This Week's Meals

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Late summer and a short week ahead! We have just come back from a week long holiday in Vancouver. Since I knew we'd be traveling all day yesterday, I knew I didn't want to worry about grocery shopping today, so I ordered groceries from Fresh Direct before we left. I am rarely so on top of things!

I'd actually forgotten what I'd ordered, but realized I'd saved the links as an email draft. Phew! I'm sure we could have figured out something tasty without recipes, but the above picture looked so delicious I'm glad we didn't miss it. Here's what's on the menu:

• Moroccan Chicken Brochettes (Epicurious)
• Gouda Mac and Cheese 
• Korean Beef Bowl (also here.)

Thursday night we're planning on heading to Connecticut for the long weekend. I'm already looking forward to it!

Summer Meals

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New York is having another heat wave, and I'd rather be playing with my two year old after work than spending too much time cooking. So, here are a few low-key meals I've found online that don't require using the stove or oven for too long.

• Roasted Sweet Potato, Wild Rice and Arugula Salad (Pinch of Yum) I made some soft-boiled eggs to go with this one and will definitely be making the dressing on a regular basis, though used less sugar (I didn't have Agave on hand) and more salt than it called for.
• Black Bean Veggie Tacos (Emma Dime) I ended up sauteeing some chicken breasts and a red pepper with some garlic to throw into these as well. The black beans were a bit bland, so I tossed the leftover oil / chicken juice from the pan in with the beans at the end and I think that helped. Summer corn helps make these amazing. Jack loved building his own. 
• Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles (Smitten Kitchen)

I also stock-piled the peaches and tomatoes at the farmer's market this morning. It's going to be a challenge to get through them all. 

Easy Recipes for Summer Nights

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It seems as though we are in the dog days of summer. NYC is hot and sticky, and I'm lamenting that we don't have outdoor space for a bbq. sigh.

In the meantime, we're throwing together lots of quick, easy meals. Here are some quick and easy recipes we've hunted down for this week's menu:

• Lemon-Soy Edamame Barley Bowl (Camille Styles)
• Baked Salmon w/ brown rice & broccoli (The Marathon Mom)
• Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Vinaigrette (I can't find this recipe online, but it's a favorite from Sara Foster)
• Pasta with Pesto: I've just discovered that Russo's Mozzarella and Pasta sells the most delicious pesto. So, I have just been buying that. If you're in brooklyn, they also have fresh, homemade mozzarella every day. 

Stay cool!

This Week's Dinners

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Time keeps slipping away from me and all I seem to post is weekly meals!

Last week was so much fun, with a trip to Boston and a trip to Toronto, but I have to admit I'm looking forward to a quiet week at home this week.

Since we got home late Sunday afternoon, I arranged for a delivery from Fresh Direct that evening. I'm so glad I did! I arranged for the 7-9 pm delivery, and they showed up around 7:30 with ingredients for the below recipes:

• Fastest Chicken Parm (How to Cook Everything Fast by Mark Bittman)
• Pasta with Spring Greens (Cup of Jo)
• Rice and Beans with Steak and Fresh Tomatillo Salsa (Real Simple)

So easy! 

Easy Weeknight Recipes

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I'm currently on a train to Boston to visit Kaitlin, who I haven't seen in ages! I'm so looking forward to catching up with her. Tomorrow night, I check into a hotel for work, and head back to New York late Wednesday morning.

Thursday night, we head to Toronto for the weekend. It's going to be a whirlwind!

My parents are staying at my apartment to help out both tonight and tomorrow night. I wanted to be sure they had good ingredients and easy recipes to follow, so here's the menu:

• Crock Pot Turkey a Chili (Lemon Stripes) note: this is an enormous recipe. I threw it together last night, and threw half in our slow-cooker and half in a ziplock bag in the freezer. I hope it's good!
• Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon Garlic Green Beans (Real Simple)
• Boursin Pasta with Spring Peas (Cup of Jo) note: we made this last night. It was easy and yummy, but much too watery. I wish I'd been much more conservative with the reserved pasta water than the recipe suggested.

Any great, quick recipes out there? I'd love to hear them!

Weeknight Meals

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Another week is upon us already!

Last week's meals were a success, particularly the steak and couscous salad. I'd highly recommend both recipes. Easy, healthy, and tasty.

This week we are trying a few more new recipes. Here's what we're eating:

• Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala (Real Simple)
• Pasta with Sausage, Mushrooms and Lemon (Cup of Jo)
• Rice, Beans, and Broccoli (How to Cook Everything Fast by Mark Bittman)
• Spiced Lamb Meatball and Swiss Chard Soup (Real Simple) - My parents tried this last week and said it was delicious. 

I may also try a soup if we have time. I was thinking this recipe for Lentil Soup, with or without ham (in one of its variations) would be tasty. Here's another article by Mark Bittman with 7 variations on Lentim Soup that looks like it could have some good options. 

More dinner ideas over here on my Pinterest Boards.

This Week's Meals

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This week's recipes are a mix of standbys and newbies. Here's what's on our menu:

• Roasted Chicken and Carrots with Olives and Lemons (Real Simple): This is a hit in our household. My husband prefers a traditional chicken, but I think it's a nice twist, and our toddler can't get enough of the carrots.
• Potato and Spinach Saag (How to Cook Everything Fast)
• Update on this: this was tasty, but the cream made it really filling. I think next time I make it I might cut the cream in half, or use light cream instead. 
• Weeknight Bolognese (barefoot contessa, how easy is that?): This is a perennial favorite. Tip: cut the salt in half. 
• Chicken Pot Pie

Soup: Fire Roasted Chipotle Tomato Soup with Cilantro Lime Crema & Black Beans (Kale & Caramel)
Note: this soup was delicious, but very spicy! I enjoyed it, but don't think young kids would, unless they have a high tolerance for heat.

This Week's Dinners

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I've had quite a bit of suecess with easy weeknight meals lately, though I wasn't a fan of last week's slow-cooked pork recipe, though that could be because the cut of meat I got was too fatty. I had to toss the leftovers, but am trying again with a different slow-cooker pork recipe this week.

Here's what's on the menu:

• Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts (Real Simple)
• Sweet and Spicy Sausage and Farfalle (The Kittchn)
• Slow-Cooker Pork and Black Beans with Fresh Salsa (Real Simple)

Soup: Chicken and Orzo Winter Soup (Food 52)

Muffins: Basic Buttermilk Muffins  (AllRecipes.com)

I have some buttermilk that needs to be used up. I'm going to use blueberries. 

Tonight we're making pizza for dinner, using Papa Sal's Pizza Dough. We bought pizza sauce, some artichoke hearts, roasted tomatoes, and mozzarella. Plus, whatever's left in the fridge. 

Anyone have a recommendation for quick and easy weeknight meals? I am always on the lookout!

Weeknight Meals: February

I was recently given a copy of How to Cook Everything Fast. I've heard so many people rave about Mark Bittman's recipes, so I was excited to try out a few. 

Here's what's on this week's menu: 

Curry-Braised Beef and Eggplant with Sesame Noodles

Chicken Marsala with Lots of Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta

Spaghetti with Nearly Instant Bolognese with Salad

Stir-Fried Pork with Edamame and Scallions with Rice

Soup: Provencal Tomato Soup with Fennel

This book is enormous. Really. It's well over 1000 pages. 

Last night we tried the Curry-Braised Beef and Eggplant with Sesame Noodles. The consensus was that it was both tasty and fast. 

I made the soup this afternoon. I have to admit, it's not quite as good as I wanted it to be, but it's definitely edible, and just not to my taste.  In 1000+ pages, not every recipe can be a winner. I'm looking forward to Chicken Marsala tonight!

Easy Weeknight Meals

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I am always on the hunt for fast and easy meal recommendations, especially during the week. Our latest strategy has been to plan out our weeknight meals over the weekend, head to a local supermarket (we love Fairway), and do most of the heavy cooking on Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Our staple sources tend to be Real Simple and any one of Ina Garten's cookbooks. I have to admit, I'm partial to How Easy Is That? Also, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law gave us a subscription to Bon Appetit for Christmas last year, which was such a great gift, and often inspires us to switch things up a bit.  We're trying 2 new recipes from Bon Appetit this week.

Here's what's on our menu this week:

Skirt Steak with Shallot Pan Sauce (Bon Appetit)
Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf (Real Simple): We've had this countless times. It's always a hit.
Cacio e Pepe (Bon Appetit): We're trying this for the first time this week.
Sauteed Chicken and Peppers with Black Beans and Coconut Rice (Real Simple): Again, we've had this so many times. Plus, it only takes about 20 minutes to cook.
Lentil Vegetable Soup (Ina Garten): Great for lunches, and easy to swap out chicken stock for vegetable stock if you want a tasty vegetarian recipe.


If anyone has any favorite easy recipes, I'd love to know!