menu review: 9.18 to 9.20

tuesday:inspiration
pasta carbonara
oh. my. god. i have made this recipe a few times, and it never ceases to amaze me. i usually cut down slightly on the eggs called for because i find it to be a tad runny, but that's the only modification. if you have a recipe for this that is so-so, i can not urge you enough to try giada's, it is so good.

wednesday:inspiration
pork cutlets with roasted potatos and asparagus
these pork cutlets were awesome. they had a japanese vibe that was very subtle and they were so lightly breaded that they weren't heavy at all. the roasted potatoes were perfect, my usual recipe, but these just came out amazing and the asparagus is the old stand-by. yummy meal all around.

thursday:
red pepper and goat cheese pizza
this is an original recipe, and it came out as wonderful as it always does. i failed to take a photo though, so the post on it will have to wait a bit. i make it quite frequently, so the wait won't be long. it's delicious and completely vegetarian. it's healthier than your average pizza because it's topped with tons of veggies and part skim cheese.

menu review: 8.24 to 8.28

monday:
my mom's chili.
mmmmmmmm....this is always a hit with us. but then, it's one of our comfort foods.

tuesday:recipe
thai shrimp lettuce wraps.
these were awesome, we both enjoyed them. i was in such a hurry to eat them that i left the reserved marinade out of the sauce mixture. they were still good, but the sauce was a bit tart, as it didn't have the marinade to even the flavors out. we will definately make this again, maybe even as an hors d'oeuvre for a dinner party.

wednesday:
ham, spinach and gruyere crepes with beschemel sauce.
heaven, i'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that i can hardly speak....oh, sorry. these. were. amazing.

thursday:inspiration
rotini with asparagus in a garlic anchovy sauce.
we usually make this dish with broccoli, but it was a little suspect at the store, so we settled on asparagus, which was good, but not as good. this "sauce" (if you can call melted butter, garlic, anchovies and red pepper flakes a "sauce") is out of this world. i love making this dish because it is so un-fussy, but it tastes so complex that people always have a look of interest and satisfaction on their face when eating it. even me, and i know what's in it!

friday:inspiration
fish tacos with chipotle cream.
these were good. not great, but good. if i were so inclined, i would try to pinpoint how to make these better...but they weren't that good.

menu review: 8.20 to 8.23

monday:
grilled eggplant parmigiano.
this was delicious. my husband and i only had enough to provide for one day because it was so good. i urge you to add layers of spinach or other grilled/roasted veggies to add depth.

tuesday:inspiration
asian grilled salmon salad.
this salad is amazing. there are two dressings, one for the greens and one for the salmon - though they intermingle. the lime zest and honey play off of the saltiness of the soy and create a perfectly seasoned dish.

wednesday:inspiration
pan seared chicken and roasted butternut squash and green beans in a sherry soy butter.
this was a hit. i ended up fiddling with the recipe (shocker) and replaced the sherry vinegar with actual sherry. i just felt that it needed that kick of alcohol, and i ended up being right. the sweet heady flavor of the drunk butter was just what the beans and butternut needed...we also doused the chicken with the sauce. indulgent? yes. but completely worth it.

thursday:inspiration
garlic hoisin pork lettuce wraps.
these did not turn out well. i had initially planned to use broccoli and pork, but the broccoli went off, so I substituted edamame. they were too dry for this dish and i wasn't pleased with the way they came together with the pork and the peppers. the sauce, though ok, wasn't anything to write home about.