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! 

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.

Monday: Meals for the Week

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This weekend was so nice, though we're still battling colds and coughs, so it was a bit less restful than I'd hoped. Friday night we went out for pizza at a nearby kid-friendly restaurant. We had a playdate on Saturday morning, all took a nap in the early afternoon and then ran a few errands and ended up at the park for a bit. I've checked this book out of the library to read next as Kaitlin recommended it.

Sunday we did our weekly shop and had a friend over for dinner. Nothing too exciting, but a nice mix of quiet and social. Hoping for some spring weather to knock the coughs out of our apartment. Plus, some home-cooked meals.

• Haianese Chicken Rice (Mark Bittman for the New York Times): We lived in Singapore for 2 months in 2010 and the food was amazing. I've been wanting to try to find some recipes from our time there for ages. Hopefully this one will live up to our memories.
• Caramelized Shallot, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Garlic Butter Pasta (How Sweet It Is)
• Spiced Pork Burgers with Grilled Peppers (Real Simple): We've made this a bunch and it's a nice change from beef or turkey burgers. We've accidentally substituted caraway seeds for the fennel seeds in the past and they've been just as delicious. 
• Korean Beef Bowl (Damn Delicious)

Soup: Lentil Soup with Lemon Yoghurt Cream (The Kitchn)

Sweet Treat: Chocolate Chunk Blondies (Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust)

Notes on last week's meals here. 

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.

Monday: Easy Meals

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This weekend was fun, but tiring. On Friday night, we cleaned out the fridge and my niece slept over. We woke up early Saturday morning to drive to my parent's house in Connecticut. Saturday was my dad's 70th birthday, and today is my older brother's bday. 

We were in charge of the cake. As I mentioned Friday, we tried this recipe. I hightly recommend it! 

CT was full of sledding, eating, and catching up on The Walking Dead. We drove back to the city this afternoon, and swung by the grocery store to stock up. 

Here's the menu for the week (we are embracing the slow-cooker): 

• Slow-Cooker Tuscan Pot Roast (Real Simple) 
• Stir-Fried Chicken and Broccoli with Black Bean Sauce (How to Cook Everything Fast)
• Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder with Apple Relish and Egg Noodles (Real Simple)

Soup: Easy Tomato Soup (Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof)

Here's to a good week!

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!