<p>our go to–pesto made from basil frozen last summer. I can still pretend that seasonal food is available!</p>
<p>Oven beef stew and homemade oatmeal bread</p>
<p>Homemade beef empanadas with a green salad. </p>
<p>The empanadas are an experiment. Never had or made them before. Not sure if it’s worth all the work. I might make them again if I could find a local store that sells pre-pressed empanada dough. (Next time the filling will be spicy chicken & calabacitas or butternut squash & black beans.)</p>
<p>I also made up the marinade for Garlic and Lime Peruvian chicken and have a chicken marinating away for Sunday dinner.</p>
<p>Also grilled eggplant, summer squash and onions for paninis later in the week.</p>
<p>Red lentil and squash curry. Okay, but not a keeper.</p>
<p>Ended up making a homemade thin crust pizza with some meat and veggie toppings. And a strawberry-banana-raspberry smoothie. It hit the spot!</p>
<p>Not the healthiest of dinners but…since my DS is home for the night with college friends, I made Tortellini Carbonero, garlic bread and salad. Yum</p>
<p>Goya makes the premade empanada dough. Its usually in the ethnic frozen section of the store.</p>
<p>^^I’ve looked but no luck with empanada dough. I might stop at El Mezquite market on the way home from work next week, though.</p>
<p>I use Pillsbury biscuit dough for the Brazilian version of empanadas. Hardly authentic, but very fast.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I am on a hiatus from cooking anything, as we are renovating the kitchen and it will be at least six more weeks before we’re up and running. </p>
<p>It’s made me realize that I really really enjoy cooking. I miss it.</p>
<p>Swordfish, spinach and roasted cauliflower.</p>
<p>Chicken marsala, caesar salad, bread. Cheesecake (for hubby’s BD) for dessert. Yum.</p>
<p>Brushed the snow off the grill and cooked a boneless pork roast. Made a Cuban Mojo Criollo sauce: 1/2 cup meyer lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, head of garlic minced, thin sliced vidalia onion, salt, pepper.</p>
<p>Made spice broccoli slaw for my side dish.</p>
<p>Fantastic.</p>
<p>
A Chinese roommate (who had spent the cultural revolution years being forced to be a baker) used to use it to make bao tzu. </p>
<p>I’m just hear to boast because dh raved about tonight’s dinner. It was one course from an amazing meal we had at a 3 Michelin star restaurant for our first wedding anniversary 28 1/2 years ago. Steamed salmon on a bed of spinach with a red wine reduction sauce. The sauce is what makes the dish so good. I didn’t have either beaujolais or port which the recipe called for so instead I used a mix of pinot noir, marsala and brandy. But bascially I boiled 2 big shallots in about three cups of liquor (2/3 of it pinot noir) until the liquid was almost gone then stirred in a stick of butter. I know, I know, that’s why it’s so good! We only used half the sauce so it’s not quite as evil as it sounds.</p>
<p>White Chicken chili with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream. Corn bread on the side. #2D and her BF are home for the holiday weekend and we had some nice conversation around the dinner table.</p>
<p>That’s comforting to know, mathmom! And your salmon sounds divine.</p>
<p>I have about 2-3 cups of nice ripe grape tomatoes that I would like to turn into some sort of sauce to serve with perhaps chicken tonight- any ideas for me???</p>
<p>mathmom,</p>
<p>That salmon sounds similar to one of my favorite dishes I kind of stumbled on – </p>
<p>Salmon in parchment with Rosemary, lemon, S&P, splash of white wine – steamed for about 20 minutes. Serve over a big plate of blanched fresh spinach, sauteed with a little olive oil, butter and shallots or garlic. Then braised red cabbage, if I’m overachieving with a bit of maple syrup.</p>
<p>It’s healthy but you don’t care because it is so yum.</p>
<p>I’m curious about the red wine in a sauce for salmon. May try that out.</p>
<p>I hate to admit it, but many times it’s a frozen dinner when my H is not at home. Very rarely do I cook just for myself.</p>
<p>^^Very Happy: Enjoy not cooking for a while! However I don’t know any reno that actually finishes on time…hope in your case it does! :)</p>
<p>Aquamarinesea: They do have frozen dinners that are more gourmet than they used to be…but I LOVE cooking for myself when my H is not home! I tend to eat a bunch of things he wouldn’t eat like Quinoa, zucchini, eggplant dishes, etc.,etc. I find cooking to be relaxing and have fun experimenting!</p>
<p>Tonight a steak with a marinade I found off “The Chew” that involves Balsamic Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Garlic, etc…with sweet potato wedges and homemade cup of vegetable soup to begin with.</p>
<p>I just came from Trader Joes and Whole Foods so I will spend tomorrow roasting two packages of Brussel Sprouts with walnuts and other goodies and I also bought a bunch of Beets I’ll roast and then make a Honey Citrus type glaze…to nosh on these items during the week!</p>