Elisa's Eye on the World

More Dinner and Meals

My, the end of January is near and I"m glad to report on more home cooking.

• A double batch of Joy of Cooking (JOC) macaroni and cheese made two great dinners, served with spinach, sliced almond, cherry tomato salads. Four big pieces were wrapped in wax paper and stowed in a plastic freezer container.
• More JOC action with split pea soup to warm up some very wet and cold nights. A simplier variety than the Jane Brody receipe - having time to simmer is key. The leftovers were poured off into an 8 cup glass lidded container and the next night it was extra thick and hearty. Served with rustic potato rolls and a bit of cheddar.
• Half batch of Artisan pizza dough - or enough for 2 14" crusts. Splitting the measurements made my head hurt, but the dough was airy and light. I'm still waiting for a 6 quart container so I can make full recipes. But once the measuring is done it's just quick mix, set to rise then stow in fridge. No Need to Knead.
• Pizza 1 was a classic veggie: sauce, green pepper, yellow onion, fresh mushrooms with mozzerella.
• Avocado and cheese Sandwiches on Rustic Bolo Rolls. Bun toasted, cheese melted and blended avocado spread on an airy crusty roll, squished down before cutting into 1/2's or 1/4's. Quick and satisfying with a spinach salad with carrots, sliced almonds and cherry tomatoes.

Eating out is fabulous, but so expensive. Eating at home takes planning but the results are so satisfying to the tummy and purse. I hope you are able to enjoy these everyday meals in your own home.

Table for Four, Five...or is that Six?

Although I cook all the time, it's for two. This past week or so I had to opportunity to serve up dinner for travelers from Vermont, Maine and B.C. Where time permitted I did it from scratch, but sometimes the in house deli at the natural food store was the ticket.

Here's four menus for four or more that were met with rave revues, and no leftovers:

• Deli Fresh individual chicken or turkey pot pies, with a green salad of romaine, spinach, romas and red peppers. For dessert: the deli's pumpkin honey cake served with "Lady Grey" tea.
• Home made simple red pasta sauce with basil and whole wheat spaghetti, with steamed broccoli. For dessert: my home made blueberry yogurt cupkcake-like muffins with a Washington Pinot Noir.
• Home made lentil soup with long grain rice, with a green salad of romaine, hazelnuts, romas and red pepper. For dessert: chocolate cream pie from the the local pie shop. OMG!!
• Delivery "good old plain" tomato sauce and mozzarella pizza, with their house salad with garbanzo beans and a Cesar. Another one of those pumpkin honey cakes.

Pictures? Sorry, I was too busy cooking up a storm and visiting.

Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Broccoli

Lovely local Asparagus. I used the top 5 or 6" in segments. The stem party I cut in half so it cooks evenly with the delicate tips. The bottom inch goes to compost, and the rest in the fridge to add to other dishes (see Naan Pizza).

Using this recipe as a starting point I made a fresh Orzo Salad. We did not have all the ingredients on hand, and it was going to be served here, so I made my own substitutions (blue vs. feta cheese, no cilantro, sprouts, almonds or cucumers)  the recipe is a great point of reference on what goes together. So many potluck salads are bland or scary. This would be great with the avocado to bring to Shakespeare in the Park this summer.

Here's the pasts and the tender crisp greens. Because we were eating this straight away, I drained but did not rinse.

A wee blurry, sorry...added slices of Sugar Plum tomatoes and the oddly chosen toasted burger bun. I used Blue Cheese instead of Feta, just because it was on hand.

 

Guest Chef: Northwest Cold Seafood Salad

Dungeness Crab, Spot Prawn and Alaskan Smoked Salmon! The cucumber slices were quicky evacuated to my lunch companion's plate (she had the grilled vegetable salad).

And the view!

On a clear day, you would see Mount Rainier.

And here you would see an expanse of the Olympic Mountain range.

Pulling Dinners from the Freezer

Dear Readers. Sorry again for the gap in posts as my travel schedule has pulled me away from the kitchen. Now home, my energy is low and list huge of projects for cooking and fall planting.

But in the meanwhile, we must eat, and eat well. In the past few days I've brought some great homemade meals to the table straight from our freezer:

• Eggplant Parmesan. Served up last night with a salad of mixed greens, chopped carrots and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
• Lentil Soup with Rice. Really a meal in itself- so full of goodness and warmth on a dreary November night
• Vegetable pie. Made earlier this week, it never made it to the freezer. Served up with the rest of the lentil soup this made a quick, hearty weekend lunch.
• Riostto Cakes. My energy is still low, and I pulled these out for tonight, to serve with a green salad and some store-bought "Crab bite" appetizers to make it even more fancy.

They key is storing food properly in tightly sealed containers. Waxed paper is great for forming a layer to separate items,  protecting food and making it easy to remove them from icy containers.

Guest Chef #1: Maine Crab Meat Caesar Salad

Can we say wow? This was my first full day in Boston for my annual fall visit to New England.  Lunch with The Roomie at Legal Seafoods at the Pru. Usually I get the Maine Crab Roll, but I was trying to get in some greens after a day of travel the day before. The crab was perfect, the cheese was plucked to the bread plate, the rest with dabs of dressing just right.

Whole Wheat Macaroni and Cheese

The sauce: onions, flour, non-fat milk thickened with whole San Marzano tomatoes from the can simmered until broken up and full bodied.

The cheese: Two cups of New Economy big chunk of Sharp Cheddar grated in the food processor with 1/2 stowed in the freezer.

The topping: breadcrumbs made from a baguette, grated Gouda (because we were out of Parmesan) and golden flax seed. 

The pan: perfect in size and a breeze to clean up with sudsy water and a light duty scrub sponge.

The salad: Romaine with carrots and sunflower seeds. Hubs used Tahini dressing. I mixed my mac into the pasta.

Tablecloth: circa 1950 hand embroidered by my Mom! I really like how it looks with the dining room wall and rug.

Tradtional Czech Lunches: Ying and Yang

Lettuce, blue cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, walnuts: kind of refreshing after all those Margarita pizzas.

Goulash with a bland roll and pork dumplings to soak up the thick sauce.enjoyed outdoors on wooden tables and chairs in the amazingly charming castle town of Hrad Karlsteign. Tradition!

Shrimp Salad with Basil Pesto on a Toasted Bun

Another idea courtesy of NY Times "Minimalist" writer Jeff Bittman. Mix pesto with chopped red onion and salad shrimp (rinsed, drained and patted dry) for an instant meal when served on a (toasted) bun with some local green leaf lettuce.

Brown Rice Salad with Veggies and Blue Cheese

The basic idea is courtesy of Mark Bittman who writes the The New York Times "Minimalist" cooking column, but I had to add some extras. The basics are cooked brown rice (1 cup dry); a few minutes before it was done, chopped broccoli florets and slender green beans (from our garden) were placed on top of the rice, where they get nicely steamed. When done, all was dropped into a big mixing bowl, to which I added: chopped pecans, dried cranberries, chopped basil (also from our garden) along with some salt and pepper. Once plated, Blue Cheese crumbles were added to the top. Fantastic!

Two of Four Salads for the Fourth

So far, for the lovely Fourth of July weekend we have:
Basil Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas. Using some vegan (no cheese) pesto from the natural food store, I added our own fresh grated Parmesan and a bit of the boiling water used to prepare 1/2 lb. of spiral pasta. During the last minute of the pasta cooking 1/2 cup of frozen peas were added to the pot, both were drained together and added to the pesto in a large bowl. Pretty darn good.

Fruit Salad. Cut up California cantaloupe and Hawaiian pineapple.

 

Melon Salad and Yogurt with Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

The melon salad was honey dew and cantaloupe; the yogurt plain non-fat and sauce a homemade concoction of strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and orange juice - topped with chopped walnuts.

Asparagus and Pasta Salad

Based on a recipe I read online this morning, before going to the grocery store. I knew asparagus was on the list, since the season is so short. I remembered to get a nice big lemon (for juice and zest), Farfalle (butterfly shaped) pasta, and Pecorino Romano. I forgot the fresh ricotta, but it still came out great with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil drizzled in and then tossed with toasted Walnuts.

Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Pistachios

A delightful spring dish:

• Shell 3/4 cup of pistachios and stir in a preheated skillet with 1 tsp. Canola oil for a minute
• Drain on paper toweling before transferring to a small bowl with a 1 tsp. salt and a dash of Cayenne
• Prepare 1/2 lb. pasta per package directions ( bow ties are preferred but penne work well )  
• About 5 minutes before the pasta is done, toss in 2" segments of asparagus. Drain well.
• Stir in 4 oz. flaked smoked salmon and 1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil with some fresh ground pepper
• Stir in the nuts and enjoy! Adapted from The Whole Foods Cookbook.

Simple Shrimp Salad with Rustic Bread and Vegan Pesto

Lovely salad shrimp lightly rinsed and patted dry, mixed with a bit of canola mayo and chopped red onion. In-store prepared vegan (no cheese) basil pesto spread over focaccia, with some mixed greens. Stay-Cation Saturday Lunch Treat.

Shrimp Salad on a Rosemary Roll

The salad was a bit of shrimp,chopped celery,canola mayonnaise and a sprinkle of dill. The buns, toasted rosemary rolls from a local bakery. Instant Delicious!

Minimalist Potato Salad: Hold the Mayo

This delightful potato salad was one of the many side dishes at a Labor Day BBQ last week. Prepared by a friend of a friend, I knew at once this deserved a place on my blog. I have to ask him exactly how it was made - as it was right from his garden. It appears to be diced potato, carrot,sweet onion, parsley, dill and egg. No mayo. Exquisite.

Insalata Caprese Salad - Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Plate

Local beef steak tomato and basil, fresh mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, a few grinds of black pepper and light toss of salt.
Just perfect on a hot day.

Salad of field greens, baby spinach, snap peas and strawberries

D, visiting from CA took this high resolution photo of the lunch salad (before it was dressed!)

Sandwiches for our visiting guests were the Dungeness Crab Salad variety; made by combining 1/4 lb. fresh crab meat from the friendly seafood counter with a few tablespoons of canola mayo, a sprinkle of dill and bit of chopped red onion.

There was enough time for it to chill for an hour in the fridge before being served on toasted buns.

Simply Dressed Red Potato Salad with Smoked Salmon

The first of the new, or red potatoes arrived at the store last week. After boiling them until soft, they were drained and left to cool.

The dressing was haphazard, but worked out well: some Newman's Light Honey Mustard dressing, chopped basil and a few splashes of white rice vinegar. This was added to the quartered, cooled spuds.

The sides of rosemary bread and smoked salmon worked nicely with local baby greens and red onion.

Shrimp Salad in a Pocket

Saturday Lunch.  The store had wild Canadian shrimp meat for less than $5.00 a pound. Time to make sandwiches.

I rinse, drain and pat the shrimp. These are tiny, pre-cooked and ready to eat.

The salad was made by adding just a bit of canola mayo, chopped celery, red onion and fresh basil to the shrimp,. Some dried dill was sprinkled in at the end. I let it chill for a bit while eating some fruit salad.

Assemble toasted pita bread and some baby romaine lettuce. Stuff with salad. I I could not think of a complimentary cheese. Note the green plastic plates, it is finally time to eat outside.

Lasagna and Special Spinach Salad

With lasagna, defrosted overnight in the fridge late lunch was a breeze today. Salad included baby spinach, red onion and roasted red pepper, dressed with a honey vinaigrette. The lasagna was a frozen leftover from Thanksgiving.

"Caprese" Salad

Cherry tomatoes from the garden (technically these should be Roma for this salad); Basil from the garden; fresh mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil with a few grinds of salt and pepper.

Served with local Red Leaf lettuce, rustic Polenta and Orange bread and a crisp white wine.

Garden Fresh Corn and Bean Salad

With corn kernels, shaved from cobs; a can of organic salad beans and a few handfuls of chopped vegetables- we have salad!

The dressing was a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, some lemon juice and tablespoon of Newman's vinaigrette dressing.

Served with an avocado mixed up with chopped garden cherry tomatoes and pinch of cumin.  Heated, quartered flour tortillas offered the perfect method to scoop it up.

Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad with Spinach and Cranberries

Chopped red onion & celery, a bit of canola mayo and some extra virgin olive oil were added to cooked pasta and shredded smoked salmon. Served over a bed of baby spinach with dried cranberries. Seasoned with a bit of dried dill.

Cool Summer Salad Combo

Fruit, rice salad and avocado salads served up for a simply delicious summer meal.

Fruit and Rice Salads

Glass bowls with tight fitting lids are the best. Don't forget to give salads a big stir at each serving to redistribute ingredients.

Four July 4 Salads

Regular readers know, I don't prepare "traditional holiday fare."

Here's what is in the line up for the odd mid-week holiday so we can relax:

1. Fruit Salad: local strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe and kiwi - also have a few apricots and plums to eat out of hand.

2. Rice Salad: brown rice coated with a secret dressing mixed with chopped sweet peppers, and celery, topped with peanuts and bean spouts

3. Yukon Gold Potato Salad: the lightest amount of Canola mayo, chopped celery and red onion

4. Quinoa Tabbouleh: no icky cucumber. Mint, parsley, lemon juice, tomatoes

These will be staged over Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving grab and go leftovers for the rest of the week. Or at least that's the plan for now.

A Week of Lunches and Dinners to Go

So last week was vacation in a cabin with a full kitchen. Breakfasts were cereal, juice, milk and toast. Some homemade granola and yogurt were on hand too. Easy.

Lunch and dinner needs more variety, but ease of preparation after a morning of mountain bike riding is essential. Most items have their own posts here, since this is essential a "Greatest Hits" pulled from the freezer.

Here is how the week went, more or less:
Lunch
Sun - cheese and roasted pepper sandwiches in the car; fruit salad (cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon and kiwi)
Mon - rice salad and fruit salad
Tues - grilled cheese and quinoa soup
Wed - leftover fajitas from dinner out; avocado on crackers, twice roasted Yukon Gold potatoes
Thu - shown above, reheated pizza with kiwi and strawberry salad
Fri - cheese and pepper sandwiches in the car 1/2 way home

Dinner
Sun - Lasagna with steamed broccoli
Mon - Burritos with rice
Tue - dinner out in town: Chicken Fajitas
Wed - Lentil Soup with rice and cheese
Thu - Quinoa Soup with colby jack

Purchased ingredients at our destination were: 1/2 gallon milk and another loaf of whole wheat sandwich bread. Otherwise we ate what we brought, which worked out quite well.

Plain and Simple Fruit Salad

Pineapple from Hawaii, cantaloupe and strawberries  from California. Washington grown kiwi will be added later in the weekend with some bananas. Outstanding with "Very Crunchy Granola" and plain yogurt.

Pasta with Asparagus, Smoked Salmon and More

This comes together so quick, and it is so delicious. A tablespoon or two of Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette is all that was needed to dress this salad of: smoked salmon, asparagus, chopped almonds and celery.

End of Summer Pasta Salad

* fresh mozzarella, crumbled feta cheese
* red pepper, cherry tomatoes
* fresh basil, ground black pepper
* chopped walnuts, pumpkin seeds
* pasta tossed with ev olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Rice Salad

Loosely based on a recipe from Mollie's Katzen's "The New Moosewood Cookbook" this is a rice salad with fresh vegetables, nuts and raisins. A perfect non-traditional dinner for this Labor Day.

Tomato Salad with Basil, Fresh Mozz and Feta

This could have been called what's left on Monday night after making that wacky rice salad that used everything else:

* Chopped tomato * Fresh mozzarella * Feta Cheese * Fresh Basil * EV Olive Oil

Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Smoked Salmon and Hazelnuts

Everyone has their own take on spinach salad. This is my version for special occasions:

* Chopped fresh spinach
* Chopped toasted nuts, such as hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans
*Chopped dried cranberries
*Flaked smoked salmon
*Optional: chopped red onion

Dress lightly (we like Newman's Balsamic and Oil) and enjoy!