This week in the kitchen

Monday/5-Sep-22: Dinner was Provençal Rainbow Soup (Monastery, p136), kind of minestrone soup perhaps with lots of veggies. Very tasty. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Tuesday/6-Sep-22: Easy dinner tonight. We each had six canned tamales. And I made a batch of guacamole. Lots of avocados in-house, but only one was good, so there wasn't very much of it. Added a chopped up tomato for volume. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Wednesday/7-Sep-22: Dinner was Za'atar Chicken with Lemon Yogurt (Dinner, p57). Lazy me used garlic powder instead of microplaning eight cloves. Seemed to work, though. Very tasty chickie bits (sb thighs). Served with Moroccan Carrots (1Good, p59), which has become my standard Moroccan side dish.  And some Moroccan couscous, a mix from the bio store. 

Thursday/8-Sep-22: We finished the Rainbow Soup for dinner, followed by, yes, a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Friday/9-Sep-22: Shopping today. No dinner tonight.

Saturday/10-Sep-22: Dinner was Easy Salmon with Avocado & Basil (web). This was a nice, fast dinner. Served with whole wheat orzo. Some store-bought dark chocolate mousse for after.

Sunday/11-Sep-22: When it came time to make dinner, I didn't have the oomph to make what was on the plan, so I rummaged around and found Kadhai Chicken (Stir-fried Chicken with Peppers) (web), using the chicken aiguillettes that were scheduled for later this week. Served with Rice with Peas and Dill (Q&E, p103), made with brown basmati rice. Some store-bought riz aux laits for after.

A praying mantis joined is in the kitchen for clean-up.

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 1; #2 PHOTO: no;
This month: #3 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG2: no; #6 BACKLOG3: no; #7 RECYCLE: 10; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/15-Aug-22: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Warm White Bean Salad with Arugula Pesto and Preserved Lemons (Dinner, p240). Tasty stuff.

Tuesday/16-Aug-22: Dinner was a halfish version of Toulouse Sausage Cassoulet (web), using up my freezer stash of Toulouse sausage. Not really a cassoulet, but on that road. Not bad for being so easy. Then a chocolate-covered madeleine each.

Wednesday/17-Aug-22: In the afternoon, I made up some Rustic Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce (VegHarv, p306); used half and froze the rest. Our main was Cumin-Scented Chickpeas with Roasted Eggplant and Rustic Tomato Sauce (VegHarv, p152). This was easy and tasty. I made more or less a whole recipe; it was a good veggie main. We also thought it would be a good side from a bbq or a pot luck dinner perhaps. Then a chocolate-covered madeleine each.

Thursday/18-Aug-22: This was shopping day, so pooped tonight.

Dinner was Tuna with Wine, Vinegar, Tomato, Chile, and Capers (MedHot2, p109). This was okay. Ed thought the sauce was too strong for the tuna, but it was good with the orzo I served as a side. Served with Grilled Pepper Salad with Feta and Cilantro (MedHot2, p92), a nice little salad. It was easy to make and can be put together in steps as other things are happening. I had a yellow bell pepper needing to be used so that stood in place of one of the three red bell peppers asked, making the dish even more colorful. I made a whole recipe, which was really enough for four as a side. Served on sucrine (baby romaine) leaves. Very tasty and pretty. Then, surprise, a chocolate-covered madeleine each.

Friday/19-Aug-22: Dinner was Anchovy Chicken with Lemon and Capers (Dinner, p46). This was a hit. Easy and extra delicious. Served with trio rice and steamed broccoli. Some store-bought riz au laits for after. 

Saturday/20-Aug-22: Ah well, when it got to be the time, I didn't feel like cooking tonight's dinner. Se we had a snacky dinner instead, sliced hams, some cheese, carrots, cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, etc. That's all, and we were full.

Sunday/21-Aug-22: I've been having a bit of a yen for this, so this afternoon, I made a Pineapple Upside Down Cake (web; GD, notes). This turned out yummy. Our main was Broccoli Soup (Monastery, p116) which was good, if mis-named. The tomato paste pretty much overwhelmed the broccoli flavor. Still, quite edible. Then, a double dose of cake each. 

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 3; #2 PHOTO: no;
This month: #3 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG2: no; #6 BACKLOG3: no; #7 RECYCLE: 10; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/8-Aug-22: Leftover Turkey Phyllo Pot Pie for dinner. Good it was. And a simple salad. Some Far aux Pruneaux (GD; GD) for after. Good stuff that. 

Put beef on to marinate for tomorrow's dinner. 

Tuesday/9-Aug-22: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Vietnamese-Style Skirt Steak with Herb and Noodle Salad (Dinner, p65). This was yummy. (I forgot what kind of beef I bought; maybe I'll find this on the receipt upstairs. Later: the receipt says biftek, which helps not a bit.) Then, oink-oinks that we are, we finished the far.

Wednesday/10-Aug-22: We went to a local marché des producterus tonight. Nothing happened in the kitchen.

Thursday/11-Aug-22: Shopping today.

Dinner was Cajun Salmon with Rosemary Sweet Potato Wedges (web). This was good, but now way sweet potato wedges ever get crispy when baked. Just doesn't happen. A pair of store-bought egg custards with caramel for after.

Friday/12-Aug-22: During the day I made a tomato sauce for pizza that was supposed to be tonight's dinner. This is tasty but very thin. Then I thought, given the heat wave, who wants to turn the oven up to 500F to cook a pizza? Some adjustments in the meal plan were called for.

Instead, dinner was a halfish version of Citrus Caesar Salad with Spicy Shrimp (web). This was pretty good. I grilled the shrimp without skewering them. The hard-boiled egg was a bit of an anomaly. Some almond financiers for after (the same maker as our favorite chocolate-covered madeleines).

Saturday/13-Aug-22: I blended the tomato sauce I made yesterday with some jarred roasted bell peppers, giving a thicker sauce. Into the freezer with that, pizza to be cooked when it gets a bit cooler.

Dinner was Stir-Fried Chicken Breast with Black Pepper and Green Chilies (MJ@Home, p80). This was easy, fairly fast, and yummy. As suggested, served with Tomato Pullao (MJ@Home, p211). Did this with brown basmati on the stovetop rather than in the oven. It needs a bit more water than directed, and I didn't add quite enough extra, but it was tasty. Some almond financiers for after.

Sunday/14-Aug-22: Dinner was Roast Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Apricot Jam (web; CL/apr15). This was easy and delicious. The apricot jam was nice. Finished the packet of almond financiers for after. 

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 2; #2 PHOTO: no;
This month: #3 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG2: no; #6 BACKLOG3: no; #7 RECYCLE: 8; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/4-Jul-22: Dinner was Stir-Fried Chettinad Chicken (MJ@Home, p79). This was easy and yummy. As suggested, served with Basmati Rice with Lentils (MJ@Home, p212); used 1/4cup lentils and 1/2cup brown basmati. Definitely didn't soak the lentils 3-5 hours are suggested. Did soak the lentils and rice together for what might have been half an hour. And there was Pan-Grilled Zucchini (MJ@Home, p173). Having larger zukes than asked, I make thick diagonal slices and cooked them on the grill pan that came with the stove. All was good. A pistachio madeleine, on sale last week, each for after.

Tuesday/5-Jul-22: Dinner was a halfish version of One-Pan Shrimp Scampi with Orzo (web). This was interesting. Followed by a simple salad, and then a pistachio madeleine each for after.

Wednesday/6-Jul-22: We had lunch out today. Nothing much happened in the kitchen.

Thursday/7-Jul-22: Shopping today. Dinner was a half dose of Roasted Pistachio-Crusted Salmon with Broccoli (web). The pistachio topping was interesting, but not wonderful. The broccoli didn't really get done. Served with some little whole wheat macaroni. For after there were store-bought riz au lait topped with a slog of crème de cacao. 

Friday/8-Jul-22: Ed asked for a big salad, so that's what we had. And a bit of Morbier after.

Saturday/9-Jul-22: A hurried dinner tonight, before going out to a concert. We had a half recipe of Turkish Lamb Chops with Sumac, Tahini, and Dill (Dinner, p72; cookbooker). It's amazing how well lamb goes with all kinds of spice rubs. Planned to serve with Green Beans with Caper-Vinaigrette (Dinner, p377), but couldn't find any haricots verts, so broccoli it was. This was good, but green beans would be better. With some Moroccan couscous. Ravel and Tchaikovsky for dessert.

Sunday/10-Jul-22: Dinner was Chicken Thighs with Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce (web). I used lardons instead of bacon, cooking those first before adding the sliced mushrooms. Instead of cream, I used crème fraîche. Good stuff. (I see now, that I was supposed to add the baked thighs to the finished shroom sauce for a bit. We both thought the thighs had a nice crispy skin that would have been wasted in the sauce.) For a side there was Rosemary Courgette from the Oven (MC), actually from the toaster oven, which was good; it's a Dutch recipe from either Tip or Allerhande. Another side of whole wheat spaghetti, which was good with the shroom sauce. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Yet another week without a photo. :-(

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 3; #2 PHOTO: yes/no;
This month: #3 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG2: yes; #6 BACKLOG3: no; #7 RECYCLE: 0; #8 NEW: 3

This week in the kitchen

Monday/19-Apr-21: Dinner was Harissa Chicken with Leeks, Potatoes, and Yogurt* (web; Dinner, p51). I made the whole recipe with my four kip thighs. Added some broccoli with the leeks, since I had some needing to be used. It was good. Some HD mini ice cream cups for after. 

Tuesday/20-Apr-21: Late this morning, I used up two bakjes of gariguette strawberries to make a half dose of Fresh Strawberry Cobbler (web). I didn't have a cast iron skillet the right size, so I used a glass casserole dish (from IKEA) instead.

 

Dinner was a half recipe (one varkenshaas) of Pork Tenderloin with Figs and Onions (EAT-L; web). I had in my mind that this wanted dried figs; I must have another recipe somewhere. It was good, but would have been better if I'd soaked my dried figs for a bit. Served with the last of my grits and some roasted asparagus. 

For after, we had a piece of cobbler with cream (rather than "whipped topping"). Good stuff!

Started a batch of Overnight Boule.

Wednesday/21-Apr-21: Baked off the Overnight Boule. Yogurt on overday.

Ed picked up orders from two Drives today.

Dinner was a half recipe of Pecan-Crusted Fish (MWClass, p367), with cod. Had to change the butane bottle in the middle of cooking. This was good. Served with trio rice and some diagonal cut asparagus (Ed thought that was cute) with a squeeze of lime. Then, as recommended, half of Spicy Cantaloupe Salad (MWClass, p96); made this with arugula as the bitter green. This was yummy. Finished the Strawberry Cobbler for after.

Thursday/22-Apr-21: Dinner was Gratin de Gnocchis; a magazine clipping, couldn't find it on the web. This was gnocchis, mixed with a "sauce" of spinach, tomato, and garlic, topped with parmesan and "grated cheese" (I used gruyère), all baked for 20min. This was easy and tasty. Followed by a big salad.

Friday/23-Apr-21: We had melon quarters with pineau for starters tonight. Then Smoked Trout Chowder (web; GD); I made a half recipe. It was good. Then some St Felicien. 

Started an Overnight Boule.

Saturday/24-Apr-21: Baked off the Overnight Boule.

I ordered a bit of sirloin (faux filet) to make a stir-fry sort of thing for dinner. The piece I got was bigger than I needed, and it was a lovely thickish piece, and the weather is nice. So I marinated the steak with my regular beef marinade and Ed barbecued. As sides with had Balsamic Green Bean Salad* (web; GD) and Roasted Peri Peri Potatoes* (web; GD). Then some homemade strawberries and cream ice cream. Yum.

Sunday/dd-25-21: Yogurt on overday. 

Brought a lunch-time meal home from a nearby restaurant and enjoyed it al fresco, serenaded by a cuckoo.

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: yes; #6 BACKLOG2: no; #7 RECYCLE: 11; #8 NEW: 3