April 18 - 22

The Big Scallops Confession:

Scallops seem to show up quite a bit in the plans. They're yummy, they're quick, it doesn't take much planning to thaw them out... so I usually plan to have them on a night when I know things will be rushed. I feel the need to confess that I've planned to use the same bag of scallops about five times, and haven't yet. Last week we planned them with salad. But by Wednesday, we were out of anything green and leafy that could be used to make salad. So we went out.

But someday, someday, I will use those scallops. Promise.

So here's the plan for this week (but if we run out of green leafy things earlier than we thought, all bets are off!):

Sunday

Pan-Seared Shrimp and Arugula Risotto: This will be my first try at making risotto. I'm excited but a little nervous. It seems like a high-maintenance food -- all that stirring. Hence, we're giving it a go on a Sunday, when we'll have a bit more time.

Monday

Pork tacos: simmer a pork steak in spicy taco-ish spices and some water, maybe add some sauteed onions, peppers and garlic, then put in a tortilla and top with all the usual taco suspects: diced tomato, lettuce, salsa, avocado, etc.

Tuesday

Omelet with spinach, onion, red bell pepper, mushroom, and canned salmon. Yummy bread and salad to go with.

Wednesday

Gnocci with spicy Italian turkey sausage and tomato sauce

Salad (if we have any left!)

Thursday

Lo mein-ish noodles with venison steak, broccoli, onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, etc.

Saute all the veggies, cut the venison into thin strips and add that to the saute. Add some cooked noodles (I have some rice noodles I'll probably use), and my favorite chile paste with garlic to make everything spicy and wonderful. Soy sauce and maybe a little rice vinegar. Stir it all in, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings. This makes lovely leftovers, so lunch on Friday will be a happy thing.

April 11 - 15

So, we cleaned out the freezer yesterday. I had some idea of how much meat-type stuff we had, since we've been trying to keep an inventory on a sticky note on the fridge. But I was a little bit amazed by all the veggies and fruit that I've just sort of forgotten about... the stuff that I blanched and froze last summer and fall. Some of it totally surprised me, and I had only the vaguest sense of ever having seen it before -- like pumpkin puree. I did this? What did I do with it? And why, why, why, do I have SO many lentils in the freezer?

So last night we had a side dish of lentils with our barbecued salmon and asparagus. I think there will be lots of sides of lentils in the near future...

I also made pumpkin muffins with the pumpkin puree. Haven't tasted them yet -- I'll try one at breakfast tomorrow.

So, here's our menu for the week. We're also looking to use a bunch of dried red beans that I had in the freezer...

Sunday

We're playing with the rotisserie again. This time, we'll try it with one of the venison roasts.

Also, roasted sweet potato.

And some red bean and corn salad:

1 lb dried beans, soaked and cooked

chopped red onion

chopped red bell pepper

chopped garlic

corn

parsley

cilantro

cumin

cayenne

salt and pepper

olive oil

lime juice

This salad gets better the longer it sits. So we'll have it again tomorrow (and until it's gone!).

Monday

Venison tacos (with the leftovers from our rotisserie roast)

Bean and corn salad

Tuesday

Lobster ravioli (found some at Trader Joe's and I was hungry, so now we own it) with a sauce with, probably, mushrooms, spinach, pesto, parmesan cheese

Salad

Sauteed green beans (from our garden last summer... they've been waiting patiently in the freezer)

Wednesday

Sauteed scallops over salad

Thursday

Hamburgers with sauteed peppers, mushrooms and onions

Sweet potato fries

Salad

And of course, lentils may or may not make an appearance at any point this week. I like them best with some onions and pepper, and a bit of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Yay, lentils!

Oh Eek, It's April 9!

As I mentioned to my mother-in-law a few weeks ago, when I'm not posting on here, it's not because I didn't have time to post -- it's because I haven't gotten around to planning what we'll eat. So you can do the math... 3-ish weeks of flying by the seat of our pants, dinner-wise. But I'm back and I'm ready. Haven't planned next week yet, but I thought I should just check in and make sure I still remembered how to log on. And share what we had for dinner last night!

Thursday

Corn and Crab Chowder

This is kind of a make-it-up-as-you-go soup. Here's what I did:

In a big green enameled stockpot, saute:

1 chopped onion

2 chopped celery stalks

1 chopped carrot

3 chopped cloves of garlic

a bit of salt, pepper, thyme and cayenne

When they're cooking nicely, add:

1 can chopped tomatoes, let it simmer

2 cups or so of chicken stock, bring to a boil.

Then add 3 potatoes, diced large, skins left on.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until potatoes are done.

Add more stock if you need to. Check the seasoning and adjust.

Add 2 cups frozen corn kernels and heat through.

Add about 2 cups of milk, then one can of lump crab meat.

Stir and heat, then eat.

March 14 - 18

Happy Daylight Savings Time! Is it starting or ending? I have no idea. I know I'll just be messed up, time-wise, for the next week or so. Just another layer of confusion for my already addled brain...

But it also means spring is coming, right? The snow's mostly gone, I had the sunroof open last week (but now it's raining), and I've decided that if it snows again I'll tailspin into a deep weather-related depression. So, please, spring... stay.

And so we'll grill. Phil got a rotisserie attachment for the grill (not a Ronco countertop rotisserie from those grand infomercials) for his birthday, and we're taking it on the maiden voyage tonight. I'm very excited.

Sunday

Rotisserie Huli Huli Chicken

Roasted sweet potatoes

Roasted veggies

Monday

Huevos Rancheros: Pinto beans cooked with spices, salsa, maybe a little chorizo or leftover chicken and spread on tortillas. Bake the bean-covered tortillas in the oven for about 1o minutes, adding a little cheese so it melts. Fry an egg. Take the tortillas out, add cold toppings (avocado, shredded cabbage or lettuce, tomato, salsa) then top with the egg. Glorious.

Tuesday & Wednesday

Another nutty mid-week. We'll do grilled cheese sandwiches. Maybe tomato soup.

Thursday

Salmon cakes over salad: Not sure yet, but I think I'll just use some canned salmon, mix it with some tiny-chopped sauteed onion & celery, a little bit of bread crumb, a little bit of egg, shape into a little cake, cook in a pan, serve over salad. Maybe the salad will have roasted red pepper. Maybe pine nuts. Maybe not.

Have a lovely week!

March 7 - 11

It's a beautiful sunny day. Just wanted to point that out.

Sunday

Trying another thing I've never cooked before... short ribs. Got some from the CSA a while back, and found this recipe yesterday. Sounds fabulous, so I have high hopes. I'm not too sure about the egg noodle part, though. I'm guessing I'd be just as happy without them, but we'll see how I feel tonight.

Cabernet-braised Beef Short Ribs

salad

broccoli

Monday

Venison burgers

Sweet potato fries

Sauteed veggies

Tuesday & Wednesday

Busy mid-week... probably grilled cheese, leftovers, or salad with random stuff

Thursday

Fish tacos!

Season some cod with taco-ish spices, pan sear. Break it into chunks.

Put in tortillas, top with salsa, shredded cabbage, avocado, onion, tomato, black beans, etc.

Have a lovely week!

February 28 - March 4

It's almost March! It's almost March! I'm so ready... I ran outside this afternoon, and was reminded how much thinking I'm able to do when I run outside instead of on the treadmill with DVDs of Dexter blaring on the TV. I planned this week's menu during the run!

Sunday

Grilled salmon on salad. I'm thinking sliced apples, toasted pine nuts, red pepper, and anything else yummy laying around the veggie drawers. Balsamic dressing, of course... I'm still loving my vinegar-Christmas gift!

Monday

Slow-cooker day: We'll do one of the little venison roasts in the slow cooker: Brown the roast, put in the cooker, add some water, a giant quartered onion, some carrots, mushrooms, salt and pepper, maybe a few potatoes. We'll serve it with something green and simple... maybe peas!

Tuesday

Ravioli with portobello mushrooms, spinach, and roasted red pepper: Cook the ravioli. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in a pan, add some sliced peppers (I'm still using the ones I canned last fall). Maybe some garlic. When the ravioli's cooked, put it in the pan with the veggies, then add some spinach. Stir around for a minute, season, serve with parmesan cheese.

Wednesday

Basic veggie soup:

Saute an onion and some garlic. Add some chopped carrot and celery. Add some canned tomato, some water or stock, bring to a simmer. Add other veggies (I'm raiding the freezer for this soup, so anything I froze last summer or fall is fair game: corn, peas, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash). Add some beans -- garbanzo or cannellini -- and heat. Season as needed.

Thursday

Vegetable fried rice:

I must be in a veggie mood this week!

Saute an onion, sliced top to bottom, some mushrooms, red pepper, bok choy, broccoli. Add cold, pre-cooked brown rice. Add some soy sauce and chili paste with garlic, then stir it all up. Make a space in the middle of the pan, scramble two eggs in the space. When they're cooked, mix them in with the rest of the stuff. Chop some scallions and sprinkle on top.

Have a lovely week! Happy March!

February 14 - 18

Happy Valentine's Day! We had our big Valentine's dinner on Saturday... Holly Hotel. Yummmmm. Sunday we hung around the house, went for an unreasonably long snowshoe through the woods, and so then needed some comfort food to revive us.

Sunday

And so we made spaghetti. With meatballs, even... tiny little ones!

And salad with sunflower seeds and balsamic vinegar. I'm a little bit in love with sunflower seeds right now.

Monday

Venison chops -- just a very quick sear in a pan, maybe a bit of wine and garlic.

Asparagus

Salad

Tuesday

Manhattan clam chowder, from The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley:

Saute in a bit of olive oil: 1 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves chopped garlic

Add 1/2 c chopped celery, 1tsp dried thyme, stir for a few minutes.

Sprinkle 1/4 c flour. Pour 3 c water in slowly. Whisk to break up flour.

Add 1 1/2 c chopped potatoes, bring to a boil. Cook for 10 min. at med. high heat, then turn down.

Add 2 c chopped tomatoes. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

Now for the clams: if you have fresh (which, alas, I did not find on my trip to the store... but I didn't try too hard), scrub them, put them in a big pot with 1 1/2 c white wine and steam them for about 10 minutes. Discard any that didn't open. Remove the rest from their shells. Put 'em in the soup.

If you have canned, just drain them and add them to the soup. Either way, put the wine mixture (or just some wine, if you didn't steam them) in the soup, along with 1 tsp Worcestershire and 1/8 tsp Tabasco, a little bit of ground pepper.

I think we'll need some lovely whole-grain baguette to go with this.

Wednesday

I'm guessing more soup.

Thursday

Brothy Noodles

Have a beautiful week. Soon it will be spring!