Dinner Last Week #8

Confession.  This is not what we ate last week.  With this whole pregnancy thing happening I might be lucky if I could tell you what I ate yesterday.

That said, these are some dishes we've recently tried (via iPhone photo).....

My husband has taken to making dinner on Tuesday nights while I'm at yoga.  This was grilled cod with a garlic Parmesan (sorry, I don't know the exact recipe he used) and a side of quinoa salad with veggies and avocado.  I told him if he kept this up he might be cooking all the time!

This is one of my signature "everything but the kitchen sink" salads.  We have red quinoa, left over chicken breast, spinach, heriloom tomato, carrrot, corn, craisins and I'm not sure what else.  I have a thing with hot rice/quinoa/cous-cous and spinach.  Throw your hot item on top and the spinach will slightly wilt.  It's a healthy version of a hot salad.

This was the Turkey Ruben Patty Melt by Mountain Mama Cooks.  The recipe came together quickly with both of us hungry and chopping.  The hubs, who claims to not like Rubens or sauerkraut really liked this. Imagine that.

Breakfast one morning......fried egg sandwich with cooked prosciutto, fresh tomato and a basil ricotta spread.

What have you been eating lately??

♥TCW

Dinner Last Week #7

Hey friends, what's new?

I feel like I'm starting to fall back into a normal routine after all of our moving and life events over the last year, but I still haven't managed to find my blogging groove.  If there could only be 1 more day in every week....free day that is.  Anyway, I know every woman/mom on the planet probably suffers from this as well, so cheers ladies!

MONDAY - Grilled Steak and Joy The Bakers Pistachio Crusted Asparagus with Feta

This was actually supposed to be Sunday's dinner but someone rolled in super late (you know who you are)....so we ate it on Monday instead.  No photo of the steaks but I got them at the Sunday Farmer's Market from Lucky Dog Ranch; they were delicious as all of their products are.  I had prepped the asparagus on Sunday (ground pistachios and vinaigrette), so we were ready to roll with that.  You can find Joy's recipe here.  This was a nice twist on our typical grilled asparagus and would do well as a dinner party or fancy brunch side.

TUESDAY - Ravioli with Homemade Steak and Asparagus Marinara aka Monday's leftovers made into pasta

Source

So, I used Trader Joe's Porcini Mushroom and Truffle Triangoli, cooked as directed on the package.  In a skillet I sauteed about 4 cloves of minced garlic and 1/4 cup of olive oil, then added 1 can of tomato sauce.  I turned up the heat to med-high and stirred until the oil and tomato sauce started to come together. While that was happening I chopped up our leftover asparagus and steak, then dumped it into the sauce mixture (including all of the vinaigrette and pistachio mixture in the container). Once everything was warm, I added the cooked trangoli and served with shredded Parmesan.  This was actually way better than we were expecting and made a nice use of our leftovers.






WEDNESDAY - Seriously, I can't even remember

And that's no joke.  So instead I want to tell you about this:

Shutterbean's Quinioa & Tabouleh Salad

You can find this recipe here.  This is a really delicious and hearty salad, plus its vegan, if you dig that.  I first made it on a weeknight, if you do this I recommend at least cooking your quinoa beforehand. It takes a long time for that shindizzle to cool off, so it makes for quicker prep to do it the day before.  Tracy uses pomegranate molasses in her recipe, which I couldn't find....even at Whole Foods (where did you get that stuff Tracy??).  Instead I used regular molasses and about 1/2 teaspoon of grape jelly to sweeten it up.  This salad was so good we made it again for our family at Easter.
P.S.  Please ignore the two large pieces of bread.  The end.





THURSDAY - Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Yep, Taco Thursday strikes again at our house, although these days we're eating them as chicken burritos. Recipe can be found here.

FRIDAY - A bowl of cereal

Does it seem fancier when I italicize it?  We had a great catered lunch at work from Mama Kim's and nobody else was hungry either, so cereal it was.

That's that.  What have you been eating lately?

TCW

Dinner Last Week #6

So apparently it takes two weeks to recover from vacation these days.  Let's start out this week by talking about dinner last week....er the week before last....

SUNDAY - Mom's Power Soup

I've told you about this one before.  It is still souper.  This was my first time making it and I can report it is also easy.

MONDAY - Beef with Snow Peas by The Pioneer Woman

Via The Pioneer Woman

I found this recipe a long time ago and it is so good.  For the two of us, I usually cut a flank steak in half, use half and freeze the other half.  This is a really nice dish that tastes and looks fancier than it is to cook.

TUESDAY - Polenta with Winter Salad and Poached Egg by Heather Christo Cooks 

Via Heather Christo Cooks

This was easy and tasty.  I couldn't find radicchio so I just skipped it.  We used one egg per bowl instead of two.

WEDNESDAY - Salad, Bao Buns & left-over Beef with Snow Peas

So yeah, we broke into the Bao Buns again, they worked well with the leftovers!

THURSDAY - Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

I keep saying this recipe will come soon, "soon" apparently means a long time.  I'm working on it!

FRIDAY - One-Pan Pasta, Martha Stewart

Via Martha Stewart

This recipe is basically amazeballs.  It really is as easy as it looks and it tastes way better than any of us expected.  My Gram had the great idea to add in some shrimp, which would be delish.  You should seriously try this one.













SUNDAY - South Indian Dahl by Tea Cup Tea via A Cup of Jo and Slow Cooker Beef Saag by Bev Cooks

Via A Cup of Jo

Via Bev Cooks

So Nana came for dinner on Sunday and I made Indian Food.  In this case the Dahl won hands down.  I've made the beef saag before and it was great, but I'm not sure what happened this time.  The meat did not come out as tender as it should have.  Either way, these two are great recipes if you're new to Indian food.

What have you been eating lately?

Dinner Last Week #5

Since the Superbowl is this weekend, I'm including our Sunday-before-last eats that we enjoyed while watching our team lose.  Hopefully you can work one of these into your Superbowl festivities.

SUNDAY - Barbecued Ribs, Green Salad, Cheesy Corn & Black Bean Dip, Roasted Garbanzos, Chips+Salsa+Guac and other goodies + Beer Soaked Oven Fries

Nick made the ribs, Mom made the salad.  I made.... 
Cheesy Corn & Black Bean Dip from Simply Scratch

Via

I made an attempt at de-fatifying this by substituting the majority of the mayo with greek yogurt.  Don't be like me.  Although mine didn't turn out terrible, it didn't set either.  This is meant to be an indulgent dip, so don't mess with the recipe, just go for it.

Roasted Garbanzos from She Wears Many Hats

Via

If you want a healthier snack this is it.  I've made these before and we always gobble them up.  Similar to a corn-nut but not quite as crunchy, but just as satisfying.  Plus, I love that she calls them Garbanzos instead of Chick Peas!

Beer Soaked Oven Fries by The Beeroness

Via

This recipe was the favorite of the three.  These are restaurant quality fries and worth the wait.  We had them as a side with the ribs and salad.  The Beeroness' Stout French Onion Soup recipe is also delicious.

MONDAY - Weeknight Pan Roasted Chicken by A Girl and Her Fork

Via

We talked about this before.  I gave Nick the choice between this and Foodiecrush's Honey Mustard Chicken, which I would still like to try.

TUESDAY - COSTCO Dinner

No I'm not kidding. I actually had an eye appointment and got my first perscription for glasses (can you say old?).  Nick wandered around and picked out Bao Asian buns and tortilla soup for our dinner.  Did you know "Bao" is pronounced "wow"?  Anyway, the wow buns were good and although it seems weird to eat them with tortilla soup, we did it anyway.

WEDNESDAY - Veggies with Red Curry and Jasmine Rice + more Bao buns

I used up all of our leftover veggies to make a quick Thai-ish dish.  It went like this:

2 tbsp. pre-made red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
veggies of your choosing
1 cup of jasmine rice, cooked and prepared to package instructions

Saute your veggies in oil (I used olive).  Add in the red curry paste and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add the can of coconut milk and stir until it changes to a light red color.  Simmer everything for about 5-10 minutes.  Serve over jasmine rice.  Eat some WowBao buns if you have them.

THURSDAY - Crock-pot Chicken Tacos

Seriously.  The recipe is coming soon.

FRIDAY - Pizza Night!  Pizza #1 - sausage, mushroom, onion, bell, with red pepper pesto; Pizza #2 - olive oil, collard green, aged white cheddar, sweet potato with egg.

So Friday I decided to whip up some homemade pizzas.  I always use Trader Joe's dough.  Pizza #1 was pretty basic, but I got a little crazy with Pizza #2.  Here is how Pizza #2 went:

Peel and slice sweet potato into bite sized pieces, steam in microwave (put a tad bit of water in the bottom of a microwave safe dish, fill with potatoes, cover loosely and heat).  Set aside.
Clean and slice collard greens (I used 3 leaves) and toss in a bit of olive oil and salt.  Set aside.
Grate aged white cheddar.
Once your dough is rolled, spread olive oil over the crust.
Top with white cheddar, collard greens and potatoes.  Crack your egg(s) onto the pizza now.
Cook in your hottest oven until egg white has set but yolk is still soft.
Crack yolks upon serving.

Pizza #2 didn't turn out as I'd envisioned but it was still really good.  I put my eggs on too late (at the end of cooking), so don't be like me.

That's it!
TCW

Dinner Last Week #4

Happy Monday friends.  I hope it is a holiday for you, it's not for me!  Here's a peek of Dinner Last Week......

MONDAY - Smitten Kitchen's One Pan Farro with Tomatoes

Via

We've talked about farro before.  This is as good and easy as it was the first time I made it.  I seriously am in love with this dish.  Yum.

TUESDAY - Pete's Pizza

I know.  Not exciting.  The hubs was travelling for work and my plans with my girlfriend changed, so I got lazy and ate too much pizza.

WEDNESDAY - Spicy Ginger Soba Chicken Salad by Sally Wolf

Via

We've talked about this dish before too.  The chicken turns out so well with this recipe and it's liked by kids and adults alike.  Yum #2.

THURSDAY - Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Recipe coming shortly!  I photographed it and just need to edit and get the post ready.  I can't wait to share it with you.  :)

FRIDAY - Mom's Leg of Lamb, Steamed Carrots and Mashed Potatoes with Brownies for Dessert

Mom hooked up dinner again and it was so good.  That Mom of mine.....I'm a lucky girl.  Thanks Mom!


So that was dinner last week.  What did you eat??

Dinner Last Week #3 aka Alotta Pasta

Hi there friends.  Last week was pasta week at our house.  Nicholas had (bike) team camp over the weekend and wanted to build up his carbs, so here is what we ate....

Via

MONDAY - Creamy Kale & Mushroom Chicken Pasta

I had kale I needed to use and then I came across this tasty recipe from Iowa Girl Eats.  I stopped at the store for the bowtie pasta, shallots and mushrooms and headed home to cook.  IGE calls for chopped chicken, I cooked mine first and then chopped it.  The only other change I made was using creme fraiche instead of mascarpone.  I had the creme fraiche left over from another recipe and a quick google search told me it could be used as a substitute for the mascarpone.  This turned out really good. It was nice and creamy which was a switch from our normal pasta dinners (I lean towards tomato sauce or olive oil).  This was a good start to pasta week.

TUESDAY - Left-Over Pasta Mash-Up with Chicken Sausage

My carbo loading husband went out with the boys and I stayed home with pasta still on the brain.  I used some of the bow-ties left from Monday and cooked it up with some sausage and veggies.  It went like this:

Boil water.
While water is boiling saute one sliced chicken sausage, about 1/4 cup sliced yellow onion and 1/4 cup sliced bell pepper in about 1 tbs of olive oil.
Once the onion becomes translucent add 2 chopped Swiss chard leafs and continue to saute until wilted.
Your water should be boiling some time around now.  Add in your pre-cooked bow-tie pasta (about 1 cup) and blanch it - just throw it in for a minute so it gets hot without over cooking it.
Drain the pasta and add it to the saute mixture.
Add olive oil if necessary.
Top with shredded Parmesan.
Enjoy.

WEDNESDAY - Dad's Fair Oaks

We had a bike to pick up at the parentals and we worked late, so we stopped at Dad's for some grub.  I had a portabella sandwich and salad, which sounds healthy until I tell you we also shared habenero fries.  Good thing I'm doing CrossFit.

THURSDAY - Kitchen Sink Pesto Pasta with Broiled Salmon

Continuing our pasta kick and trying to make a quick dish, I threw everything but kitchen sink into our pasta and called it good.  Here is how it went:

Boil water.  Once water is boiling ad 2/3 of a (12 oz) package of linguine noodles.
Rub some olive oil on your salmon filet (we used one) and add salt and pepper to your liking.
Broil on low while you're doing everything else.  Once the fat starts to come out, its done.
While the noodles are cooking saute 1/4 white onion, 1/4 bell pepper and whatever other veggies you have in about 1 tbsp olive oil.
Once noodles are al dente drain them.
Before adding the noodles to your saute pan, first mix in about 1/2 cup of pesto and saute until warm.
Add noodles.
Top with salmon.
Sprinkle some Parmesan.
Enjoy.

FRIDAY - Mom's Power Soup

My mom cooked for us on Friday (thanks mom!) and made this delicious soup.  Here is the recipe, I'm not sure where she got it.  She served it with crusty bread and salad and it was SO good.  Even the Munchkin devoured his whole bowl.

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 med yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup farro (wheat berries)

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups peeled butternut squash cubes (1/2 inch)

1 (28 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice (I used a can of crushed tomatoes cause I had them)

1 (2-inch) piece of Parm/Reggiano cheese rind

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 T fresh thyme

1/2 t salt

2-3 cups coarsely chopped green kale

grated parm/regg cheese for top

1. Heat oil in soup pot over med heat, add ontion and saute until soft (2-3 min).  Add garlic and saute 1 min.  Add farro and stir to coat.  Add broth, squash, tomatoes, cheese rind, thyme and salt.  Bring to boil, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

2.  Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer until squash is tender and farro is cooked, (about 30 min).  Stir in kale and simmer 2 minutes.  Discard cheese rind.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Serves 6.

So that was dinner last week!  Also, my CrossFit adventure continues.  I'll post up last weeks CrossFit diary tomorrow!

TCW

Dinner Last Week #2

Oh my gosh friends.  Getting sick right before Christmas is no bueno.  I had a great quick and easy Christmas dessert to share but it will have to wait until next year!!  Anyway, I bring you another edition of Dinner Last Week.....except that it is really from the week before last.  Last week consisted of lots of soup, then Christmas food and chocolate, this is more interesting, trust.

MONDAY - Him: Pasta Her: Salad

Nicholas wanted pasta and I wanted salad so we made both.  Here is how it went down:

Via

Pasta
1 1/2 cups penne noodles, boiled and drained
1/8 cup red onion, sliced
2 mini bell peppers, sliced
1/8 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. truffle infused olive oil (I found this at Trader Joe's)

Boil pasta.
Saute onion and pepper in olive oil until tender.  Set aside.
Once pasta is done, drain and add to pan with onions and peppers.
Add the frozen peas.
On medium-high heat toss the pasta and veggies in truffle oil until peas are done.
Serve with grated Parmesan.

Salad
1 cup fresh spinach, washed and torn
1 cup fresh arugula, washed and torn
1/8 cup chopped cauliflower
1/8 cup frozen corn
1/8 cup frozen peas
1/8 cup red onion, sliced
2 mini bell peppers, sliced

Wash and tear lettuce into serving bowl.
Add cauliflower, corn and peas to a microwave safe dish.  Cover the bottom in water.  Place the lid over the top but don't close it (if Tupperware) microwave until veggies are thoroughly steamed and drain water.
Saute onion and pepper in olive oil until tender.  Set aside. (I actually did all of the onion and pepper together, for the pasta & the salad, then split it up.
Serve all warm veggies over lettuce - IMO warm veggies are best on a spinach/arugula salad.
For the dressing I mixed some of the truffle oil with white wine vinegar, salt & pepper.

We ate this with bread of course.

TUESDAY - Pho

We both woke up at 3 a.m. feeling crappy, blerg.  By 7 a.m. I knew I was going to make spicy soup for dinner.
Enter Pho.

Via Gimme Some Oven

I pinned this recipe awhile ago.  A lot of the pho recipes I was seeing seemed difficult, but this was one I could handle.  I stopped at the store on the way home and bought cilantro, limes, ginger, jalapeno and bean sprouts. Everything else I had.

I also cut the recipe in half.  Instead of using raw steak, I cut up some left-over tri-tip and threw it in the soup bowl right before we serve it.  I also used some skinny egg noodles instead of pho rice noodles.  I threw my noodles in the broth for a few minutes before serving.

End result, this was ready within an hour and was really good.  We felt better the next day!  Except that I had left-overs for lunch and left them on my counter.  FAIL.

WEDNESDAY - 36 Handles

We ran out to do some last minute Christmas shopping and stopped for a beer and grub at 36 Handles.  The bartender Gabe knows his business.  Go say hi.

THURSDAY - Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Crock-pot chicken tacos!  I would love to share the whole thing but it's so dang easy and good I'm going to feature it soon.  Taco Thursday is a staple in our house.

FRIDAY - Akebono

Another night out!  This is really not normal, but its the holiday season and busy gets ahead of cooking.  We had Winter Spiral at Levi's school.

We made a mad dash to pick up The Munchkin and we all ate sushi at Akebono.  We had been here before for noodles but let me just say their sushi is legit.  It was very good and fresh.  It makes me happy that Levi likes sushi!

That is all.  Now that Christmas is over and we are well, cooking has started back up in our house again.  The next Dinner this week should contain more recipes!  P.S.  Last night we had The Pioneer Woman's Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon dressing, it was tasty!

Happy Almost New Year!
TCW