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!

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.

Arugula/Bleu Cheese/Proscuitto Wraps and English Muffin Pizzas

From the backlog: 6/14

For the appetizer: slivers of bleu cheese wrapped with baby arugula leaves and proscuitto slices.

Main course: English muffin mini-pizzas, with ham, caramelized onion, and fresh mozzarella.

Beef Fajitas with Pico de Gallo and Avocado

From the backlog: 5/23

Beef fajitas with Pico de Gallo (loosely following the Simply Recipes recipe here) and avocado slices.

Indoor Picnic!

Tonight's dinner has a backstory.

This morning I walked to the park and ended up taking the very long way home, through the zoo. While taking a break on a bench, watching a young mother trying to get her kids to eat a few bites of their lunch, I got a weird craving for a hot dog. Weird, because that hasn't happened in years. I actually tried to buy an over-priced zoo hot dog, but when the cashier took the temperature of one and said they wouldn't be ready for another ten minutes (because the hot water they were in didn't get the hot dogs hot enough yet?) I took it as a sign that I should make my own.

Fast-forward to dinner: hot dogs on the Foreman grill, roasted potato salad from Whole Foods, simple leftover grilled zucchini, and my favorite summer "salad": tomato slices drizzled with vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. And for dessert, juicy strawberries with sweetened sour cream for dipping.

Grilled Chicken and Avocado with Lime-Soy-Cilantro Sauce and Zucchini Saute

From the backlog: 6/7

I used the sauce from Simply Recipe's Seared Tuna with Avocado recipe to marinate chicken, then grilled it, and boiled the marinade to use it as a sauce. I topped the chicken with green onion and crushed peanuts and served it with brown rice, avocado, and sauteed zucchini rounds.

Baked Shrimp with Tomato-Feta Sauce

6/4
This is a great recipe from Simply Recipes. Simple, quick, tasty, and it starts with basic ingredients.

Orzo salad and quick zucchini squash

6/2
Very tasty Spinach and Orzo Salad from Simply Recipes, using a kind of spinach pesto to provide color and flavor in every bite. I think this will have to go in the rotation this summer, especially since it's very packable for dinner on class nights.

I served it with a Quick Zucchini Saute from Smitten Kitchen. My plate was very green, since I didn't think about my color palette when I was shopping for groceries.

Pizza

From the backlog: 5/29
Pizza with mushrooms, red peppers, Italian sausage, and shallots.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

Before... and after.

From the backlog: 5/20
Crunchy Baked Pork Chops from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Cook's Illustrated.

My memory is getting fuzzy on a lot of these backlog meals, but I clearly remember this being one heck of a tasty pork chop and one that I would like to recreate in the future.

Coq au Vin

From the backlog: 5/19
Coq au Vin from Simply Recipes.

Pasta Puttanesca

From the backlog: 5/18

Swordfish with Balsamic Butter Sauce

From the backlog: 5/15

Swordfish with Balsamic Butter Sauce, from the package of frozen swordfish from Whole Foods.

1 package [12 oz] swordfish steaks, thawed
1/2 cup [1 stick] unsalted butter
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp drained capers
Chopped fresh tomatoes

Simmer butter until melted in medium saucepan until deep golden brown. Remove from heat. Whisk in balsamic vinegar, honey and mustard.

Brush swordfish steaks with olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat heavy large skillet over medium/high heat. Add swordfish steaks. Saute just until opaque in the center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.

Whisk sauce over low heat to re-warm and spoon over steaks. Sprinkle with capers and chopped tomatoes.

Huevos Rancheros, Parts I and II

From the backlog: 5/11 and 5/13

Huevos Rancheros from Smitten Kitchen. So good on Monday, I made it again on Wednesday.

Maple Syrup-Glazed Pork Chops

From the backlog: 5/9

Vermont Maple Syrup Pork Chops from Simply Recipes, roasted new potatoes, and green beans. The pork chop recipe is a keeper.

Pizza

From the backlog: 5/8

Pizza with Italian sausage, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and roasted red peppers.

Chicken Thighs

From the backlog: 5/7

Grilled chicken thighs, served with brown rice and sliced avocado. I must have marinated them in something, but I can't remember.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Slaw

From the backlog: 5/4

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Slaw from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2009. Tasty, and pretty quick.

Artichoke-Olive Crostini and Poached Salmon

From the backlog: 5/3

Appetizer: Artichoke-Olive Crostini from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Mario Batali.

Main course:

Poached Salmon from Simply Recipes, served on a bed of couscous with a side of garlicky spinach.

Pizza, again

From the backlog: 4/26

Okay, so I liked this pizza dough recipe so much that I made it again, less than a week later. This time, topped with mushroom, caramelized onion, roasted red pepper, cheese, and basil.