Tuscan Lemon Muffins

How did I never realize how OBNOXIOUS poppyseeds are in lemon muffins? As it turns out, seedless lemon muffins are delicious! This recipe, in particular, adds depth and texture to the muffin batter via ricotta cheese and olive oil, which also cut the sharpness of the lemon. Although what greatly saddens me is seeing what counts for a "light" muffin... this is why I never check the Starbucks nutrition labels.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Grilled Halibut with Mango-Avocado Salsa

I'm going to kind of gloss over the Gwyneth-ness of this recipe and the June 2011 issue of bon appetit. Because the really important thing is that I really like this halibut, and actually really loved this peach barbeque sauce too.

The halibut is prepared simply in the way that you can when you have expensive ingredients like halibut and mango and avocado. But it's also prepared simply in that way that screams that you're eating something incredibly fresh and healthy and a only little pretentious. So very Gwyneth, and so very delicious. But maybe next time, with some jalapeno to make it a real salsa?

Cranberry Scones

Ever since The Royal Wedding and my watch group's city-wide hunt for clotted cream (multiple stores sold out!) I've been craving more scones. My mom picked up the "Tried and True" cookbook from the Southmoreland on the Plaza B&B in Kansas City, and there's a great simple recipe for cranberry scones in there. It's pretty basic -- flour, butter, cream, almond and vanilla extracts and dried cranberries. I'm a sucker for anything with butter and almond extract, and I love how it help keeps baked goods tasting fresh for an extra day or so. We used a large scoop to make the scones; the bowl held just shy of a quarter cup.

Anyway, I don't know why, but scones are just one of those things that only taste good at fancy tea rooms -- any time I buy them at Starbucks or the bakery they are incredibly stale. Exciting that it was so easy to make them!

Perfect Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs

Sometimes it seems like all I do is make chicken for dinner. I do make chicken for dinner pretty frequently (twice a week or so)-- it's easy, and cheap, and slightly more healthy than other animal proteins. It's the original white meat! But it gets boring. I could eat a nice NY strip with just salt and pepper (like my husband grilled last night!) one a week, every week, but even my favorite chicken recipes get stale unless 6 weeks or so pass by in between each preparation. Thus, why I'm always seeking new ones, and therefore blogging about them.

The much talked about Gwyneth bon appetit had a bold cover advertisement for the crispiest chicken EVER. Once I got past the Gwyneth-ness of the issue, I spent some time with the recipe for perfect pan roasted chicken thighs, which is less a recipe and more a guide to perfect technique. The instructions jump around like chicken calisthenics -- cook skin-side down in skillet -- lower heat -- roast in oven -- flip -- rest. Instead of going with my instincts, I tried to follow the recipe to the letter the best I could. On my own, I definitely would not have gone the full 12 minutes in the pan; I was terrified the chicken would burn, but it actually just turned a deep, golden brown. End result? Restaurant worthy chicken thighs. And I may not be able to wait another 6 weeks for this one...

Parmesan Polenta and Spicy Sausage Sauce

Putting a reminder here to have parmesan polenta and spicy sausage sauce many, many times next winter when I am searching for filling, creamy, earthy, warm foods (that aren't one million calories). This is a simple, quick-cooking tomato sausage sauce, using chicken sausage. I used sweet Italian, since Central Market didn't have sun-dried tomato in their house-made selection, and broke the sausage up into meatballs, since sliced sausage grosses me out (and also, I don't know that that would have worked well with their chicken sausage, which is pretty loose). I used 3 links, which is about a pound. I realize this is substantially more than the recipe, but I am determined that 3 oz. is a typo. Anyway, I got really inspired by the chicken sausage, since it's such a great way to disguise that you are (hopefully, depending on which brand it is) serving boneless skinless chicken breasts again.

Greek Lamb Chops and Mint Yogurt Sauce

Can I, in the same post, say that this lamp chop recipe was great, and yet, I don't think I'll make it again? I hesitate because the pictures turned out beautifully and the nutritional stats are great for a lamb dish. The rub helped the lamb chops sear perfectly, and the yogurt sauce was light and nicely complementary. But the loin chops were fairly pricey and the parsley flavor became too strong by the time I got to the second half of the salad. Were I to make it again, I may use a less expensive cut of lamb, even if there was a slight increase in fat and calories, and use a combination of parsley and mixed greens in the salad.

Peach and Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza

(The first of a trio of Cooking Light weeknight recipes- their May 2011 issue is chock-full of bright and summery dinners!)

A second recipe to add to my fake California Pizza Kitchen collection: Peach and Gorgonzola Chicken Pizza. Three really strong flavors, gorgonzola, balsamic and arugula, balanced against mild sweet peaches, pizza crust and shallots, add up to a tasty and interesting pizza. Every bite brought out different notes! (Yes, I did end up spearing pizza and salad on the same fork, although my husband ate them separately).

With all pizza, the trick is really in how to most efficiently prep the ingredients. I didn't have a great plan for doing the chicken, and ended up poaching it. Next time I think I'd use leftover chicken, or throw a full breast (which is more than 1 cup) on the grill the night before. Meanwhile, the prebaked pizza crust was a huge time-saver, but wasn't worth it for me. I may try a different brand next time (I used Rustic Crust Organic Originale) or I may spend extra time and use unbaked dough.

Slow Cooker Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

This recipe is one from my Thanksgiving cooking magazine binge. I would have never guessed including salsa-- but somehow, the heat in the salsa is balanced out in the end with the cumin, cider vinegar and brown sugar, and it blends in nicely. The greatest thing about this recipe is that the slow cooker eliminates the need to actually pull the pork. By the end of the cooking time, it shreds with little help. The juices drip everywhere and soak into the bun (this is a good thing). As described by Fine Cooking, "You'll need...lots of napkins."

The sweet potatoes are an easy fix from Men's Health (buried at the bottom of the pork kebab recipe): sweet potato, salt, olive oil, chili powder, done.

Pork Loin with Mustard Sauce and Sauteed Squash

The mustard sauce for this June 2011 Real Simple recipe is eerily reminiscent of another RS favorite-- the steak with roasted carrots and onions. Accordingly, next time I would deglaze the pan a bit with white wine prior to adding the mustard and parsley. I used a smaller pork loin - about a pound- and it was required less than 30 minutes of oven time, which was a big help when confronted with a hungry husband :)

Shrimp with Spiced Masala and Coconut Milk

Shrimp masala is a recipe from a friend that originated in an old bon appetit. Two great things about this recipe: first, you can make the masala the night before, which means dinner comes together in a snap when you get home on a weeknight, and second, you could easily substitute another protein for the shrimp. The gravy is fragrant and mild, very typical of what you'd find at an Indian restaurant in the U.S. Serve with naan, and you're done!

Caramelized French Toast with Cinnamon and Berries

Um, yum. This recipe ups the crunchy outside, pudding-y inside deliciousness of French toast by the nth degree by using brown sugar butter. The caramelized brown sugar produces a beautiful toffee color on the toast surface as well. What I really love is that the ingredients that make the difference here are simple pantry ingredients-- brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg-- that take only a few minutes to add. The only downside here is the time to soften butter; I find there is rarely an hour prior to breakfast to let butter sit. The first time I made this I made the butter ahead of time and refrigerated, which doesn't quite work because you need the butter soft in the second application after you flip the toast over. Although I hate doing it, I think this calls for the microwave.

Cacio e Pepe

Still heart-ing the bon appetit pasta article... this time, the cacio e pepe, or cheese and pepper pasta. The recipe was even simpler than the pasta al pomodoro-- literally, it's pasta, cheese, salt, pepper and butter. As a result I have nothing to add, other than it's 7:45 a.m. and I would eat a plate of this right now if it were in front of me.

Real Simple Four-Week Dinner Plan: A Summary

The four weeks, annotated:

Week 1

Day 1: Roasted tilapia, potatoes and lemons. Best way to make a cheap fish sophisticated.

Day 2: Penne with tomatoes, eggplant and mozzarella. Summer eggplant parmesan.

Day 3: Turkey burgers with creamy romaine slaw. Best turkey burgers we've ever had!

Day 4: Pork cutlets with spicy noodles. Weirdest combo that worked.

Day 5: Steak with roasted carrots and onions. My introduction to tarragon, and my second favorite recipe of the group.

Week 2

Day 1: Curry shrimp and snow peas. Most photogenic.

Day 2: Lamb meatballs with couscous and feta. Truly a fresh take on Greek meatballs.

Day 3: Red currant-glazed chicken with spinach. Great spinach preparation alternative to my standby of garlic, lemon and olive oil.

Day 4: Chorizo and potato tacos with black bean salsa. Hands-down favorite.

Day 5: Ravioli with Brussels sprouts and bacon. This recipe was just too random; I couldn't make it.

Week 3

Day 1: Chicken paprikash. "When Harry met Sally" chicken.

Day 2: Shrimp with white beans and toast. As we discovered the second time around, the toast is essential.

Day 3: Asian beef and mango salad. Asian taco salad!

Day 4: Mushroom and herb strata. Delicious, but does not lend itself to leftovers... friends?

Day 5: Balsamic-glazed pork with lentils. Not making this again.

Week 4

Day 1: Roasted pork chops with polenta. My introduction to polenta. Love!

Day 2: Salmon with potato salad. Now my go-to salmon recipe.

Day 3: Seared steak with cauliflower puree. A series of unfortunate events only led to a messy kitchen and the conclusion that I do not like green olives with steak.

Day 4: Sweet potato and Brie flat bread. California Pizza Kitchen, at my house.

Day 5: Cajun chicken with collard greens. Wherein I triple the seasonings by 3 times and find success.

So, more than six months after I started, my October 2010 Real Simple issue is wrinkled and torn up, I've become more adventurous in trying recipes based on how adaptable they are for weeknights even if I wouldn't normally select them otherwise and I'm working on making complementary sides, instead of using frozen vegetables. Although there were a few busts, I've made most of these recipes more than a few times. Definitely more success from this issue than most cookbooks!

Pork Cutlets with Spicy Noodles

Week 1, day 4.

Maybe this recipe doesn't really go together-- Italian-ish breaded pork cutlets with super spicy asian noodles-- but, what the heck. The pork cutlets with panko crumbs are almost like crunchy chow mein bits on top of the udon noodles, which have great flavor from being boiled in chicken stock. The recipe is so fast and simple I only have a couple of notes-- use a green jalapeno, de-seeded, to tone down the spice, and use sliced button mushrooms since they'll keep longer in the fridge.

Pasta al Pomodoro

O.m.g.

Who else got the fabulous May 2011 bon appetit Italy Issue? This is the pasta on the cover, from an amazing article called "Pasta Perfect: a BA cooking manifesto." bon appetit, this is what you should be doing every issue: putting together an article based on skills the home cook can use to elevate the featured dish to restaurant quality. One of my favorite quotes: "It's a unified, flavor-packed dish, not a bowl of noodles with a bunch of sauce dumped on top." So true! Why have I never noticed that I dump at home, but restaurants blend sauce and pasta together?

And the gushing continues: never again will I underestimate a simple pasta with pomodoro sauce. The sauce, made with only olive oil, onion, garlic, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, basil and parmesan, was simple and classic, yet also tangy, spicy, creamy and fresh. The sauce took a bit of time to put together, but for me, from now on, this is it. No cheating, no substitutes.

Next up from this article? The cacio e pepe. Can't wait!

Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Mozzarella

Week 1, day 2. (Are we done yet? Almost.)

From here on out I am referring to this recipe as deconstructed eggplant parm. Not sure why I didn't pick up on this from the ingredients-- tomato, eggplant, mozzarella, pasta, olive oil, garlic-- but I didn't, and it was a total surprise when I took my first bite. Yum! Just a smidge lighter than classic eggplant parm; summertime eggplant parm, if you will? The mint leaves help add to the freshness.

Since I wasn't on board yet with the final form this would take, you could understand my confusion about what to do with the mozzarella cubes. Should they go in the hot pasta? Or should it cool a little so they could maintain their shape? The answer is the former, as the gooey mozzarella strings really connect this dish. One note, although my husband disagrees, if you've bought a block of mozzarella that is 0.6 pounds, instead of 0.5 pounds, don't just throw the extra in; it's too much cheese!

Maple-Glazed Pork Chops with Toasted Pecans

From Food & Wine's Thanksgiving issue last year, a new pork chop favorite: Maple-Glazed Pork Chops with Toasted Pecans. I can't really add description to the name: these pork chops are simply grilled, covered with a glaze for the last few minutes of cooking and sprinkled with toasted pecans. The recipe makes 12 (!) but is fine cut into fourths for those of us not running ski lodges in Vermont (I think that was what the associated article was about).

I don't have much more to say about this recipe, except that it reminds me of this maple-glazed chicken my mom used to make. She went out of town once and I tried to recreate it for my dad and brother using the recipe and it tasted nothing like hers. Come to find out, she'd thrown out the recipe and just started covering chicken breasts with straight maple syrup and baking them. Her version was better. (But I wouldn't try that instead of these! The mustard, cider vinegar, rosemary and Sriracha provide a real enhancement to the maple syrup flavor.)

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Thai Coconut Sauce

The first time I made this grilled mahi mahi from Bon Appetit's July 2010 issue I almost chickened out midway through. Clam juice does not smell good; neither does fish sauce. Also, the "Dinner in Half an Hour" tag is a lie, and it became painfully apparent that my rice had cooked past the point of eatability while I was prepping the first seven ingredients. But! I perservered, and I would like to tell all the clam juice-hating commenters on epicurious.com to try this recipe again as written. Give the sauce the full amount of time to reduce (8 to 9 minutes wasn't enough for me; try 12-14) and you will be rewarded with a complex, spicy, authentic Thai-style sauce that wakes up the mellow mahi mahi and rice. Their cooking time for the mahi mahi was also accurate for my grill pan on medium high; both times I've made this I've wanted to take it off early, and then realized the center of the fish hadn't quite cooked through. 2 teaspoons of serrano chile is very spice; I think I'll try 1 1/2 next time. If you want something mild, I'd try 1/2 teaspoon instead of the full teaspoon. Another note as to proportion: because the sauce is so yummy, I prepare this as a two-serving meal, using the same sauce measurements but 14 to 16 ounces of fish. I know this sounds gluttonous, but per Bon Appetit's measurements, 2 servings of the recipe as prepared is only 438 calories, and my version with a smaller portion of fish would be slightly less than that (plus calories for rice, obviously, but still not a bad dinner count).

Red Currant-Glazed Chicken with Spinach

Week 2, day 3. (I'm nearing the end of this series... should have a wrap-up post in the next few weeks!)

Easy variation on roast chicken. I didn't blog about it the first go-around because I used a rimmed baking sheet, as directed, and cleaning up the baked-on redcurrant glaze was a nightmare. It's actually good that I didn't write about it then, because I've experimented a bit on this recipe after 2 more tries. Now I use a ceramic baking dish, covered in foil. I also use Bonne Maman redcurrant jelly, which was recommended separately in this issue of Real Simple; 1 jar will work for 2 of these recipes. Use a full teaspoon of the red pepper flakes if you'd like to taste the red pepper flavor. Instead of chicken pieces, I buy a whole roaster so I can save the rest for stock. I find that 10 ounces of spinach is woefully inadequate for 4 servings-- try 2. Next time I really need to remember that, and also that I need to buy a new basting brush, since my husband left ours outside on the grill for 3 weeks. Once discovered, that went straight in the garbage.

Hello Dolly!

"Well, hello, Dolly...."

Can't help singing that tune when I make these cookie bars from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook :) (also known as 7-layer bars, due to their 7 ingredients). These are ridiculously easy, especially if you cheat and buy graham cracker crumbs pre-done like I did. In fact, now that I think about it, I'm kind of shocked that you can't buy a mix for these. Just add butter!

Next time I want to try peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch-- the recipe doesn't use the full bag, and I've got nothing else to use the butterscotch chips for.

Slow Cooker Curried Chicken with Ginger and Yogurt

(In which I consider whether to rename this blog, "I Cook the Recipes from Real Simple").

As a preface, since I'm preparing another slow cooker meal for tomorrow, I usually only do slow cooker meals if my husband is working from home, as he sometimes does. I find it incredibly stressful to put something together in the morning, and usually 7-8 hours is nowhere near the length of my normal workday, so I end up combining what ingredients I can the night before and leaving him instructions to start around lunchtime. For this recipe, I combined all of the non-chicken ingredients from step 1 and put them in the fridge next to a plastic bag of chicken thighs (I only used 8-- I wanted a little less protein). I then handled steps 3 and 4 when I got home.

Anyway, I'm always kind of amazed when these recipes work, but lo and behold, thick gravy, incredibly tender chicken and a gentle spice. I happen to really enjoy jasmine rice, and it was perfect here.

Sweet Potato and Brie Flat Bread

Week 4, day 4.

First I just have to say: I appreciate the sophistication of the word "flat bread," but I'm pretty sure California Pizza Kitchen would call this a pizza. And if you would have handed me a slice of this and told me that it came from there, I would have believed you.

Second I would add: this recipe is kind of embarrassingly easy, but it can be made even simpler with 2 important tools: a knife specially made for slicing soft cheese (with holes in the middle, so the cheese doesn't stick) and a mandolin for thinly slicing the sweet potato. Note to self: buy a mandolin.

Third thing? Some third-party endorsements: my veggie-skeptic husband asked for seconds, and when I reheated at work the next day, two randoms stopped me to say how good it smelled.

Fourth, since this was the fourth recipe of the fourth Real Simple week, I finally researched the question of whether "one shallot" was the whole thing, or just one section. Apparently, it's the whole thing-- about 3 tablespoons.

Salmon with Potato Salad

Week 4, day 2. (See here for the start of series)

Another week 4 recipe that I've made for the second time: Salmon with Potato Salad. (not to be confused with the many other recipes that come up on Real Simple when you google "real simple salmon watercress horseradish." seriously.)

This is actually really simple. [Groan here.] I think the key is to get really fresh, fleshy pink salmon, since the seasoning on the salmon itself is minimal. I am very partial to Coho salmon, myself, versus Atlantic salmon. Because I love horseradish (which, if you didn't know, is basically wasabi), I used Inglehoffer's Extra Hot horseradish sauce in the potato salad. I've also made the potato salad both ways: whole potatoes and sliced. The sliced new potatoes can get a little sludgy, but are a much better option if you want to shorten cooking time. Another help is to prep the salad ingredients before you start the salmon (there's time) so you can use only one cutting board.

Cauliflower Curry Soup

My last soup hurrah for the year, as part of Mark Bittman's "Creamy, Brothy, Earthy, Hearty" NY Times Article, was the cauliflower curry soup. If this article would have been published last October, I'm pretty sure I would have cooked from it for weeks. Sadly, it's in the 80s here, so I'll hold on to the other options for a few months. In fact, this recipe would have likely floundered in my files until then except for the fact that I am obsessed with cauliflower soup. I love how close it is in taste and texture to potato soup, but so much lighter. Since the premise of the article was customization, I made a few tweaks in my first making, earlier than I normally would. I couldn't bear the thought of boiling the onions and missing out on the aromatics, so I sauteed for a few minutes in olive oil before adding the ginger, and then the water. As a result I shortened boiling time to around 7 minutes prior to adding the cauliflower. Note: 2 cups of cauliflower is a tiny amount, not even half of a head of cauliflower, so plan ahead for that. The end result was a little magical, almost like eating a light curry sauce by itself (except it's a soup!) without lacking any flavor. I'm wavering on whether I want to try to substitute for the water next time; I may try half vegetable broth. Will let you know.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars (including Dulce de Leche)

Prior to last weekend, I can't say that "dulce de leche" was really on my radar, other than the Girl Scout cookie flavor (which I obviously didn't buy, because that would have cut down on the space I had for Samoas) and the Starbucks flavor (again, spot previously filled by caramel macchiatos, now even available in a skinny version). Anyway, I can't speak for the quality of Girl Scout or Starbucks DDL products, but obviously there is something wrong with their marketing because I had a fundamental misunderstanding of DDL. "Mexican caramel" is a seriously lacking description. What DDL really is, as I discovered, is a rich, creamy toffee-like sauce, which unlike caramel (sorry, caramel) stands on its own.

But back to my life before last Sunday. I had plucked this recipe out of the June 2010 bon appetit because it fit an obscure category, desserts that complement Mexican food (a category that is made all the more difficult by the fact that after consuming chips, salsa, margaritas and fajitas the thought of more food is generally disturbing). An occasion presented itself, and off to the store I went. I wrongly assumed trusty Central Market would not fail to carry DDL, but I was saved by a lovely woman I met in the store who informed me that she had an easy DDL recipe that was also cheaper than the prepared stuff. Sold. It's available here, and it fit her description so well I truly wish I could thank her in person (and then roll my eyes at the silly bon appetit staffer who didn't find the recipe in their archives). The DDL recipe makes just enough for the cheesecake bars recipe, with a little leftover to serve on top of strawberries or ice cream, or to lick off several spoons.

Back to the cheesecake bars. The only real trick is timing. There are numerous "cooling" steps, which really only work on a lazy Sunday where you are doing loads of laundry and reading Agatha Christie novels. An ideal timetable would go like this:

(1) set out cream cheese to soften and preheat oven.

(2) make and bake graham cracker crust.

(3) make DDL.

(4) let graham cracker crust cool on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.

(5) let DDL cool and thicken in fridge, probably 30-45 minutes.

(6) take a break while #4 and #5 are going on.

(7) assemble cheesecake filling; this is easy.

(8) bake cheesecake bars; another long break while they cook.

(9) let cheesecake bars cool, which takes at least an hour and a half.

(10) when finally cool, glaze and let sit for an hour (although overnight is better, and will prevent the DDL from running over when you slice, as mine did in the picture).

Fancy Fish Sticks

Of course that's not the real name of a recipe from bon appetit... it's "Halibut Fish Sticks with Dill-Caper Tartar Sauce." It's very on-trend: it has all of the classic flavors of fish sticks, but with gourmet ingredients like cornichons, panko crumbs and halibut. The nutritional stats, assuming they're true, are also substantially better than Gorton's or Long John Silver's, especially when you reduce portions on the substantial amount of tartar sauce the recipe makes. This is definitely something I would have ordered out, so I'm happy I can make it at home.

Cajun Chicken with Collard Greens

Week 4, day 5.

Re-made the last Real Simple 20 days of entrees dish tonight. We enjoyed the cajun chicken with collard greens quite a bit the first time, although I neglected to remind myself of the following lessons I should have learned back in October:

DO substitute the word "dredge" for the word season. It takes about 3 times as much seasoning (Central Market cajun seasoning blend) to obtain an evenly-coated, spicy masterpiece.

DO NOT cut the red pepper into rings... then you run into the awkward situation of needing to use your knife on only part of your vegetables when you eat. Just go ahead and do a rough dice.

DO preheat your oven at the beginning if you start with the chicken and haven't done your prep first. The chicken and the vegetables take about an equal time, so the chicken will sit for a bit if you start with it. No big deal, just keep it warm in the oven at around 300 degrees.

DO NOT leave the collard greens on for 5-7 minutes. They don't take that long, and apparently, collard greens can burn! (They taste fine, actually, but cleaning the pan is a pain).

DO take a better photo of this... ugh.

and finally... DO NOT be afraid of collard greens and black-eyed peas... think kale and cannellini, with more oomph.

Roasted Pork Chops with Polenta

Week 4, day 1.

Polenta with gruyere = cheese grits = not scary!

I don't know why, I just always used to see polenta in tubes and assume that it was too difficult to make. Tubed polenta didn't seem like anything I wanted to eat, so I never made it. Actually, it's really simple and quick as long as you pay attention and keep stirring (think: bechamel). The cool thing is that you can serve it right away, and it has more the consistency of cream of wheat, and as it cools it starts to thicken and become like cornmeal mush. Except delicious.

I think chicken could easily be substituted for the pork in this roasted pork chops with polenta recipe, since the pork is really just a vehicle for the cheesy polenta and the sweet roasted tomatoes. Actually, I'd really substitute anything for the pork, because all I wanted to eat was the polenta and tomatoes. Or maybe just polenta :)

Balsamic-glazed Pork with Lentils

Week 3, day 5. Fail.

Have I mentioned that I have trouble with oven thermometers? In my presence they melt, stop or otherwise lose their ability to function. Obviously in awe.

This is really important with something like pork, because how else do you know if it's done? Not by the directions in this recipe... sorry, RS. Oven time for the balsamic-glazed pork with lentils inched closer to 20 minutes, as my oven thermometer and I hesitated over whether it was done. Stomach growling, I wanted so badly to salvage this meal by trying to stay optimistic. Husband: "Huh. I like all of these things individually. I just don't know that I wanted them together."

Boo.

Mushroom and Herb Strata

Week 3, day 4.

Back to my tattered and splattered October 2010 issue of Real Simple. We had this French bistro-style meal sometime in December, using cheddar cheese and the same country bread as the Shrimp with White Beans. It's a classic pairing of cheesy, eggy and crusty with crunchy, light and tangy. It may not have transported us to Paris-- but at least to the Paris hotel in Las Vegas :)

Not really a weeknight meal, though--- there's prep, and then baking for 50-60 minutes. This is where I confess that I don't always read recipes in advance, and when I got home one Friday night around 6:30 with this in mind, I was already pulling ingredients out of the fridge when I realized it was too daunting at the end of the week. We went out for pizza and had it the next night instead. But a better idea-- since this isn't the greatest leftover, save for dinner with vegetarian friends and time for a bottle of white wine.

Stuffed Shells

H: What's for dinner tonight?

Me: Stuffed shells. I'm going to freeze a pan to take over to [friends] in a couple days, since they just had their baby.

H: Didn't you make that right after my sister got out of the hospital?

Me: Yes.

H: Are you concerned about the link between this dish and people going to the hospital?

Me: Re-think the sequencing on that one.

So, yes, I have a need these days to make casseroles for people who, fortunately, are mainly going to the hospital to have babies or otherwise turned out okay. This Martha recipe is nice (albeit a little selfish), because you can make a pan and freeze a plan, giving you one meal as a reward for your hard work (it takes about an hour to prepare, not counting baking time). I take it over in a reusable foil pan, with instructions written on top with a Sharpie, and a bag of salad mix. Although Martha's original version with radicchio is strangely beautiful in red and purple, it seems less creepy to take it over to someone else when I use green swiss chard.

Here is where we interpret, since Martha's recipes are sometimes lofty and/or not explicit: Bacon works great instead of prosciutto. I like a lot of butter, so I use half a stick or so. The red wine vinegar adds the perfect amount of tang, so don't leave it out. 5 cups of tomato sauce is 2 24-oz. jars of Tomato & Basil Classico from Costco, and the recipe works just fine if you dot with butter and cover with sauce prior to baking or freezing.

Mazel tov; get well soon.

Couscous Salad with Grapes and Feta

Dear Real Simple:

You probably already know this, since you know everything, but I basically do everything you tell me to, and it usually works out.

In the April 2011 issue, please tell me to play the lottery, and let it go the same way.

In the meantime, thanks for the couscous salad with grapes and feta recipe. Even though I'm typically a grape-hater, I really like this, with the red holiday grapes from Central Market. I made it for the first time a few weeks ago, ate an entire recipe, and then made it again a few days later. And dash it all, I tried to tinker with the ingredient temperature (warm toasted walnuts/ warm couscous? cool walnuts/ warm couscous? cool everything?) and it turns out that no, warm ingredients don't melt the sturdy feta, and yes, it tastes good all ways. I never want to eat pasta salad at a picnic again.

However, "serves 2" is a lie (1 1/2, maybe), as is "15 minutes hands-on" since coordinating toasting, not burning, the walnuts and cooking the couscous takes a few extra minutes. I still love you.

Sincerely,

J.

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash

Sometimes it's best to start at the very beginning...

Other times, you realize that it's February, and that poison ivy, a broken foot and the holiday season beget procrastination, and procrastination beget anxiety over your overflowing recipe folder/camera memory card. So let's start with something easy: chili for the S[o]uperbowl.

And when I say chili, I mean black bean soup, and not this black bean soup, which I now want you to pretend you never read on my blog. Back then, I had no idea that what I really wanted was black bean soup with butternut squash... with bulgar wheat... with "fire-roasted" tomatoes... with chipotle chiles with adobe sauce.... with heat, with texture, with fullness and with every trend at Trader Joe's thrown in. Because that's how bon appetit rolls, and I just can't help myself from buying in.