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

Tasty Recipes from Around the Web

Hi Friends!

I'm starting to feel like we are getting settled in our new place.  There has been a lot of cooking happening, but the time change is screwing with my photography.  Blerg.

Anyway, did you know that I have a Pinterest Board strictly dedicated to "completed" pins?  This is where I actually comment on my experience with the recipe/project.  Today I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes that we've tried lately.....

First Up: Weeknight Pan Roasted Chicken from A Girl And Her Fork

Via

I just discovered Ally's blog and I love the fact that she is local (Sactown!).  I made this on a weeknight, just like the recipe says and it was SO tasty.  Nick kept saying it was "on time" and in my head I was envisioning "on thyme" since there is tasty thyme in this recipe.  I'm a word nerd, I know.

The Scoop - A savory dish with lots of flavor, file under comfort food.  Easy enough to make after work.  I made a side of roasted red potatoes with rosemary.
The Verdict - On Thyme!  But seriously, a really tasty dish that I will make again.  Would also be good for a small dinner party.  Presents well in the skillet.
The Fix - There is no fix for this recipe.  It's just plain good as it is.
Mentionables - Along with being tasty another thing I liked about this recipe is that it uses boneless skinless chicken thighs.  I used to be afraid of chicken thighs but I've been using them more often lately.  They are inexpensive (even organic) and have a lot of flavor.

Next Up: Creamy Polenta with Chicken Sausages by Bev Cooks

Via

Bev is funny and she makes good stuff.  Being an Italian girl and lover of polenta this dish caught my eye.  It was another goodie made after work (I like those meals!) and was super tasty.  I made it just before Spring so now that we are back in the Fallzone (is that a thing?) this is sure to be served in our house again soon.

The Scoop - Comfort food for sure.  Super tasty and creamy and easily made with stuff you probably always have in your cupboard and fridge.
The Verdict - I certainly plan on making this again!  It could also be a nice side dish for a large party.
The Fix - There is no real fix.  When I made it I happened to have some left over half and half so I used a cup of that and a cup of milk (original recipe calls for 2 cups of milk).  The half and half probably made it a bit creamier, but also made it that much more caloric.  I only used it so not to waste it.  I also used all red and orange or yellow peppers, I typically don't buy green.  And if memory serves I used parsley in place of cilantro.
Mentionables - As I said, you probably have all of the ingredients for this in your fridge.  This is a great recipe because it can be changed up here and there and still tastes great.

And Third one is the Charm:  Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes by Annie's Eats

Via

We are forever on a Quest for the Perfect Pancake.  These are certainly near perfect.  I first made them a long time ago and then made them again just last weekend because I had leftover pumpkin puree.  The flavor is delicious and the consistency of the pancakes is nice - not too dense.

The Scoop - A near perfect Fall pancake liked by kids and adults.
The Verdict - Well, I've made them twice so I'm sure I'll make them again!
The Fix - No fixing here.  I left out the ground ginger and ground cloves because for whatever reason I didn't have those spices in my cupboard (fail).  That said, I think adding them would a but of punch to the cake which would be tasty.  I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.  Coconut oil is my go to oil for breakfast and dessert recipes that call for oil of any kind.
Mentionables - We had some left over so I brought them to work Monday and popped them in the toaster and filled the office with yummy pumpkiny aroma.  I spread a bit of plain cream cheese on them and it was a nice treat.

Well friends, that is it!  I hope you try some of these recipes too.

TCW