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/27-Jun-22: Dinner was a half recipe of Indian-Spiced Chicken with Coriander Chutney (BirdHand, p166). The kip filets were marinated in tomatoes and spices, then grilled. Yum! The Coriander Chutney was also good. Leftovers will appear in sandwiches later this week.  Served with two old favorites, Rice with Peas and Dill (Q&E, p103) and Tomato, Onion, and Green Coriander Relish—Cachumber (MJ1, p172). Used mint instead of coriander, as I learned from watching Jaffrey's TV version of this. All very tasty. A bit of leftover chocolate tapioca pudding for after. (Did I write yesterday that I made that?) 

Tuesday/28-Jun-22: Dinner was Spanish Pork Skewers (1Good, p191). I made the whole recipe with a varkenshaas just over 500g. Used ground oregano. Mixed the cumin, coriander, S&P, smoked paprika, and oregano together to rub on the pork slices, then rubbed them with the garlic/salt/oil mixture. These sat around at room temp for a couple of hours. I had some arparagus and haricot verts need to be used. A web search turned up a recipe for Sautéed Beans and Asparagus with Garlic and Chive Butter (web; GD). This is a horrible site that won't let you print a recipe without signing up. No thanks. I copied out the details for the Google Drive file linked above. And then there was polenta. For after, we finished the chocolate tapioca pudding.

Wednesday/29-v-22: Ed barbecued Grilled Chicken with Za'atar (web) for tonight's dinner. This was good and really easy, especially since I used za'atar from a jar in the cupboard rather than mixing it up myself. Served with Moroccan couscous (packet from a health food store) and Moroccan Carrots (1Good, p59), both old favorites. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Thursday/30-Jun-22: Shopped today, in Leclerc and at both Drives.

Dinner was Seared Tuna, Zucchini and Lemon Salad with Green Olive Smash (web). This was interesting, but not entirely successful. Although it's fun to slice zucchini ribbons with your mandolin it would have been nicer to slice them in round, maybe slightly diagonally. Ed didn't like the lemon sections at all; I thought they were best cut into smaller bits. A treat for after: we split of piece of cheesecake, gateau de fromage. Yum.

Friday/1-Jul-22: Crockpot on overnight with Slow Cooker Carnitas with Pickled Red Onions (MC). I've made this several times before; it was originally from a site that's no longer with us. The Pickled Red Onions here are way too sweet; I've split this part off and dinkered with it to make some really tasty pickled onions. The carnitas were good. Served with a throw-together salad of the canned bean that didn't get used last night, canned corn, avocado, tomato, radishes, cilantro, lime juice, a slog of olive oil, and a glop of crème fraîche. Turned out pretty good. Some store-bought chestnut mousse for after. Tastily full, we are.

Saturday/2-Jul-22: Dinner was Mushroom and Pea Lamb Broth Risotto with Gremolata (web). (Yes, that title needs some punctuation or re-writing or something to lose the pea lambs.) A few weeks ago, I made some stock of lamb and goat bone from the freezer. I used that to make the risotto. This was pretty good. Then a salad. Then some camembert. 

Sunday/3-Jul-22: Dinner was Neapolitan Zucchini Soup (Monastery, p111). This was simple and surprisingly taste in spite of that. Smaller zucchini, as asked, would be better, but I didn't really have any of those. (Sh! This cookbook is organized by month and, since April, I've been doing one of each month's soups.) We finished the camembert for after, then had a mini HD ice cream cup.

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: 0; #8 NEW: 3

This week in the kitchen

Monday/6-Jun-22: Using the other half of last night's roast chicken, tonight's dinner was a half recipe Sicilian Chicken Salad (SFAH, p342), served on ciabattas with leaves of lettuce. Very good stuff. I tarted up the end of a jar of mayo to make the aïoli. The half recipe generously served us two for dinner. We're stuffed. 

Tuesday/7-Jun-22: Ed picked up two Drive orders today; don't know if we'll make shopping in-store on Thursday.

Dinner was Piquillos Rellenos (MC), an old favorite I haven't made in a long time. Small portions would be nice as a starter; bigger ones make a nice dinner, with a bit of salad on the side. Some chopped peaches and cream for after.

Wednesday/8-Jun-22: Soup for dinner, Solyanka (Monastery, p91). Sort of Solyanka, I guess. Most other recipes I've seen online have tomatoes; this was didn't. It was okay, we finished it, but nothing special. Served with some cheese and onion sandwiches. And a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.
 
Thursday/9-Jun-22: Dinner was Slow-Roasted Crispy Pork Belly (web). I've cooked this bit of meat before (it's cheap and often on sale), but never with much success. Never could understand what the big deal about cracklings was. Made right, cracklings are great. This recipe is right. Takes a long time, cooking the meat slow, then zapping it on high to crisp up the skin. High fat, but delicious. Served with a halfish recipe of Garlic Parmesan Roasted Sweet Potatoes (web). The dish I cooked the sweet pots in was too big, but it still worked. These are very good. And then there was Zucchini and Feta Salad (WorldVeg, p640), which is an old favorite. And a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Friday/10-Jun-22: Put up some stock made from some lamb and goat bones that have been hanging around the freezer for age. Now to find something to use it up.

Dinner was Barbara's Greek Onion-Leek Pie (MC).This is quite yummy. Playing with filo is fun. This bit was a bit fragile from its extended stay in the freezer, but it makes such a pretty finished product no matter what. Then a salad made from half the huge sack of lettuce we got from the Drive earlier in the week. And some strawberries and cream for after.

Saturday/11-Jun-22: We were out late in the afternoon and decided to stop for pizza on the way home. Not much happened in the kitchen.

Sunday/12-Jun-22: Dinner was Craig Claiborne's Ultimate Hamburger (Tabasco, p88), which is quite a good hamburger. Ed barbecued them, rather than cooking on the grill. Then we finished the ice cream I made a while ago with the last of the store-bought strawberries and some freshly picked blueberries. 

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: 0; #8 NEW: 3

This week in the kitchen

Monday/2-May-22: It was a clean-out-the-fridge dinner tonight. The ends of two soups (turkey-wild rice and pea&carrot); three lamb chops; a little salad from the leftover couscous; a salad-salad using more of the dressing from the beets; bits of grillons and terrine; all the small bits of cheese. We're full. 

Tuesday/3-May-22: Dinner was Vegetable Soup with Spicy Merguez Sausages (web; GD; notes). This is a versatile recipe, a tasty way to use up odds and ends of vegetables. I used carrots, leek, zucchini, and potatoes. My celery was dead, so I added some dried celery leaves. Made a whole recipe and have lots to freeze. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Wednesday/4-May-22: Dinner was a half dose of Oven-Baked Salmon with Charred Onions & Old Bay Radishes (web). Except for the charred onions, this was pretty good. I followed the recipe's timing for the onions and they were too black, giving a bitter taste to the "sauce" made from them. Served with orzo, followed by a salad with freshly made Croutons (Art, p173). A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Thursday/5-May-22: Dinner was a half dose of Lemon and Thyme Chicken Caprese (web). This was pretty and good. For a starter there was Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado, Lemon Thyme, and Pistachio Oil (VegHarv, p214), which I've made several times now. Think my lemon thyme didn't make it through the winter, at least neither plant that's alive has a lemony smell. Too full for an after.

Friday/6-May-22: Dinner was Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Butter (web). This was easy and yummy, but not for every day because of the fat content. Then a salad. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Saturday/7-M May on-22: Really didn't feel like cooking tonight. Pizza it was.

Sunday/8-May-22: The ABM made a loaf of Whole Wheat Bread (Fleischmann's) (MC). Steam-boiled some eggs, thinking to have tuna salad with our soup dinner, but decided against that. 

Dinner was Shaker-Style Soup (Monastery, p72). This was really easy and tasty, kind of a dill-flavored cream of tomato soup. For after we had some store-bought chocolate mousse things.

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: 0; #8 NEW: 2

This week in the kitchen

Monday/4-Apr-22: Dinner was a DMA, Red Lentil and Cauliflower Tomato Pulao (web; GD). Still good even though I forgot to salt it. (You can do that at the table, can't you?) Afterwards, I made an Oatmeal Cake (GB) to take to BookChatters tomorrow.  

Tuesday/5-Apr-22: My that's a good cake.

For dinner we had a jar of gourmet blanquette de poulet. We were surprised to find bones in it, since I don't recall them in blanquette de veau. Anyhow, it was very tasty. Served over some whole wheat linguine and roasted zucchini. And some oatmeal cake for after. 

Wednesday/6-Apr-22: Orders from both Drives today.

Dinner was Simple Cod Piccata (web). Cod "breaded" with almond flour, served with a lemony sauce with capers. As a side, I steamed the last bits of cauliflower along with a bit of this week's broccoli, then topped with some minced red bell pepper and garlic that had been sautéed to soften. And a bit of curly pasta to finish the plate. For after, we finished the oatmeal cake. 

Thursday/7-Apr-22: Dinner was Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms (MC), which is an old favorite. I've finally gotten that liter bottle of balsamic I bought absent-mindedly under the halfway mark. Served with trio rice and steamed broccoli. Some store-bought chocolate mousses for after.

Friday/8-Apr-22: Dinner was One-Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta (web). This was good, although there was too much pasta. (I used whole wheat.) The recipe asks 8oz (for two), I used 7oz; 6oz would have been better. Then a salad. We were full. 

Saturday/9-Apr-22: Soup and sandwich for dinner. The soup was Pea and Carrot Minted Soup (Monastery*, p110). This was very good. I made a whole recipe (4-6 servings), so we have lots left. Because peas and carrots are naturally sweet, I didn't add the extra sugar to the soup. It was fine, or even better than fine. I addressed my bell pepper superfluidity with the sandwich. I roasted one red pepper and cut it into strips. I defrosted a ball of mozzarella and a little tupperware of pesto. Cut some "sandwiches" from a bread. Spread a bit of olive oil on the inside surfaces and toasted the bread on a griddle. Then spread with a bit of pesto and topped with mozzarella bit and roasted red bell pepper strips. Good stuff. One chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

* This book offers soups by month. I have the idea to make a soup per month from it. We'll see how that goes.

Sunday/10-Apr-22: Our main tonight was Lamb with Spinach—Saag Gosht (Q&E, p36). I've made this several times, good stuff. Served with Rice and Peas with Garam Masala (SpiceKitch, p65) and Yoghurt with Cucumber and Mint (MJ1, p162), which is my standard recipe for raita. We ate well.    

Ah well, another week, no pictures. Sigh.  

Progress on goals
This week: #1 VEG/FISH: 4; #2 PHOTO: no;
This month: #3 GUESTS: n/a
This year: #5 BACKLOG2: no; #6 BACKLOG3: no; #7 RECYCLE: 0; #8 NEW: 2