Wednesday

Penne with broccoli rabe (recipe in the comments)
Grilled bell peppers

Hot tea
Cocoa almonds
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This is a very light dinner that highlights the spicy flavor of the broccoli rabe. Many people would want to have a heavy side dish with this (bean bruscetta, sounds good), but we usually just have it on its own. It really benefits from a colorful side dish, like multi-colored peppers or sauteed or broiled tomatoes. The original recipe didn't call for the whole wheat pasta, but we like it better with whole wheat. The nutty flavor really adds something to the overall flavor.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Broccoli rabe, garlic, peppers
Time: 25 minutes
Make ahead: Best made last minute.

Reaction
J: "This was even better than usual tonight. I wish I knew what we did."
M: "Simple, but bold."

Tuesday

Pad Thai (recipe in the comments from 11/11)
Cucumber salad

Hot tea
Pralines
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This is an unsurprising repeat. M and I love pad Thai and this recipe is pretty easy and tastes great. In fact I have come to like our version of pad Thai better than most versions I try at restaurants. I think the extra dose of vegetables and lime really kick this recipe into high gear. It's a wonderful dish to make on a busy night because it is pretty easy and it can sit. It's good hot,warm, or even cold. We have used this many times as picnic fare. Be sure to watch the volume on your rice noodles. We used a new brand and didn't look at the package very clearly and it was more noodles than the recipe calls for. This made the flavors less intense and we had to add sauce ingredients at the end. It still turned out yummy.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy with two chefs (see post from 11/11)
Chopping: Peanuts, garlic, carrots, cucumbers
Time: 40 minutes
Make ahead: It saves well, but I haven't had the best luck reheating it. Serve leftovers room temperature or cold.

Reaction
J: "Did I really get seconds?"
M: "Mmmmmm" (said while scooping the remains out of the pot with his fingers!)

Monday - Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!!

Grilled fish tacos (recipe in the comments)
Black beans and rice
Sliced watermelon
MARGARITAS

Hot tea
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Michael and I became true devotees of Baja style cooking when we lived in southern California. The pinnacle of this cuisine is the fish taco - seasoned tender chunks of fish (sometimes fried, sometimes grilled) in warm tortillas with crunchy veggies (always including cabbage) often with a creamy sauce. It will probably not surprise most readers that the fish taco is not made in Ann Arbor and I have little faith I will find it in Buffalo. So, we have found our own version, made a bit easier using bottled dressing of choice. Unsurprisingly, if you know about "the 5" we don't fry our fish, but the grilled version is my favorite anyway. We weren't big celebrants of Cinco de Mayo in southern California, but we miss the broo ha ha here. It's always good to have an excuse to feast - and what a feast!

Note: The beans and rice really stretch this meal, so even though it's not a lot of fish, you can easily serve three hungry or four normal folks with this dinner.


Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Monterey 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: "Fabuloso fish feast!!!!"
M: "Authentic Baja anywhere!"

Sunday

Spaghetti with caramelized onions and anchovies (recipe in the comments)
Grilled red and green peppers

Hot tea
New wave vanilla wafers
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So, I have to admit that I share virtually everyone's prejudice against anchovies, but M does not. He likes the salty, fishy little guys. While we don't always agree on food, I do trust his palette. It helps that I have heard from multiple sources that anchovies have a bad rap - that when cooked they become these mellow little bursts of flavor. So, this is a recipe I found to test this out. Besides having anchovies, it's also a whole wheat pasta recipe, which many of you know we're trying to eat more of. The result was amazing. This is rich and satisfying and is neither fishy nor salty. It's a complex onion-y flavor that we will want to repeat often. Anchovies may become a new staple!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Onions, garlic, anchovies, parsley, peppers
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: This saved pretty well for lunch, but it was best fresh.

Reaction
J: "I think I'm a convert."
M: "Don't fear anchovies!!!!"

Saturday

Black bean croquettes with fresh salsa (recipe in the comments)
Corn tortillas and lime wedges
Herb salad with M's famous salsa verde dressing

Hot tea
Pralines
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This is a new recipe from Eating Well that M and I have been wanting to try. We are big fans of croquette like things and vegetarian croquettes are something we're always excited about. One of our earliest food debacles occurred over some white bean croquettes that would not hold their shape during cooking no matter how long we chilled them or how we changed the ingredients. We were gluttons for punishment back then and tried them three or four times before giving up! This time the recipe is simpler and the croquettes are baked. The Mexican style is also appealing and makes them very different than most meals like this that we make. I loved the texture of the croquettes and the blend of the salsa and croquette flavors.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, avocado, oranges
Time: 45 minutes (20 minutes baking)
Make ahead: I think these will save well, but should eb reheated in the oven, not the microwave to maintain the crunch.

Reaction
J: "Croquette-ish and surprisingly easy."
M: "The ends justify the beans - I really liked it!"

Friday - Delivery from Cottage Inn

Antipasto salad

Thin crust pizza with black olives, sweet red peppers, broccoli, and onion
Thin crust pizza with black olives, green peppers, extra mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, onions, and extra sauce
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This has been one of those weeks. We decided to move on Monday (posts will start originating in Buffalo, NY sometime this summer!) and the repercussions of that decision (mostly in terms of long lists of things to do!) have drained our energy. We couldn't face cooking tonight and just needed to veg. Cottage Inn to the rescue!!!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Delivery was my level of difficulty tonight.

Reaction
J: "After Cottage Inn I always think, 'We should eat more pizza.' "
M: "Always fabulous."

Thursday

Pasta primavera (recipe in the comments)
Salad

Hot tea
Cocoa almonds
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It's spring, so pasta primavera has to make an appearance. We couldn't call ourselves seasonal cooks without it! This is a fairly simple recipe, though I have no idea how authentic it is. That said, it does somehow perfectly capture spring flavors. The white wine, lemon, and light herb-y flavors mingle with the tiny amount of cream for a perfect combination. It has warmed up again here into the upper 50s and we had a partly sunny day that's drifting to rain overnight. It's quintessential spring. We couldn't have picked a better meal for tonight!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Squash, garlic, Parmesan, basil, parsley
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: This will reheat fine as long as you are VERY careful not to let the sauce boil (AKA curdle).

Reaction
J: "Perfect spring!"
M: "Spring in a bowl!"