Sunday, 8/30/20

 Ricotta gnocchi (with leftover tomato sauce from pizza sliders) plus sauteed Swiss chard. No recipe; just added flour until the dough was workable (plus a couple of eggs and some parmesan). I would have liked to saute some of them with brown butter and sage, but in the end I was too lazy. Still pretty nice just boiled.

Saturday, 8/29/20

 A reprise of Smitten Kitchen provolone sandwiches. Perfect vehicle for beautiful, juicy tomatoes. Also had some good corn, and a brown sugar cake (from The Craft of Baking; an oldie but goodie). No fried mozzarella for my birthday! I'll have to make it another night.

Friday, 8/28/20

 Corrina and had poke last week and I wanted to recreate the experience. So I made sushi rice and (once again using about 800 little bowls) lots of toppings: tuna, mango, avocado, cucumbers, furikake...

I was surprised at how good it was! Carter liked it, although he wondered it it could be made into regular sushi bowls. Sure kid, if you want to be the one rolling them up....

Thursday, 8/27/20

 A Jason favorite: Pizza Sliders. He sauteed salami and spinach to go in them; they are tasty enough, what with all the garlic butter, but I wish they weren't so soggy.

I pretended that the puny amount of spinach was a vegetable.

Wednesday, 8/26/20

 There were a LOT of leftovers accumulating, so we just each had various things.Made quite a dent.

Tuesday, 8/25/20

 Made a variation of Ottolenghi's tofu with black pepper sauce: I added eggplant (great idea), and of course didn't use quite as much butter. The dark soy sauce makes this a really ugly dish, but it is delicious. Served over rice.

Monday, 8/24/20

 For some reason, Jason forwarded me a recipe for Instant Pot beef stroganoff last week. This seemed like an odd choice from him, but what the heck. I bit the bullet on two pounds of chuck and got to work. My main take-away is that if I was hoping that this would be quick: ha! The mushrooms were cooked separately, as were the noodles, and the suggestion to sear the beef in batches in the IP was folly, as they just steamed down there. So I had to pull out another pan to sear the meat. By this time, the kitchen was getting pretty hot and messy. Plus the actual cooking took over a half hour. The good news? Carter really liked it. It was pretty good, but honestly not much better than the cheapo version my Mom used to make with ground beef. I was too lazy to make anything interesting, vegetable-wise, so I just threw in some frozen peas. Jason wondered if it could have been made with tofu, since (as I knew) he doesn't actually like steak. Doofus.

Sunday, 8/23/20

 I have been sad about not being able to go out for Indian food, especially missing the weekend buffets. So I decided (inspired by an article in the Times) to make my own chaat station. Most of the stuff I had already on hand: cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, chaat masala, cilantro, chick peas, hot peppers and peanuts. Went to the Indian market to source a couple of things (the crunchy crackers for the base), and made the two most common chutneys, tamarind-date and cilantro. I think every bowl in the house got used. I also made some grilled chicken in case the boys needed more food.

If I can't go to Priya, Priya can come to me!

Anyway, it was surprisingly close to what you get at a restaurant! I was pretty pleased. Jason usually ignores that part of a buffet, but admitted that it was tasty. Carter was not a fan, reacting mostly, I think, to the tartness of the tamarind chutney. Luckily, he liked the chicken, so he didn't starve. Plus, with a little advance prep (making the chutneys, which you could easily buy instead, cooking the potatoes, and some chopping), this is a dinner that comes together very quickly and doesn't heat up the kitchen.

For dessert I made a batch of rice pudding in the Instant Pot (A Melissa Clark recipe) which was supposed to cool for 4 hours, but we gave it maybe....5 minutes? Delicious and creamy.

Saturday, 8/22/20

 Turkey-zucchini meatballs, from the NYT (made exactly as written, except they called for ground chicken), a kind of pesto potato salad of my own invention that was only fine, and corn. Jason made us buy corn at Big Y since it was so cheap. It was only OK, as I suspected. Why buy your corn at the supermarket in August in rural Massachusetts?? Anyway, the meatballs were very good (neither boy noticed the zucchini. Hah!), especially with the herby feta mixture that your serve them with. As a matter of fact, feta with fresh herbs, lemon and olive oil should be served with every meal.

Friday, 8/21/20

 Stovetop macaroni and cheese, from Serious Eats. This had the advantage of being very quick to put together, and Carter likes it (I toast some breadcrumbs for him to go with it), but sometimes I miss the more complex flavor of traditional baked. Plus a salad and Giant Sugar Cookies from Martha Stewart. I used to really love that recipe, but it hasn't turned out that well for me the last couple of times. Not sure if I am doing something different, or if I am pickier? Anyway, they were certainly sweet, especially with some frosting and sprinkles.

Thursday, 8/20/21

 Jason got wind of a recipe for "Jerusalem bagels" that he wanted to try. I'm not sure what their defining characteristics are, other than their larger size and the fact that you don't boil them. Anyhow, they were pleasant enough, and nicely coated with sesame seeds (I think it's funny that the recipe came from David Lebovitz). I made a batch of hummus to go with it, plus we had tomatoes and cucumbers.

Wednesday, 8/19/20

 I vaguely wanted to make a tomato tart like one we had at Jen and John's last week, and we had plenty of tomatoes and some frozen puff pastry, so why not? I think I am the only one who really liked it. It's true, the middle does come out a bit soggy; maybe there is some way to drain the tomatoes a bit. Carter helpfully suggested that I use less fancy tomatoes. Thanks, kid.  Anyway, I mostly used a Bon Appetit recipe, but added some pesto and a tiny bit of fresh mozzarella. The tomatoes were drippy, so but flavorful. 

I made a salad with  tuna, chick peas and hard boiled eggs to go with it, just dressed with lemon and olive oil. No complaints, but no one was going crazy for it, either.

Tuesday, 8/18/20

 Lentils in the Instant Pot (no recipe; just the usual flavors plus a whole bag of spinach), rice, roasted cauliflower.  I was concerned that I overcooked the lentils, but I just added a bit more water and it was like a nice puree. The only problem is perhaps that I made a giant batch. 

In the morning I also made a quiche for Carter, using up the farm share chard, a lonely container of mushrooms, and some sharp cheddar. I was delighted that he loved it. So unpredictable, that child (the basic recipe came from Sally's Baking Addiction, though I won't use her crust recipe again. Too lean and not flaky enough).

Monday, 8/17/20

 Dinner with Jason's parents: they bought pizza (from Athena's and actually not bad); we brought the rest of the brownies.

Sunday, 8/16/20

  Jen and John's for dinner: Jen made a tomato tart (from Bon Appetit; I may make it myself with the actual puff pastry crust), plus we had a Blue Apron with chicken, kale, mashed potatoes and a nectarine chutney (pretty good!). I made brownies from Sally's Baking Addiction that were pretty close to my platonic ideal: chewy and fudgy, but not too gooey. Would maybe omit the optional addition of chocolate chips next time. Jason brought a bread which was of course excellent.

Saturday, 8/15/20

OK, it was a weird dinner, but it worked!  I didn't know what to do with tofu (I was tired of the usual preparations), so I tossed pieces in cornstarch and oven roasted them until they were on the crunchy side, then tossed them in buffalo sauce. That was one thing. Then, inspired by a recipe on Food 52, I made a version of a Korean snack called Tteokbokki, which had Korean rice cakes and mozzarella cheese, cooked in a nonstick skillet until golden and toasty. Plus some corn off the cob. The tofu was pretty good, although I think I would leave the pieces a little bigger next time (Carter liked it but pointed out that it would be better with chicken. Hah). The rice cakes are pleasantly chewy and fun to eat (as is anything with melted cheese, in my opinion). The recipe called for topping the whole concoction with sweetened condensed milk, but I wasn't about to open a can just for that. We drizzled a little honey on instead, and that worked well. I would definitely make it again!

Friday, 8/14/20

 So I got home from work, sat and ate some chips and had a glass of wine, and then realized (to my shock) that I didn't feel like making dinner! This almost never happens. So I heated up some Aldi mini samosas, sliced up the last of the Jason bread and sliced some cheese and tomatoes. Good enough.

Thursday, 8/13/20

 Grilled cheese, bread compliments of Jason. Mine had tomatoes, Jason's had bacon (Carter had neither). We had a salad along with our sandwiches, but it was only meh.

Wednesday, 8/12/20

 Potstickers, in non-dumpling form. So that just means ground pork sauteed with cabbage, peppers, scallions, mushrooms etc served over rice. Jason is still panicking about a hot kitchen, so I did the whole shebang on the grill. It works OK, but the wok doesn't seem to get quite as hot. Oh well, it is kind of fun to stand out of the porch, making dinner. Tasty, but could have doubled the cabbage.

The red cabbage and yellow peppers were very striking

Tuesday, 8/11/20

 A Carter request: Swedish pancakes (plus bacon and watermelon). I don't remember where I got the recipe from last time, but I just sort of looked at a bunch and went with the most common proportions. I don't know what the goddamn problem was, but they would NOT stop sticking to the pan! I was very, very testy.  Anyway, enough turned out presentably to make the child happy.

Monday, 8/10/20

 At Jason's request, I made a batch of falafel. Started last week with soaking the chick peas, then on Saturday making the mix (mostly from the NYT, but with a lot more herbs). Even though I felt a little silly standing out on the porch deep-frying (too hot to cook inside!) I was pleased to see that they held their shape well. 

Jason had made pita earlier in the day (on the grill, which he now likes enough to continue doing even when it isn't one million degrees out), and I made some tahini sauce; I also served them with feta, tomatoes, cucumber pickles and sambal oelek. Then I convinced Jason to take me to the store to buy ice cream, since he won't let me bake anything until it cools off.

Sunday, 8/9/20

 I made us some eggplant grinders, to use up some leftover eggplant parm from the freezer. Of course Jason liked them, but Carter and I remembered quickly enough that it had been a particularly bitter batch of eggplant. At least it was an easy dinner, with no leftovers. Plus watermelon.

Saturday, 8/8/20

 Puttered around in the kitchen for much of the day. I made a version of Smitten's "Smashed Potatoes with Sweet Corn Relish" : https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/06/smashed-potatoes-with-sweet-corn-relish/

I had some beautiful little fingerling potatoes from the farm, so I just boiled them (no smashing needed), I didn't bother to blanche the corn (fresh sweet corn is so good it doesn't need it) and I served everything with grilled chicken. I was going to skip the green pea puree, but I am glad I didn't. For such a simple sauce (peas, lemon juice, salt) it really adds a lovely flavor. Dessert was a butterscotch cream pie from Food & Wine, in a graham cracker crust (no baking!). Carter found it too sweet, but the cookie butter whipped cream (can you believe that's a thing?) may have put it over the top. Sometimes, in my quest for the best butterscotch pudding, I wonder if what I am really craving is the mix?

A really nice, flavorful summertime dinner. 

Friday, 8/7/20

 Dinner with the family at Wildwood BBQ. Considering that it is right on a busy section of route 9, the outdoor seating was surprisingly pleasant. The food was fine (although the portions were not exactly huge); in a Jack Spratt and his wife moment, it turned out that what I considered disgusting slabs of fat on the brisket Jason considered a tasty treat. So that worked out. Carter was in a cranky mood and complained on the way home that his pulled pork sandwich was dry. When asked if he had put any of the BBQ sauce on, he had not and felt that he should not have had to? Anyway.

Thursday, 8/6/20

 I had a lot of leftover rice noodles, so I made a little stirfry with some neglected chard, a small zucchini, half an onion...basically whatever was languishing in the crisper. If you cut the zucchini fairly small and add it to a dish, Carter either doesn't notice or doesn't care. Still, it was only meh. Rice noodles are pretty delicate and they broke up in an unappealing way. I also try grilling marinated tofu. Jason and I liked it well enough, but they were a little too brown for the boy. An acceptable dinner. 

Dessert was better: Brown Sugar Cookie Butter Streusel Bars. Very sweet and rich. 10/10.  I,  of course, took the suggestion to brown the butter.

  https://www.averiecooks.com/cookie-butter-brown-sugar-streusel-bars/

Wednesday, 8/5/20

 "Vietnamese" meatballs, from Serious Eats. My changes: didn't have lemongrass, so I used lime zest, doubled the recipe, and used a mixture of ground beef and pork. This was the second time I have made these, and they were as good as I remembered. You give them a second quick fry after tossing them in big sugar; Carter appreciated the slightly sweet crunchiness. The recipe had you eating them rolled in lettuce, but I opted to make a cold rice noodle salad instead, with daikon, carrots, cucumbers and peanuts. I made a nice dressing with fish sauce, brown sugar and chilis, but I can't remember where I found the recipe so I won't be able to do that precise one again.

Tuesday, 8/4/20

Jason made us a few pizzas; new toppings included arugula on top of the goat cheese/onion (good; could have used even more as it wilted quite a bit),  pesto, and one with grilled eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives. Much to Jason's chagrin, Carter and I really like the tomato-fresh mozzarella variety the best. I wish I could convince him to make two of those, but I don't like to curtail his explorations of new toppings.

Monday, 8/3/20

A lot of grilling. Chicken breasts (marinated in spicy fish sauce sauce), potatoes in foil with onions, rosemary and olive oil, plus zucchini, onions, cherry tomatoes and eggplant.  Maybe it didn't heat up the house, but I was a sweaty mess. Tasty enough, and produced useful leftovers for the week.

Sunday, 8/2/20

I don't usually go in for sheet pan dinner, but one from the NYT caught my eye. Broccolini (I used broccoli), cherry tomatoes, red onions and feta, roasted with olive oil for about 25 minutes. This is a recipe that can with stand a lot of fiddling: I used za'atar, didn't go with whole lemon slices (I added zest and then lemon juice at the end) and served it with plain rice (although I would like to try thier suggestion of Israeli couscous or orzo. Farro would also be delicious). We also had corn off the cob. The race is on to eat enough corn before summer ends.

Anyway, it smelled wonderful, but when Carter looked at it, his response was "yuck". Brat. He was wrong, it was so delicious and easy, The feta is soft and salty right out of the oven, and gets enjoyably chewy as it cools, and the cherry tomatoes add a fun sweetness. He asked to go for a bike ride, and while he was gone I took pity on him and made a couple of hot dogs and plain broccoli. An all around win: boy was grateful and I got to eat his share as lunch the next day.

Saturday, 8/1/20

Since tomato season is finally really upon us, we had a very simple dinner from Smitten Kitchen: fried provolone sandwiches. Jason made us a nice loaf of bread, and the rest couldn't be easier: melt slices of provolone in a nonstick pan until they are nice and toasty and oozy, slide them onto bread, top with thick slices of tomato. Salt and pepper. We opted to go with open face. Messy and delicious. 

We didn't have anything else, though I made a batch of no-bake peanut butter bars from NYT. Super easy and Carter approved. As soon as we replenish our peanut butter stock I'll make some more, since they don't heat up the kitchen and they are a nice source of protein and calories for my skinny teenager.

Friday, 7/31/20

Another dinner with Carter appeal: spaghetti with meat sauce, plus a tomato-mozzarella  salad (Jason and I also had some arugula). Made the sauce in the Instant Pot (16 minutes high pressure, 5 minutes natural release), so as not to heat up the house too much. I also used ground Italian sausage in place of beef, with gave the sauce a nice flavor.