Saturday

Salmon stuffed baked potatoes (recipe in the comments)
Broccoli with lemon butter

Cocoa almonds
Hot tea
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This is one of those amazing comfort recipes that is amazingly good for you. Not only do these potatoes have a low calorie and fat profile, but they contain salmon and all of the resultant omega-3s. If you buy wild caught canned salmon, you even lower your mercury exposure risks! It's a wonder food. Did I mention cheap? AND who doesn't love twice baked potatoes? These save especially well, and M and I love them as a picnic food. You can eat them cold or at room temperature, holding a potato half the same way you would a crispy taco. Yum Yum. When we do these on a weeknight, I preheat the oven and bake the potatoes as soon as we get home. Then they're cooked and ready to go when we're ready to cook.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate (easy technique, but a bit long to prepare due to potato baking)
Chopping: Scallions
Time: 1 hour to bake potatoes + 30 minutes
Make ahead: Absolutely

Reaction
J: "If I'm eating these can it really be camping?"
M: "The apotheosis of fish and chips."

Friday

Rosemary merlot flank steak (recipe in the comments)
Roasted new potatoes
Haricot verts, wax beans, and baby carrots in a Dijon vinaigrette

Baked apples
Hot tea (variety of flavors for various participants)

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M's mom (Mn) came for a visit this weekend and will be staying through Halloween, so there will be a new "reactor" for a couple days. Rosemary merlot flank steak is a great meal to make for company, especially if you're on a budget. The cut of meat is less expensive than many and the presentation is very elegant, without much fuss. We had the last of the potatoes from our farmers' market and are (again) amazed at how much better fresh organic potatoes are than what you normally get at the store (potatoes are an important organic switch!).

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onion chopped, potatoes halved, beans trimmed, apples cored
Time: About 50 minutes
Make ahead: The marinade can be made ahead and refrigerated. The spice mixture for the apples can be made a week ahead and stored in an airtight container.

Reaction
J: "The scent of rosemary perfumed our whole house - mmm."
M: "Easy restaurant quality."
Mn: "A colorful blend of flavors."