Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken

We rated this dinner as "very good."  This was not really a hot entree, not really a cold salad either. It was more like a pasta salad at room temperature.   The combination of cucumber and red pepper remind me of summer.  I think this would be a great salad to serve on a hot summer day.  

Thai-Style Red Curry with Beef and Eggplant

Thai-Style Red Curry with Beef and Eggplant

Our experience with Thai food is very limited.  As far as we can remember, we have only eaten Thai carry-out once before. But we really liked this entree.  In fact, we rated this entree as excellent.  Please note, I did substitute dried basil for fresh basil.  This recipe called for 1/2 of an eggplant.  There was plenty of sauce, next time, I would use the whole eggplant and maybe skip the beef.  I guess the name would need to be changed to Thai-Style Red Curry with Eggplant. 

Steak Fajita

Steak Fajitas

Easy,  tasty, and fast Steak Fajitas

"Very Good" was the rating for this Sunday dinner.  Listed as a fast recipe in The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook,  the total cooking time for the Steak Fajitas was less than 20 minutes. I used both red and green peppers to add color.  I also added a few tomatoes to the pepper mixture.   I served the fajitas with rice, chips and Quick Tomato Salsa (The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook, page 11).  The beef was tough - not the fault of the recipe - but I think I would try a lime juice marinade to make the steak a bit more tender next time.  Chicken thighs or ground beef would also work in the recipe.

Thai Chicken with Basil

Thai Chicken with Basil

Rate "very good" by the food critics in Huntley.  This recipe was also rated as a "light" entree.  Each generous portion has only 240 calories.  I will add a little chicken broth next time I make this chicken dish for dinner.  We both felt that the dish needed a little more sauce - especially when we added the rice a suggested in the "Why This Recipe Works" section.  Overall, a "very good" alternative to take out.  

Skillet Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Gorgonzola

Skillet Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms, and Gorgonzola

We rated this easy Friday night dinner as very good.  I did replace the penne with a gluten-free pasta.  I used a Ronzoni Gluten Free Rotini in the dish.  According to the package label, white rice flour, brown rice flout, corn flour and quinoa are combined in this pasta.  Really pretty tasty for a gluten free pasta. A word warning, be sure adjust your cooking time if you use a different type of pasta. The gluten-free pasta cooked just 8 minutes. We also found that letting this dish set for a few minutes enhanced the flavors.  

Pan-Seared Salmon with Braised Lentils and Swiss Chard

Pan-Seared Salmon with Braised Lentils and Swiss Chard

"Pretty good," Rick said.  I would translate this is a very good rating.  I did bake the fish in the oven instead of frying it.  I know I compromised some of the visual appeal of this recipe, but the I know baking frozen fish is fast and results in an evenly cooked piece of fish.  The lentils and the Swiss Chard were delicious.  I think this would be a great side to serve with pork in the future.

Spa Chicken

Spa Chicken

Not our favorite dish.  We rated this entree on a good - maybe even a needs improvement.  Be sure to take a minute a read the WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS section of this recipe,  "Do not let the poaching liquid boil." I think I would like to try the two variations of this recipe included in the cookbook.  The Spa Chicken with Apricot-Orange Chipotle Sauce will probably be my first - retry choice. Note - the pea pods were served as a side dish.

Chicken and Orzo with Spinach and Feta

Cooking for Two http://mealstodance.blogspot.com/

Chicken and Orzo with Spinach and Feta

Rated very good by both of us - this was an easy Thursday night dinner.  But I have to admit I had to make several substitutions in this recipe.  First, I used rice because orzo is a wheat based pasta.  I used regular white grain rice but I am sure that brown rice or risotto would also work in this recipe.  I also had to substitute fish for the chicken.  I used the same spice mixture, garlic.oregano, and red pepper flakes.  And I did follow the recipe and  added spinach, feta cheese and the lemon to finish. There was a lot of food.  More than enough for dinner and leftovers for  lunch tomorrow.  

Beef and Barley Soup

Beef and Barley Soup

Well really Beef and Rice Soup... barley has gluten.  I did not use the beef blade steak called for in the recipe.  I just used ground beef.  Sorry, it's what I had in the fridge that needed to be used.  I followed the recipe for the rest of the ingredients.  This made a very thick soup.  That may be because I made the soup on Friday and served it for Saturday lunch.  I added another cup of chicken broth on Saturday before I reheated the soup and as you can see - it was still very thick.  Rated very good.

Simple Chicken Bake with Fennel, Tomatoes, and Olives

Simple Chicken Bake with Fennel, Tomatoes, and Olives

This was an excellent entree.  Fennel is one of our new favorite vegetables.  Leeks would also be on our new favorite list.   It is hard to see the olives in the picture but I did add them. Keep in mind that the chicken does need to marinate.  I used chicken breasts from Market Day and that did reduce the baking time to about 20 minutes.  I would encourage everyone to try this one, it's another great week night meal.  

Baked Fish with Crisp Bread Crumbs

Very good - Baked Fish with Crisp Bread Crumbs served with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Overall we rated tonight's dinner very good.  But please note, I dd have to make some gluten-free substitutions to this recipe.  I used cornflakes for the panko bread crumbs but a word of warning here - not all corn flakes are gluten free - check the package.  The fish cooked at only 300 degrees.  Although the fish was done, it registered 140 degrees, it did not seem hot enough.  I think next time I make this recipe I would use a hotter oven.  On the other hand, I Roasted Sweet Potatoes as the side dish.  They cooked in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  They were good but for the my time and taste - I would just bake a sweet potato and serve it as the side.  

Sauteed Pork Chops with Pears and Blue Cheese

Sauteed Pork Chops with Pears and Blue Cheese

Excellent

Wow, this was excellent.  "Cruise ship cuisine"  we both agreed.  The meat melted in your mouth and the sauce was tasty without overwhelming the meat.  Sauteed Pork Chops with Pears and Blue Cheese was an Excellent choice for a Wednesday night.  I served this entree with steamed broccoli.  I even had left-overs for lunch on Thursday.  Just a note, be sure to brine the pork - The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook guidelines are 3 cups of water, 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt and 30 to 60 minutes.  I am finding that brning pork and chicken make a lot of difference to the taste and texture of the meat.  I am going to brine my Thanksgiving turkey this week.

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew

Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew served over Rice

Maybe not the most "eye appealing" meal, but this stew was excellent.  A different combination of spices for us.  This recipe calls for paprika, garam masala, and dried apricots.  This slow cooker recipe was a pleasant surprise, not the over cooked crock pot meals that I have made in the past.  This Slow Cooker Moroccan Chicken Stew was very tasty and I expect the leftovers will be even better on Monday night.  I did used dried chick-peas not canned peas.  I cooked them before I added them to the crock pot.  

Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and  (Cheesy) Grits

One of our favorite dishes when we are in Tennessee is Shrimp and Grits.  This Shrimp and Grits was just as good as Pulbeos and a lot closer to home.  Please note,  I did substitute frozen peas for the scallion.  I also baked the shrimp and grits much longer than the recipe called.  "Transfer skillet to oven and bake until shrimp are opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes."  I baked the dish about 20 minutes total and it could have used a few more minutes.  I might consider using the broiler to put some "color" into the dish next time I make it.  Excellent meal, I even think the little kids would eat this.  Easy one dish meal that would be easy to serve to a crowd.

Lemon Herb Cod with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

Lemon-Herb Cod with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

Another "need to use the left-overs" meal,  I did make several substitutes in this recipe,  I used tilapia instead of cod and I used Yukon Gold potatoes instead of the russet potatoes listed in the recipe.  This was still an excellent dinner.  

Oven-Roasted Salmon with Fresh Tomato Relish

Oven Roasted Salmon with Fresh Tomato Relish and Spinach with Garlic Chips and Red Pepper Flakes

My goal this week was to use "stuff" from the freezer.  A box  of  Market Day Salmon fillets with just two fillets was my first find.  The Oven-Roasted Salmon was  an easy meal.  The salmon was done in just a few minutes.  The recipe calls for a very hot oven - 500 degrees, then you reduce the temp to 275 degrees when you add the fish.  The Tomato Relish is a classic bruschetta recipe.  It could be used on baked chicken for a twist to this entree or over crusty bread as an appetizer. Another fridge find, left over spinach.  I served the fish with Spinach with Garlic Chips and Red Pepper Flakes.  Over all, excellent rating.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Mixed reviews on tonight's entree, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup.  I thought the soup was very good.  It is not listed as a "light" entree but it has to be good for you.  Squash, onion, garlic, and just a tablespoon of brown sugar and vegetable oil.  I guess it really should be called Butternut Squash Soup since I didn't add the half-and-half that the recipe called for.  I just added a bit more chicken broth.  I thought it was very good, Rick only gave it a good.  "I  wasn't that hungry, it's wasn't that bad,"  he commented.  

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Stir Fry Shrimp with Lemon Ginger Sauce

Stir-Fry Shrimp with Lemon-Ginger Sauce

We both gave the stir fry recipe good reviews.  In fact, we both rated this entree as excellent.  I served the shrimp and veggies over rice.  It was a fast, light, and tasty meal on a Wednesday night.  We both thought the entree was as good as carry out and without the gluten in the soy sauce - made it a safe entree for me.  Another bonus, the saki was great to drink.  

Italian Vegetable Stew

Italian Vegetable Stew

Another "excellent" dinner option for a quick and flavorful mean.  Be sure to read the Why This Recipe Works section prior to starting the prep work on this stew.  The recommendation is to not peel the eggplant.  It not only adds color to the stew, not peeling the eggplant makes prep go really fast. Huge serving size, I had plenty of left overs to bring in my lunch.  I would cut the vegetables a little bit smaller next time.  I think it would make it a bit easier to eat at lunchtime.  

Crispy Sesame Pork Chops with Wilted Napa Cabbage Salad

Crispy Sesame Pork Chops with Wilted Napa Cabbage SaladI had to use the left over Napa Cabbage from Friday night's Skillet Pork Lo Mein, so we tried this recipe, Crispy Sesame Pork Chops with Wilted Napa Cabbage Salad.   The recipe called for  four cups of the cabbage, a carrot, some garlic, ginger and rice vinegar for the cabbage salad.  It was easy to make the wilted salad and it tasted "Excellent."   I used really thin pork chops.  They cooked in about five minutes.  The hardest part of the recipe was finding the sesame seeds in the store.  They were located in the Asia food section, not near the nuts or spices like I expected.  Fast and tasty, again an "Excellent" rating for any night of the week.  

Skillet Pork Lo Mein

Skillet Pork Lo Mein

Wow, a great entree.  "Excellent" was the overall rating.  To make the recipe gluten-free, I used rice noodles instead of the dried linguine. The rice noodles cooked a bit faster than the linguine.  I also used gluten free soy sauce.  The recipe called for 4 ounces of shitake muhrooms.  This was the first time I remember using shitake mushrooms.  I didn't buy quite enough.  I didn't realize that the stems of the mushrooms are really tough and must be discarded (or used in a stock).  "Excellent" rating on the Skillet Pork Lo Mein.  

Skillet-Braised Cod Provencal

Skillet-Braised Cod Provencal 

Just 320 calories in this "Excellent" rated light entree.  This was a fast and easy to prepare dinner that would allow a couple to practice two or three dance steps, if they so desired.  The only substitute that I made to the America's Test Kitchen Skillet-Braised Cod Provencal was that I used canned, diced tomatoes instead of the fresh tomato called for in the recipe.  I served the cod with zucchini noodles.  I sauteed the zucchini with a little oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to make it a bit more "pasta" like.

Braised Cod Peperonata

Braised Cod Peperonata

"Following the success of our Provencal-style braised cod, we wanted to make an Italian-inspired verison with peperonata, a flavorful condiment made from tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic" (The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook).  Rick and I rated this entree a "very good."  This is another of the light entrees featured in America's Test Kitchen:  The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook.  Each serving had only 260 calories plus the 100 calories for the spicy rice that I served it with.  This would also be a great recipe to serve with zucchini noodles or zucchini ribbons. Zucchini ribbons are featured on page 262 in the cookbook. 

Indian-Style vegetable Curry with Sweet Potato and Eggplant

We rated this recipe as "excellent."  The Indian-Style Vegetable Curry with Sweet Potato and Eggplant was very different for us.  The recipe was really easy to make - it cooked in just 30 minutes, maybe less.  It was a bit spicy and very filling for a vegetarian entree.  Because the recipe called for just 1/2 of an eggplant and just 1/2 of a sweet potato, I doubled the recipe.  I divided the left-overs into 4 containers for lunch this week.  Lunch today was even more flavorful than dinner on Friday night.  

Sauteed Pork Cutlets with Mustard-Cider Sauce

Sauteed Pork Cutlets with Mustard-Cider Sauce

"Very good," we both said in unison.  This is a hardy entree.  This entree really needs mashed potatoes served as a side-dish.  My tossed salad was much too light to balance the flavorful meat and sauce.  The simple to make sauce "featuring mustard, apple cider, and fresh herbs was the perfect finishing touch" to this easy to make week night meal.   The pork cutlets cooked in less than five minutes.  I would definitely make this dish again but next time I would make mashed potatoes or roasted, mashed cauliflower to serve with the sauce.  Roasted carrots would also make a great side-dish.

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

Cooking for Two http://mealstodance.blogspot.com/

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil was the side dish tonight.  Really Gluten-Free Linguine with Garlic and Olive Oil served with Salmon (Market Day) and fresh steamed asparagus was the menu.  We both gave this side-dish an excellent rating.  The pasta  was easy to make and tasted fabulous.  I used a fresh gluten free linguine that I found in dairy section of the grocery store.  I followed the recipe as published - six cloves of garlic, fresh parsley. pepper flakes,  lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese.  This would  also make great meatless entree.  I am sure the Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Fennel variation of this recipe would also be excellent.

Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives

Voted "very good" by the team, this chicken dish was an interesting combination of favors.  Onion, garlic, green olives, and figs were combined for the sauce that was poured over boneless, chicken thighs.  It was very tasty.  This was also a "light" recipe which means that nutritional information was included in the back of the cook book.  One serving of Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives contained 270 calories (we split the recipe into three servings), a cup of rice, and streamed broccoli - about 325 calories for the entire dinner.

Pan-Roasted Lamb Chops with Mint Relish

Cooking for Two http://mealstodance.blogspot.com/

Pan-Roasted Lamb Chops with Mint Relish

"A fresh mint relish with shallot, vinegar, and a little honey is the perfect complement to tender, juicy pan-seared lamb chops,"  The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook, p162.  This recipe was easy to make and tasted "very good".   The lamb chops were pictured in the cookbook served with green beans or snap peas, I added color by serving the lamb chop with roasted carrots. The carrots are easy - just a teaspoon of oil and a tablespoon of brown sugar into a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  This Pan-Roasted Lamb Chop with Mint Relish  recipe is a keeper and certainly worth a repeat.  It would be great to serve to guests.

Pasta and Asian Noodles Dishes

Beef Lo Mein with Broccoli and Bell Pepper was tonight's dinner.  Rick and I gave this entree a "basic" rating.  It tasted fine but really was a hands-on prep with little time to do much else while cooking.  The recipe required four separate bowls for prep - way too much clean up for the taste of the dish.  My advice is skip this recipe and order out.  

Pan Roasted Thick-Cut Fish Fillets

Tonight's entree was Pan Roasted Thick-Cut Fish Fillets with Roasted Red Pepper, Hazelnut, and Thyme Relish - really it was chicken breast with roasted red pepper, hazelnut, and thyme relish.  Rick made the relish while I steamed broccoli and prepared the chicken breasts for the counter top grill.  Such an easy dinner - there was really no time to practice our dancing.

Spiced Swordfish with Avocado-Grapefruit Salsa

We don't even like grapefruit but we loved this dish.  Rated "excellent" by both Rick and me, the Spiced Swordfish with Avocado-Grapefruit Salsa was not only great eats but really easy to prepare.  The salsa was quick.  Just grapefruit, avocado, shallot, fresh mint, and a little lime juice.  I made the salsa prior to putting the fish under the broiler.   The swordfish had to cook for only 8 minutes. I served it tonight with steamed asparagus, prepared in the microwave.  I added a little grapefruit zest and salt to the veggies when they came out of the microwave.   This recipe would be great for guests.

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Easy to make and it tasted great.  We gave the Chicken and Chorizon Paella an "excellent" rating.  Please keep in mind that I used cumin for the saffron.  I did plan to buy the "pricey saffron" based on the directions, but I forgot.  Next time, I want to experience "just a pinch of pricey saffron was enough to give our paella authentic Spanish flavor."  Guess we could try practicing a Latin dance step while this cooks on the stove.

Baked Sole Fillets with Herbs and Bread Crumbs

This entree was rated "Excellent."  However, I did make several changes to the recipe.  First, I used a halibut steak that I bought at the fish market just down the street from Brad and Leanne's house.  I also didn't add the bread crumbs.  I thought about using instant potatoes but the halibut steaks looked so good - I decided to pass.  Easy, easy to make.  I served the halibut with garlic potatoes.  They were easy to make, too. I added the remaining "mixture" as the butter in the instant potatoes.  As a side, I added cut up watermelon for color.  And I added a few cucumbers slices to the plate for some green.

Baked Sole (Halibut) with Herbs and Bread Crumbs

Baked Manicotti

Baked Manicotti was the entree today.  I served it with steamed broccoli.  I did the prep work yesterday.  Rick put it in the oven so it was just about ready to eat when I walked in the door.  Preparation requires that you soak 6 no-boil lasagna noodles in boiling water for five minutes prior to making the Manicotti.  I had to soak the gluten-free noodles about 10 minutes so they were pliable enough to roll each noodle around the filling.  The Manicotti baked for a total of 35 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  This would be a great entree to dance to - too bad I wasn't home.  Overall rating - Excellent.

Baked Manicotti

Just like Julie and Julia ...

About eight years ago, Rick and I started to take dance lessons in preparation for Byron and Racquel's wedding.  Lisa from Love2Dance taught us the basics. In just eight weeks we were able to dance the Hustle and a basic Fox Trot.  In addition to the lessons, we practiced several days of week.  But, the only time we could fit our practice sessions into our busy schedule was while our dinner was cooking each evening.  So, I began to develop menus that did not require a watchful eye during the cooking process and were ready in 30 minutes.  Chicken, pork, fish, and easy pasta (gluten-free) entrees worked great.  Easy preparation using the microwave, stove top, oven, rice cooker, counter-top grill, and a blender was also a requirement.

One of our favorites is a  - Carrettiera Sauce (1 large can of crushed tomatoes, 2-4 cloves of crushed garlic, 6-8 large fresh basil leaves, 1/3 cup of  olive oik, salt, pepper, pinch of red pepper flakes).  It works over pasta, as a pizza sauce,  polenta, and even okra.

In mid-July, I bought The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. Taking a idea from the movie, Julie and Julia.  I am working my way through the cookbook.  Rick and I are rating the recipes on presentation, taste, ease of preparation, and easy to dance to.  We are using the rubric - needs improvement, basic, very good and excellent.

  The first recipe I tried was the Drunken Noodles with Chicken.  It looked just like pictured in the cookbook but ... I used way too much chili-garlic sauce.  I used two tablespoons, the recipe called for 1-2 tablespoons and even warned me, "This dish is spicy; to make less spicy, use 1 tablespoon of chick-garlic sauce."  Next time - I will try just a tablespoon.  Also, make sure you use baby bok choy.  Overall rating - needs improvement.

  Tonight we had Chicken Marsala.  It was excellent.  I did not make any changes to the recipe.  Next time I would serve it with roasted potatoes or steamed broccoli. Smashed cauliflower would also be great as a side with this dish.