Saturday

Stir fried noodles (recipe in the comments)
Shrimp shu mei
Oranges

Hot tea
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This is an ancient recipe of ours that we don't make often anymore. I think it may have even been our first attempt at Asian inspired food. The original recipe came out of a book I got M for Christmas when we were in college. We have changed it so much though that I'm not sure the author would recognize it at this point :) The stir fry is chock full of veggies, but we often feel like it doesn't carry us through a full meal without an addition. Tonight that's the shu mei, but we have also added a thinly sliced pork chop to the mix to give it a bit more substance.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Scallions, ginger, garlic, squash
Time: 30 minutes
Make ahead: This is fine for lunch the next day, but very best fresh.

Reaction
J: "An old friend."
M: "Easy Asian."

Friday

Beans and greens (recipe in the comments)
Carrots, wax beans, and haricot verts with balsamic glaze

Hot tea
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This is a true oldster. One of our first cookbooks was Moosewood Cooks at Home and this was one of the first recipes we made from it. It's featured more or less regularly in our repetoir for over ten years! We actually haven't had it in a while, but the flavors tonight made us wonder why not. The creamy beans and the bitter garlic-y greens combine to form the most perfect fusion of flavors. It's simple, complete, and OH SO satisfying. Make sure you serve these on a flavorful bread. We used to use a loaf with Parmesan baked on top, but sourdough is good and tonight was a roasted garlic loaf - perhaps my favorite.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Escarole
Time: 20 minutes
Make ahead: Yep, just do the toasts right before you eat.

Reaction
J: "Old home week!"
M: "Excellent."