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/1-Aug-22: For dinner there was Savory Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake (web). This was pretty good, although it was a bit runny in the center (raw zucchini probably, and wet mozzarella), so I cooked it quite a bit longer after adding the grated mozzarella topping. I used one 125g ball of mozzarella for the cheesecake and half of another one to add at the end. Ed thought more browned mozzarella would have been nice. For a starter, I took the extra zuke slices and marinated them like the zucchini carpaccio I've made a few times. Then sliced a tomato and the rest of the mozzarella, and picked some basil leaves to put together a sort of insalata caprese, topped with pistachio oil rather than olive oil. Turned out pretty good. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after. 

Harvested our first zucchini this year.

Tuesday/2-Aug-22: A half dose of Caribbean Rice Salad (MWDaily, p202) for dinner. This was easy, colorful, and tasty. A whole recipe, or even doubled, would be good for a pot luck dinner. I used an orange bell pepper; a yellow one would have been better because the orange blended with the sweet potato. We split a mini HD ice cream cup for after; that was our last one, old enough to be from before the recall.

Wednesday/3-Aug-22: Dinner was Turkey Phyllo Pot Pie (web). This was okay, if nothing special. I'm writing this a day later and neither of us can remember if there was a side! But there was a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Thursday/4-Aug-22: Dinner from the crockpot, Chicken with Vinegar and Garlic (SlowItal, p118). This was okay, but the chicken (thighs) was dry as is often is from the crockpot. Served over polenta, with a quick cucumber salad for a side. And, yes, a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Friday/5-Aug-22: Dinner was Spanish Bacalao a la Vizcaina (web), I put the cod on a rectangle of polenta left from yesterday and surrounded with the sauce. Quite pretty. Ed didn't much like the sauce, but I thought it was okay. Store-bought riz au laits for after.

Saturday/6-Aug-22: Leftover zucchini cheesecake for dinner. It wasn't as good the second time round. Followed by a big salad. For me, a dish of tapioca pudding for after. Ed prefers it cold, so he passed.

Sunday/7-Aug-22: Dinner was a halfish dose of Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce (web). Actually, this is what I planned for next Wednesday; tonight was supposed to be a Vietnamese skirt steak salad. Will have to freeze the beef till next Wednesday. Tonight's salad was easy and good. We finished the tapioca pudding for after. In the afternoon, forgetting about the tapioca, I made a Far aux Pruneaux, (GD). That will have to wait till tomorrow.

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: 8; #8 NEW: 4

This week in the kitchen

Monday/25-Jul-22: I took an afternoon nap, and then it was too late to cook. So we had a big salad for dinner. And a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Tuesday/26-Jul-22: Dinner was a halfish dose of Sticky Korean Lamb Skewers (CL/dec13; web; GD, notes). Easy and good stuff. Along with some brown basmati rice and Sigeumchi Namul (Korean Spinach Side Dish) (web). This was so-so, probably because I had to improvise the required gochuang, but went well with the rice. (I've made something similar to this spinach that we liked more; can't remember exactly when or what for it was.) A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Wednesday/27-Jul-22: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Braised Eggplant with Paprika, Coriander, and Yogurt (CI; web; GD, notes) served over polenta. I'm unclear if this is meant as a side dish or as a veggie main, but it made a fine veggie main. 

Thursday/28-Jul-22: Shopping day. Followed by a nap. 

Dinner was a halfish dose of Spanish Baked Cod in a Delicious Tomato Sauce (web). This was good stuff. My cod was done after about ten minutes in the oven; 16-18 would have been way too long. Served with trio rice. For a starter that turned out to be post-main, there was a grated carrot salad on sucrine (baby romaine) leaves. For after, there were store-bought yogurts with chestnut cream. 

Friday/29-Jul-22: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Carbonara Sauce (ClassItal, p202) with whole wheat spaghetti. (I think regular spaghetti would be better.) Awfully good stuff. Then a big salad. And a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Saturday/30-Jul-22: Dinner was a halfish recipe of Garlic Pork and Green Peppers (CPC, p78). This was easy and very tasty. Served with some linguine and a bit of steamed broccoli. Some store-bought vanilla yogurts for after.

Sunday/31-Jul-22: Didn't have the oomph to make dinner tonight, even after an afternoon nap. So pizza it was.

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/18-Jul-22: For a starter tonight, I add smoked trout to the extra (now well-)marinated zucchini strips from yesterday, topped with a sprig of dill on each plate. Worked out very well. Dinner was Rumsteck Mariné Basilic et Citron (VPG; can't find on web). This was only so-so. The lemon-and-oil marinade for the meat was not very interesting or appropriate. The recipe has you cooking the meat 5 minutes on each side, way too much. I cut this back substantially and the meat was still too well-done. Served with the teeny ravioli from the east of France, ravioles de Dauphinés, stuffed with cheeses and parsley. And some steamed snijbonen chunks. 

Tuesday/19-Jul-22: Dinner was Alessia's Favorite Mushroom Sauce (web), wherein dried cèpes amplify the taste of plain old shrooms. I made a whole recipe (3 servings) for two people, and served over polenta rather than pasta. This was pretty good. Then a salad. 

Wednesday/20-Jul-22: For dinner I made a whole recipe of Pasta with Fast Sausage Ragu (Essential, p343). This should serve four and I intended to freeze half for another day, but ended up serving it all over whole wheat spaghetti. Good stuff. 

Thursday/21-Jul-22: Dinner was Chili Garlic Shrimp (web), which was pretty easy and quite tasty. Served over basmati rice. Accompanied by a clean-out-the-fridge salad (cuke, half a red bell pepper, shreds of carrot, radishes) with an Asian-ish dressing which turned out pretty good. Some vanilla ice cream with a slog of crème de cacao. 

Friday/22-Jul-22: Shopping day today, the full complement. Leclerc Drive, Leclerc, and Intermarché Drive.

Dinner was 15-Minute Thai Coconut Curry Salmon (web). This was easy and tasty. Served over brown basmati rice. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

Saturday/23-Jul-22: Made up some ground roasted cumin since I'm almost out.

Dinner was Chicken Salad with Mint, Onion and Lemon Grass—Laab Gai (ThaiCC, p68). This was fast and easy and quite tasty. No ground chicken, so I chopped up some aiguillettes, just a bit tedious but works well. Served with leaves of sucrine (mini romaine lettuces). Some store-bought riz au laits for after.

Sunday/24-Jul-22: Lunch out today. Nothing happened in the kitchen.

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/11-Jul-22: Tonight we had Tagliatelle with Artichokes and Olive Oil (web). Unfortunately I didn't manage to print all the steps, and by the time this handicapped computer managed to get to the recipe online, it was too late. I didn't go to all the trouble to make the toasted bread crumbs, but used chapelure doré (toasted bread crumbs) instead. And I really don't see the point of cutting the leaves off the mini artichokes; leaving them whole or maybe halving them would have been fine. Still, it was pretty tasty stuff. Served with a plain salad. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after.

I finished reading Ingredienti last week, and really enjoyed it. It's Hazan's last book, where she talks about, yes, ingredients, how to choose and how to use them. No real recipes, but some

Tuesday/12-Jul-22: Dinner was Mojito Shrimp, a recipe I collected from EAT-L in 2007. This was okay, but nothing fantastic. Served with polenta and a salad loosely based on Grilled Corn Salad (web). A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after. 

Wednesday/13-Jul-22: A yummy dinner of Spicy Beef Salad (RezaSpice, p27). This kind of meal is really good on a hot summer day.  The pieces of rump steak that I got were thick and thin, making the cooking a bit difficult, but I managed to still have some red in thinner one. The success of this makes a bit of a dilemma. I've been thinking I'd recycle my two Reza books when I get to that again. Now I see I've been pretty happy with what I've made from this one, although the instructions often leave a bit to desire, so I may have to reconsider. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after. 

Thursday/14-Jul-22: Dinner was a half recipe of Onion and Chorizo Clafoutis (Master, p340). This was an interesting idea, but didn't quite work. Unlike every other clafoutis I've made, there was no flour or such in the batter to help the custard set up; I added a rounded quarter cup of flour, which was probably a bit too much. I baked in the toaster over, and it seems the temperature was a bit high. And the sweet, soft onions on the bottom seemed to clash with the rest of the dish. Edible, but nothing special. Then a simple salad. A bit of Morbier and a chocolate-covered madeleine each for after. 

Friday/15-Jul-22: Shopping at Leclerc and both Drives today. 

Dinner was Pan-Fried Trout with Rosemary, Lemon, and Capers (web), made with lieu noir instead of trout. This was pretty good. As suggested by one of the comments, I added bruised rosemary with the shallots and removed at the end. Served with trio rice and and old favorite, Baked Eggplant Slices (TooMany, p114). Some store-bought vanilla riz au laits for after.

Saturday/16-Jul-22: A nice dinner tonight. We started with an old favorite Zucchini Carpaccio with Avocado, Lemon Thyme, and Pistachio Oil (VegHarv,  p214). (I have some zuke left, maybe for a lunch treat tomorrow.) Pretty much used up my pistachio oil on this. For our main, there was Gingery Hot Duck Salad (web; GD; notes). Cooked the duck following instructions in VegHarv, p111, which is the best way to do it. Following the lead of the pistachio oil, we had a pistachio madeleine each for after. (These aren't as good as the chocolate-covered ones, but now we know.)

Sunday/17-Jul-22: Tonight I scratched my itch for some stir-fried rice by making stir-fried rice. No real recipe; I just read a few and smerged them. Itch scratched. A chocolate-covered madeleine each for after. 

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: 3

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