Lentil stew with turkey sausage and vegetables. 11/20/21

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Beebamom
Lentil stew with turkey sausage and mushrooms, carrots, celery, and kale

Yesterday we went car shopping. It is as bleak as you have read. But our lease is expiring in February so we thought we should take a look at what is available. Short answer, not much. In fact although we were looking at a car that was not our first choice and we offered to pay or lease off the sticker price, it was not enough for the price-gouging vultures at the dealership. We walked and hopefully will be able to find something as the supply chain improves. I am saying this to explain why we did not go with the plan for dinner.

After getting home close to 6 PM we decided to make lentils with turkey sausage because it is easy and we had all the ingredients. I have to admit that this was the perfect comfort meal. By 7 PM it was ready to eat. I loved all the vegetables and just a little bit of turkey sausage, the perfect dinner after a stressful day.

NOTE: This is easily a vegan or vegetarian meal with the omission of turkey sausage and substitution of vegetable stock for chicken stock.

Posted in American, Easy, Legumes, Poultry, stew, Vegetables | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Chicken enchiladas with spicy slaw. 11/19/21

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Beebamom
Chicken enchiladas with salsa verde and spicy slaw

In the recipe for these chicken enchiladas there are four sections.1) cook the chicken 2) make the salsa verde 3) heat the tortillas in hot oil and 4) assemble and bake in a casserole dish. Daunting!

My four steps are 1) shred the rotisserie chicken 2) open a jar of salsa verde 3) spray tortillas and heat in oven and 4) assemble and bake. Easy!

With all my spare time I made a spicy slaw which was a package of cabbage mix, green onions, bell pepper, and sliced kale. For the spicy part I made a dressing of mayo and medium spicy salsa with a dash of cumin.

In our house shortcuts are definitely acceptable!

Posted in Easy, Kitchen tips, Mexican, Poultry, Southwest U.S., Vegetables | Tagged | 1 Comment

Flank steak, baked potato, Brussels sprouts. 11/18/21

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Beebamom

We had a change of plans tonight because I bought a bunch of Brussels sprouts and wanted to see if I could reheat them successfully for Thanksgiving. Our three remaining meals for the week were Chilean sea bass, chicken enchiladas, and Ethiopian lentils and none of them seemed sprout friendly. Ergo, grilled flank steak and Russet potato.

Grilled flank steak, grilled potato, and Brussels sprouts two ways

I made the sprouts two different ways, in the oven and on the cooktop.The oven ones were tossed in olive oil and salt and roasted in a 425F oven for about 20-25 minutes until they were brown and crispy. The stove top sprouts were cooked in a little water, dry sherry, and butter. They were seasoned with salt and sugar. After the water and sherry evaporate, they browned on their cut side in the remaining butter.

To be honest both methods produced pretty yummy sprouts. And both reheated in a 350F oven. (So that is a relief and now I can make them earlier in the day.) The oven roasted ones were crispier and had a bunch of very crispy leaves that had fallen off but the interior of the b. sprouts were a bit overcooked. The stove top ones were delicious, not over cooked, but not as crispy.

For the rest of the dinner John cooked the flank steak and already microwaved potatoes on the grill. The steak took about 5 minutes to cook and then had a little rest before cutting it into serving slices. Note: it is important to slice the flank steak across the grain. Otherwise you will end up with very chewy pieces.

Posted in American, Beef, Easy, Grilling, Kitchen tips, Methods, Vegetables | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Orecchiette with mushrooms and homegrown kale. 11/17/21

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Beebamom
Whole grain imported Italian orecchiette with mushrooms and lacinato kale

I decided that today is the day that I should pull out my two kale plants and use the leaves for dinner. My plants have never amounted to much since our back patio gets almost zero sun. I cannot even get flowers to bloom. The kale had a modest amount of leaves and I bought some at the store to supplement my crop.

We discovered the last time we made this orecchiette that it takes a long time to cook, probably about 15 minutes. While John watched the pasta pot, I sauteed the mushrooms and when they were browned I added onions, garlic, and oregano. When the pasta was almost done, I put in the lacinato kale. John then drained the pasta reserving a cup of the pasta water.

Once the orecchiette was added to the mushroom and kale mixture I stirred it around over a medium flame and added the pasta water to make a sort of sauce.

We enjoyed the pasta with orecchiette, mushrooms, and kale very much. Our Pasta Wednesdays are always a favorite since they are so good tasting, satisfying and easy.

Posted in Easy, Italian, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Seared scallops, new potatoes, leek and zucchini. 11/16/21

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Beebamom
Seared sea scallops, steamed new potatoes, sauteed leek and zucchini

Tonight we had a special occasion dinner. Except there was no special occasion. Sometimes it is just nice to treat yourself. A dinner like this for two people including a bottle of wine would probably cost at least $100 at a restaurant. Our dinner clocked in at about $45. Another perk of making your own nice dinner is that you do not have to get dressed up to eat it!

John did his usually great job searing the scallops in two teaspoons of oil. He added a teaspoon or so of butter right at the end. In the meantime I steamed the potatoes and made the tartar sauce. Then I sauteed the leeks with some garlic until they were soft before adding the zucchini for the last couple of minutes.

We opened at bottle of Imagery Winery 2020 White Burgundy to have with our scallops. It was very good and we have decided to serve it for Thanksgiving for those who prefer white wine.

Treat yourself!!

Posted in American, Easy, Kitchen tips, pescatarian, Shellfish, Vegetables | Tagged | 1 Comment

Lunch out. 11/15/21

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Beebamom

On Monday John and I went up to Wine Country to pick out some wine for Thanksgiving. It was great fun chatting with the winery workers and trying sips of different wines that they thought would be good.

Afterwards we went out for a late lunch at a Nepalese place called Yeti Restaurant. It was a delicious vegetarian lunch but we ended up not making dinner because we were too full!

Dal makhani, aloo gobi, naan, basmati rice

Dal Makhani (top) is lentils and kidney beans simmered together with onions, chili, ginger, fresh cream and butter and garnished with cilantro and green onions. Aloo gobi is cauliflower and potatoes cooked with herbs and spices. These were served with a giant naan and basmati rice. It was all very delicious and filling!

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Weekly Menu. November 15 – 21, 2021

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Beebamom

It is getting close to Thanksgiving so I need to be serious about eating in a reasonable, healthy way before the rich dishes of next week. For this week’s menu I am planning four vegetarian meals, two seafood meals that include plenty of vegetables, and one chicken meal. I do not think that John and I will feel deprived at all this week from the looks of the menu!

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Slimmed down shrimp scampi with penne and broccoli. 11/13/21

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Beebamom
Shrimp scampi with penne and broccoli

What makes this shrimp scampi slimmed down? For one thing the sauce uses only 2 teaspoons of olive oil for two servings. The rest of the sauce is onions, garlic, chicken stock, white wine, and lemon juice. At the end of the sauce-making I put in a couple of tablespoons of capers, some parsley, and lemon zest. Another reason for its diet friendliness is because there are only 2 ounces of pasta per serving. Finally I am not asking the pasta to do all the work here. I good portion of my plate is covered by broccoli which tastes awfully good in the lemony sauce.

It is easy to eat the things you love and still have them fit into a healthy lifestyle. You just need to think about how to approach traditional high-caloric recipes and turn them into lower calorie offerings. And remember vegetables are your best friends for filling up a plate.

Posted in Easy, Healthy tips, Italian, Methods, Pasta, Shellfish, Vegetables | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Chicken Marsala with squash and broccoli. 11/12/21

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Beebamom

Tonight’s dinner is a riff on our standard Classic Chicken Dinner which consists of chicken breast and gravy, butternut squash or rutabagas, and broccoli. The addition of Marsala, sautéed mushrooms, and some chicken stock to our packet of chicken gravy is all it takes to fancify our plates.

Chicken Marsala with roasted butternut squash and broccoli

I took a shortcut by using Costco’s all white meat package from their rotisserie chickens. After bringing the gravy to a boil so the Marsala wine would turn into a subtle flavor rather than just boozy, I turned down the flame and plopped in the chicken. In a few minutes it was warmed through.

The hardest part of dealing with a butternut squash is to cut it longitudinally. That is definitely a job for John! He also scoops out the seeds which is an added bonus. Then I roast the halves in a 425F oven with a spray of olive oil, salt, and nutmeg. It takes about an hour depending on the size of your squash. The pulp is easily scraped away from the skin and usually needs more salt and a bit of butter as you mash it up.

The broccoli is simply steamed and rounds out a delicious dinner that is easy to make and fits well within a healthy eating budget.

Posted in American, Easy, Healthy tips, Italian, Kitchen tips, Methods, Poultry, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Salmon bowl with cauliflower rice, cucumbers, avocado, and cabbage. 11/11/21

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Beebamom

We were planning on having salmon bowls on Saturday but when the avocado is ripe, it is time to use it. We have had this dish weekly for the last three weeks. It has become a real favorite at our house. Last week we made it with shrimp so the seafood component is versatile. John commented that it would be good just as a vegetable dish.

Pan seared salmon on cauliflower rice with cucumbers, avocado, and cabbage dressed with a sesame soy sauce and sprinkled with furikake

The dressing gives the dish its Asian flavor. Here is how to make it. We usually double the recipe so everyone can have plenty.

Sesame soy dressing – 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 Tbl white vinegar, 2 Tbl of a neutral oil, 2 Tbl minced fresh ginger, and 2 Tbl of chopped scallions.

Posted in American, Easy, Fish, Japanese, pescatarian, Recipes, rice, Vegetables | Tagged | 1 Comment