March 27th - April 2nd

SUNDAY

Pot Roast. Rolls. (Peanut Butter Brownies. Vanilla Ice Cream.)

Peanut Butter Brownies

Adapted from Butterwood Desserts, West Falls, New York via Gourmet, October 2007 (to me via Smitten Kitchen.)

Makes 32 brownies.

For brownies

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**

1/2 teaspoon salt, see note**

For ganache (Emily has declared that ganache is her favorite word!)

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.

Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Brownies keep in one layer in an airtight container three days.

MONDAY

Spaghetti. Spinach Salad.

No recipe required.

TUESDAY

White Bean & Chard Stew.

Another family favorite that comes from smitten kitchen. This is what I had planned for Saturday after Emily swam in the Junior Olympics and never got to .... I decided to do it the following week and it was perfect for this day that turned out to be rainy, cold & gloomy.

WEDNESDAY

Eat Out - Goodburger

We were all in the city, so met Rick for dinner. The kids rarely see their Dad through the week and we were at an art exhibition about 10 blocks away and finished at 5:30pm ... we had to make the most of it. Jacob begged for burgers and there's a Goodburger right on the corner near Rick's office. They have a Portobello burger for me, so that's where we headed. The Portobello burger was good, but I think the pesto overwhelmed the mushroom flavor (I love mushrooms) so if we go there again I'll ask for no pesto. The shakes were really good. I was being disciplined & didn't order one, then Jacob burst into tear at the chocolate one we popped in front of him & swore he'd asked for vanilla. We bought him a vanilla and I took the chocolate one - and slurped it down in just minutes. So much for disciplined.

THURSDAY

Chickpea Curry. Basmati Rice. Green Beans

I got this recipe from my dear friend, Margo, about 15 years ago. Even though 2 of my kids are really picky and we have a lot of different preferences between the 6 of us, we all like beans. This works well for us.

2 Tbl oil (I use olive)
2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (I usually grate it)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbl ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt

2 - 150z cans chickpea's rinsed well
1 - 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onions
Chopped fresh cilantro for top.

Heat oil in saucepan, add onion (or not) & cumin and saute. Add turmeric, coriander, paprika, salt and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce & stir for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 3/4 cup water. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro. Cook the rice, and chop the cilantro while the curry is simmering, the whole meal will take 25 minutes or so to cook.

FRIDAY

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

Rick & were heading our to a fancy-schmancy work dinner for him, so the kids had mac-n-cheese to eat before family movie night with Bek, who was babysitting.

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

4 cups pasta elbow

1/2 cup butter, divided (leave out 2 Tbsp. for crust)

6 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. dry mustard

2 tsp. salt

5 cups milk

4 cups shredded cheese (I do plain cheddar if kids are involved, but sharp cheddar would be good too)

4 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs

4Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta and drain.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter (leaving out the two Tbsp.) whisk in flour, mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

In dish, combine sauce with macaroni. In a small bowl, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter. Combine with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top of macaroni.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until top crust is golden. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

SATURDAY

Chicken Noodle Soup. French Bread.

I never use a recipe for chicken noodle soup. I just use some good organic broth and big chunks of shredded poached or roasted chicken breast. Then I add whatever I have - carrots & celery are a must, sometimes I add barley, sometimes peas. I usually add garlic, some dried onion flakes (rotating that food storage!) and parsley and thyme and fresh ground black pepper and some salt. I let it simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes then add the pasta. Sometimes I use egg noodles but more often use bow ties or small shells (which take a little longer to cook but somehow seem yummier) - just whatever is in my cupboard. When the pasta is al dente we serve it with the bread & gobble it up!


My friend Melissa gave me this recipe for french bread about a year (or more) ago. I even bought french bread baking pans. I have never made it. I always just end up running into the bakery because it's quicker. It's definitely on my "to do" list to get comfortable with this recipe, so it's just as easy as buying it.

I'll include the recipe here ... maybe you'll be better than me.

1 and 2/3 c warm water
1 tbsp dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 c flour

Slowly add yeast water mixture to dry ingredients in mixer. Mix to sticky ball. Let rise 45 minutes. Dump onto floured board and form into 2 long loaves. Place in oiled and cornmeal sprinkled French bread pans. (Melissa says she just uses cookie sheets). Make diagonal cuts in tops; pat with water. Cover. Let rise for 30 minutes. 

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Dinner this week.

It's the time of year when I tend to plan meals a week or two at a time - then switch days around as needed. This usually happens in spring (not that we are quite there yet - it snowed this morning) and because the weather in NY is notoriously un-predictable and if I plan for soup & rolls weeks in advance it will undoubtedly be 75 degrees that day!

Also, Corinne requested I be better about putting the recipes on here, and I might be able to manage that better a week at a time.

March 6th - 12th

SUNDAY

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken. Pear & Gorgonzola Salad.

This chicken is a family staple. It's easy, and everyone likes it. I especially love that Rick and the kids can whip it up on a Sunday afternoon while I am taking a nap (that certainly adds to the deliciousness.)

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

2 C crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbs Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8oz plain yogurt (I use Greek)
1/4 C melted butter

Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and seasoned salt in large large Ziploc bag. Set aside.
Coat each piece of chicken in yogurt, then toss in crumb mixture. (I slice the breasts into strips - about 4 per breast).
Arrange chicken in 9x13 pan and drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until tender.

See the post below this for the Salad recipe.

MONDAY

Linguine with Lemon & Olive Oil.

Super fast, super yummy and super easy. What more could you ask for? We ate this with leftover salad from last night. I followed the basic recipe from smitten kitchen but doubled the ingredients for the sauce (with 1 1/2 lbs linguine) used all the zest from 3 lemons and didn't add any reserved water (it seemed wet enough.) I also added a very scant amount of Parmesan cheese to the finished dish (I've decided that I should try and reduce the MASS amounts of cheese we consume around here!)

We love lemons and this was so yummy & lemony. Mmmmm.

1 pound linguine

Salt

3 lemons

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus additional for serving

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus additional for serving

Ground black pepper

Small handful fresh basil leaves, shredded

Cook linguine or spaghetti in well-salted water to your al dente tastes in a large, wide-bottomed pot. (You’ll have fewer dishes to wash if you use this pot to assemble the dish as well.)

While pasta is cooking, zest lemons until you have a little shy of a tablespoon of zest. Juice lemons — you’ll have anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. Dry out your pot, then boil the olive oil, cream, zest and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water together for two minutes over high heat. Return pasta to pot and stir until coated. Add the cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice and toss, toss, toss everything together. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if you’d like your dish a little looser. Quickly taste a strand of pasta and see if you want to add the remaining lemon juice (we did). Stir in basil or arugula and season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, drizzling individual portions with a bit of extra olive oil and sprinkling with extra Parmesan. cheese.

TUESDAY

Bronzed Sea Bass with Lemon Shallot Butter

From the Pioneer Woman

• 6 ounces, weight (to 7 Ounces) Piece Of Sea Bass, With Or Without The Skin On
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium-sized Shallot, Minced
• 1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• Kosher Salt And Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season both sides of the fish generously with salt and pepper.

Heat canola oil in a medium-sized oven-safe pan over high heat for a few minutes to let the oil get nice and hot.

Once the oil has heated up for a couple of minutes, drop the sea bass into place and let it sit there untouched for two minutes. (Don’t overcrowd the pan, as this will kill our ability to create a tasty crust on the fish.) Sear over high heat for 2 minutes, then transfer the pan into the 375-degree oven WITHOUT FLIPPING THE FISH OVER. Set the timer to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin making the lemon shallot butter sauce. Melting the butter over a medium-high heat. Add in the minced shallot and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.

When the shallots have become a little softer, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Whisk together and reduce the heat to medium until you’ve got an incredible-smelling sauce. (Skipping the shallots in this process will make a super-simple lemon butter sauce.)

Once the fish has been in the oven for 8 minutes, remove it and let it rest for a moment before serving. Take this time to remove the pin bones if your butcher didn’t do it for you.

This exact method will work well with halibut, salmon, or any other thick fish. Great results every time.

WEDNESDAY

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

Also from the Pioneer Woman Cooks. I like recipes that can be somewhat individualized, since there are so many varied tastes (AKA picky eaters) in our family. Rick, Jacob & I will eat these just this way. Emily & Jane will have it without the pineapple and Bek will eat hers sans chicken. Everyone is happy & I don't have to work hard to do it. You're welcome family!

• 8 whole Flour Tortillas
• Butter Or Margarine
• 2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
• Cilantro
• 3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

Preparation Instructions

(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)

(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You’ll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

THURSDAY

Jacob was having his 24 hour EEG. I wasn't sure how late we'd be so didn't plan dinner. A friend actually made us pasta, bread sticks & broccoli. The bread sticks were wonderful, so I asked for the recipe. Emily LOVED these &has big plans to try making them herself soon.

Bread sticks.

Makes about 20-25 bread sticks.

1 ½ cups warm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 ½ cups flour (I usually use a combination of unbleached all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour but use whatever you have on hand!)

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted (for the baking sheet)

Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread melted butter onto an 11X17-inch baking sheet. Roll out the bread stick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly if desired and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs of choice (I vary this depending on my mood but it usually consists of rosemary, basil, or thyme in some form and crushed finely) and Parmesan cheese. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

FRIDAY

Homemade Pizza

I often make my own dough, but sometimes we just buy it from our local pizza store (they sell rounds of dough for $2.)

The kids love to roll their own and add their own toppings. My favorite is tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and snipped fresh basil. Or my other favorite is fresh mozzarella covered with

thick slices of portobello mushrooms & and chunks of crumbled blue cheese. Mmmmm.

If you want to make your own dough, I love this one.

Emily has been into making pizza dough lately and uses her own preferred recipe. She makes it entirely herself. Honestly. I am usually not even in the kitchen at all and she does a great job! It's a decent pizza dough although a little too "fluffy" for me. I prefer my pizza crust thin and a little crispy on the bottom ... but the kid is making dinner for me, so what can I say?

 Emily's Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon oil

3 cups flour

Pour warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast in and let sit for five minutes. Add salt, sugar and oil and 1 ½ cup flour. Mix then add remaining flour and knead well.

* The munchkin prefers to knead this by hand, but I'm sure 5 - 10 minutes in an electric mixer would be easier. The we usually let it rise for about 30 minutes, or while we go to Lacrosse practice, or swimming, or whatever else we have going on that afternoon! When we get back to it, we punch it down & roll it out ... you know how to do the rest.

SATURDAY

We ate out. We were out late running errands & generally cramming everything that we need to do as a family into the one day we are all home .... we ended up at the pet store to get our "Millie" supplies around dinner time. It was right by a Red Lobster....

I've never eaten there before, so we thought we'd try something new. It was OK and even Bek & Em (my non-fish eaters) enjoyed their meal.