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).

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 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.

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.