Preparing the polenta at a 6:1 ratio gives you almost a sauce. It is surprisingly delicious with broccoli. That’s why I steamed A LOT! On one side of the fish are the florets and on the other, the chopped up stems. The tilapia is simply seasoned and roasted in a 400F oven for 12 minutes.
The Kenwood Restaurant closed 10 years ago but before they did we asked for and they graciously gave us the recipe for their delicious Kenwood shrimp. We make it every once in a while and it is delicious.
Last night we treated ourselves to a bit more cream in the sauce. Usually we only use two ounces and make up the rest of the volume with shrimp stock or clam juice. The original recipe calls for a cup of cream. We probably used 6 ounces plus the shrimp stock. There were three of eating and everyone enjoys more sauce.
When I eat pasta I like to have a big portion. But too much pasta blows my calorie allotment. In tonight’s dinner I solved that in two ways. First I shredded some cabbage to about the same width as the fettuccine and gave it a brief cook in the spaghetti sauce. It retained some of its crunch for a nice textural difference. Second I put my pasta on a big bed of kale. So I increased the volume of my dinner in a healthy, interesting way.
I had never tried the cabbage trick before. Both John and I liked it a lot. The sweetness and slight crunch of the cabbage was a great counterpoint to the acidity of the tomato sauce. I think we will use cabbage in future pasta dishes!
Finishing up our weekend leftovers, I added some additional lettuce and cabbage to a bagged salad and John made new matzoh balls for the chicken vegetable soup I made yesterday.
The soup was less successful. It came out kind of murky and the new matzoh balls that John made were dense and dry.
We are done with leftovers now. I am glad we did not waste any food but I am ready for something new tomorrow!
This dinner is actually the leftovers from Saturday. We served the lamb cold on Monday rather than risk overcooking it. The potatoes and asparagus were simply heated carefully in the microwave. I would say that the dinner was almost as good as the original. All the exclamations about not being able to hold mashed potatoes or reheat them without double boilers or slow cookers seemed really not to matter. So no work and a really nice dinner nonetheless.
On Saturday we had our Passover celebration. Not the right day but it was when we could all get together. John and I spent a lot of time making our festive dinner and making our table look inviting to our family.
Of course in the hustle of getting everything on the table I forgot to take a picture of the food except for the matzoh ball soup! Our main course was grilled boneless leg of lamb, mashed potatoes, asparagus with sauce Grabiche, and macaroons, homemade, for dessert.
The soup comes from a Manischewitz box but with our own spin. John whips the egg whites to make the matzoh balls fluffy and also adds baking powder and baking soda. I chopped up a bunch of vegetable to add in as well. Everybody seemed pretty pleased with the dinner and I am happy to have leftovers for the beginning of next week.
Now on to Easter today! We are celebrating at our daughter-in-law’s parents’ house. They are having roast ham, scalloped potatoes, and some vegetable along with pies. Celebrating dual holidays is fun and tasty but hard on the waistline!
Now
How can you make a creamy clam chowder light? I use only 1/4 cup of cream which works out to be about 1 tablespoon per person and I add russet potatoes instead of waxy ones. Russet potatoes break down slightly in the soup giving it a creamier texture.
Here is my updated recipe. It makes 4 servings.
I have never put Brussels sprouts in pasta before. I figured that if I regularly make pasta with broccoli and Brussels sprouts are in the same family, why not?! I sliced each sprout in three pieces through the root end. First I sautéed the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. When the pasta was almost done I added the Brussels sprouts, about one half cup pasta water, and a pat of butter. The lid went on the pot and they cooked for a couple of minutes. Then we drained the fusilli and added it to the vegetables along with a little more reserved pasta water. Stir it around and it’s finished except for a sprinkling of cheese. Delicious!
This bowl is filled with delicious goodness. Although you cannot see the rice layer, I made a combination of brown, red, and wild rices mixed with riced cauliflower. Healthy and delicious! My bowl is filled with fiber from edamame, cucumber, and cabbage. Plus it includes heart healthy avocado. I chose shrimp tonight as the protein but this dish is equally as good with salmon or tofu.
The dressing for the bowl is basically soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, minced ginger, scallions, and garlic plus a little sesame oil. Out on our buffet bar I put olive oil for anyone who wants more oil, thinly sliced Fresno chiles, furikake, cilantro, and lime. Everyone enjoys making up their bowl to their own specifications.
Omnivore 