Salad with shrimp and avocado. 7/29/23

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Beebamom
Salad with shrimp and avocado

On Saturday we were supposed to be making cheese-y polenta with saucy beans. However, John defrosted some shrimp thinking our dish was shrimp with polenta and broccoli. So we changed plans and made a packaged salad that I needed to use before it started to turn brown, added chunks of avocado, cherry tomatoes from our daughters garden, and put the sautéed shrimp on top. It was a lovely light meal.

I am moving the cheese-y polenta to Monday. I just have to find an avocado that will be ready in time!

Posted in American, Easy, Hot weather meals, pescatarian, Salad, Shellfish, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Grilled loin lamb chops, butternut squash, and cauliflower 7/28/23

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Beebamom
Grilled loin lamb chops, grilled cauliflower, and butternut squash

Today was less hot than previous days so we went with a heartier dinner. When John and I went out to grill the dinner the temperature was in the mid-70s so it was quite pleasant.

We really like these Australian loin lamb chops that Costco has. John cooks them for two minutes on each side and them cooks the three edges for one minute, so a total of 7 minutes. They come out with a nice char on the outside and rosy pink inside.

John getting ready to grill the lamb chops

I did the prep on the vegetables in the morning when it was much cooler. I split the butternut squash lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, sprayed it with olive oil spray, and seasoned it with salt.. It baked in a 400F oven for 30 minutes. Since it was a petty small squash the cooking time was short. I used a spoon to scrape out the flesh and left the skin behind. While the squash was still warm I mashed it with a pat of butter and a bit more salt. Later a trip to the microwave would warm it for dinner.

Immediately afterward I put the cauliflower in the oven for 15 minutes to get it most of the way cooked. Later I tossed it in olive oil and salt and finished it up on the grill.

Cauliflower crisping up on the grill

On Saturday it is supposed to be hot again so we will have to go back to a hot weather dinner. It was nice to be able to slip lamb chops, butternut squash, and cauliflower in on a cooler day!

Posted in American, Grilling, Lamb, Methods, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Chicken piccata with broccoli and rice mix 7/27/23

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Beebamom
Chicken piccata with broccoli and rice mix

We are using up the remainder of our Costco rotisserie chicken for our chicken piccata. With this dinner we will have made two dinners, two lunches, and more than a quart of chicken stock from one chicken!

Since the chicken was pre-cooked, John used a packet of chicken gravy and enhanced it with lemon, capers, and parsley. While he had white rice I made a combo rice of brown rice, quinoa and cauliflower rice. The rices were a good pairing with the piccata-esque gravy. I also made a lot of broccoli which we totally ate up!

Posted in American, Easy, Methods, Poultry, rice, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Leave a comment

Gazpacho, salad, and hummus. 7/26/23

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Beebamom
Salad, hummus, gazpacho

Only appliance I needed for this dinner was a blender. For the gazpacho I blended a large can of whole tomatoes, a can of Rotel, half of a cucumber, half an onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt to taste. (At our house that means a lot of salt.) This blends up to a slightly thick purée. If you want it more liquid-y you might add some tomato or V-8 juice. I chilled the soup down for a few hours before serving it.

The rest of the dinner was really easy. I used a salad kit, Sabra hummus with red peppers, and Toufayan whole wheat pita. No complaints and everything was eaten!

Posted in Easy, Hot weather meals, Mediterranean, Methods, Recipes, Salad, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Southwest salad with chicken 7/25/23

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Beebamom
Southwest salad with chicken

Here is another good idea for hot nights, southwest salad with chicken. We bought a Costco rotisserie chicken on Monday. I took it apart with the idea of legs and thighs for John’s lunches, one breast for the salad, the other for chicken piccata, and the carcass for stock. I merely chopped the salad meat into bite sized pieces. alternatively you could cook a chicken breast.

Everything else about the salad is assembly. I added cherry tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, corn, shredded cheese, chopped cucumbers, cilantro, sliced red onions, and tortilla chips to my buffet of toppings. As a base I used a Taylor Farms southwest salad kit and a head of Romaine chopped up. The dressing packet was extended with some olive oil and lime juice.

John, our daughter, and I have really been enjoying our hot weather dishes. We have managed to only minimally use air conditioning during these hot spells by keeping the house cool. So it is a win-win situation.

Posted in American, Easy, Hot weather meals, Kitchen tips, Poultry, Salad, Southwest U.S., Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Open-faced fish taco with salad. 7/24/23

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Beebamom
Open-faced tilapia taco with cabbage, tomatoes, and guacamole and salad

We are back home after our week’s jaunt up the Pacific Coast to Vancouver, BC. Temperatures at the coast were usually in the 50s overnight and would climb to about 68 during the day. Thank you, Pacific Ocean! Our temperatures here in the East Bay are somewhat effected by the ocean but we often have summer temps around 100. Too hot for much cooking!

We have a couple of hot days this week so quick cooking fish fillets and salads are the way to go. John cooked up the fish and I just laid mine on a white corn tortilla piling the taco accoutrements of shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes, and guacamole around it. A salad completed the dinner.

I like eating open-faced tacos or sandwiches because it takes longer to eat them. Once you bite into a folded taco it usually stays in your hand until you finish it. It’s also a lot neater!

Posted in American, Easy, Fish, Healthy tips, Hot weather meals, Mexican, pescatarian, Salad, Southwest U.S., Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Weekly Menu. July 24 – 30, 2023

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Beebamom

Hi, I am back from a week’s vacation up the West Coast to Vancouver, BC to celebrate our 51st anniversary. John did a super job driving and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. From a food point of view the best thing we had was the tasting menu at Maenam, a Thai restaurant where we have been celebrating the past few years. Delicious!

Posted in Weekly menu | Leave a comment

Shrimp tacos, avocado slaw, spicy black beans. 7/16/23

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Beebamom
Shrimp tacos, avocado slaw, spicy black beans

We are big taco fans at our house. We make them mostly with shrimp or fish but occasionally with beef too. Quick cooking shrimp uses minimal stove time which is good on a hot night. Along with the tacos I made a slaw that had a spicy avocado sauce and mayo dressing. The beans were my usual combination of black beans and Rotel seasoned with salt and cumin. I heated them up in the microwave.

Posted in American, Easy, Hot weather meals, Legumes, Mexican, pescatarian, Shellfish, Southwest U.S., Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Greek salad with hummus and pita. 7/14/23

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Beebamom
Greek salad with hummus and pita

On Friday it was hot here, probably close to 100F. Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter so there is very little actual cooking going on. Nonetheless we were able to make a dinner that we all enjoyed.

My Greek salad started with a layer of assorted lettuces and herbs (fresh oregano and mint), then there was a layer of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, feta, pepperoncini, and olives. This was all dressed simply with olive oil and vinegar. In the center I put a scoop of hummus with jalapeños and served whole wheat pita on the side.

I put all the components out like a buffet and each of us fashioned our own salads. I find doing it this way makes everyone happy. When dinner was over there was not a scrap left.

Posted in Easy, Hot weather meals, Kitchen tips, Mediterranean, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment

Turkey sausage in buns with sauerkraut and chips. 7/13/23

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Beebamom

Turkey sausage in buns with sauerkraut and chips

Here is another hot weather dinner with minimal cooking. I took about 4 ounces of turkey sausage and microwaved it for two minutes. Then I split it in half length-wise and put it in two buns that I toasted in my toaster oven. I topped it with my favorite hot dog condiments, yellow mustard, relish, and onions.

For the sauerkraut I used this recipe, https://www.loavesanddishes.net/how-to-cook-canned-sauerkraut/#recipe, to improve the flavor of canned sauerkraut. I cooked it in a pan on the stove but I probably could have made it in the microwave as well.

A handful of chips completed our easy dinner. Everyone enjoyed it!

Posted in American, Easy, Hot weather meals, Poultry, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Weeknight dinners | Tagged | Leave a comment