Grilled lamb chops with sweet potato and Brussels sprouts 12/5/23

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Beebamom
Grilled lamb chops, grilled sweet potato, Brussels sprouts

After eating a large lunch at a new (to us) Ethiopian place, I whittled my dinner down to one lamb chop and a quarter of a baked potato. Here is a picture of my lunch.

This is a veggie combo. it consists of a salad, red lentils, atakilt wat ( carrots, potatoes, cabbage), yellow split peas, greens, and shiro wat ( lentil paste). You get some extra pieces of the bread underneath (injera) and tear off small pieces to pick up the various items on the platter.

It was fine but will not replace our favorite Ethiopian place, Zeni’s, in San Jose. Too bad because this restaurant is a lot closer.

Getting back to dinner, it was pretty straightforward —grilled lamb chop, microwaved and then grilled sweet potato, and Brussels sprouts sautéed in a pan with a little butter and dry sherry. Everything turned out deliciously well.

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Birthday Week Menu. December 4-10, 2023

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Beebamom

It is my birthday on Friday so we will be making a fancy dinner along with going to a party on Saturday. I have been celebrating with a friend whose birthday is the day after mine. We started doing this when I was 28 and he was 33. We have been doing it now for (mumble) years. This is a special landmark birthday for both of us this year so there will be lots of celebrating!

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Chicken enchiladas with spicy beans and corn 12/4/23

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Beebamom
Chicken enchiladas with spicy beans and corn

I am using the chicken that I shredded off our rotisserie chicken from Friday. This makes two dinners, 2 soups, and 1 lunch so far. I still have to use a wing, thigh, and leg. I foresee a leftover enchilada lunch for John, the leg and thigh portion for another lunch, and probably 2 more soups for me! What a bargain this $4.99 rotisserie chicken has been!

Chicken enchiladas are a combination of shredded chicken, salsa verde, chopped onion, and some cheese rolled into a corn tortilla. Any leftover salsa verde, onions, and cheese go on top. I bake it covered for 30 minutes at 350F and then uncover it and put it under the broiler until the cheese on top is melted, maybe 5 minutes.

Posted in Easy, Kitchen tips, Methods, Mexican, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Scrambled egg nachos. 12/3/2

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Beebamom
Scrambled egg nachos

Scrambled egg nachos are a fun treat to eat. After heating the beans and corn, I scrambled the egg and set it side. First I put down a layer of chips. Then I added a layer of corn and beans followed by some salsa. Next a layer of the scrambled egg and pre-cooked chicken. Finally a round of nacho chips and cheese. I cooked the whole thing under the broiler for a couple of minutes until everything was hot and the cheese had melted. Dinner as a snack, Yum!

(I just happened to have some chicken leftover from the rotisserie chicken we bought earlier in the week. This can certainly be a vegetarian dish.)

Posted in American, Easy, Eggs, Kitchen tips, Poultry, Southwest U.S., Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Easy chicken wings and salad. 12/2/23

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Beebamom

We do a lot of “scratch” cooking but after a busy day it is nice to know we have products in the freezer and fridge to make the dinner process easier. One of these is Taylor Farms salad kits. On Saturday I prepared their Southwest salad. I added some cut up tomatoes to give it more taste and visual appeal.

Southwest salad

Meanwhile John was cooking some Foster Farms Takeout Buffalo chicken wings. These wings cook for 20 minutes at 425F followed by 5 minutes at 450F for extra crispyness. They come with a packet of hot sauce and I added a ramekin of blue cheese dressing for a cooling element.

Crispy Buffalo wings and Southwest salad

It was certainly not a fancy dinner or very economical but it got the job done and was easier and cheaper than getting actual takeout or going out to dinner.

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Rotisserie chicken with sweet potato and broccoli. 12/1/23

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Beebamom
Rotisserie chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli

A trip to Costco always includes a rotisserie chicken. I disassembled the chicken as soon as I got home and shredded one breast for enchiladas on Monday and sliced the other breast for tonight’s dinner. Then I package up the thigh and leg pieces and the wings for lunches and meat for soup. The carcass goes in the freezer until I have enough bones for making stock.

Since I have been avoiding gluten John made a gravy from the drippings in the chicken container, some chicken and mushroom broth granules, water, and soy sauce. He thickened the gravy with potato starch. The sliced chicken warmed up gently in the gravy.

I cooked the buttered and salted sweet potato in the microwave for 8 minutes. The broccoli was steamed.

This is an easy, homey dinner that we both enjoy.

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Turkey kielbasa tacos? 11/30/23

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Beebamom
Split turkey kielbasa with mustard and relish on corn tortillas

Do you ever feel like not cooking? That was me on Thursday night. We were supposed to have a bunch of sheet pan vegetables with either shrimp or turkey kielbasa. It was still up in the air. Then I said I do not feel like a big production dinner and John agreed. So this is what we came up with. John had his kielbasa on rye bread and I opted for corn tortillas that I singed on the stove top. The kielbasa cooked for 90 seconds in the microwave. We ate on paper plates.

We cook a lot! Even on vacation! It was nice to do something simple with a minimum of clean-up.

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New England clam chowder. 11/29/23

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Beebamom
New England clam chowder with crushed corn chips

We made our usual clam chowder making a broth of half and half, clam juice, the juice from the canned clams, and white wine. The vegetables and herbs in it are leeks, onions, celery, thyme, tarragon, and potatoes. Simmer the pot of soup until the potatoes are cooked through. Then add the chopped clams.

John garnished his bowl with oyster crackers and I used tortilla chips since I am avoiding gluten.

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Weekly Menu – Nov. 27 – Dec. 3, 2023

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Beebamom

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Tilapia with polenta and cheese-y veg. 11/28/23

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Beebamom
Oven roasted tilapia with polenta and cheese-y broccoli and cauliflower

We really enjoy serving fish or shellfish over a loose polenta. John proportions his polenta 6 parts water to 1 part polenta. In this case it was 3 cups of water and 1/2 cup polenta. It simmers for 20 minutes with frequent stirring. Bob’s Red Mill is our favorite brand.

The tilapia starts a little later. In a 400F oven it takes about 12 minutes. Then I start the vegetables at the 8 minute mark. Today’s broccoli and cauliflower streamed in an ounce or two of water, salt, 1 teaspoon of butter, and a small handful of shredded cheddar cheese. After a few minutes cooking covered I take the lid off and let the water evaporate leaving a buttery, cheese-y coating on the vegetables.

Posted in American, Easy, Fish, Kitchen tips, Methods, pescatarian, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged , , | 1 Comment