Lucky family to have such great food on the menu for their visit!
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Greetings, People.
A full week of cooking from a summer garden – green beans and zucchini are hot ticket items at the moment.
For two adults in the PNW:
FRI: Scallion roasted chicken and potatoes. Green bean salad.
SAT: Skillet meatballs with peaches and basil. Roasted green beans.
SUN: Zucchini pizza. Green salad.
MON: Leftover scallion chicken and pasta with mushrooms. Artichoke and tomato salad.
TUE: Cabbage stir-fry – this or this.
WED: Fish if it looks good at the market (else beef). Garden vegetable of the day.
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Hello everyone it’s hard to believe we are half way through the summer. So far I’ve been to two ribfests, an Asian market and a jazz festival. I have also tied in a few meetups with a couple of close friends. What a difference from two years ago when everything was closed. I am feeling much happier and sleeping much better most nights.
In the meantime I am now getting a bumper crop of veggies in my CSA so it’s now a race against time to finish them all up. This is what I have planned for this week:
Today: My take out lunch is a cheese tray from a nearby restaurant. I will have a Russian salad for dinner.
Saturday: Dinner will be venison pie from the pricey butcher, steamed green beans and corn on the cob on the side.
Sunday: Rest day. I’ve been going out a lot the last few weeks so I will probably go for an afternoon walk then spend the rest of the afternoon curled up on the sofa with a book. More specifically in front of the air conditioner since the weatherman is predicting that this weekend will be a scorcher.
Monday: Last serving of peanut soup in the freezer.
Tuesday: Spring roll bowl.
Wednesday: Pork lo mein.
Thursday: Fettucine al pesto, side veggies will be whatever veggies are left from last week’s CSA.
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Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga.
Saturday, August 6: Caramelized Tomato Tarte Tatin from NYT; salad
Sunday: Burmese prawn curry from The Complete Asian Cookbook; sesame-garlic green beans from Milk Street; rice; lemon bars
Monday: Tandoori grilled mushrooms; rice; some sort of veggie?
Tuesday: Scrounge/takeout
Wednesday: Pasta with sage-ricotta pesto from Milk Street
Thursday: Scrounge/takeout
Friday: I’m off to the Bay Area to visit my dad and my daughter; DH has to stay home and teach. Fending for himself and taking care of the cats will make him grumpy, but I’m sure he’ll survive!
Have a good week, all! Stay as cool as possible, and happy cooking!
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Great week - enjoy your visit!
Love this
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This sounds great!
How were they? They sound great.
I love making this dish. Not only delicious, but we get so many tasty leftovers out of it.
While the chicken is good cold straight from the fridge, this week lot of the extra meat will get turned into a pasta dish. The potatoes will get re-crisped in a cast iron pan for breakfast or lunch.
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I should add: when I make this, I spatch-cock the chicken, and I do not par-boil the spuds. I did the par-boiling thing once, and they didn’t hold up for the roast. I use store-bought franken-chickens, and it takes about 90 minutes.
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Lot of eating out and eating prepared food this week, and it made me lazy: I didn’t get to most of my plan.
We did have a fabulous HO Goan group dinner on Wed which I had forgotten was on the schedule when I made last week’s plan. It was near Sahadi’s, the home of our COTM, so that was a fun browse and a teeny bit of neighborhood shopping too.
I’ve got produce and other things to use up between the fried and the freezer, so I’m trying to be disciplined and make a plan to use it up. I’ve already defrosted ground chicken inspired by @MunchkinRedux’s tsukune and @ChristinaM’s meatballs in coconut curry.
Fri - Gigantes beans with harissa (inspired by the beans I bought from the Sahadi’s deli) plus lahambajeen I bought next door.
Sat - Supposed to be out for the day and a meal with the friend leaving for Europe (got pushed back because someone in her office got COVID). I want to try a new Thai place, so maybe that. I’m hoping to cook a bit earlier in the day for later in the week.
Sun - Likely out with the friend who’s having surgery (and the family members coming to help who will have arrived by then).
Mon - Carryover from last week: Tsukune and king oyster yakitori (I used up the shiitake in the rogue but delicious Japanese mushroom and salmon rice) + plain rice + steamed broccoli or Brussels sprouts
Tues - Ginger meatballs in coconut lemongrass curry (this recipe or this one) + leftover rice & veg
Wed - I think this is surgery day for my friend. I may head to the hospital for moral support, in which case dinner will be whatever is around there. Or maybe I’ll cook something simple and take it with me if I have time, at least for the patient (hospital food makes everyone I know feel even more sick than the reason they’re there, lol)
Thurs - Tentatively on for dinner with a local friend I haven’t seen since last summer, but also still on standby post surgery, so let’s see.
Fri - Friend goes home; I thought I’d cook something homey but tasty for everyone and take it over. I’m thinking mom’s fish curry + rice will hit the spot.
Sat / Sun - Play by ear. A friend I haven’t seen in a while should be back in town after her summer break, so I’m hoping to catch up with her.
Also thinking about baking banana bread and brownies, or orange olive oil and brownies, for the patient and his caregivers.
Have a lovely weekend, everyone!
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I’ll be back in the classroom full time this semester, starting in a few weeks, and I’m already bummed about not being able to do things like make pot roast while in office hours or bake scones between online classes. Teaching online was more labor intensive than being in the classroom, but it did have some perks. And I really enjoyed the extra time with my husband (who has worked from home for years) and dogs, even if it was just being in the next room.
For two adults in San Diego:
This week’s breakfasts: Last week’s blueberry scones were very good. Just used Caitlin McGrath’s cream scone recipe with about 2/3 cup of fresh berries and an extra sprinkle of sugar on top. This week, chocolate is calling again. Might make these again (so good): https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/05/double-chocolate-chip-muffins/
S: (tonight) takeout - red chile beef and bean burrito
Su: Dutch baby pancake with blueberries and sausage
M: TJs Santa Maria tri-tip, creamed spinach, garlic toast
T: Might give these a try, with salad: https://www.howsweeteats.com/2022/07/zucchini-corn-fritters/ - vegetarian
W: Tuna melts with chips - seafood
Th: Pasta with leftover tri-tip, onions, peppers, spinach, cream, parmesan
F: Eggs scrambled with leftover taco filling from the freezer, hash browns.
Have a good week!
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Good luck with your return to the classroom! Hope you find some silver linings being in-person. Your breakfast for dinner tonight looks outstanding 
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Actuals for the 1st week of August, cooking for 2 in MN. Where we got rain! And maybe the lawn isn’t completely gone - a few green spots are springing up fast so we’ll need to mow today…
Mon - OUT – Lola’s Lakehouse in Waconia, on the patio overlooking the lake, marina and island. Outstanding fish sandwiches, fries - enough for a 2nd meal Tues.
Tues - reheat Leftover Ground turkey/Spanish rice tacos
Wed - me OUT at a fundraiser – sandwiches, fruit, dessert squares, he -last of the Tortellini with sausage
Thurs - OUT – Bakers BBQ (sandwich), beans, rice
Fri - Sun lunches: Awesome Hot ham & Swiss w poppyseed sandwiches (recipe in comments), tossed salad, tater tots (Fri), corn on the cob (Sun), fruit (Sat/Sun)
Fri dinner - Breaded fish (Schwans), corn on the cob, cherries,
Sat dinner - Gyros in pita w/ chopped tomatoes, tzatziki. Bag salad.
Sun dinner - Grain salad (cooked farro not frekkah) with haloumi, zucchini and apricots, http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/2532/A-hearty-salad-made-with-the-hottest-new-grain.html w gyro meat/tzatziki on the side
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Awesome Baked Ham and Swiss Poppy Seed Sandwiches
Makes 4 servings
6 T. butter
1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T prepared mustard
2 T. brown sugar
4-6 buns - whatever it takes to fill 8 x 8 pan
- I’ve used whole wheat dinner buns, white hamburger buns,
and leftover bratwurst / hot dog buns
8 oz. thin-sliced cooked deli or packaged ham
4 -5 ounces shredded Swiss cheese, or enough sliced Swiss cheese to cover each bun.
Directions
Best if refrigerated a few hours or overnight, but fine if baked immediately.
When ready to bake preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Into a medium microwave safe bowl, measure butter, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and prepared mustard. Heat to boiling to melt butter & sugar. Stir to mix well.
Coat an 8x8 baking pan lightly with vegetable spray.
Slice rolls in half horizontally and set aside tops. Arrange bottoms in a single layer in the 8 x 8 pan. Drizzle about 1 tsp. sauce on each. Top generously with ham and evenly sprinkle with shredded Swiss cheese. Dip each top quickly in sauce. Replace tops. Spoon remaining heated butter mixture over each roll, about 1-2 T per bun.
Cover with aluminum foil & refrigerate until ready to bake.
Bake, covered, in the preheated 350 degree oven 25 minutes (or 10 minutes if not refrigerated), then uncovered 10 minutes, until rolls are lightly browned and cheese is melted.
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My mother used to make these.
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Oh, thank you! As for tonight’s dinner, I saute the blueberries in butter and a little maple syrup, to make kind of a quick compote. I never liked blueberries as a kid, but as an adult have realized I do like them, but not blueberry “flavoring”. What was that blueberry syrup in the 70s? 
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Feeding two adults and a tween in the Boston burbs.
Sun: cheesesteak sloppy joes, Italian chopped salad (Rachael Ray)
Mon: grilled chicken, baked beans for the guys, SV zucchini fritters using a gigantic summer squash (all for me!), carrot sticks
Tues: bbq meatballs (https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/instant-pot-bbq-meatballs/), cornbread (http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/skillet-cornbread/), green beans
Weds: pub night - fish and chips and (non-mushy) peas
Thurs: cheese tortellini with red sauce and extra ricotta, roasted broccoli
Fri: tbd as usual
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So, reporting back on the zucchini corn fritters: I cut the recipe in half for me and my husband, and it came out underseasoned. I’ll call that user error, not necessarily the fault of the recipe. The batter held together nicely when frying.
We both decided it would have been better with crab, but then it would not have been our vegetarian meal of the week.
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Greetings, People.
A no-shop week, my meal plan is driven by a need to make space in the freezer and fridge for the influx of summer produce. Will use up some proteins that are on hand, as well as a lot of leftovers, bits, and bobs.
Cooking for two adults in the PNW:
FRI: Chicken teriyaki. Sichuan green beans. Steamed rice.
SAT: Leftover black bean chili. Homemade tortilla chips.
SUN: Beef and veg on the grill.
MON: Leftover lamb and scallion ragu with pasta. Roasted green beans.
TUE: Fish chowder. Garlic bread. Salad.
WED: Pasta with cherry tomatoes and kale (flex meal – may need to cancel).
THUR: Chicken kebabs. Homemade soft pita wraps. Chopped salad or slaw.
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