In an effort to control our weight, we’re trying to eat dinner earlier in the day. After a couple hours of freelance work, I started grocery shopping at 4:30 p.m. to purchase a few vegetables and wine. Prepping dinner started close to 6:00 p.m. The evening’s schedule was to fix dinner, go to the gym for 30 minutes, return home to take a shower, reheat dinner and end the day with a glass of red wine. In reality, an Argentinian bottle of red wine was opened at 7:00 p.m., the coat was hung for the night and we sat down to a bowl of garlicky, roasted vegetable sauce over penne pasta. Lesson learned for the day: go grocery shopping earlier. This is a sauce that tastes better the next day when the flavors marinate over night.
Read moredinner
2010 New Year’s Dinner for Two: Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables, Brazilian Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas over Brown Rice
Happy twenty-ten! My New Year’s meal was spent with good friends celebrating Kwanzaa while eating black-eyed peas mixed with couscous, collard greens, baked chicken, lasagna, and other delicious pot luck dishes. We started the evening by giving thanks to our ancestors (Ashay!) and honoring our community elder. Our hostess asked her guests to bring two pieces of fruit. We brought her a pineapple and a banana.
The next day, I slept in a few more extra hours and started making our New Year’s dinner: baked chicken with roasted root vegetables, black-eyed peas over brown rice, Brazilian collard greens, and a sparkling wine that was (…ahem) too sweet!
Read moreSherry Scallops over Sautéed Spinach
When I told the boyfriend we were having scallops for dinner, his response was neutral. In previous times, he claimed he didn’t like tomatoes. Now, he only eats my tomatoes. His blatant disdain answer about eating spaghetti squash was patiently received. He later asked for seconds. This time, his dislike for scallops was carefully revealed, “You’re making it… I might like the way you cook them.” His only criticism about this dish: it was an appetizer portion.
Read moreSlow Cook Recipe: Creamy Chicken Stew with Roast Brussel Sprouts
This Chicken Stew version is richer because of the added cream. Adding roast brussel sprouts contrasts well with the creamy texture.
Read moreCranberry Salsa
Canned cranberry sauce looks gross to me until I eat it with the rest of the holiday meal. I prefer the Cranberry Salsa compared to a homemade cranberry sauce. This recipe is a dish that refreshes the palate in between the starchy flavors of mash potatoes, squashes, and stuffing. Use the food processor for the cranberries only. The various sizes of the other ingredients gives this dish a slight crunchy contrast to mushy textures. With flavors such as orange, ginger, and mint, I find this cranberry dish complements many holiday meals. It’s a healthy sidekick to a roasted turkey. Alternatively, serve it with tortilla chips.
Read more