Tofu with chickpeas and tomatoes. 11/29/22

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Beebamom
Tofu with chickpeas and blistered tomatoes over spinach with a yogurt/peanut butter powder sauce

Sumac and za’atar are the spices on this Middle Eastern flavored dish. We made this on a sheet pan and it looked promising. However, the flavor turned out bland and the texture was uniformly dull. I figured that cooking the chickpeas for 30 minutes at 425F would give them some texture but it just made them starchy. The tofu which joined the tomatoes for the last 15 minutes were nicely browned but not crispy. The tomatoes were very tasty. Until I find a way to improve this I won’t post a recipe but I probably will not make it again.

I have been toying with the idea of getting an air fryer. I wonder if cooking it that way would help…

Posted in Vegetarian, Vegetables, Legumes, Middle Eastern, Sheet pan, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Chicken ‘n gravy, mixed mash, and veg. 11/28/22

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Beebamom
Chicken and gravy with a mixed mash of butternut squash and parsnips plus steamed broccoli and cauliflower

Four vegetables in tonight’s dinner. I cooked the butternut squash and the parsnips in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 12 minutes with an immediate steam release. They were totally tender and mashed easily. The broccoli and cauliflower steamed briefly. The gravy was leftover turkey gravy from 2021! We had defrosted it for Thanksgiving last week. Finally we only had a little rotisserie chicken left to heat up in the gravy but all the vegetables made the dinner filling and delicious!

Posted in American, Easy, Instant Pot, leftovers, Methods, Poultry, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Weekly Menu. Nov. 26 – Dec. 4, 2022

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Beebamom

Back to basics…

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Grilled hamburger with chopped salad. 11/26/22

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Beebamom
Grilled hamburger with chopped salad

John grilled the burgers to perfection and I assembled a pre-packaged salad. No inventiveness in this meal but if I am going to have a red meat dinner, I would always choose a hamburger over a fancy steak.

Posted in American, Beef, Easy, Grilling, Salad, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving and the day after. 11/25/22

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Beebamom

We had an all-hors d’oeuvres Thanksgiving dinner with the whole family. Each person brought an item or items in appetizer form. It was fun and relaxed although probably as much work as doing the whole big traditional spread. Here are some pictures of our dinner.

I made a veggie turkey with dip
Some other tasty appetizers to start were cheese and roasted cauliflower crackers, deviled eggs, Gruyère and sweet potato gougeres, mini stuffed baked potatoes, and crackers with chicken liver mousse and curried chicken salad

When we all sat down at the table there were more yummy treats.

Starting from the top of the table are glazed turkey meatballs, Autumn soup shooters, crescent rolls, turkey salad endive boats, cranberry chutney, Brussels sprouts and bacon, mini chicken pot pies, and more endive and turkey salad boats.
Here’s a look at my plate clockwise from the top are Autumn soup shooter, mini chicken pot pie, glazed turkey meatballs, pot stickers, cranberry chutney, Brussels sprouts and bacon, and an endive boat.

I would like to say that is all I ate but it is so easy to have just one more of this or that. Plus there were desserts. I made Indian pudding served warm with vanilla ice cream and there were also three kinds of pies.

For dinner the night after Thanksgiving we had an instant replay of leftovers. Now I think we are done with Thanksgiving foods and can get back to almost normal! I think grilled hamburgers are on the menu for Saturday night. They are kind of a treat too. But after that John and I have to address our weight gain from too much indulgence. (Although my birthday is coming up and then there are Hanukkah latkes, and Christmas cookies. Sigh.)

Posted in American, Holidays, Special occasion, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tomato-mushroom fettuccine with zucchini two ways! 11/23/22

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Beebamom
Fettuccine and zoodles with tomato-mushroom-zucchini sauce

Our vegan pasta dish this week was so delicious and so filling! Using tomatoes, mushrooms, and chunks of zucchini plus stretching my pasta allotment with zoodles gives me a portion size that I really enjoy. The zucchini really did double duty! Think about adding more vegetables to your pasta dishes and you will end up with a healthier and more plentiful dinner.

Posted in American, Easy, Healthy tips, Italian, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Chicken enchiladas with spicy black beans. 11/22/22

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Beebamom
Chicken enchiladas with spicy black beans

This dish is heavily reliant on staples in your pantry and fridge. The enchiladas are corn tortillas filled with shredded rotisserie chicken, some jarred salsa verde, chopped onion, and cheese. The cheese I used here was what we had, feta. A melting cheese would have been a better choice but we are working on clearing space in the fridge for Thanksgiving and the feta needed to be used. We warmed the tortillas in the microwave to make them more pliable.

The rolled tortillas were nestled next to each other tightly in a 9×13 dish. The salsa verde covered the bottom of the dish and top of the tortillas. I also sprinkled any remaining cheese on top. It baked at 350F for 1/2 hour.

The spicy beans are simply a can of rinsed and drained black beans and a can of Original Rotel heated together stovetop with a dash of cumin and chipotle powder.

Posted in American, Easy, Legumes, Methods, Mexican, Poultry, Southwest U.S., Uncategorized, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Salmon bowl. 11/21/22

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Beebamom
Salmon bowl with rice, cabbage, avocado, cucumber, edamame, and cilantro in a soy vinaigrette.

This bowl is a family favorite and we make it three different ways, this one with salmon, another with shrimp, and my favorite with tofu. Other than making rice and cooking the salmon, there is no other cooking involved. I use a small mandolin for slicing the cucumber and cabbage (although you could just buy a bag of shredded cabbage.) The shelled edamame come from a frozen bag. Defrost and salt. One large, ripe avocado is plenty for the three of us.

In your bowl start with a portion of rice and lay the salmon on the rice. Add the cabbage, edamame, cucumber, and avocado around the edges. Dress everything with the soy vinaigrette and oil. Garnish with cilantro, chopped green onions, and optional furikake.

Posted in Asian, Fish, Healthy tips, Legumes, Methods, pescatarian, Recipes, rice, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Weekly Menu November 21 – 27, 2022

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Beebamom

Happy Thanksgiving Week! This year our son and daughter-in-law are hosting the dinner with ample assistance from our daughter. They have composed an all-hors d’oeuvres dinner which feature all sorts of finger foods. I’ve left that day blank on the menu since I am not totally sure what everyone is bringing. Have a happy day with friends and family!

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Harira, ham, and egg. 11/20/22

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Beebamom
Harira, ham strips, and over easy egg

This Sunday’s Breakfast For Dinner made use of leftover Harira, a Moroccan stew we made earlier this week. I added a piece of deli ham that I cut in strips, an over easy egg, and a squirt of sriracha to spice it up. I found the resulting dish a little sweet for my taste. I also think I like the taste of an egg better on its own. I know that runny eggs are supposed to be a crowning touch to many dishes but it is just not for me.

Posted in American, Easy, Eggs, leftovers, North African, Pork, stew, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment