coconut milk and lime. Regardless this is fantastis and fail proof. I wish everything worked this well in life :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, cucumbers
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Easily.

Reaction:
"A family favorite."

The kid report:
T was distracted early in the dinner process, but then returned to eat with fervor, so I'd say overall highly positive.

2009-09-27T19:53:00.004-04:00

Tuesday

Polenta and vegetable bake (recipe in the comments from February 17, 2009)
Salad greens with herbs in a creamy garlic dressing

Hot tea
Grapefruit sorbet and orange wafer cookies
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We first made this back in February and I just noticed that I said it was the perfect dish for winter when I posted then. How funny, since I now think it's perfect for early fall when the eggplant and zucchini is pouring out of a Farmer's Market near you! We made this for one of the graduate student's M works with who came to dinner tonight. It is the first time she's visited and we wanted something that most people would like. I didn't remember to be nervous about whether she liked eggplant until she was here, but, thankfully, she does, so no worries! This casserole is truly yummy, enough gooey cheese to feel indulgent, but enough veggies to balance. I just love it. And, apparently, it's a crowd pleaser as well :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Eggplant, zucchini, basil, polenta, shredding mozzarella (unless you buy it shredded like I did :)
Time: 25 minutes to prep + 15-20 to bake
Make ahead: I think this would save fine.

Reaction:
"One of the better casseroles possible."

The kid report:
T was VERY lukewarm on this, but he had eaten a fair amount of cheese, crackers and tomatoes before dinner and we had a charming and entertaining guest to show off for instead of eating. It's worth another try on him.

2009-09-27T19:48:00.003-04:00

Friday

Pasta with pesto (recipe in the comments from November 24, 2007)
Sauteed yellow and red cherry tomatoes

Hot tea
Chocolate chip cookies
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So, we did get another pesto meal this year! The recent sun has encouraged growth, such that we harvested all our plants and had enough for 2-3 more batches. We were running late tonight, so we only made tonight's, but the rest of the basil is in the fridge awaiting transformation. I'm glad it wasn't just the once, as this really is one of our favorite meals. The tomatoes are so sweet right now, you barely need to do anything to them. Mmmm. Everything was lovely and a great kick off to the weekend!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Peeling garlic, grating Parmesan
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: We often even freeze it.

Reaction:
"Probably the last batch pre-freezer."

The kid report:
T loves pesto - ALWAYS.

2009-09-27T19:43:00.002-04:00

Thursday - Out to dinner at Verbena

Yes, this is our new favorite restaurant and since we had a coupon expiring on the 30th we had to go back before the end of the month! The evening did not disappoint. If anything, the minor glitches from our last visit were non existent. The food was wonderful from bread to dessert and the environment so wonderfully comfortable and relaxing. I felt like M and I laughed and enjoyed ourselves more than we have on a date just the two of us in a while. Perhaps great food will do that. Yes, we will be back!

Appetizers:
J - Grilled peach and bacon salad
M - Seared scallop with pureed beets and roasted cauliflower (special)

Entrees:
J - Halibut in ginger soy broth with shrimp, edamame and glass noodles
M - Venison with lots of other wonderful things

Dessert:
Peaches with crumble-y goodness and ginger ice cream

2009-09-23T20:07:00.003-04:00

Wednesday

Spaghetti squash with caponata
Warm white bean salad (recipe in the comments from December 16, 2007)
Green salad with tarragon dressing

Hot tea
Zucchini bread
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I just saw an article about bringing kids into the kitchen to cook with you featuring spaghetti squash. I will be up front and say spaghetti squash is not my favorite squash, as it's not as flavorful as many squashes. BUT it is a great vehicle for sauces. We used a jarred version of caponata (a tomato based sauce with eggplant, roasted red peppers, olives, and capers) today with great success. I am always careful with jarred sauces to check the nutrition profile, especially for saturated fat and sodium. This one seemed exceptionally low in both and VERY flavorful! T was, indeed, in to making the "spaghetti". The white bean salad is a standard "adding protein" side we use and has a summer and winter version. Both wow me every time we have them.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, red pepper, garlic, thyme, basil, parsley, spaghetti squash (scraping up the strands)
Time: 25 minutes to steam the squash (unattended), 30 minutes to do the rest
Make ahead: All of this would be fine reheated.

Our reaction:
"We will be using this caponata again!" OR "All salad all the time tonight."

The kid report:
T was verbally very enthusiastic about this meal, but didn't eat much. Then again he didn't eat much dessert either, so maybe he just wasn't very hungry.

2009-09-22T20:18:00.002-04:00

Tuesday

Tomato curry (recipe in the comments)
Rice
Yogurt
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
Zucchini bread
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We have been making this since college as well (just like the Minestrone from Saturday). Maybe we're on a nostalgia kick. Honestly, this has long been one of my favorite curries. It's unusual - very tomato-y, but with a classic curry seasoning. The eggs give it the protein boost such a light curry needs to be filling. That said, this has long NOT been a favorite of M's and we have worked to make it more to his liking. Given that we've collected many curries over the years, we haven't made this one in a long time and so I was somewhat shocked when he suggested we make it this week. But, I never look a gift horse in the mouth! It was just as good or better than I remember!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Onion, pepper, garlic, ginger, cucumbers, eggs
Time: 50 minutes (some unattended)
Make ahead: I made this early this mornign so it was ready when everyone got home.

Our reaction:
"An unusual and yummy curry!"

The kid report:
T liked this, but didn't want to mix his rice and curry. The tomato curry itself was pronounced, "Mmmm", but more rice actaully got eaten :)

2009-09-21T21:18:00.004-04:00

Monday

Naan pizzas
Steamed broccoli

Milk
Oreos

Hot tea
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We made these for T and his babysitter last week and he (and we) ended up loving them, so they're back for all three of us to use the remaining sauce and naan. This doesn't really require a recipe. You buy plain Naan (Indian flatbread) and put tomato sauce (we buy an herby (low sodium) one from Wegman's) on and top with your favorite toppings. We used fresh mozzarella and oregano today. Then you back at 450 for about 10 minutes. How easy and, yet, how good?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Cheese, oregano, broccoli
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Nope.

Our reaction:
"The easiest of homemade pizzas!"

The kid report:
T says he likes personal pizzas better than slices!

2009-09-21T21:10:00.004-04:00

Sunday

Steaks
Roasted fingerling potatoes
Grilled green bell peppers with blue cheese

Hot tea
Fresh peaches with vanilla ice cream
______________________________________________________________
How weird is this? A meat, a starch, and a vegetable! It's like we're real adults! At least that's how I feel whenever we make a dinner like this :) The vision for this meal came last time we grilled green peppers, when T's request for cheese resulted in blue cheese crumbles being on the table. He is responsible for the amazing discovery of just a tiny amount of blue cheese crumbled onto hot, grilled peppers. The slightly caramelized sweetness of the pepper and the pungency of the cheese blend in an exceptional way. It's great. We wanted to make a meal with that as the focal point, so a simple meat and starch seemed best. Grilling season will be coming to a close soon, so why not take advantage, right?

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Potatoes (sliced), peppers (quartered)
Time: 7 minutes to prep potatoes + 45 minutes to cook, cook steak and peppers during last 12 minutes or so
Make ahead: You can roast the potatoes for 35 minutes and then toss them in for the last 10 minutes just before you eat. Do steaks last minute.

Our reaction:
"We love our grill"

The kid report:
T still loves the blue cheese and pepper combo.

2009-09-21T20:50:00.004-04:00

Saturday

Minestrone (recipe in the comments)
Tuscan garlic bread
Salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is one of our oldest soup recipes - we started making it in college! This is the quintessential vegetarian minestrone (unless you use chicken broth) and it always comes out perfectly. It's easy and make huge use of all the fresh veggies that are out right now. We always make it this time of year and it's a universal favorite. This is a great company dinner too, especially given how easy it is to make. We always have this with bread to dip and a simple salad. Add a glass of wine and you have the perfect early fall dinner!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Potato, cabbage, zucchini, carrots, onion
Time: 15 minutes prep + 30 minutes to cook (partially attended)
Make ahead: You can make this early and add cooked pasta to it last minute.

Our reaction:
"The perfect fall food."

The kid report:
We had to prevent him from scooping it up with his hands :)

2009-09-21T20:40:00.005-04:00

Friday

Creamy avocado and white bean wrap (recipe in the comments from July 1, 2009)
Grilled red and green peppers with shallots

Hot tea
Oatmeal raisin cookies
______________________________________________________________
We loved this recipe when we tried it last July and Theo liked them as well, so they were an obvious choice for making now that we're trying to make relatively easy things so we can eat with T. The slaw that goes in the wraps was a bit spicier than I remember, but T loved it anyway. The whole thing was easy, yummy and a great start to the weekend!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Chipotle chile, cilantro, shallot, peppers
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: I would do this fresh.

Our reaction:
"Happy Friday!"

The kid report:
T LOVED this, eating a whole burrito :)

2009-09-21T20:35:00.003-04:00

Thursday - Out to dinner at Sorrentinos

We were planning to go to the movies tonight and so we went to dinner on Main St with Theo before our sitter was scheduled to arrive. We've been wanting to try Sorrentino's, a classic red sauce Italian place, for some time - especially because it is so close. We were definitely happy with the trial. The sauce was good, the garlic bread great, and the atmosphere fun. The place was packed on a Thursday night. What fun! We'll be back.

2009-09-16T20:03:00.003-04:00

Wednesday

Sloppy lentils (recipe in the comments from April 15, 2008)
Asian slaw
Corn on the cob

Hot tea
Chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream
______________________________________________________________
Now that we're eating with T each night, the need for the slow cooker is even more apparent. Food RIGHT AWAY when we get home is critical. Nothing better than having it all ready to go (and making the house smell wonderful) right as you walk in the door! This is the first time we've made this in our new slow cooker (the old one broke right before the move to Buffalo) and I think we need to amend the recipe for this cooker to have less water (4 cups instead of the listed 5). If you tend to have a cooker that overheats, go with 5 cups. Otherwise, try 4. The slaw tonight was Napa cabbage, carrot shreds, and celery with Wegman's new yogurt based coleslaw dressing - too yummy! And we're still doing at least once a week corn while the pickings are good :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, bell pepper, husk corn
Time: 20 minutes prep + 8 hours to cook unattended
Make ahead: You'd better ;)

Our reaction:
"This is even better than we remembered."

The kid report:
T was super excited about something called "sloppy", but liked the bun separate from the lentils. Both were good though. Nothing is as good as corn.

2009-09-15T20:21:00.004-04:00

Tuesday - Out to dinner with friends at Taste of India

We went to Taste of India on Sheridan with friends tonight. We knew them in college and they have a daughter who is about 2 years older than Theo. Despite the age gap, they seem to like each other a lot, which is good since M and I like the parents a lot :) Fun was had by all. The kids managed to use their indoor voices most of the time and the food was very good. The buffet was very much appreciated by hungry kids and adults!

2009-09-14T20:24:00.003-04:00

Monday

Turkey and balsamic onion quesadillas (recipe in the comments)
The other half of the galia melon

Hot tea
Mint meltaways
______________________________________________________________
We knew in advance that no one would be home to start dinner tonight, so we planned one of our fastest meals. It took about 32 minutes from the moment we walked in the door to the moment we were sitting down to eat - pretty good, eh? Sadly, while we've made this many times, somehow tonight it just wasn't it's best and neither of us is sure why. We both think this is the first time we've made it in Buffalo, so maybe the new brand of turkey or tortillas is off, but we're just not sure. Regardless, this is a time tested winner, so I wouldn't let it being slightly off tonight put you off. This is an unexpectedly elegant flavor combination - especially given the simplicity factor.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Slicing onions, turkey, grating cheese, melon
Time: 24 minutes (the other 8 went to getting in the door, setting stuff down, and cleaning up a milk spill :)
Make ahead: I would do these right before serving.

Our reaction:
"Not quite as good as usual. Not sure why."

The kid report:
T didn't mind :) He was very in to two fisted eating due to our late start :)

2009-09-13T20:04:00.002-04:00

Sunday

Summer pasta with tomatoes, arugula, and bacon (recipe in the comments)
Galia melon

Hot tea
Chocolate chip cookies
______________________________________________________________
This is one of those limited time meals. You can only make this when cherry tomatoes are fresh and super sweet. When you make it when you're just getting pints at the grocery store, the flavor is truly pale and it doesn't seem worth it. But now, when we get cherry tomatoes at the farmers market that taste almost syrupy, this is a dream. You can do it with two pints of red tomatoes, but the mix of colors is really fabulous (orange is my favorite). We have tried this in the past with spinach when the arugula didn't look good and it's really flat, so hold out for a week with good cherry tomatoes AND arugula. It's worth it.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Garlic, tomatoes (halved), melon
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This is best fresh, but hold up unusually well for lunch the next day.

Our reaction:
"A perfect version for early fall OR late winter!"

The kid report:
T liked all of this except the arugula, but he thought the fettuccini was hard to eat.

2009-09-12T20:27:00.003-04:00

Saturday

Autumn/winter tortellini soup with carrots and spinach (recipe in the comments)
Grilled zucchini

Hot tea
Banana cream pie (Thank you Wegmans!)
______________________________________________________________
M and I have a tortellini soup recipe we love (Tortellini and spinach in broth), so when I saw a somewhat similar recipe in the Wegman's Meal magazine for fall, I jumped on it. The problem was their version sounded really dull and potentially a bit too much like our old recipe. But I was convinced that the addition of the carrots would make a great richer more fall/winter soup. So, I tinkered and came up with a radically different soup than either our old one or the Wegman's recipe. The rich beef broth and the veggies combine with the nutmeg and balsamic for a wonderful result. We both think meat tortellinis would be best in this, but cheese or even pesto filled could work. T was a HUGE fan, having to be told repeatedly to use his spoon, not his hands on the soup!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, halving zucchini
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This will save well, but will be far less brothy after it sits. You could add more or eat leftovers more like pasta.

Reaction:
"A perfect version for early fall OR late winter!"

2009-09-12T20:19:00.002-04:00

Friday - Out to dinner at Mother's and Sample

After a brief break, it's date night. T is thrilled that his babysitter came and they got to make mini pizzas (on Naan bread, a great revelation that we will re-visit ourselves next week) and bake cookies. M and I tried a place down in Allentown, Mother's. Even though it was a tad chilly we decided to make use of their lovely patio while it's still possible. The ambiance was perfect. The food was generally good, but not great. My salad was overdressed, M's duck was too sweet,and my pasta was too rich and salty. However, the flavors were generally good, the service was excellent, and they make good cocktails. We went to Sample for dessert. We haven't been there since right after we moved here and we were again impressed. The desserts were inventive and good, the decor excellent, and the service excellent. We should go back for a full meal soon!

2009-09-12T20:13:00.004-04:00

Thursday

Pasta with pesto (recipe in the comments from November 24, 2007)
Grilled peppers

Hot tea
Oatmeal raisin cookies
______________________________________________________________
Pesto is one of the few foods that we normally eat REALLY often. When our basil is coming in during the summer, it is not uncommon for us to have pesto once a week. I know, how un-TenDinners! The fact is that we love pesto and when you grow enormous amounts of basil, why not. The sad truth is this is the first time we've made it this year. It's been cold and wet this summer and our normally lush basil has been struggling along. Only the recent heat and sun has made it take off enough that we could safely harvest a cup - usually not a problem. I expect we'll have pesto again this year, but probably only once and I doubt we'll be freezing any, when we normally freeze 3 or 4 batches for winter consumption. We'll have to hope for next year!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Peeling garlic, grating Parmesan
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: This pesto saves wonderfully. Just toss it with fresh pasta.

Reaction:
"I wish we *could* eat this weekly this year!"

2009-09-09T20:08:00.004-04:00

Wednesday

Soba noodle and tofu stir-fry (recipe in the comments from June 28, 2009)
Cucumber salad

Beer
Oatmeal raisin cookies
______________________________________________________________
Now that T is capable of staying up until 7:30 or 8, we have begun to regularly eat dinner all together most nights instead of once or twice a week. Everyone is loving the new system, as it means we all eat together and M and I are getting to eat before 9! It's a bit crazy trying to get dinner on the table by 6:15 or 6:30, but we're doing a pretty good job and we're enjoying cooking with T - as is he! At any rate, because of this relatively new system, we're repeating a bit more for a while,so we can get the kinks worked out. We had this soba dish for the first time in late June and it was a huge hit. Thus, we're making it again to both solidify the meal in the repertoire and to have a sure fire bet for our new group eating plan. At any rate, the results were fantastic and T LOVED it. We had to remind him several times to use a fork or spoon instead of shovelling the soba and tofu in with his hands. Once he had calmed a bit, we even rubber banded some chopsticks together and he tried those. It was great!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Zucchini, garlic, ginger
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I'd do this last minute.

Reaction
"A family favorite!"

2009-09-08T20:11:00.004-04:00

Tuesday

Spaghetti with Grammie's sauce (recipe in the comments from February 22, 2008)
Broccoli with lemon

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We had planned to go out tonight with some good friend's, but M has been feeling under the weather and was really badly off last night. We decided to cancel to protect everyone's health. This, of course, means we sort of punted for dinner. Luckily, we had the last stash of Grammie's sauce and some extra linguini around + a bag of frozen broccoli. The meal was perfect and so much the better because there was next to no work involved in preparing it :) T seemed especially pleased.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: None
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: We did :)

Reaction:
"Plan B is the best plan"

2009-09-07T19:55:00.003-04:00

Monday - Happy Labor Day!

Hot dogs on whole grain buns
Local corn
Baked beans
Sliced local tomatoes and peaches

Beer! (Also local :)
______________________________________________________________
Everyone loves an American holiday and we are always up for grilling. Before coming to Buffalo I wasn't a big hot dog fan,but we have two local purveyors here that make an entirely different product from the one's you get in the deli case in most grocery stores. This time around we tried Wardynski's All Natural ones and they were very good. For the Buffalo insiders, I think I like Sahlen's spicing a little better, but I don't think they do an all natural. We may have to do a tie breaker soon :) The corn season will end in a couple weeks and we just can't help taking advantage. The sweet corn this year has been out of sight - same goes for the peaches. I love harvest!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Too easy
Chopping: Husking corn, slicing tomatoes and peaches
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: Why?

Reaction:
"A meal for a day of relaxation!"

2009-09-06T21:39:00.003-04:00

Sunday - Birthday Party

Tonight we went to the 3rd birthday party for the grandson of some of our closest friend's, Chris and Cathy. Jacob (the birthday boy) came to T's party a few weeks ago and it was so nice to see his birthday too. T was a bit shy tonight, but he told us he had a very good time. The dino theme was very popular!

2009-09-05T21:29:00.003-04:00

Saturday

Vegetable tagine (recipe in the comments)
Whole wheat cous cous
Orange flesh melon

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This has actually been posted before, but it was during a catch up week where I didn't comment on it. This is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite new recipes we've made. It is totally unexpectedly flavorful - and uniquely flavored at that. It goes great with whole wheat cous cous and no other side is necessary. We're finishing up the orange flesh melon, but otherwise could have called it a one dish meal. This is full of veggies and the unusual combination of spices and a well zested lemon make for an incredible dish. Everyone should be eating this tagine!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate (but close to easy)
Chopping: Onion, carrot, zucchini, garlic, lemon (zesting), cilantro, melon
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: This saves beautifully!

Reaction:
"Escape to Morocco!"

2009-09-05T21:23:00.002-04:00

Friday

Roasted corn and tomato pasta salad (recipe in the comments)
Fresh peaches

Frozen custard from Anderson's
______________________________________________________________
So, I just spent about 10 minutes searching the blog for this recipe because I CANNOT believe that we haven't posted this. This is one of our best summer salad recipes. We were inspired by a Whole Foods recipe where you add blue cheese to a pasta salad with corn, but we ended up changing their version to make it more vegetable heavy. The last time we had this T loved it, but this time he completely rejected it. Ahh, the vagaries of the 3-year-old :) The peaches were so perfect they could have been my whole meal.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Corn, tomatoes, peaches
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: This saves pretty well (excellent for a picnic), but I like itbest fresh and a little warm from the pasta.

Reaction:
"Blue cheese makes everything better!"

2009-09-03T19:51:00.003-04:00

Thursday

Pasta Amatriciana (recipe in the comments from December 5, 2007)
Green beans with tarragon vinaigrette

Hot tea
Chipotle chocolate cover hazelnuts
______________________________________________________________
It has been too long. Way too long on this recipe. We had left over Canadian bacon from my dad's visit (he likes it for breakfast) and this pasta recipe came to mind. It's exquisite and just as good as I remember. We should have this more often. Also the green ebans gave us an excuse to use more of our fresh tarragon. Always a plus :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, garlic, tarragon
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Make the sauce and toss with fresh pasta.

Reaction:
"Still one of the best pasta dishes ever"

2009-09-02T21:07:00.002-04:00

Wednesday

Rice and beans with avocados (recipe in the comments from June 5, 2008)
Orange flesh melon

Hot tea
Hazelnut chocolate bar
______________________________________________________________
When we had this last summer it was a rare very warm and humid day in early June in Michigan. Today it made it into the upper 70's, but has cooled into the low 60s tonight. Regardless, this dish shows off summer flavors so well and is a welcome meal. It's also very easy to make, which is good during the first week of classes! This is another of our dishes (like spaghetti estivi) where the warm grains get mixed with cool raw ingredients. This time we do it with brown rice, but the effect is somewhat similar. Regardless, it's a wonderful summer meal. The orange flesh melon (sort of a cross between honey dew and canteloupe) was the best I've ever had. Ahhhh, summer.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, cherry tomatoes, avocado, melon
Time: 20 minutes (with frozen rice)
Make ahead: This saves very well, though we don't re-heat, but eat it cold to preserve the raw veggie flavors.

Reaction:
"It's almost like summer in Mexico, but cooler outside."

Note: Since many of our meals are repeats, we're moving to a joint reaction to preserve creativity :)

2009-09-01T20:44:00.002-04:00

Tuesday

Cauliflower and potato sabzi (recipe in the comments from April 20, 2009)
Naan
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is the dish that convinced T he liked cauliflower so much. Perhaps you have a confirmed cauliflower hater who needs a wake up call? If they like flavor, this is the recipe. Everyone we've served this to loves it and it seems to always turn out well. This is definitely one of our "curries" that I like best with bread instead of rice, but both work. The fresh cucumbers (not to mention potatoes!) from the farmers market make an incredibly good salad. Yum!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Cauliflower, potato, cucumbers
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: The re-heats very well.

Reaction
J: "Does sabzi mean curry?"
M: "Always yummy!"

2009-09-01T19:27:00.005-04:00

Monday - Take out from Golden Duck

Today was the first day of class for me and the last day of prep before the first class for M. M didn't quite finish and so there was some to do at home, thus, take out seemed called for. Golden Duck remains our favorite Chinese place in the area so far (though there's a new one on Maple we want to try). The food is SO flavorful. The sauces are light and not at all greasy and EVERY dish is packed with veggies. This is the perfect Chinese for us :)

Steamed dumplings
Hot and sour soup
Shredded pork in garlic sauce
Shrimp and broccoli
Vegetarian fried rice

Hot tea

What a great way to relax after the big kick off day!

2009-08-30T14:32:00.005-04:00

Sunday

Hamburger buddy (recipe in the comments)
Sliced tomatoes

Hot tea
Chocolate chip cookies
______________________________________________________________
We made this last summer fairly soon after we moved to Buffalo, which is odd because it's not a very summery meal. I think we were seeking comfort food in our new digs! Today is simply not a very summery day - high of 60 here! - so we're thinking comfort food again. This is supposed to be a substitute for Hamburger Helper, but I think anyone who was expecting Hamburger Helper would be really disappointed here. This is full of vegetables and has LOTS of thyme and other seasonings AND is not the fastest to prepare. We love it though and it makes a great Sunday dinner when the weather is just a little chilly and classes begin the next day. It's almost like a culinary way to say, "Welcome Fall!"

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Garlic, carrots, onion, parsley
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: This is great the next day and would probably even freeze pretty well.

Reaction
J: "This couldn't have come out of a box."
M: "Truly excellent!"

2009-08-30T14:22:00.003-04:00

Saturday

Dad's ratatouille (recipe in the comments)
Israeli cous cous
Tilset cheese (a local variety)

Hot tea
Milk chocolate square with almonds
______________________________________________________________
It's funny that we just did another classic dish of my Dad's and now we're doing this one! We make his ratatouille every summer about this time when the squashes and eggplants are coming fast and furious at the farmers market. This is a very easy version of this dish, butI think the green olives really knock it out of the park. Many recipes don't use olives, but I think they're essential! We love this simply served with any grain. The cheese bulks things up, but we have had it many times without. What a wonderful late summer meal!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, zucchini, squash, eggplant, pepper
Time: 10 minutes to prep, 30-45 to simmer
Make ahead: This saves very well.

Reaction
J: "More classic French."
M: "Ratatouille is the perfect summer dinner."

2009-08-30T14:18:00.003-04:00

Friday

Thai chicken and rice soup (Thank you Wegman's)
Salad

Hot tea
Milky Way
______________________________________________________________
My parents left this morning and M and I did a full day at working preparing for the new term that starts Monday. We needed the easiest dinner possible and Wegman's make it or take it soup was just what we were in the mood for! I don't like this one as much as their tomato orzo or black bean, but it was good and exactly the right difficulty level for tonight :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: The definition of super easy
Chopping: The cucumber I put in the salad
Time: 12 minutes
Make ahead: Wegman's made it ahead for me :)

Reaction
J: "Not my favorite Wegman's soup, but very good."
M: Already snoozing :)

2009-08-30T14:12:00.002-04:00

Thursday - Out to dinner at Verbena

Unsurprisingly, given the glowing reviews we've been giving it, we felt we had to take my parents to Verbena. This is such a good restaurant. In general our experience was as good as ever, but the restaurant was much busier than the last two visits - a GREAT sign! The service was slightly less perfect than usual and my entree was not as good as the pasta I had the last time, but the special salad my parents shared and the striped bass my stepmom had were truly amazing. We also tried their coffee drinks for dessert, which were incredible. That combined with a FANTASTIC bottle of wine made for a GREAT evening. Thank you Verbena - we'll be back!

2009-08-30T14:05:00.003-04:00

Wednesday

Coquilles St. Jacques (recipe in the comments)
Harvest grains
Balsamic shallot asparagus (recipe in the comments)
Salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is one of my father's best recipes. We don't make it very often (though I'm never sure why), but it occurred to me that it would be wonderful to try his version. So, we made the sides and he made the scallops. It was FANTASTIC. This dish requires strict adherence to the technique (thank you, Julia Child!), but if done as instructed turns out incredibly and is not very hard. This is one that is sure to impress! Our family was very happy!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Shallot, garlic, parsley
Time: 40 minutes (including drying time)
Make ahead: I'd do all of this last minute - it was easy with all four of us contributing :)

Reaction
J: "Classic French excellence!"
M: "Scallops at their finest."

2009-08-30T13:55:00.004-04:00

Tuesday

Spicy Basque-style tofu (recipe in the comments from July 5, 2009)
Saffron rice (recipe in the comments from July 5, 2009)
Grilled squashes, eggplant, and onion

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We obviously just made this last month, so it's a fast repeat, but when we had it I thought that my Dad and stepmom would love this dinner, so I noted that we should have it during their visit. This also gave me the opportunity to try out our post-meal edits while I still remember the original. All mild chilies is a definite improvement. The whole meal was enjoyed by all and seemed to turn out especially perfectly. Too yummy.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tofu, olives, parsley, grilling veggies halved
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I'd do this last minute.

Reaction
J: "Good enough for a quick repeat!"
M: "Even better than last time!"

2009-08-24T15:44:00.004-04:00

Monday

Pan fried tilapia with chili lime marinade
Spaghetti estivi (recipe in the comments)
Salad with cherry tomatoes, onions, and chives

Hot tea
Various chocolates and cookies
______________________________________________________________
My dad and stepmother arrived today and so we're making a simple, but summer-y dinner. The main dish is a simple fish preparation, but the real star here is the side dish. Spaghetti estivi is a chilled tomato salad that you toss with freshly cooked hot pasta. The temperature contrast is great! This dish is really only good with very fresh tomatoes and basil - the perfect late summer meal. Pan fried fish is simple (see June 15, 2008) and we embellished a little with a marinade in lime juice, chili flakes, and a bit of canola oil before doing the fry prep. The whole meal was enjoyed by all.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tomatoes, scallions, basil, onions, chives
Time: 30 minutes to make the tomatoes salad, chilling time, 30 minutes for the rest
Make ahead: It's necessary for the salad.

Reaction
J: "Fresh tomatoes define summer."
M: "Go James Beard!"

2009-08-23T20:54:00.003-04:00

Sunday

Salmon stuffed baked potatoes (recipe in the comments from November 17, 2007)
Sliced peaches

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We knew that our friend would be leaving today and that another round of guests would be arriving tomorrow, so we wanted something that could be made easily and where we could eat with T - something that's harder to work out when we have company. These are perfect. We put them together during nap time and even baked them. They're so good cold or warm that they made a perfect summer dinner simply with sliced fresh peaches (at true peak right now in western New York). The flavors here are perfect and I love the light outcome of such a seemingly rich dish. It's perfect!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy, but requires time
Chopping: Scallions
Time: 1 hour to bake potatoes + 30 minutes to stuff and re-bake
Make ahead: Absolutely

Reaction
J: "We've never made these in the summer, but they're perfect now too!"
M: "Potato and fish goodness."

2009-08-23T20:45:00.003-04:00

Saturday

Alyssa's pulled pork sandwiches (recipe in the comments from July 30, 2009)
Corn on the cob
Grilled sweet peppers

Hot tea
Raspberry wine
Watermelon
______________________________________________________________
As I said the last time I posted this recipe, this meal is perfect for company. In fact I have written on the recipe,"This is my go-to summer company meal". It truly is. Tonight was Flynn's last night and her mom was back with us from camping, so it seemed a good night to do something very festive. The sweet corn is TRULY amazing right now and the watermelon is hard to beat. We finished our bottle of raspberry wine from our trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake over dessert and had a jolly evening. The pork is really hard to beat and the recipe makes enough that even with feeding company, we have enough to freeze for another meal for ourselves!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Shallot, bacon, watermelon, peppers
Time: 15 minutes to prep, 8-10 hours to cook, 25 minutes to pull and finish
Make ahead: Of course.

Reaction
J: "Company perfection."
M: "Bacon makes everything better."

2009-08-23T20:38:00.003-04:00

Friday - Out to dinner at Shango

When Flynn read our post back from April when we went to Shango, she commented that she wanted to try it too. So here we are with her visiting in August and we're back. First, the food was excellent again. Truly not a misstep from the marinated olives and vegetables to the entrees. That said, we had two problems - one minor and one major. The minor problem was that we forgot they didn't serve cocktails (only beer and wine) and we wereall in the mood for a cocktail before eating. Had we remembered, we would have stopped somewhere first. The second problem was muchmore serious and that was that we all felt a bit rushed. We had 7:15 reservations and were hoping for a relaxed meal to spend adult time with our visiting friend. We got our appetizers before the wine even came and the moment the appetizers were cleared the entrees went down. We were done by 8:30, which must be a record. In fact the hurried nature of the meal really contributed to our decision not to have dessert there, but to head back towards home and have coffee and dessert at Creekview. Though I am certain we'll go back to Shango for the excellent food, the hurried feel makes it seem like some different management decisions are in order.

2009-08-20T23:14:00.005-04:00

Thursday

Cavatappi Nicoise (recipe in the comments from June 7, 2009)
Herbed goat cheese toasts (recipe in the comments from June 7, 2009)
Cantaloupe

Hot tea
Molasses cookies
______________________________________________________________
This was such a great new meal in June and since our friend Flynn likes goat cheese so much, this was a no brainer to have again. Everyone loved it and it makes enough so that we have tons of leftovers for a picnic tomorrow :) We're planning a hike if the weather is good!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Green beans, grape tomatoes, olives, shallots, parsley, thyme
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: It's going to be awesome for our picnic.

Reaction
J: "Still so French!"
M: "Still lovin' the toasts!"

2009-08-20T23:03:00.003-04:00

Wednesday

Simple black beans (recipe in the comments)
Venezuelan white rice (recipe in the comments)
Fried plantains (recipe in the comments)
Arugula salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
Our closest friend Flynn and her mom arrived tonight and we made one of my favorite company-worthy vegetarian meals. Everyone loves beans and rice, but this version takes the flavors to a new level. These seem a bit lighter than many and have an unusual slightly (really slight) sweet flavor. The rice is an essential pairing. We both love fried plantains, but they're often hard to get good versions of. When we first tried this, I had very low expectations for these (as they're SO simple), but they turn out perfectly every time! All in all an amazing meal!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Onion, red bell pepper, garlic, plantains
Time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: The beans and rice save GREAT, but the plantains are best fresh.

Reaction
J: "The best beans and rice around!"
M: "Incredible - really incredible."

2009-08-18T20:08:00.003-04:00

Tuesday

Tuna garbanzo bean salad (recipe in the comments)
Local aged cheddar
Ciabatta bread
Fresh cherry tomatoes

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
My mom drove up so she wasn't sure if she was leaving today or tomorrow, so we planned this meal in case she was here tonight. She actually left this morning though (her freezer died and she wanted to get home to deal with the aftermath) and so we're having it without her. This is a recipe that my mom created when I was a kid and it sparked my quest for entree salads to carry us through the summer. This is so light and fresh tasting. It uses great ingredients for summer and pairs perfectly with fresh, raw veggies. What a perfect August dinner!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Sweet onion, cucumber
Time: 30 minutes + optional chilling time
Make ahead: This is best made ahead so the flavors meld.

Reaction
J: "A trip down memory lane."
M: "So much summer in one dinner!"

2009-08-17T20:18:00.003-04:00

Monday

Swedish meatball burgers (recipe in the comments)
Corn on the cob
Grilled zucchini and squash

Hot tea
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This is an amazing an unusual burger recipe. We have done it successfully with beef and turkey and I'm certain a mix would work. The seasoning is subtle, but very *present*. These are best on potato rolls, but we also like them on onion rolls. Corn is an EXCELLENT side. The rest is pretty variable. We have had this with company and it is very well received :) It was a perfect last meal with my mom.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion, parsley, halving the squashes to grill
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: You can make the burger blend whenever and grill last minute.

Reaction
J: "A whole new burger!"
M: "Swedish folk make GREAT food!"

2009-08-17T19:36:00.002-04:00

Catching up!

We've been having so much fun with my mom's visit that I have been forgetting to write! It's been a whole week, so here's a post to catch you up on the glories of what we've been eating!

Monday Aug 10 - Pasta with green pea pesto and grilled colorful peppers (recipe in the comments from June 8, 2008)

Tuesday Aug 11 - Dinner out at Carmelo's in Lewiston (AMAZING, expect longer posts on this fantastic Italian restaurant!)

Wednesday Aug 12 - Appetizers at a birthday party for one of T's friends and then TRANSFORMATIVE take out from a new (to us) Thai place - Thai Orchid Cafe. They don't deliver, but they are close to our house and the food is 10X better than The King and I's. Expect to see this on the take out rotation A LOT.

Thursday Aug 13 - Eggs, potatoes, and tomatoes with gremolata with grilled baby eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and Vadalias (recipe in the comments)

Friday Aug 14 - Grilled shrimp; Greek festival orzo; artichokes; chopped cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, and Vadalias (no recipe needed)

Saturday Aug 15 - Dinner out at our new favorite restaurant, Verbena. Perhaps even more amazing than last time.

Sunday Aug 16 - Farfalle with tomato pesto and salad (not really a pesto at all, so we re-name it Farfalle with raw tomato sauce, recipe in the comments)

Today will get it's own post!

2009-08-09T20:22:00.004-04:00

Sunday

Lentils and tomatoes (recipe in the comments)
Biermeister cheese
Arugula salad
Multigrain rolls

Hot tea
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This is one of our favorite uses for fresh, ripe tomatoes. The flavors just sing here and the allspice in the lentils is an unexpected counterpoint. This also happens to be one of my mother's favorite recipes, so it was a no brainer to make it in August for her visit :) The cheese is a local variety that is basked in beer and maintains a slight hint of hoppy goodness. We love it. The rest is just simple ingredients - the ideal summer dinner.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Tomatoes, garlic, chives
Time: 20 minutes + 25 minutes unattended to cook the lentils
Make ahead: I almost always make the lentils early and then put tfreshly cooked tomatoes on top.

Reaction
J: "Perfectly August."
M: "Subtly elegant!"

2009-08-09T07:52:00.004-04:00

Saturday

Local ribeye steaks (no recipe needed)
Roasted local new potatoes
Artichokes

Hot tea
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My mom drove all the way from Washington, DC today, so we wanted to greet her with a special dinner. So, we got steaks and potatoes from our farmer's market. The artichokes were a request from Theo, and came from Wegmans. One of the things that's great about fabulous ingredients is that you don't have to do much to them to make them perfect. We put French gray salt on the steaks and grilled them. I washed and halved the new potatoes, drizzled them with olive oil, more French salt, pepper and rosemary. Then I roasted them for about 40 minutes at 425. Perfect. Similarly, the artichokes were just steamed and served with a tarragon dressing we had. Yum. Couldn't be better and very little work.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Potatoes, artichoke trimming
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Nope.

Reaction
J: "The ingredients make the meal."
M: "You can't beat the classics."

2009-08-09T07:44:00.003-04:00

Friday

Kidney bean curry (recipe in the comments from January 8, 2008)
Basmati rice
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
So, we went to the store and got an additional onion so that we could eat our curry. The result was spicier and moister than usual to great effect. Interestingly, we're not sure why either of these changes occurred :) Regardless, it was excellent and perhaps even more so for having waited a day. My mom comes tomorrow - so expect good food!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy, but long unattended cooking time
Chopping: Onion, chili, garlic, ginger, cucumber
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: The saves very well. If we have extra, we often freeze it to put on fresh rice.

Reaction
J: "Bean curry is the best!"
M: "Still good!"

2009-08-07T19:37:00.004-04:00

Thursday

Trollop pasta (recipe in the comments from November 14, 2007)
Salad with cucumbers, red bell peppers, tomatoes

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
Well, this was not the plan for tonight. We had been hoping to have a new recipe for a quinoa salad. We hit a major snag though in that, despite both of us believing we had plenty, we had no quinoa. Since this was essential, we punted to the other recipe remaining for the week (kidney bean curry) and quickly discovered that our last onion had rotted. Curry with no onion isn't acceptable, so we had to punt, yet again. Trollop pasta has long been our go-to emergency meal. In fact, it was invented in exactly the same sort of punting situation. Anyway, this is excellent, perhaps especially when unplanned.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Green olives, parsley
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: The sauce saves well.

Reaction
J: "Truly a favorite."
M: "A great rescue meal!"

2009-08-05T21:55:00.004-04:00

Wednesday

Tilapia corn chowder (recipe in the comments)
Brussel sprouts
Sourdough

Hot tea
Grahams with chocolate icing
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We first made this right before I originally started the blog and I think we haven't had it since. We went through a big chowder phase right around then, leading to several great soups. This one is truly exquisite. The tilapia is so tender and flavorful and the small amount of bacon adds just the right note. This is also a completely a-seasonal dish. You can make it with fresh corn or frozen. The whole thing was light and lovely. This is another T favorite - fish, potatoes, AND bacon! Mmmmm.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Bacon, celery, leek, potatoes, tilapia, thyme
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: The fish is the best consistency fresh, but this makes a fine work lunch for the next day.

Reaction
J: "Chowder is so yummy!"
M: "Sticks to your ribs - fish style!"

2009-08-04T22:28:00.004-04:00

Tuesday - Taste of Williamsville

Tonight was Taste of Williamsville, where a variety of more or less local restaurants gather in one of our local parks and provide samples of their menus. We went last year, right after moving here, but T was a bit too young and it was rather difficult. Not so this year. T loved it, the food was awesome AND one of the booths was a new restaurant that isn't even open yet that seems great! It's called Jojo's and will be a bistro/wine bar and the food was incredible. We got a proscuitto wrapped fig stuffed with blue cheese that everyone loved, but that T downed most of. When he registered our shock at not getting to eat more than a tiny taste each, our 3-year-old did a victory dance! He then came up to me and said,"Well, Mama it was GOOD." Yes, it was. Fun was had by all :)

2009-08-03T20:26:00.004-04:00

Monday

Pasta with eggplant sauce (recipe in the comments from January 19, 2008)
Salad

Hot tea
English toffee
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We don't use a lot of prepared food, right? But here we are on our second jar of pasta sauce in five days! Chalk it up to being a bit sick and this being the LAST WEEK of my summer class (can you tell I'm excited???). While this does rely on jar sauce, this isn't a typical prepared food meal. The eggplant, garlic, pepper flakes and arugula really jazz this dish up and add a lot of veggies to boot. Everyone in our family loves this too - T is a HUGE eggplant fan. You can spice it to your preference depending on the sauce you buy and the amount of red pepper flakes. We like this with regular white or whole wheat pasta.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Eggplant, onion, garlic, basil
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Make the sauce ahead and toss with fresh pasta.

Reaction
J: "Local eggplant does make a difference!"
M: "Still crazy good."

2009-08-02T19:48:00.003-04:00

Sunday

Tofu ranchero (recipe in the comments from February 20, 2009)
Corn tortillas and guacamole mixed with salsa
Mangoes

Hot tea
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As I said in the previous post of this recipe, this is one of our go-to tofu dinners. It has the great appeal of feeling truly seasonless. We have it tonight with summer fresh mangoes, but you can do it with a wide variety of fruits. We've even done bananas in winter! Anyway,yesterday we all seemed healthier, but tonight we're all a little under the weather. T actually didn't eat almost any dinner and went to bed early - highly unusual! We picked this because it's easy and comforting, at least to us :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Mushrooms, squash, mangoes
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: Make the filling whenever - it reheats beautifully.

Reaction
J: "Tofu is good for tummy trouble."
M: "This is great with beer -also good for tummy trouble."

2009-08-02T19:37:00.005-04:00

Saturday

Provencal chickpea salad (recipe in the comments)
Rosemary bread
Local cheese
Watermelon

Hot tea
Peanut M and M's
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This is one of the ultimate summer recipes for those of us who treasure their herb gardens. We have a big one this year, but I have to be honest and say the cold temps, and plethora of rain have caused it to struggle though. It is getting warmer (we went to the pool today!) and things are beginning to look up. This is the celebration of that perkiness. This recipe calls for four different herbs, but in small amounts. Best if you grow it yourself :) Anyway, this is an excellent summer meal. Very flavorful, light, and fast to prepare!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, watermelon
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This is great prepared ahead.

Reaction
J: "Super speedy and summery French!"
M: "Vive la herbs!."

2009-08-02T19:23:00.002-04:00

Friday

Pasta with marinara, spinach, and garlic (no recipe required)
Steamed broccoli with wine and lemon
______________________________________________________________
We're a bit worried that we're all coming down with some odd illness. It mostly takes a cold form, but has some tummy trouble as well. When it came to cooking, we just couldn't do the chickpea salad we had planned. So, pasta and emergency jar sauce get livened up with some garlic cloves and frozen spinach we have here waiting for just such evenings. We also had a bag of frozen broccoli, which is good because the fresh beans we bought mid-week just don't smell so good. Thank God for contingency planning :)

2009-07-30T20:50:00.007-04:00

Thursday

Bow ties with tomatoes, feta and grapes (recipe in the comments)
Steamed fresh green beans and wax beans

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We're, once again, adding to our repertoire of summer entree salad. I am always a fan of mixing grapes or other sweet fruit into more savory dishes and so this was an automatic recipe for us to try. While you do cook the pasta, everything else is chopped fresh or whisked together and just combined for an easy and relatively heat free cooking process. Since it's actually gotten relatively warm here this past week, that's very nice. The outcome was good, but not perfect. We both thought it was better without the feta cheese, which was too pungent. I might try a mild goat or even some shredded Monterrey Jack. Otherwise, very yummy and we'll be working on perfecting it :) Our initial ideas for changes are in the posted recipe.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tomatoes, grapes, basil
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: I think this would save fine.

Reaction
J: "Yummy, but a bit too many flavors."
M: "Summery."

2009-07-30T20:11:00.003-04:00

Wednesday

Tijuana torta (recipe in the comments)
Grilled zucchini and summer squash

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is a super easy dinner and very tasty. We chose to have it because M's mom left this morning and I gave my second exam of the summer. Things were, needless to say, busy. However, this was the perfect dinner to come home to AND the leftover portion was perfect as lunch today. The torta is just a hollowed out whole grain baguette with a spiced bean mixture and some melted cheese that you spread guacamole and sprinkle cabbage on to. Cap with the top of the baguette and you're done! Yum! Also, the local squashes are just getting better and better and the simple grilled preparation is perfect here.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Cheese, squashes
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: Probably best fresh, but I was genuinely surprised at how good this was the next day for lunch.

Reaction
J: "Oh gosh, this was GOOD!"
M: "Muy simple e filling!"

2009-07-30T20:04:00.003-04:00

Tuesday

Alyssa's pulled pork sandwiches (recipe in the comments)
Corn on the cob
Asparagus salad
Watermelon

Hot tea
Walking to get ice cream cones (Thank you Sweet Jenny's!)
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This is an amazing secret I've been keeping from you! This is one of our BEST crock pot recipes and we got it from one of our closest friends in California, Alyssa, who often made this for us. It is SO easy and makes some of the best, not to mention leanest pulled pork around. Everyone should make this - it's perfect for company too.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Shallot, trimming pork, bacon, watermelon
Time: 15 minutes prep, 8 hours to cook, 25 minutes to pull everything else together
Make ahead: Absolutely.

Reaction
J: "My go to company dinner for summer!"
M: "Perfect BBQ."

2009-07-30T20:00:00.004-04:00

Monday - Out to dinner at Verbena

We chose to go out with M's mom to Verbena, a restaurant very close to our house. We mostly chose it because it is so close and we'd heard some good things about the new chef there. Now, I'm ruing the fact that we haven't gone before. This is certainly a place that vies for the position of best restaurant in the Buffalo area and it's less than four miles from our home. Everything we had was perfectly prepared, beautifully presented, and incredibly tasty. The service was impeccable. We will be back. Soon. Very soon.

2009-07-30T19:54:00.003-04:00

Sunday

Smoky ham and corn salad (recipe in the comments)
Local canteloupe

Hot tea
Custard puffs (Thank you DiCamillo!)
______________________________________________________________
This recipe came in a list of recipes for meals that required no cooking, perfect for hot summer days. Today wasn't really that hot, but it was warm and the salad made use of some of the earliest local corn here in Western New York. We all loved it and LOVED how easy it was to make, but the final menu was a bit thin on substance. I think we'll serve it with bread next time. BUT I know there will be a next time, because it was so good.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Tomato, corn, ham, melon
Time: 15 minutes
Make ahead: You could make the dressing and chop everything, but I would toss last minute.

Reaction
J: "Truly an excellent dinner salad."
M: "Exquisite summer salad."

2009-07-25T22:05:00.003-04:00

Saturday - Dinner at Canal Fest

So, tonight was our first full day with Grammie and we ended it with a bang - another fair! This one is on the Erie Canal. It turned out that even though Canal Fest is bigger in general than Old Home Days there was a smaller midway. We had a lot of fun anyway though - even though it turns out that T isn't ready for bumper cars :) We all had hot dogs or Italian sausage for dinner and were returning to some rides before considering our next "course" when the skies opened up and DUMPED rain on us. I have never been so wet as I was when we got back to the car simply from a rainstorm! Anyway, it made for a rather smaller (though probably healthier) dinner than planned. Despite this, we had a good time and T "likes gettin' rained on himself"...

2009-07-24T19:53:00.003-04:00

Friday

Irish beef hand pies (recipe in the comments from April 1, 2009)
Broccoli with lemon

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
So normally if we repeat a meal this quickly it's because we loved it or because we have some new method we really want to test out. In this case, this meal was only ok the firs time and we had no great revelations for how to improve it, BUT it made so many that we have a bunch frozen. Since M's mom is arriving after dinner tonight and we MUST wash the dog tonight, easy was called for. Nothing is easier than something you can take frozen and cook in your oven while you wash the dog :) This is the plan.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Eeasier than last time
Chopping: Nothing
Time: 35 minutes (30 of which is baking)
Make ahead: Apparently.

Reaction
J: "Still only ok, but not hurt at all by freezing."
M: "This seems better when it's this easy to prepare."

2009-07-23T20:08:00.003-04:00

Thursday

Tuna noodle bowl (recipe in the comments)
Grapes

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
I can't believe we haven't blogged this! This is one of our oldest and most amazing recipes. Its easy to make, truly a one dish meal, and super yummy. I think we make this all the time, but apparently not that often since it hasn't made it onto Ten dinners? yet. Regardless, it's an awesome dish, universally well liked, and very easy to make. This also makes exceptional leftovers. We love this and many people have borrowed this recipe.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Carrots, snow peas, red peppers
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This is awesome leftover and perfect for taking to parties/pot lucks or just for lunch the next day.

Reaction
J: "Yet another oldie, but goodie."
M: "Everyone likes tuna noodle bowl."

2009-07-23T19:35:00.002-04:00

Wednesday - Pre date night dinner out with T at La Tolteca

M and I had planned to go out to see Harry Potter tonight and (since the movie is 2.5 hours) we didn't want to put T down, eat out, and then start the movie. Otherwise, we'd get home so late we'd be zombies! So, we took T out for Mexican right after work/preschool. We went to La Tolteca once when we were here looking at houses and were not very impressed, but people kept talking about it so we tried again. I don't know if it was just better dishes we ordered or if the first visit was a very off night, but this visit was great. All of us enjoyed it - especially T.

Beef verde tacos (M)
Shrimp fajitas (J)
Soft taco and cheese enchilada meal (T)

Everything was yummy, not greasy, and flavorful. Also the chips and salsa get a big thumbs up, which is critical for a good Mexican place. We'll be back!

2009-07-21T19:44:00.003-04:00

Tuesday

Smoky corn and black bean pizza (recipe in the comments from January 26, 2008)
Mexican bean salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
We've been making this unusual pizza for a long time, but haven't had it since we moved to Buffalo. The BBQ sauce base it what makes it so good. As you can see from the date the recipe was posted it's very a-seasonal. We were hoping to do it on the grill (instead of the oven) tonight, but it's raining pretty hard and we just didn't want to deal. Since we don't have Trader Joe's here,we tried KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce and it was quite good. The bean salad makes it sound like a lot of beans in the meal, but it ends up working really well.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Tomato, avocado
Time: 20 minutes, 12 of which is baking (when I make the salad)
Make ahead: If there are leftovers, we both like this cold, but I always make it last minute because it's so quick.

Reaction
J: "Smoky goodness."
M: "A twist on pizza"

2009-07-20T22:28:00.003-04:00

Monday

Artichoke pasta (recipe in the comments from April 16, 2008)
Olives, etc from the olive bar
Salad

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is still one of my favorite meals and M really seems to be enjoying it more. We recently began adding nutmeg to the sauce and I think that pushes it over the top in yumminess. As usual though, we try to ahve an M centered side with this and so he got to pick some of his favorites from the olive bar at Wegmans. The whole meal went together beautifully and felt quite festive, while remaining incredibly easy. Always good news, yes?

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: "A true favorite."
M: "I think I really like this."

2009-07-19T21:01:00.004-04:00

Sunday

Sweet potato burritos (recipe in the comments)
Salad with salsa verde dressing

Graham crackers and icing
Hot tea
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This is a crazy recipe that we tried when the blog was off duty. I'm completely unclear what drew me to it initially, but it still seems nutty even now that I know how good it is! The filling to these burritos is mashed sweet potatoes, kidney beans, mustard, soy, chili powder, and cumin. The blend is truly fantastic. Given that it has been extraordinarily cool here for July, this warm dish seemed perfect. That said, we're looking forward to the forecasted hot week ahead!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Sweet potatoes
Time: 30 minutes (with 12 minutes of baking)
Make ahead: You could make the filling whenever and stuff the burritos right before you bake.

Reaction
J: "Do not fear this recipe!"
M: "You'd never guess."

2009-07-19T20:55:00.003-04:00

Saturday - Belated Birthday Party for T

The weekend of T's actual birthday we had just gotten back from DC, he was starting at his new preschool and I was about to start teaching my new class. Unsurprisingly, we put off having a party - until today! We had a great time with friends and kids and just the right amount of chaos. Also, we had great food, which always makes makes for a good party!

Veggies and dip
Lemon and dill hummus
Tzatziki
Pita
Mixed herb chevre and crackers
Fruit kabobs (Thank you Cathy and Chris!)
Caprese salad (Thank you Stephanie!)
Pretzels
Cheese Its

Pizza from Great Northern Pizza Kitchen

Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
Graham crackers with extra frosting to spread

2009-07-17T21:16:00.003-04:00

Friday

Lima bean spread (recipe in the comments)
Multigrain flatbread
Local feta
Fresh cherry tomatoes
Sauteed baby bell peppers

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
M and I love dips, but rarely do appetizers. So, occasionally we make a dinner of a dip. Here's a new one we've tried that HAS to be a regular in the rotation. This is amazingly healthy and SO good. This was also a perfect Friday meal - easy to accommodate grocery list making, but also festive to celebrate the weekend. Yippee!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Herbs, peppers, feta
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: You could make this days in advance or even freeze it.

Reaction
J: "Dippity-doo!"
M: "This is too good to be lima beans."

2009-07-17T21:02:00.003-04:00

Thursday

Grilled fish tacos (recipe in the comments from May 5, 2008)
Black beans and rice
Canteloupe

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
Since our time in southern California, M and I have loved fish tacos. If you've never had them, they aren't much like beef tacos. They're very Baja style - grilled fish, fresh (and crunchy) veggies, lots of cilantro, and lime. They were very much a year-round food in California, but now they are very summer for us. It was quite warm for here today (close to 80) and we foresee a dip in temps so we wanted to get them in before the cool down. What a great meal!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Monterrey jack, cabbage, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, limes
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: You can chop all the toppings ahead, but grill the fish last minute.

Reaction
J: "One of the few things I miss about California!"
M: "Still so good!"

2009-07-15T23:04:00.002-04:00

Wednesday - Take out from The King and I

Today was one of those days at work. I have four unplanned meetings this afternoon, which means I did none of the *work* that was supposed to be done during that time. When teaching a summer course, that means I have to do that work that evening or it doesn't happen. Anyway, I came home to a couple hours of extra prep for class, so take out happened. It's wonderful that we have such great Thai take out to turn to on such nights.

Steamed Thai dumplings
Thai salad
Green curry with chicken
Beef with Thai hot sauce

Hot tea

A perfect meal for the work weary soul :)

2009-07-15T22:55:00.003-04:00

Tuesday

Curried tofu salad (recipe in the comments)
Sourdough rolls
Cucumbers with rice wine vinegar

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is a new approach to tofu and a perfect summer salad. It's sort of like egg salad, but more flavorful. Best, it is another use for the Major Gray's chutney that we used in the Curried potato salad with tuna from last week. I always like to have a couple uses for specialized condiments like that so they don't totally clutter up my refrigerator. This is a great summer meal because there is no cooking required and it's INCREDIBLY quick. I think this would be awesome stuffed into pita or in cucumber boats for a different take on the salad.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Celery, grapes, scallions, walnuts, cucumbers
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: We enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day, but I thought it was best room temperature, so fresh mightbe the best option.

Reaction
J: "Tofu-licious."
M: "Perfect summer tofu!"

2009-07-13T19:47:00.003-04:00

Monday

Roasted tomato spaghetti (recipe in the comments from April 17, 2009)
Salad with balsamic dressing

Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
As often happens with a new dish we love,we repeat pretty quickly. We first made this on April 17th and it's already back in the rotation. I can only surmise that this happens so we can solidify something really good in our memory. It also sometimes occurs when a recipe is only so-so, but we have plans for how to really improve it. This is definitely a case of the former. We were blown away by this recipe the first time and the repeat didn't disappoint. What a winner and SUPER easy!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Grape tomatoes, basil, Parmesan
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: I think this is best last minute.

Reaction
J: "Still incredible."
M: "Simple really does = good."

2009-07-12T21:33:00.003-04:00

Sunday

Jacques leek and potato soup (recipe in the comments)
Ciabatta
Salad with creamy garlic dressing

Hot tea
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This is one of our oldest standards. We briefly belonged to a cookbook club, with disastrous results, but the one good outcome was this cookbook: Julia and Jacques Cook at Home. It's a collaboration between Julia Child and Jacques Pepin - two amazing French chefs. They are cooking more for an average audience than usual though, perfect for us. This was the prelude to an even more beloved book: Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way (thank you, Mom!). Anyway, this is our favorite and most often repeated recipe from this cookbook and it screams summer to me. It's easy and so good you just won't believe you produced it.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Leeks, onion, potato, watercress
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead:It's even good cold.

Reaction
J: "I am a Francophile!"
M: "Maybe our best soup???"

2009-07-12T20:44:00.003-04:00

Saturday

Mideastern sandwich (recipe in the comments)
Kohlrabi with rice wine vinegar
Pickled beets

Hot tea
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T and I cooked while M got my bike from the bike shop (needed anew chain). We all wanted to eat together so that we could go for an evening bike ride and enjoy these warm nights. This is an unusual sandwich and makes a ton of food with very little meat. The result with our local ground beef (from the farmer's market) was wonderful. I like the sweet flavors the spices and raisins give this and love the combo of the filling with yogurt and sprouts. It was a great dinner and an excellent bike ride.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Eggplant, onion, parsley, kohlrabi
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead:This saves very well - we had it as a picnic on Sunday

Reaction
J: "Yet more middle eastern flavors make my week!"
M: "The best summer sandwich!"

2009-07-12T20:38:00.004-04:00

Friday - Dinner at Old Home Days

So the parade on Tuesday was the kick off of our local carnival and we deemed T ready for a true night at the fair this year. Our church was doing a fundraiser dinner there (homemade bratwurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut, and rye bread), which was AMAZINGLY excellent. But mostly there were rides. T loved them and we loved riding with him. It was a real old fashioned evening at the fair and SO fun to share. I can't wait for next year(or for Canal Days in a couple weeks!)!!!!

2009-07-12T20:32:00.003-04:00

Thursday

Broiled falafel (Thank you Fantastic Foods)
Tomato cucumber relish
Yogurt with goat cheese and garlic
Whole wheat pita
Grapes

Hot tea
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I gave my first exam today and so we needed an easy, relaxing summer meal. Fantastic foods is an organic manufacturer and we love their falafel which you can broil, rather than fry. This makes it about 10X healthier for you than falafel you get out. We make it with a chopped mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, parsley, chili pepper, and lemon. We top this with yogurt mixed with a couple spoons of goat cheese a smidge of salt and miced garlic. It's fantastic AND easy.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Super easy
Chopping: Tomato, cucumber, scallion, pepper, garlic
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead:This saves very well - lunch Friday was excellent :)

Reaction
J: "Thank goodness there is reasonably healthy prepared food!"
M: "Mmmmph!"

2009-07-12T20:20:00.003-04:00

Wednesday - Out to dinner at Torches

Yesterday was M and my wedding anniversary. We, obviously, couldn't go out last night because who could miss the parade??? Not us. So, we went out one night late. We went to Torches, a restaurant we have only been to once before, and that was on New Years Eve and you can't really gauge a place on a night like that. We enjoyed it then and were ready to try it "for real".

I have to be honest, the night began rather roughly. M ordered a dry martini up with a twist and was presented with a wet, slightly dirty, martini up with three olives. we thought about keeping it, but there were a couple other martinis still on the bar and we thought we might have gotten the wrong one. So, the waitress took it back and, it wasn't the wrong one, but the bartender re-made it. Meanwhile, while waiting for the next martini, we ordered and M asked for the veal shank (yes, they have free range veal at Torches!) special. The waitress says, "Oh, didn't I tell you, we're out of that. What else do you want?" There wasn't anything else on the menu that M really wanted as much, but he ordered the steak frites. At this point drink two came and was so "dirty" that all you could taste was salt. It was, literally, undrinkable. We were seriously considering leaving, but instead we told the waitress again. The owner came over and made M's drink himself. It was perfect and that segued into a MUCH better, in fact truly excellent, meal.

Appetizers:
Grilled calamari (M)
Pot stickers (J)

Main:
Steak frites (M)
Salmon with kalamata tapenade, lemon hummus, and tabouli (J)

Dessert:
Bananas foster cheesecake

There was not a single food mis-step. We had a great night and came away very certain that our rough start was not typical. We will definitely be back :)

2009-07-07T23:42:00.000-04:00

Tuesday

Curried potato salad with tuna (recipe in the comments)
Arugula salad
Watermelon

Hot tea
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Tonight is the opening of our town's summer festival, "Old Home Days", which starts with a parade. As this is a not to be missed event, we planned dinner around it. T and I made the potato salad this afternoon and we all ate early, so we could get out and watch. The parde was great and dinner was incredible. We discovered this recipe last summer and it is truly transcendent. Also, it's incredibly easy to make. The only note I really have is that this one is dependent on the Major Gray's chutney - I don't think it's as good with plain mango chutney. So, you probably have to buy an unusual ingredient. Trust me though - this is worth it.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Potatoes, shallot, watermelon
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead:This is great warm or cool.

Reaction
J: "A celebration pre-celebration!"
M: "Off the hook!"

2009-07-07T23:34:00.003-04:00

Monday

Garlic cream farfalle with broccoli (recipe in the comments from January 7, 2009)
Arugula salad with carrots and red cabbage

Hot tea
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Today was long and tiring and comfort food (quick!) seemed critical. This dinner hit the spot and was both good for us and so yummy. Sometimes that's all a meal needs to be :)

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Broccoli florets, grating Parmesan
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: Do this last minute

Reaction
J: "Pasta saves the day - again."
M: "Hits the spot for summer too."