Chicken Parmesean Burgers- May 27, 2010

I made these before a couple of months ago. Once again- delicious!
http://foodiesdinner.blogspot.com/2010/03/chicken-parmesean-burgers-march-26-2010.html

Roche Bros. Kebabs- May 20, 2010

I didn't feel much like preparing anything tonight so I purchased some meat & veggie kebabs at Roche Bros. One was chicken and one was beef but they were both marinated in their bourbon marinade, which is always yummy. We grilled them and served them with a simple rice pilaf.

Cheesburgers- May 16, 2010

We always love a good cheeseburger! I'm not sure I've mentioned my favorite type of fries on the blog yet. They're the Alexi brand sea salt fries. All of their products are delicious and all natural, but these are my favorite.

Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes & Olives- May 13, 2010

This was one of those "what's in the fridge/pantry" meals. I sauteed the spinach, olives & tomatoes, tossed it with the pasta and a little pasta water and topped it with Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Easy and delicious.

Lettuce Wraps with Soy-Ginger Chicken- May 12, 2010

I got this recipe again from the Whole Foods site (actually their app). I modified it a bit as I just used a chicken breast and sauteed it. I also added rice. It was light and tasty, but the lettuce leaves were a little small to actually manage making a wrap out of. I might try this again and get the lettuce leaves from the farm so I can just pick the big ones! My husband also made a peanut sauce to go on the wraps which really added some flavor.

Portuguese Kale Soup- May 6, 2010

This is one of my favorite standby's. It is quick, easy, and in this part of the country chorizo and linguica are readily available (so much so I think our local convenience store stocks them...). The farm had kale, so we picked some for the soup. I don't really follow a recipe anymore, but any basic one will do... Joy of Cooking, etc.

Sloppy Joe's- May 4, 2010

This is my grandmother's recipe. I have the original she typed on her typewriter. Its classic 50's if not earlier. These are the only sloppy joe's I like- they key ingredients- sugar, grated onion, and cornflakes.
Here's the recipe:
1 lb. hamburger (ground round)
1 onion (grated)
1 egg
Beat egg, add meat and fry.
Sauce:
1 c. ketchup
1 c. water
1 TBSP vinegar
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp. mustard
salt & pepper
1 c. Cornflakes

Mix ketchup, water, vinegar, sugar & mustard in small saucepan. Simmer 10 min. Add Cornflakes. Add sauce to hamburger & simmer 10 min.
Serve in hamburger rolls.

Sicilian Fisherman's Stew- May 3, 2010

We still had fish left over even after giving some away (a fish that size will easily feed 8+ people) so I tried a tomato-based stew. This was yummy and so quick and easy. I followed the reviews on Epicurious and was not disappointed. I will make this again for sure.

Chicken & Rice Burritos with Boracho Beans- May 2, 2010

I had so much of that rice salad left over we used it for some grilled chicken and rice burritos tonight. My husband made a fajita-type rub for the chicken, grilled it, and filled the burritos with the leftover rice salad, chicken and black beans. He served some boracho beans (Spanish for "drunken beans" as they're basically just red beans cooked in beer) on the side.

Eggplant, Red Pepper, and Fontina Panini with Spinach Salad- April 9, 2010

This is an http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-Red-Pepper-and-Fontina-Panini-with-Spinach-Salad-354309 that was easy and quick. I don't have a panini press but used a cast iron pan to press the sandwiches down on the grill. I love fontina cheese because its mild enough to not drown out the rest of the ingredients, but it still has its own distinct flavor.

Chili- March 31, 2010

I often use the Bush's Chili Starter on busy nights. You add ground beef, chopped onion and diced tomatoes, and in about 15 minutes you have dinner. I serve it with corn bread (Jiffy Mix, of course) or tortilla chips. My husband usually spices his up a bit but their spicy one is fine for me.

Pepper, Onion & Salami Calzone- March 30, 2010

Mmmm... I love calzones. I usually use store-bought pizza dough, as you need more than my recipe makes and it makes it very easy. Just remember to take it out of the refrigerator several hours before you roll it. I sauteed the onions and peppers and added thinly sliced peppered salami. My husband says the key to a good calzone is lots of cheese and we used a lot of shredded mozzarella. I served it with store-bought pasta sauce. Yummy and easy!

Burgers and Fries- March 18, 2010

There's nothing like a good burger, especially on a busy night. I usually make them myself but I bought some premade at Whole Foods this time. I prefer the 85%lean meat as opposed to the 90% for burgers. I find the extra fat adds more flavor. We like our burgers no-fuss- just some salt & pepper and American cheese and medium-rare to medium. I used some delicious brioche rolls, although they were really big. I usually buy the sea salt Alexia french fries as well.

Chicken Soup with Rice- March 17, 2010

I'm not much a fan of Irish food, or the American version- corned beef and cabbage. I do love scones though. Anyway, tonight I found a great new chicken soup recipe that was quick, easy and VERY good. I think I've mentioned I'm a huge fan of buying a rotisserie chicken for soup. This recipe actually tells you to do just that. You use chicken broth, but add extra flavor by making kind of a quick stock. Very yummy. And if you buy an organic rotisserie chicken, organic broth & organic veggies you can have an entirely organic soup.
Oh and see, now I just went on Epicurious and found that a great-looking recipe for beef and Guinness pie is featured. Well, maybe I'll have to revive St. Patrick's Day. Stay tuned.

Vindaloo Chicken Curry with Green Beans- March 13, 2010

With not much time to cook one of my favorites is Maya Kaimal curry that is sold at our local Roche Bros. in the refrigerated section (its usually with the hummus and fresh pasta). My husband likes his curry on the spicier side so I usually get the Vindaloo, but they're all good. You saute some chicken (I've also used lamb, beef, shrimp), add the sauce and simmer it for a minimum of 15 minutes (longer and your flavors will meld a bit more). I added green beans near the end. Sometimes I do cauliflower too. I serve it over white or brown rice and of course don't forget the Naan- also something you can now readily find at most grocery stores in the bakery area.

Burrata Cheese BLT's- March 11, 2010

Every once in a while our local Roche Bros. has a special treat in the cheese section. Yesterday it was burrata cheese, which I've always wanted to try. It is a very soft cheese a lot like fresh mozzarella, but really just about spreadable and the flavor is a bit different. I found a recipe on Epicurious for a burrata cheese "blt" of sorts that I modified a bit. I only wish I'd had some good summer tomatoes, but those are a ways off still. The cheese, and the entire sandwich, really, was fantastic.

Pasta & Meatballs- February 24, 2010

Tonight was a freezer/pantry night. I had a good quality pasta sauce I've been wanting to try, so we had that with some meatballs that I made with pancetta, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper.

White Chile- February 23, 2010

This is one of my standard recipes, so to speak. Its easy and I make it often. I use the Betty Crocker recipe basically, and I usually buy a rotisserie chicken to make with it.

Horne's Mixed Green Salad Du Jour- February 21, 2010

We often make "meal" salads. Basically, we use a meat (usually chicken or some cut of beef- tenderloin, flank) some mixed greens (spring, baby, mache), grilled veggies (peppers, squash, onion), cheese (goat, blue, Parmesan), nuts (walnuts, pepitas, almonds) and of course some grilled ciabatta bread brushed with goat butter. We always make our own dressing- some sort of vinaigrette.
Tonight we did grilled chicken with a light rub, grilled poblano pepper, grilled onions, a little blue cheese & walnuts. My husband made a blood orange vinaigrette, and we had a pinot noir. Yummy!

Pea & Bacon Risotto- February 15, 2010

This is a yummy, quick recipe I've made before:
Pea & Bacon Risotto
My husband made it this time and added some wine in there as well.
We drank a 2007 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Chardonnay
I use Epicurious frequently for recipes. I love the app on my IPhone!