Week 13 Dinner Menu

This week is a break for me - some old familiars and a couple nights to myself = a very easy cooking week. I hope yours is too.

Sunday: Lemon Pasta with Scallops

Monday: Bulgur Salad and Burgers (just click for recipe)

Tuesday: Roasted Cod with Gnocchi and Veggies

Wednesday: Hummus/Bagel and Soup

Thursday: Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew w/ Couscous

Friday: Probably a combination of leftovers from Wednesday and Thursday night, because I have a lunch date on Friday. Yee Haw!!

And yes, I did change my blog name, which completely messed up my Weekly Dinner Menus tab, but I will have that resolved by the end of the week. Hang in there. 

Week 12 Update

Just wanted to do a quick post about Tuesday and Wednesday nights dinner.

Tuesday night we had Chili Pasta Bake. This is actually a recipe I made back in February.  When I cooked this dinner I split it into two and froze half of it. I have to say it was easy heating something from the freezer, but definitely not the same as eating it when it is just made. I don't think I would do that again. I felt like I was eating rations or something.

Last night we just grilled some salmon and placed it over a great spinach salad. We almost hit 60 degrees yesterday so I felt it was an appropriate dinner. Even though it was raining.  One day a week I work in Vancouver, inside a grocery store,  and was able to pick up a beautiful baquet from the bakery to accompany our meal. I love bread.

Today I am experimenting with the crockpot so will see how that goes.

Orzo Salad

Saturday I was at our local grocery store, picking up some pastrami for the huz, and drooling over the deli case full of delectable salads and gourmet cheeses.  One salad in particular caught my eye - Orzo with Artichoke hearts and Olives. Now olives and artichoke hearts are two ingredients the huz would totally pass on, but not me. I love anything pickled – beets, artichoke hearts, olives, and of course pickles, sweet and dill. Seeing this pasta salad got my wheels turning, and the saliva glands flowing.  I had to make an orzo salad this week!

One of my favorite combinations is basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella. These ingredients make up the classic Caprese salad, or what you would find on a truly Italian Margherita pizza. I decided to do a play on this concept.  One problem: the huz hates fresh tomatoes. I know. You’re scratching your head right now thinking, “what the h-e-double hockey sticks is she doing with this guy?”  Oh, despite his aversion to most of the foods I love he’s pretty awesome. He’s just a little quirky about certain foods and I have become very adept at working around his likes and dislikes. Personally, I’d probably eat a shoe if it was fried (or pickled J).

Case in point – sundried tomatoes. The huz loves them. Sundried tomatoes pack a powerful punch in a very small bite. They are super flavorful and add a lot of depth and dimension to any recipe. 

This was the gist of my Orzo Salad creation:

Ingredients:

½ pound orzo pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained, and rinsed under cool water

½ package fresh spinach, cut into julienned strips (if it was summer I would totally use fresh basil)

¼ cup sundried tomatoes, diced

¼ cup Havarti cheese, diced (I had Havarti, otherwise I probably would have used fresh mozzarella)

¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette (I make my own with vinegar, olive oil, dried basil, salt/pepper)

Directions: 

Toss everything together in a bowl. Eat.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful love affair

That’s it.

Seriously. 

I can’t even begin to tell you how great this salad was. Between the creamy Havarti, salty/sweet tomatoes, and fresh spinach, I was in heaven. 

See what happens when you “play” in the kitchen? You never know when inspiration will strike, and sometimes it’s a home run!!!

I’m two for two this week.

Potatoes Au Gratin

Do you ever have one of those Sundays where you feel utterly unrushed and leisurely? If not, I pity you.  Yesterday was one of those days for me. The only thing I HAD to do was go to the grocery store. Other than that the day was mine.

The huz and I had a relaxing morning, reading the paper, drinking our coffee. I was able to work on our grocery list, and we got to the store and back within 45 minutes. Awesome. I swear this blog has simplified my grocery list beyond words - saving me time and money.

As the day progressed and the rain really kicked in we decided to rent a DVD, and curl up on the sofa for a couple hours (if you were curious we rented "Wallstreet" - very good movie, although I have to admit I was a little lost the first half. I don't see "stock broker," "venture capitalist," or "federal reserve banker" ever being added to my resume.  It's a whole other world).

With the weather and the pace of the day my oven was just screaming at me, "Shawn....use me....bake something." At the same time I had a huge bag of potatoes in my pantry calling out to me, "slice me....cover me in cheese...bake me!"  How could I ignore this chorus in my kitchen?

I couldn't. Potatoes Au Gratin it is.

Now, we are not big potato eaters in our house. It's probably the huz's least favorite starch. I, however, love them. With this recipe, I think I converted him. I have a feeling this may show up on my menu next week as well.

Who doesn't love potatoes and cheese????

Potatoes Au Gratin

Yields 3 - 4 servings

1/2 cup chopped onion
4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons flour

1. Saute onion in a nonstick skillet, coated with cooking spray, over medium heat until softened.
2. Spray a 8 x 8 casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange one third of the potato slices, in dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with half of the sauteed onions, and half the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
3.  Repeat layers, ending with remaining potato slices.
4.  Bring broth and milk to a boil over low heat. Whisk in flour, and cook for two minutes. Pour over potato mixture.
5.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until tender.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

No complaints from the huz

Week 12 Dinner Menu

In an effort to recommit myself to my blog (if you can't tell I really slacked last week), I have given her a new name - http://www.dinneroneweekatatime.blogspot.com/.

When I started this blog I figured I would give it a year. My goal is that by the end of this year I will have a more organized repertoire of recipes, as well as a years worth that I can refer to over and over again. This blog has really reaffirmed my love of food and cooking.  The meal planning has not only helped my time management, but I believe it is saving me money as well. Those two factors alone are worth the price of admission.

Last week there was an interesting article in The Oregonian about using what you have kind of cooking. Not relying on recipes so much, but really assessing what you have in your pantry/fridge/freezer and thinking outside of the box. I have to admit I love recipes.  That being said I do find myself modifying them quite a bit to accommodate my vegetarianism. I believe I use recipes more as a personal guidebook, not as a chartered bus tour where you are lead around like a lemming.  I think in the coming weeks my challenge will be to not be so dependent on formal recipes and to trust my instincts when it comes to food. Tonight was a perfect example of this, but I will write more about that tomorrow, I promise (how's that for a tease?).

With this approach in mind, here is my Week 12 Dinner Menu:

Sunday: Grilled Burgers, Salmon Cakes, Broccoli Slaw, and Potatoes Au Gratin.  In honor of the first day of Spring we really wanted to start up the grill. Of course, we had lots of Oregon sunshine (rain) today, but that doesn't keep us from grilling in the Pacific Northwest. As you can see as the week progresses grilling is my theme. I think after working in the yard this weekend I am itchin' for summer!

Monday: Grilled Sausages with Peppers and Onions and Orzo Salad

Tuesday: Chili Pasta Bake with Steamed, or perhaps Grilled Vegetables

Wednesday: Grilled Salmon Salad

Thursday: Enchilada "Sandwiches" with Steamed Vegetables.  This is probably the one true "recipe" I am following this week.

Friday: Yakisoba Noodles with Vegetables and Beef/Tofu

Here's to the first week of Spring and new beginnings!

Spanish Rice Bake

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I have to say, I am not 100% sure where this week went. How is it possible that I am writing about Monday night's dinner, on Thursday night? St. Patrick's Day no less?

The older I get, the faster time seems to elude me. It's a horrible thing that no one warns you about. All the focus is on covering the grays, and making those laugh lines disappear. Smoke screens I tell ya'. Time. Time is of the essence!  Someone needs to come up with a miracle cream to bring back the past couple days. Now THAT would be the fountain of youth.

Back to Monday.....since it was soooooooooooo long ago. All I can tell you is dinner was awesome. There's no other word. Even the huz would agree. It was so good, all I can really say is you have to cook it for yourself to truly appreciate it. I can whip out the thesaurus and try to come up with a bunch of flowery words to describe just how good dinner was, and it wouldn't do it justice. It's like trying take a picture of sunset. It's never the same as being there.



Not a bad sunset afterall



Vegetarian Spanish Rice Bake

Yields 6 servings

1 package Morningstar Farms crumbles or other vegetarian "ground beef"
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can canned petite diced tomatoes
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 tablespoons chile sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepperjack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onion and green bell pepper until softened.
3. Add the Morningstar Farms crumbles and cook until they are heated through - 5 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes, water, rice, chile sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.
5. Le simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Sprinkle with the shredded Cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with a fabulous salad (like mine) or steamed veggies of your choice.

As a person who eats a primarily vegetarian diet, there is no shortage of fiber in my life.  I eat a lot of dark leafy greens, beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It's just a given when you cut red meat, pork, and chicken out of your life. I always kind of laugh when I see fiber commercials because it really baffles me how fiber can be lacking in one's diet, because fiber is almost it's own food group in my world.

Case in point: I think towards the end of last week I was on fiber overload. Without being too specific lets just say I probably could have had a colonoscopy, no problem.
Call Dr. McDreamy.  I needed carbs, stat!  Carbs would be the only cure.

Because we were going to be out and about quite a bit on Saturday, I knew the huz and I would be dining out much of the day. Mind you I had oatmeal for breakfast (old habits die hard), but made up for it at lunch when I had scrambled eggs, crispy cottage potatoes, and a big, fat buttery biscuit. Yes, that was my lunch. No, it was not a second breakfast.  I was in carb heaven.

Saturday night, we hit Taco del Mar, on our drive home, and picked up a couple burritos and chips with queso. To quote my eleven year old niece, "OMG." What a good burrito (and yes, Nicole, I did nuke it when I got home so it would be piping hot). Of course, my burrito was beans and veggies on a wheat tortilla, but it was fast food, so it had to be carb heavy somehow. You know they hide the carbs in there somewhere. Oh I know, the plate of tortilla chips and queso was the carb balance I was looking for.

Needless to say by Sunday, I was ready for my usual fare. Those carbs work fast!  I knew just the perfect meal - Kale and White Bean Soup. The name says it all. Creamy cannelini beans, chewy pasta, hearty kale - I love being a vegetarian. I love soup. You should too.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I had a bit of pizza dough left over from Thurdsay night, and got a wild hair (or is it hare) to make dinner rolls. Basically I just rolled the dough into balls, put them in a muffin pan, drizzled a little olive oil on them and baked them for 15 - 20 minutes or so, at 425 degrees. While they were still in the pan, I put a little butter, salt, and fresh parsley on top.  That's how we roll in our house.  Peace out.

Keep rolling, rolling, rolling....

Kale and White Bean Soup

Serves 8| Hands-On Time: 25m | Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 cup small soup pasta, such as tubettini, ditalini, or orzo (4 ounces)
• 1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (8 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan (2 ounces), plus 1 piece rind (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 loaf country bread, warmed

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the garlic, celery, onion, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the beans, pasta, kale, rosemary, 8 cups water, and Parmesan rind (if using). Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta and kale are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Remove the Parmesan rind. Stir in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the shaved Parmesan before serving. Serve with the bread.

Courtesy of Real Simple Magazine - Sara Quessenberry,  January 2010