Using pantry and freezer components makes this dinner a snap. The meatballs are Rosina’s home style and the sauce is Rao’s tomato and basil. The meatballs defrost while cooking in the sauce which I supplement with chili flakes, garlic powder, and dried oregano. We always buy Barilla pasta which was on sale this week at Smart and Final for $.50/lb.
By the time the pasta is al dente the meatballs are warmed through. I remove the meatballs and finish cooking the spaghetti in the sauce with the addition of some pasta water. I put the sauced pasta in the bowls, followed by the meatballs. Then I put a dollop of residual sauce over the meatballs. The final touches are grated Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and a rosette of basil.
Making a sheet pan dinner is really easy and the clean up is a snap. The vegetables I included were onions, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and carrots. They were seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and ground garlic. I preheated the oven to 400F and cooked the sausage and the vegetables for 30 minutes.
Although my enchiladas don’t take a pretty picture they certainly taste good. In a 9 X 13 pan a put a layer of salsa verde. Then, in seared white corn tortillas, I put shredded chicken, cheese, onion, and a little more salsa verde. I roll them up and snuggle them into the dish with more salsa verde and cheese on top and then into the oven for 40 minutes at 350 F.
During the pandemic we started celebrating holidays that we hadn’t observed often in the past to break up the monotony. Last night we celebrated Sukkot a Jewish harvest festival and a commemoration of the exodus from Egypt. Although part of the tradition is to build a temporary structure outside to eat in we merely moved our dinner to the patio. The sukkah or booths reflect the temporary buildings that farmers spend time in during the harvest and the shelters that were used during the exodus.
In addition to eating, blessings are said over the various components—the wine, the bread, the food, and a blessing over a bunch of myrtle, willow, and palm fronds plus a etrog or citron. We used a large lemon instead.
Myrtle, willow, palm, and citron
I really do not remember why we settled on stuffed cabbage as the appropriate meal. Both John and I remember having it growing up. It’s more of an Eastern European dish which fits in with John’s Polish ethnic background but certainly not with my English/Irish/German one. Maybe my mother found a recipe in a magazine and decided to try it out.
Our cabbage was stuffed with a combo of ground beef, rice, and vegetables. I cook it in a sweet and sour tomato sauce in the Instant Pot. Sarah helped in the prep and also made some biscuits to soak up the sauce.
Cabbage rolls nestled in the Instant Pot (another layer of sauce goes over top)
Needless to say it is a lot of work. We only make stuffed cabbage for this holiday so it always seems special and very yummy!
Hamburgers made out of Kobe ground beef and grilled outside along with a southwestern inspired salad with tomatoes from the garden makes for an excellent late summer/autumn dinner. (Summer lasts a little longer here than in other climes.)
I have been trying to get some dinner prep done earlier in the day when I have more energy. Early in the afternoon I made the mustard sauce and cleaned and sliced the Brussels sprouts.
Here is the recipe for mustard sauce —
Mustard Sauce
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (optional) 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have) 1 tablespoon water Dash of sugar or sweetener 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 tablespoon capers 2 cornichons, finely chopped (small un-dilled pickles) Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Mix all the ingredients except the parsley in a bowl. Adjust the levels of salt and pepper. Can be made ahead up to this point. When ready to serve, mix in the parsley.
Later John pre-heated the oven to 400F and put the seasoned tilapia in to cook. At the same time I started cooking the Brussels sprouts. Here’s my recipe for what my family calls “incredibly delicious Brussels sprouts.”
BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH DRY SHEERY
1 pound Brussels sprouts ½ cup water Salt ½ teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons butter 2 tablespoons dry sherry
Trim stem ends and halve Brussels sprouts. Cook sprouts cut side down at high heat in a covered pan in the salted water for a few minutes. When sprouts are getting tender uncover the pan let the cooking liquid mostly evaporate. Then add the butter, sugar, and sherry. Continue cooking until sprouts have browned.
The fish cooked in 12 minutes in which time the Brussels sprouts were done and I had reheated the rice. We served the fish and rice with some of the mustard sauce and enjoyed the incredibly delicious Brussels spouts on their own.
John and I are not going to be home on Thanksgiving so our son, Jon, offered to host Thanksgiving on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. In order to represent the entire North American continent (and to make the grandkids happy) we had a Mexican menu.
First we started with a cranberry margarita and chips and guacamole plus crackers with jalapeño cheese spread. Dinner consisted of a taco bar and make your own chicken, steak, shrimp, or vegetable tacos. There was also salsa and refried beans. It was all very yummy!
For dessert I brought my traditional Indian pudding made from my mother and grandmother’s old cookbook. It is a cornmeal and molasses custard which isn’t much to look at but is divine when served warm with vanilla ice cream.
Happy Thanksgiving, North America and many thanks to Jon and his family for hosting our great meal!
Shrimp and vegetable taco with a side of chicken and steak plus refried beans
Autumn soup garnished with lemon and chivesOur daughter made delicious homemade challah
On Friday we had our postponed Rosh Hashanah celebration because it was too hot for baking and cooking on the actual date. Sarah and I got up early and she got the challah started and I started peeling and chopping all the vegetables. The soup recipe is from The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia. I have never been but my sister had dinner there and got the recipe for the soup. I think their soup is called Apple-Rutabaga Soup but we just call ours Autumn Soup.
If you make the soup per the directions it is very rich. I use a half stick of butter and a half cup of cream. I add a little extra chicken stock to make up for the lesser cream amount. Also since the butternut squash is a pain to peel this year I roasted it in the oven and scooped out the pulp. Much easier! I also use less maple syrup because I don’t like sweet things and I do not pass it through a sieve. It is fine just whizzed up.
Autumn Soup from The Inn at Little Washington
1 stick butter 1 onion, chopped 1 cup peeled and chopped Granny Smith apple 1 cup chopped rutabaga 1 cup chopped butternut squash 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped sweet potato 1 quart chicken stock or low-sodium broth 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup maple syrup Pinch of cayenne pepper Salt, to taste Lemon slices and chives for garnish (optional)
Melt the butter in a large pot set over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Puree using a blender, food processor, or stick blender. Strain through a fine sieve. Add the cream, maple syrup, cayenne, and salt. Bring to a bare simmer and serve.
Makes 2 quarts. Can be made in advance and frozen.
Our dinner consisted of soup, challah, and apples with honey. It was lovely and super tasty. We toasted each other with a glass of Rombauer 2023 Chardonnay. We are hoping for a sweet and peaceful year.
Omnivore 