Franks and Beans

July 6

Another simple recipe from The Minimalist column from a couple of summers ago, "101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less."

The "recipe," in full:

"54 Brown small pork (or hot dog) chunks in a skillet. Add white beans, garlic, thyme and olive oil. Or add white beans and ketchup."

I went with the garlic/thyme combination, though I also added a chopped roma tomato. It was surprisingly tasty, in a low-brow kind of way.

Taco Salad

July 5

Taco Salad from The Minimalist column from a couple of summers ago, "101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less."

Lettuce, tomato, corn, black beans, red onion, cheddar cheese, avocado, toasted corn tortilla strips, and lime-cilantro dressing. Chopping everything up (and baking the tortillas instead of buying chips) took me more than ten minutes, but it was simple.

J's Fabulous Birthday Dinner

From the backlog: 6/20

J's amazing beach weekend birthday celebration included a fabulous dinner, with everyone chipping in to bring a dish plus a main course of fresh fish from the nearby shop. Shrimp, scallops, several kinds of grilled fish, mac and cheese, salad, guacamole, veggie tray, etc.

Oh, and of course, dessert! I made a citrus cake (unfortunately, the frosting turned out strangely lumpy - moral of the story, don't try a new recipe when you're cooking for a bunch of people), and there was cherry pudding and several pies. We were definitely well fed this weekend!

Orzo salad

From the backlog: 6/25

Quick orzo salad with leftover veggies from a veggie tray and a simple lemon viniagrette dressing. Served as a side with leftover yummy fresh fish.

Quesadillas

 From the backlog: 6/23

Hungry and disappointed after seeing Terminator 4, I whipped up a quick quesadilla with black beans, roasted red peppers, red onions, and cheddar cheese.

Crispy black bean tacos with feta and slaw

From the backlog: 6/22

Crispy black bean tacos with feta and slaw from Smitten Kitchen.

Quick and tasty.

Broccoli and Ham Frittata

 From the backlog: 6/18

Take four egg whites remaining after a birthday cake used the yolks, and the desire for a quick dinner: voila! An egg-white frittata.  Filling includes sauteed onions, broccoli, bits of ham, and shredded cheddar cheese.