dinnerz.

Meals this week include:

1. Asian Rice & Veggie Bowl
2. Chicken Pita with Tzatziki sauce
3. Shrimp, Leek, & Spinach pasta
4. Indian Meatballs
5. Tuscan Salmon with Rosemary Orzo

What's on your list?

Me & Julia Child's kitchen (Washington, DC)

Stop! Whatever you are making for dinner tonight...make this.

Chicken Chilaquiles (adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)


Serves: 4 and makes fantastic leftovers

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon EVOO
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
1 small can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (found in mexican aisle)...I used whole can, why waste?
Salt
1 small roasted chicken, skinned and shredded (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup cilantro + more for garnish
4 cups tortilla chips
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled feta

Recipe:
1. Combine oil and garlic in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomato can (breaking up tomatoes), chipotles and adobo sauce, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; season with salt. Reduce the heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.
4. Divide the chips among 4 shallow bowls; top with the chicken mixture and sauce. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, and feta. Yum.

Week 3

Week 3

Recipe 1: Chicken soup with chickpeas, Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights

Turmeric makes for some radioactive color-like dishes. But apparently it is really good for you, cancer fighting good. Also really yummy to eat.

Recipe 2: Tomato Lasagna, Apples for Jam (Side dish, Green Beans with caramelized shallots, Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)

Eh. Did not care for this dish...and it's 100 leftovers. Next time I will look for a cheesier, meatier version.

Recipe 3: Shrimp Tacos, How to Cook Everything

We LOVE tacos in this household. These passed the excellent taste test. Shrimp was also really easy to make.

Recipe 4: Napa-Valley Basil Burgers, Build a Better Burger

Plain and simple with a hint of basil. Very good indeed.

Recipe 5: Winter Squash Curry, How to Cook Everything

Just made this last night. First time making anything with butternut squash. I don't think I peeled enough of the outer layer off. I will know for next time. They were not kidding when they suggested using a sledge hammer to cut it into pieces...don't fear, I didn't do that!

Week 4 starts today! Yay!

Week 2

Week 2

Recipe 1: Open-faced Sloppy Joes, The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook

These Sloppy Joes were AMazing, P & I were fighting over every last morsel of leftovers. I will definitely be making these bad boys again.

Recipe 2: Potato & Onion frittata, Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

This meal was only okay. I think it really lacked something creamy, like cheese. So I guess that means it was a healthier fritata.

Recipe 3: Chicken with Herbed dumplings, The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook

Cornmeal added to the dumpling mixed made for a very sophisticated but good taste.

Recipe 4: Asian-Style Wraps, How to Cook Everything

Definitely another winner. This is actually a picture of leftovers (aka lunch the next day) and it was still as good as the original.

Recipe 5: Baked fish parcels, Apples for Jam

Another awesome dish. I blame the really expensive fish I accidentally bought...it saves to check the prices before you tell the man over the counter what you want...trust me. Lesson learned.

Week 1

Week 1

Recipe 1: Fish pie, Apples for Jam

Sorta fish casserole meets mashed potatoes. A perfect combination. Pretty to look at too.

Recipe 2: My Dad's Chicken Curry, Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights

This one's a keeper.

Recipe 3: Lemon-Herb Seafood Stir-fry, Real Simple: Meals Made Easy

Pardon the half way eaten bowl. We ALMOST forgot to get a photo.

Recipe 4: Pork Schnitzel, Apples for Jam (side dish: Sauteed broccoli with tomato, also from Apples for Jam)

The funny name makes this dish even better to eat. P and I decided the tomatoes + spicy chile pepper vinegar made for an excellent twist to plain steamed broccoli.

Recipe 5: Lentil Soup, Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

i love lentils.

Real Simple should hire me

After completing Real Simple's 4 week dinner plan I created my own 4 week dinner plan using various cookbooks that I already have. Whoever constructed the one for Real Simple must have made a lot of money because it took me a whole LOT of time finding the recipes, grouping them together so no one week was too heavy, and then completing the shopping lists. Phew. BUT I have been so happy already having a plan each week of what to eat. Here is what my finished 4 week dinner plan looks like:

Pardon the terrible picture...but you get the point. right.

I can't wait to share the photos with you. In fact I will start now.

Week 4 of 4

Pardon my absence...I will try to not let that happen again. Week 4 was a whole lot of weeks ago... but since we have all these photos I wanted to share them with you. Along with my own little 4 week plan I constructed all by myself (which we are currently coincidentally consuming week 4...say that 4 times fast). Okay enough with the C's and 4's.

Recipe 1: Roasted pork chops with polenta

First time trying polenta...and will definitely not be the last. so good.

Recipe 2: Salmon with potato salad

Salmon was good. Potatoes were way too spicy. Horseradish sauce, not a good idea.

Recipe 3: Seared steak with cauliflower puree

Pureed cauliflower is pure genius. I didn't even miss the mashed potatoes.

Recipe 4: Sweet potato and Brie flat bread

Homemade dough.

Recipe 5: Cajun chicken with collard greensTook leftovers to work the next day for lunch and was asked by two associates to bring them the recipe. true story.