Thursday: porchetta https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/porchetta-sandwiches-2042293, wild rice, steamed cauliflower
Friday: Thursday leftovers
Saturday: pesto lasagna from the freezer https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pesto-lasagne-2122008
Sunday: shrimp burger (can’t remember what recipe I planned to use but it will come to me), green salad
Monday: roast salmon with cucumber-dill cream sauce, brown rice, green salad
Tuesday: spaghetti carbonara
Wednesday: skirt steak with jalapeno-lime compound butter, basmati rice, steamed green beans
for shrimp burgers - I liked this recipe recommended in 2021 by CH’er Valerie. With some Old Bay Mayo - 1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning stirred into 1/3 C. Mayo. Wups - dead link. Here’s the paraphrase
Shrimp Burgers paraphrased from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
For Burgers - which need to chill 30 minutes to 24 hours before cooking:
1 slice whole wheat bread, torn into pieces then pulsed into 3/4 C. crumbs
1 lb shrimp (raw, not precooked, peeled and deveined – these get chopped in food processor so use any size that’s reasonably priced, I used 41 – 50 count Large
3 tablespoons mayonnaise / light mayo
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 2 tsp. freeze dried)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch cayenne pepper
When ready to cook:
2 teaspoons canola oil - or lemon olive oil
S & P in skillet and top of burgers just before cooking
Pulse into coarse crumb in a food processor to get about 3/4 cup of crumbs. Wipe the bowl of the food processor out, then add the shrimp. Pulse about 7 times, just until you have a mixture of finely minced and coarsely chopped pieces. Place breadcrumbs and shrimp in a large bowl but do not mix yet.
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper and cayenne together until well combined. Pour mayo mixture over the shrimp and breadcrumbs, and gently fold everything together.
Divide the mixture into 4 portions, and loosely pack each into a 1-inch thick burger on a small baking sheet – “You want to be gentle here – don’t try to pick up the mixture and shape it the way you might with a traditional burger.” Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
Set a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it shimmers, carefully transfer the burgers to the pan. Cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 8-10 minutes total. Serve on toasted buns (we had ours open-faced on bun halves) with your favorite toppings.
Hello from Ottawa, Canada where fall is in full swing. The leaves look lovely and I’m just waiting for the skies to clear up (it was raining this morning) so I can take a picture of the skyline from my apartment. It’s a sea of colours at this time of year. This weekend will be quiet since it’s Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday so I want to cook some of these squashes I’ve been getting in my CSA and I would like to take out my winter clothes over the weekend. I will have to face the music sooner or later So my menu for this week is as follows:
Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga, where the beautiful fall weather continues to hold!
Breakfast: Banana, date, and walnut cake from Sweet
Saturday, October 8: Shepherd’s Pie from the Pie and Pastry Bible; some kind of salad. I will also be making jam and prepping for next weekend’s trip.
Sunday: Cheese fondue with bread and broccoli; salted butter break-ups from Dorie Greenspan
Monday: Firecracker chicken; rice; more broccoli?
Tuesday: Scrounge/takeout
Wednesday: Green chile mac and cheese; sautéed yellow squash
Thursday: Scrounge/takeout
Friday: Driving 8 hours to spend the weekend with long-time friends (we worked together over 20 years ago!); going to make spinach and mushroom lasagna and others will take care of sides
Saturday: Cheese enchiladas; Black Forest torte; the rest is TBD
Happy Thanksgiving to the Canadian contingent! Have a great week and happy cooking!
I had a wonderful vacation on the West Coast, saw my oldest girlfriend and it was like we’d just been together the day before. Ditto my brother. Saw other friends and family and loved every moment. Came back to Ian ravaging Chapel Hill, and Lulu out of town, so there were a few days of carry out from the restaurants that were open. Now LLD is away on a biking adventure in Mallorca, and Lulu and I are getting girl time. Here’s what we’ve had this week:
Mon: farfalle with creamy mushroom and chicken sausage sauce
Tues: baked potatoes and salad
Wed: Greek-style braised chickpeas with orange and honey over toast (Milk Street based on a Diane Kochilas recipe - Lulu looooooves DK)
Sun: thinking of trying a new to me Diana Henry recipe fro From the Oven to the Table that involves roasted grape tomatoes and white beans. Kind of excited about it.
Hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful fall weekend.
Welcome home! It sounds like you had a lovely trip. Hopefully you didn’t get much property damage from Ian? Fiona flattened many parts of Nova Scotia and they are predicting it will take weeks to clean up.
Thar kidney bean curry sounds intriguing. Have you made it before? And can you share the recipe or say which cookbook it is from if that is your source?
The Diana Henry recipe is SO good. Roasted cherry tomatoes and white beans (canned for me) in a garlicky, mustardy vinaigrette with chilies, capers, and basil. I served it over polenta.
For some reason I read your original post as “beans and grapes” and I was not excited by that, but tomatoes makes sense and it sounds lovely. Especially the polenta part!
Hi, everyone. Cooking for two adults and a 12yo in the Boston burbs. Said 12yo is being a little fussy these days so I’m trying to simplify our menu for the week.
Sun: cheesy chicken enchiladas (Ina Garten’s Modern Comfort Food, minus spicy ingredients)
Mon: bbq pulled chicken sandwiches, carrot sticks, and maybe chips
Weds: cheese ravioli with asparagus and cheesy white sauce - originally a Rachael Ray recipe for ravioli vegetable lasagna but I’ve made some changes and will leave the spinach out
Actuals for Oct 3 week, cooking for 2 in MN. Where we had a delightful, exhausting weekend in WI visiting grand-nieces (and their parents). It was relaxing to have meals planned / prepared by my niece, with me just doing some veggies prep/dishwashing. Saturday baking “assisted” by the 2 and 5 year old was masterfully managed, with my niece instructing them on taking turns putting the measured-by-her cups/spoons of dry ingredients in the bowl. She’d put pizza dough in her bread machine to mix/rise while we all took a Sunday morning hike in the colorful fall woodlands, and we all helped top the patted-out crusts for a late lunch.
Mon: Pizza (commercial frozen)
Tues: Mushroom/Swiss burgers, tater tots, red grapes
(and made/baked taco stuffed shells Julia Pacheco recipe a half-recipe, for Wed/Thurs meals)
Wed : Sushi. Skillet “bag meal” – PF Chang’s orange chicken, over (from frozen) rice & mixed veggies.
Thurs: reheat Taco-stuffed shells
Fri: In WI – niece cooked - Homemade garden-tomato soup, pork tenderloin, garden green beans & carrots
Sat : In WI – niece cooked Pot roast (instant pot) with potatoes, carrots & onions. Homemade applesauce
BAKED in the morning– cranberry orange muffins, sugar cookies
Sun: back in MN - Greek-seasoned broiled chicken breasts, Rice/Pasta pilaf with sliced almonds and tarragon (Dinner a Day)
Actuals from the past week or so after some travel. 2 adults, 2 kids NJ suburbs of NYC:
Mon: takeout Sichuan after returning from airport
Tues: meat ravioli w/mushrooms, peas, truffle butter; salad
Wed: out for fancy dinner in the city for kiddo birthday
Thurs: bday dinner for kiddo at home (cast iron seared steaks - ribeye and filet mignon w/salsa verde or peppercorn horseradish cream; potatoes gratin; roasted broccoli; chocolate silk pie in oreo crust)
Fri: Homemade pizzas, salad, crudite
Sat: out for mediocre Italian at new place
Sun: out for sushi at our usual spot
Plan for this week:
Mon: salmon basted with a combo of peri peri & hot honey; mashed potatoes; roasted broccolini; air fried brussel sprouts
Tues: (planned around older kid volleyball game) TJ’s chicken samosas; slow cooker chicken (thighs) curry w/chickpeas, kale and a Maya Kaimal prepared simmer sauce; brown rice; roasted masala caulini
Wed: out for work event; takeout or out for the others
Thurs: TBD likely taco bar/ burrito bowls
Fri: going out or takeout after late volleyball game
Sat: smoked lamb shoulder, homemade baba ganoush (from smoked eggplant), hummus, tzaziki, pitas, salad; roasted asparagus
Sun: out
Another week, another menu. With cooler days on the calendar, I’m craving red-sauce Italian. Cabbage is on the menu, also, as ours were recently harvested.
Cooking for two adults in the PNW.
FRI: Beef on the grill. Marinated mozzarella, with olives and cherry tomatoes. Grilled zucchini.
SAT: Leftover 15 Bean Soup from the freezer. Homemade tortilla chips.
SUN: Cabbage and pork stir fry. So many good recipes from which to choose.
MON: ATK’s manicotti with Italian sausage and no-boil lasagna noodles. Green salad.
So my menu for this week is as follows: