Week 2, Day 3: Red Lentil Curry - YUMMY! EASY!

Red Lentil Curry

This was BY FAR my favorite dinner on my mission so far, and a veggie meal! 

A few notes, to simplify the process, chop up all of your veggies before you start.  I didn't do this, and I was frantically throwing things in my Ninja to get them chopped up. 

I had trouble finding the naan.  As you can see, I never found it (after 4 different grocery stores), and I used pita bread-- which worked out just fine.  However, I think Trader Joe's carries naan, which sadly is the only store I didn't try.

I would also recommend using your biggest deepest skillet. Mine worked out okay, but I left a bit of a mess on my stove top. 

Week 2, Day 2: Chicken with Rice & Peas

Chicken with Rice and Peas

First of all, this recipe calls for a dutch oven, which I do not have.  I used a large pasta pot as a substitute, and it seemed to work okay, but it definitely produced a lot of smoke.  I was a little worried I had ruined my pan, as the chicken had made it all black, but as soon as I added the onion and peppers it cleaned itself up! Cool!

This recipe was not fast, nor does it claim to be.  It took over an hour to prepare, and I don't plan to make it again. 

One HUGE tip, if you do make this, do NOT add the olives that the recipe calls for.  They are way too overpowering (even at less than the amount it calls for).

Crochet Project: Slippers!

Another pattern from So Pretty! Crochet, these little slippers were incredibly quick to make, and fairly simple.  The directions in the book are straight forward, and definitely beginner worthy.  I shortened them up just a bit, as I thought they were going to run big on me, but as it turned out, I probably should have stuck with the pattern as is.  Although the do "stretch" a bit, the design of the pattern allows for them to tighten up a bit at the end.  After a few days, I had stretched a whole in the toe since my smaller version ended up being, well.. too small.

So, the lesson of the experiment is stick with the pattern!  I used Caron's Simply Soft yarn for these guys to keep my feets nice and warm. These were also super popular on my Facebook and Instagram, so I'm planning on making them for gifts, and maybe even try to sell them!

The pair only took about 2.5 hours to make (which for me is very fast).

Week 2, Day 1: Roasted Salmon, Broccoli and Potatoes with Miso Sauce

Roasted Salmon, Broccoli and Potatoes with Miso Sauce

I'm not a huge fish person, but surprisingly the miso sauce added a sweetness that I really liked.  The recipe was easy to follow, and since I'm super familiar with cooking fish, I was pleased to see I didn't screw it up.

This meal was very quick and easy, however, my potatoes came out a bit under cooked.  I think either smaller pieces or longer roasting would have been helpful.

Week 1 Day 5: Chorizo-Stuffed Acorn Squash (YUMMY!)

Chorizo-Stuffed Acorn Squash

First of all, a few admissions.

1) I don't know where to find chorizo, so I bought spicy italian sausage that was pre-shreaded. 

2) I had to Google bulgur, and then I had to go to the healthfood store to get it because Ralph's did not have it, or at least I could not find it.

3) I cut the acorn the wrong direction, so I used a cupcake pan after I stuffed it, so that all of the stuffing wouldn't fall out.

HOWEVER, I created a very yummy meal. This was my first time cooking with any kind of squash.  They are hard! But, after you cut through it (I did sharp side of the knife, the rotated the squash around the knife), it's not so bad.   Cutting the squash was the only remotely hard part of the recipe.  Everything else was very simple, and fast.   The squash provided a bit of sweetness, and really complimented the stuffed stuff.  It was delish!  I will have this again.

Crochet Project: Hat!

I've just completed my most recent crochet project, which only took 2 days!  That's pretty much a record for me, which either means I'm getting better, or this was a fast project, or both.  I got this pattern from So Pretty! Crochet (a book I borrowed from the library), and used some Red Heart yarn I had lying around.  So, basically free of cost.

I'm not entirely sure what I am going to do with it; living in San Diego doesn't even require a hat with a bunch of holes in it.

Week 1 Day 4: Tuna, Fennel and Bean Salad

Tuna, Fennel, and Bean Salad

I was shocked at how easy this was, and though I missed a step, but I didn't! Basically you just throw all of the ingredients in a bowl and it's ready.  I have never had fennel or radicchio before so it was a bit of a new experience for me.  I liked it!  I did have some issue with the radicchio -- I've had it for 5 days now, and it started rotting.  I pulled off most of the outside leaves, and used only the fresher ones on the inside.  I would recommend getting the radicchio the day of, or day before to make sure it's fresh. I also had trouble finding these specific beans, so I bought northern beans instead (smaller version), and they seemed to work just fine.

 6/10 on taste; 10/10 on easy.

Week 1, Day 3: Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens

Roasted Chicken with Collard Greens

This has been my favorite recipe so far, but it was also the messiest, which isn't saying much because it still wasn't very messy.  This is a super simple recipe that doens't take hardly any preparation.  It does take a bit longer since the chicken is in the oven for around 45 minutes.  The greens are done in about 10 minutes, so there's plenty of time to let the chicken go before you need to get the greens going.

I definitely enjoyed this meal.  I give it a 7/10 for taste, and a 9/10 for easy making.

Week 1 Day 2: Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry

Eggplant and Tofu Stir Fry

Today;s meal was a vegetarian meal, which I have no problem with but I was not a fan at all of this one. The recipe called for quite a bit of hoision sauce (found in the Asian aisle), and it was just not my style. It's very sweet, and almost tastes like maple syrup. I'm also still trying to figure out how to cook tofu. I've found that freezing and dethawing allows me to get more moisture out, but the tofu tends to crumble after the dethaw. I followed this recipe exactly and it took about 25 minutes, plus additional cooking time for the rice because I used long grain rice. Taste wise, I only give this a 3 out of 10. Not a fan of the sweetness. It wasn't terribly hard to make, and I used 2 pans, a bowl and a dish plus measuring utensils. Clean up was simple.

Real Simple Dinners, Week 1, Day 1: Beef and Mushroom Ragu with Pappardelle

The October 2012 issue of RS offers 5 recipes a week for weekday (fast) meals. I shopped for week 1 yesterday and spent around $55.

Today was beef and mushroom ragu with pappardelle. This recipe was pretty easy, and the time listed, 25 minutes, was right on. I used two pans and a couple od measuring devices, so cleanup was pretty easy too.
Sadly, I wasn't that impressed with this dish. I made it exactly true to recipe, but didn't care much for it. Although I did not make a side dish, if you want to split this 4 ways, you would need a green veggie to go with it. It wasn't bad, but I probably won't make this particular version again.