This week in the kitchen

Monday/31-May-21: I had an itch for duck not too long ago, so tonight we had Peppery Duck Steaks with Parsley Salad (1Good, p185). This was quite good. The "fluffy" parsley salad was surprisingly good. Served with steamed new potatoes from the potager (offspring of some sprouted red potatoes that got thrust into the ground) and Herbed Fava Beans (web, but the favas are overcooked then drowned in vinaigrette; MC; GD). The vinaigrette really blends nicely with the favas. 

The rest of the tapioca pudding for after.

Tuesday/1-Jun-21: Yogurt on overday. Baked a loaf of Easy French bread again. (It's good, have I said?)

Dinner was Stir-Fried Prawns with Fresh Asparagus (HotWok, p92). The asparagus I got this week were purple. As far as I can tell they taste the same. Good. Over plain basmati rice. For after, some chopped fruit (apple, peach, kiwi) with cream. 

Wednesday/2-Jun-21: Lots of veggies to use up, so I deviated from the plan (that's what it's for, isn't it?) to make something else. First I found this recipe for Blistered Runner Beans with Bagna Cauda (web). I had more veggies total than the 400g of snijbonen this recipe asks, but made half the sauce and that was sufficient. I "blistered" the snijbonen as instructed; I roasted (under the grill) a red bell pepper; I roasted (in the oven) some broccoli. Arranged these on a platter and poured the sauce over them.  Served over brown rice. Very satisfying dinner. Some chopped fruit with cream for after.

Thursday/3-Jun-21: Shopping in the store again. 

No asparagus this week; season over, I guess. Dinner was, sort of, Salmon with Fennel, Bell Pepper, Olives (web). Except I forgot to put a navel orange on the list, so used a lemon instead. This was pretty good, in spite of me. The fennel and bell pepper was an odd combination, but worked really well. Served with a shaped whole wheat pasta. For after, some store-bought riz au laits wtih chopped fruit, which was a good idea, but the crunchy fruit and the cream riz au lait didn't work well.

Friday/4-Jun-21: Tonight we had the leftovers from the chicken with onion-almond sauce. Served with Yellow Basmati Rice with Sesame Seeds (MJ@Home, p208) again; no soaking the rice this time. And South Indian-Style Green Beans (MJ@Home, p147) made with snijbonen. All was delicious. Some chocolate-covered madeleines for after. 

Saturday/5-Jun-21: Dinner was a half dose of Broccoli and Feta Frittata (web). This was pretty good even if some of the broccoli was a tad crunchy. Then a big salad. And some chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Sunday/6-Jun-21: Dinner was Chicken in a Creamy Parmesan and Sundried Tomato Sauce* (web; GD). This was good again. Served with some tagliatelle and a half recipe of Easy Roasted Asparagus and Carrots (web). This was okay, nothing special. Before starting dinner, I made Chenango Valley Chocolate Cake (EAT-L; GD). This was simple, easy to get into the oven before serious cooking started. Also delicious, light and fluffy. I didn't bother to frost it. Ed had it with some cream.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/24-May-21: Dinner was Boeuf à la Deutsch (Franey, p252), served with the recommended Nouilles au Beurre de Poivre Vert (Franey, p253). These made for a tasty meal. Served with some steamed asparagus, topped with a squeeze of lemon juice and some chopped fermented black beans. A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines for after. (We had the Ricotta Limoncello Cake for lunch.)

Tuesday/25-May-21: I snuck up on the chest freezer today and defrosted it. It's looking like today may be the last of our coolish weather, so it was time to do it. 

Dinner was Quick Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops (web), which was ok but nothing special. Served with the last of the marinated carrots, trio rice, and Nigel Slater's Green Beans, Mushrooms, and Dill (web). I see I forgot to add the dill to the mushrooms; this might have given the flavor boost that was needed. And ordinary meal altogether. Some ricotta-limoncello cake for after.

Wednesday/26-May-21: A really blah day. Neither of us felt like doing anything. Neither of us had much appetite. Instead of cooking, I defrosted a bit of spinach pesto and we had that over some whole wheat spaghetti. Strawberries and cream for after.

Thursday/27-May-21: Shopping today. Our first time in a boulangerie since last year when the lockdowns started (March or so); I've only been in the grocery store twice, maybe three times, and tht was last fall. Kind of scary for people who are quite hermit-like by nature. 

And tuna was on sale. So we had Charmoula-Marinated Grilled Tuna (MedHot, p48, MedHot2, p105). Grilled under the broiler. I made all the marinade, so there some in the freezer now. Bought way too much tuna, and neither of us had a big appetite, so one chunk is in the freezer too. As suggested, served with mixed steamed veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, carrots, zucchini) with a lemon vinaigrette. And some Moroccan couscous. A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Friday/28-May-21: Dinner was Red Prawn and Mango Curry (web; GD). This wasn't really quick, but was easy. Slice the spring onion, peel and chop the mango, measure the stock, open the bo of coconut milk, and away you go, with a pause while the sweet potatoes cook. Served over brown rice. Some HD mini ice cream cups for after.

Saturday/29-May-21: Yogurt on overday.

Dinner was Crab Cakes with Cucumber Relish (web; GD); very yummy and has gone onto the DoMeAgain list. I made about a half recipe of the relish, with have a cuke, but it wanted all the rice vinegar. Served with a side of mafalda topped with Fresh Red Chutney with Almonds (Q&E, p114) from the freezer. (The only pesto type thing in the freezer was more of the spinach pesto we've just had.) This was remarkably good and we have a bit more of the chutney for something in the next days. 

For after there were the rest of the mango chunks from yesterday and cream.

Sunday/30-May-21: Dinner was Whole Chicken Baked with an Almond and Onion Sauce* (MJ@Home, p99). This is super delicious. The yogurt marinating sauce makes for tender, moist chicken bits. As suggested, served with Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant (MJ@Home, p153) and Yellow Basmati Rice with Sesame Seeds (MJ@Home, p208). Everything was delicious. Some plain vanilla tapioca pudding for after.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/17-May-21: Another loaf of Easy French bread (Electric, p62) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-) today. Yes, we like this delicious bread.

Dinner was Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables* (web; GD). Very tasty sauce; it just needs the shrimp put in after the veggies so they don't get overcooked. For dessert there was Box of Dreams Cake (BigBites, p252). This a pudding cake. Quite yummy. 

Tuesday/18-May-21: Dinner was Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Chili Sauce* (web; web; GD). Seriously yummy, not to mention easy. I use some pork rub I made a while ago, rather than the chili powder and other spices. As a go-with there was Green Bean, Feta, and Black Olive Salad* (web; CL/nov10; GD), using up the last of my bulgur. This delicious salad could be a veggie main. It would also be good for a potluck meal. And, guess what, some pudding cake for after.

Wednesday/19-May-21: Ed off to the doctor for a test today. When we got back I placed what I hope will be our last Drive orders for a while. Next week we'll brave the grocery store.

Dinner was Chiles Rellenos Casserole (CL90, p147). I've made this a bunch of times, lately adding a bit of chile powder to the cornmeal mixture. It's pretty good even though the poblanos are canned. Served with a batch of my take on my mother's Spanish Rice. And a nice little salad/salsa of tomatoes, avocado, shallots, cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice, with some chili powder. Neither of us felt like pudding cake tonight, but I did have a square of chocolate.

Thursday/20-May-21: Ed picked up orders from both Drives today. Next week our vaccinated selves hope to get back to grocery store-ing. However the covid numbers took a little rise, apparently with the Ascension Day weekend. No telling what will happen with déconfinement and this holiday weekend.

Make another loaf of Easy French bread (Electric, p62) (Rapid/Basic/M/d/-), this time with 1 cup of T110, light whole wheat. Loaf looks nice, but we won't cut it till tomorrow. 

Dinner was Sheet-Pan Salmon and Broccoli with Sesame and Ginger (web), easy and fast, Oriental-ish flavors. Served with some udon noodles (wheat and rice). We finished the pudding cake for after. 

Friday/21-May-21: Dinner was a half dose of Scallops & Spring Vegetables with Olive-Caper Pan Sauce (web). This was pretty good, but there was no way the veggies could get done in two minutes of sautéing. Served with some spaghettis courts, which was good for sopping up the sauce. Some store-bought vanilla yogurts for after.

Saturday/22-May-21: Yogurt on overday.

For dinner we had leftover Chiles Rellenos Casserole. I cooked up a bit more rice, with some chili powder, to add to the Spanish rice. I beefed up the rest of the salad salsa with another avocado, more cilantro, lime juice, and chili powder. 

Meanwhile, in preparation for tomorrow's meal, I made Marinated Carrot Sticks (ClassicItal, p56) and Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Limoncello Cake (web). This looks promising; we'll see tomorrow. (The recipe doesn't specify how big the bundt pan should be. I used my larger one, the smaller would proabably have been better. I cut back sugar to 1 cup. Probably half the glaze would have been sufficient.)

Sunday/23-May-21: We bought our plat only, vaguely Italian, from a local ferme-auberge. We started with a plate with Hard-Boiled Eggs with Green Sauce (ClassicItal, p52), that I made this morning, and Marinated Carrot Sticks, that I made yesterday. Both were good. 

Then with had saltimbocca, made of chicken breast, lined with ham, mozzarella, and basil leaves. Served with what might have been home-made tagliatelle with pesto. 

And Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Limoncello Cake, very yummy.

Made another loaf of Easy French bread (Electric, p62) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-). All T65 flour. 

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/10-May-21: Feeling recovered from my vaccination today. Whew, that was two days lost.

Made yet another loaf of Easy French bread (Electric, p62) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-) today. Yes, we really like this one.

Dinner was Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms (MC), we've liked before. Served with trio rice which contributed to the overall brownness of the plate; orzo would have been better. And some steamed broccoli and cauliflower, tossed with a bit of lemon juice. Strawberries and cream for after.

Tuesday/11-May-21: I spent all afternoon trying to get our two orders for the Drives done, slow internet driving me nuts. I sent Ed out on a pizza mission for dinner. It was after the curfew time, but the truck was crowded and Ed said a maskless gendarme joined the group. As Ed left the house, I said we'd have a race if I'd get the second order placed before he got back. We tied. This was a new pizza truck for us. They were OK. 

Wednesday/12-May-21: Yogurt on overday.

Yes, made Easy French bread (Electric, p62) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-) again, this time with my last bit of rye flour (1/4-1/3cup) to use that up.

Dinner was Judy Heuman's Indian Fried Fish (Eat-L; GD), with cod. I'm not good at these breaded things, but it was delicious. Served with Karhai Broccoli (MJ@Home, p148), an old favorite, and Potato and Pea Chaat (MJ@Home, p166), which is a variation on her plain Potato Chaat, which is always good. Ed said is was a 5* meal. A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines for after; boring, but good.

Thursday/13-May-21: Dinner was Sweet Potato and Lentil This Curry (web) served over brown rice. This was tasty but without texture except for the cashews sprinkled on top. It does indeed serve three; we'll split the last serving for lunch one day soon. Some store-bought vanilla yogurts for after.

Friday/14-May-21: Dinner was Eggs with Fresh Green Herbs—Hare masale ka omlate (Q&E, p44).  As a side, there was Carrot and Onion Salad—Gajar aur pyaz ka salad (MJ1, p171), a favorite. 

For after we had strawaberries and cream.

Saturday/15-May-21: Dinner was Apricot-Curry Glazed Chicken with Potatoes & Asparagus (web). This was pretty good, and there's nothing wrong with a one-dish meal. Not enough potatoes in the recipes as given, but that's easy to fix. Some HD mini ice cream cups for after.

Sunday/16-May-21: Dinner was Tuna Cutlets (Tuna Patties)* (web; GD), which were good. Served with plain basmati and Pan-Grilled Zucchini (MJ@Home, p173). We ate while watching Anneleen hosting a (non-)marching band. 

A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 3

This week in the kitchen

Monday/3-May-21: Made a loaf of ABM bread, Light Rye (Electric, p64) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-). Ed really liked this last time I made it. We'll see how he feels tomorrow.

It was a Greekish meal tonight. Our main was Greek-Style Roast Leg of Lamb (web). This was extra yummy. I wonder why we don't roast a leg of lamb more often. It's a bit expensive, this 2.2kg leg probably cost 20-ish euros. But we'll have 4 meals for 2 from it. That ends up about €3 per serving. That's not much. 

For one side, I used the rest of my gignate beans (where did I get them? I need more) to make a third recipe  Greek Butter Beans (Gigantes Plaki) (web). (My third recipe will serve four, maybe three would do. They must mean it as a main dish.) The other side was a halfish recipe of Carrot Salad with Fresh Fennel, Dried Figs, and Preserved Lemons (O&C, p199; GD; cookbooker). I liked odd combination, Ed not so much. No dessert needed (we had banana bread for lunch).

Tuesday/4-May-21: Dinner was Oven-Dried Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Black Olives* (web; GD). I used tomatoes from the freezer that I'd already oven-dried. The tart was good again. Should have made a salad, but didn't. A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines each for after. 

Wednesday/5-May-21: Leftovers for dinner. We had the lamb and beans, reheated. Plus the carrot, fennel, and dried fig salad, which lasted quite well. I steamed some green beans and made up a little sauce for them, adapted from fancy Greek salad, of mayo, lots of lemon juice, a teeny minced garlic, capers, and dill. Worked pretty well. More fridge clearing for dessert. I had a packet of croissant dough, the kind you spiral open and out pops the dough. I made two squares of the dough, pinching seams together as best I could. The filling was a tub of ricotta, sweetened with a spoonful of honey and tartened up with some lemon juice. Then baked in the oven with the leftovers. Wasn't bad, if a bit too much. Actually the filling was quite good. I won't buy the croissants again.

Thursday/6-May-21: Having finished the Light Rye bread (Ed still likes it, and it held up well), I made a loaf of Easy French bread (Electric, p62) (Basic/Rapid/M/d/-). Very good for lunch sandwiches.

Pickups from two Drives today. Dinner was a halfish recipe of Roasted Salmon with Asparagus, Lemon and Brown Butter (web). This was good. Served with spaghettis courts. A pair of chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Friday/7-May-21: Yogurt on overday. Off for our second vaccinations today. 

Dinner was Lazy Lucious Lamb Biryani (Ainsley3, p133). This wasn't really as fast as you'd expect from this book. It was okay, but nothing special. He calls for no salt at all, which is strange. I started adding when I realized, but didn't get it there. We've lots of leftovers, so an easy meal if the cook isn't feeling well in the next days. Served with Cachumber—Tomato, Onion and Green Coriander Relish (MJ1, p172), an old favorite. Some store-bought vanilla yogurts for after. 

Saturday/8-May-21: So I'm having the sleepy exhaustion response to the vaccination. 

Made a loaf of Easy French bread (Electric, p62) today.

Didn't feel at all like cooking like cooking, so we had the rest of the Oven-Dried Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Black Olives for dinner. Along with a small salad. Nothing else needed.

Sunday/9-May-21: And leftover lamb biryani today. With a pair of chocolate-covered madeleines for after.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 3; #2 PHOTO: yes; #3 *DMA: yes
This month: #4 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG1: no; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 3