Weekly Menu

Recent Wooster certified top-rated recipe Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi - yum & easy!

My close college friends Rob & Lisa who recently moved to Austin invited us over for a fall dinner party last weekend.  I contributed a Pear+Craisin+Candied-Walnut Spinach Salad and Bloomin' Onion Bread (OMG this is so good I literally could eat the whole loaf).  I also chefed-up the best risotto I've yet to find, from Cooks Illustrated (March 2007) - Butternut Squash Risotto.  The time that it takes to make this risotto is WELL worth it!  Andrew shared his favorite fall>winter beer, Affligem Noël Christmas Ale.  Rob served us a slow roasted Beer Chicken & Homemade Apple Pie.  Wow, what a great night of food, friends, & delicious drinks!

My goal for this week is to host Rob & Lisa for homemade pasta so I can finally put to use my Kitchen Aid Mixer Pasta Attachment. 

I hope mine turns out this pretty

Otherwise, this week I'm serving up hamburgers & sweet potato fries, blue cheese stuffed chicken with Buffalo sauce (Cooking Light, March 2010), and masala salmon with basmati pea rice.  

Weekly Menu

We went camping last weekend and had a blast with old friends & new!  We camped out at Pace Bend Park on Lake Travis.  Even though the lake is a whopping 35 feet below average level (!!!) I was able to do some kayaking.

very dry Lake Travis

grotto

Smokey made some friends:  Leo & Mia (sleeping with her tongue sticking out)

Smokey & Andrew in front of our homestead

Andrew is in full marathon training mode (we now have a separate budget to cover his food intake over the next several months) and he stuck to his training program running 9 miles, while I ran 6 miles.  I brought along my famous beer bread (Cooking Light, November 2008) and a newly discovered brownie (King Arthur Flour) to share.  Another culinary treat I enjoyed this weekend *drum roll*:  s'mores made with Reese's PB cups (in place of Hershey's chocolate, of course)!

On our menu for this week:

Poached Salmon (Cooks Illustrated, May 2008) with Quinoa & Roasted Broccoli (Cooks Illustrated, January 2008)

Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas with Homemade Guac

Herb Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Zuchinni & Garlicky-lemony Noodles

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi with Quinoa & Steamed Broccoli

Weekly Menu

I've made some great dishes the past few weeks.  I find LOTS of recipes on Pinterest these days...I think it's the pictures that make me drool, then leading me to cook ;)

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Avacado Fries

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Baked NYC Brownies

Oh yeah, I'm addicted to chai tea.  Here's the recipe to the concentrate I make with the spices I got from India.  SO easy. Drink it hot or cold (depending on the funky weather here in TX)

Weekly Menu & North Carolina

We're baaaack...from a wonderful wedding weekend in North Carolina celebrating Brandon & Miranda!  We drove through lush green countryside and mountains on the way to Asheville - what a treat!  Andrew was a groomsman in the wedding, as he was roommates and friends with Brandon at UT (note the Tennessee orange tie that Andrew's wearing).  Brandon was also a groomsman in our wedding!  Tis the season for weddings.  We have 2 more to attend this year!

Firstly, after a weekend of gluttony (re: made to order crab cakes & baked brie at the reception - YUM) I am ready to start healthy eating again!  Secondly, I rediscovered TONS of recipes from Real Simple & Cooking Light magazines that I have saved over the years (my mom would be proud).  I went through them and ripped out all the pages of recipes that I will actually cook (my mom would NOT be proud) and put them in a lil' binder for easy access.

Here's what we're eating this week...

CM Goat Cheese Ravioli with a Tomato, Spinach, Artichoke Sauce (that I whipped up!)

Summer Vegetable Frittata (Cooking Light June 2010)

Open Face Caprese Sandwiches

Baked Cod, Broccoli, and Vinaigrette Quinoa

Dijon Salmon Cake with Couscous (Real Simple August 2010)

Taco Salad! (Andrew requested I make these because it was a frequent meal growing up in the Wooster house)

Weekly Menu

Well, we put the CSA on hold - Andrew is going to look into getting a 1/2 batch of veggies.  It only lasted a month but I learned a lot:  how to roast beets, pulled some old zucchini recipes out of the box, how to cook with eggplant but mostly that farm fresh veggies taste SO good.

Our best dish last week was the Veggie Wraps with Pesto and Goat Cheese.  This is what Beth fixed for us for my lovely shower in Chicago.  So yummy and brought back wonderful girly memories! 

This Week:

Salmon with Blistered Tomatoes, Herbed Cracked Wheat, and Pesto'ed Zucchini & Onions

Tamales & Gazpacho

Thai Stir-Fry

Breakfast Tacos for Dinner

Fourth of July Indulgences at Uncle Jeff's

Happy Birthday Mom and Happy 4th of July Everybody!!

Weekly Menu

I was a busy-bee cooking this weekend to use up all of our vegetables!  What should I do with a head of cabbage???

In store for this week...

Eggplant & Chicken Parmesan (Cooks Illustrated Light) with Carrot+Zucchini "Fettuccine Alfredo"

Garden Vegetable Pasta (Cooks Illustrated Light)

Grilled Veggie Wraps with Pesto & Goat Cheese and Strawberry Spinach Salad

Soho Crusted Salmon with Banana Pepper Quinoa & Gazpacho (Cooks Illustrated Light)

Cabbage Dish! (Something Asian?!)

"Date Night Special" :)

Weekly Menu

The BEST Blueberry Muffins were baked this weekend!  Our friends and future Austin neighbors Rob & Lisa were visiting this weekend, so what a great opportunity to show off my baking skills ;)  This will definitely be my new "go-to" muffin recipe - chock full of yummy fruit!! 

Here's what I plan to dine on this week:

Carmelized Salmon & Green Beans Amondine

Roast Pork (in the Crock Pot) with Roasted Broccoli

Goat Cheese & Spinach Quesadillas (had them at Iron Cactus this weekend and I bet I can make copy-cat recipe)

Tamales & Black Beans

Roasted Vegetable & Hummus Tart

Weekly Menu

We have not eaten any recipes that we consider keepers in a week or so - hopefully this week will be yummier!!

I forgot:  I did make King Ranch Chicken for the second time ever last week and this version turned out way better than my previous attempt.  The secret is green enchilada sauce, I think. 

The Plan:

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts (Cooking Light May 2010), Red Bell Pepper Rice, & Broccoli

Soy Chorizo & Egg Breakfast-for-Dinner Tacos with Refried Black Beans

Parmesean Crusted Chicken/Tofu & Spring Onion Pasta (Cooking Light May 2010)

Chicken/Tofu Stir Fry

Blueberry Muffins (Thanks Susan!)

Weekly Menu

Our favorite dish last week - Carmelized Salmon!  Pretty easy (the hardest part was finding all the ingredients - had to go to Central Market) and OH SO YUMMY!  Definitely our new favorite salmon recipe too, thanks Court5203 :)

This week we're having...

Mediterranean:  hummus, tabouli, grilled chicken & spinach

Curried Coconut and Chicken Soup (in the Crockpot)

Veggie Lasagna & Salad

Pizza-dillas

(Packaged) Lobster Ravaoli with TBD Sauce :)

Leftovers

Weekly Menu

Last week I learned that if you cook for 4 people when only 2 people eat a meal - you have lots of leftovers.  Also lots of leftovers after the delicious Easter feast, means that Becky didn't cook as much as she thought she would!  That's OK - I've been busy at work.


I made my best pizza ever yet last week - Pear, carmelized onion, gorgonzola & walnut - mmm, mmm! Andrew made classic pepperoni & mushroom with carmelized onions. 

On tap this week...

Ham, Broccoli, & Cheese Calzones (www.goodlifeeats.com)

Migas & Black Beans

Herbed Chicken & Artichoke (from our new CrockPot!) and Polenta

Carmelized Salmon (from Central Market, thanks Court!) and Fresh Herb Rice

Make Your Own Hamburgers/Veggieburgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Leftovers

Weekly Menu

My first and foremost goal as a married woman is to keep my man happily & healthily nourished.  Here's what we plan to have at the dinner table this week...

Cheese & Herb Chicken/Tofu with zucchini and Italian bread with dipping  oils

Tamales (practically coming out of our ears - left over from the wedding) with Mexican rice and black beans

Make Your Own Pizza

Shrimp Pad Thai (Cooking Light recipe)

Poached Salmon (Cook's Illustrated recipe) with Maccaroni & Cheese and salad

Herbed Artichoke Chicken (from our new CrockPot!) with Polenta and salad

Easter Ham with pot luck with friends!