There was no discernible them for the week. Call it mish-mosh if you will.
Friday: I felt like really treating the husband. I went to Whole Foods and got the makings of a seafood extravaganza! We started with mussels steamed in white wine and garlic. I used the 365 brand southern Australian Chardonnay. Sadly, I can’t figure out exactly how to debeard a mussel. We had lots of debearding going on during the eating portion of the meal. Oops! Didn’t detract from the fact that the sauce for the mussels was amazing. We sopped it up happily with half a loaf of sea salt ciabatta! Next came the fish: wild Alaskan salmon for him, turbo fillet for me. I baked them, separately, in ginger soy marinade and served with a mache salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette, bleu cheese, and almonds. Sadly, neither of us are sophisticated enough to enjoy the fish. Honestly, both were far too fishy. I have to believe that was US and not the fish, because I don’t think I’d get back fish at WF. Oh well, bring on the canned tuna and the fish sticks? At least the mussels were good.
Friday: I felt like really treating the husband. I went to Whole Foods and got the makings of a seafood extravaganza! We started with mussels steamed in white wine and garlic. I used the 365 brand southern Australian Chardonnay. Sadly, I can’t figure out exactly how to debeard a mussel. We had lots of debearding going on during the eating portion of the meal. Oops! Didn’t detract from the fact that the sauce for the mussels was amazing. We sopped it up happily with half a loaf of sea salt ciabatta! Next came the fish: wild Alaskan salmon for him, turbo fillet for me. I baked them, separately, in ginger soy marinade and served with a mache salad dressed in balsamic vinaigrette, bleu cheese, and almonds. Sadly, neither of us are sophisticated enough to enjoy the fish. Honestly, both were far too fishy. I have to believe that was US and not the fish, because I don’t think I’d get back fish at WF. Oh well, bring on the canned tuna and the fish sticks? At least the mussels were good.
Saturday: We hosted a game night with The Bringer of the Fun, our dog trainer, and his wife. Turns out their gamers too! Anyhow, we were testing a role-playing game that my husband and The Bringer of the Fun designed. I set up a nacho bar for the occasion, but totally failed to snap a photo. Use your imagination. The bar had grass-fed ground beef seasoned in my usual taco seasoning spices, real cheese nacho cheese (no processed cheese here!), tortilla chips, sour cream, onions, and salsa verde. I ate a plate full and nearly had seconds. I opted for hot peanut butter cookies instead.
Sunday: The slow cooker was employed for a spin of of the beef spare ribs that Aarti posted last week. I used boneless organic beef ribs and halved the recipe. The ribs were seasoned with salt and pepper then browned on both sides in a stainless steel skillet. I transferred the ribs to the slow cooker (already set to warm....warm food means preheating your slow cooker) and added garlic and onions to my pan. Once translucent, I added 1.5 c of wine. I went with a Zin called Budo that was on sale at WF that the husband described as dangerously drinkable. I let that bubble away for about 15 minutes. Then everything was transferred to the slow cooker and topped with sliced sweet potatoes. That went on low from 3pm till 7:30. The ribs held together but could be easily cut with a fork. Perfection, if you ask me. The sweet potatoes were extra creamy and not at all water-logged. I also served the same salad from Friday because I liked it so much.
Sunday: The slow cooker was employed for a spin of of the beef spare ribs that Aarti posted last week. I used boneless organic beef ribs and halved the recipe. The ribs were seasoned with salt and pepper then browned on both sides in a stainless steel skillet. I transferred the ribs to the slow cooker (already set to warm....warm food means preheating your slow cooker) and added garlic and onions to my pan. Once translucent, I added 1.5 c of wine. I went with a Zin called Budo that was on sale at WF that the husband described as dangerously drinkable. I let that bubble away for about 15 minutes. Then everything was transferred to the slow cooker and topped with sliced sweet potatoes. That went on low from 3pm till 7:30. The ribs held together but could be easily cut with a fork. Perfection, if you ask me. The sweet potatoes were extra creamy and not at all water-logged. I also served the same salad from Friday because I liked it so much.
Monday: I had to work fast because I had rehearsal. I soaked wheat berries overnight as a prep for this dinner. As soon as I got home Monday night, they went into a pot with water. You really do have to cook wheat berries for a full hour, even if they’re soaked for 24 hours! Who knew?! Well, everyone but me, I’m sure. Thankfully, since I started them before I even changed, there was still time to eat dinner before rehearsal. While the wheat berries did their thing, I reduced the liquid left over from the ribs in a high-sided skillet until thick. I actually went too far and had to add some veggie stock. I also popped some broccoli in the oven to roast. When the wheat berries were done, I added a dollop of sour cream to the reduced liquid. The last rib was shredded and added along with the wheat berries to create wheat berry stroganoff! I topped the broccoli with left over cheese sauce from Saturday and dinner was done. I love how much chew the wheat berries and the kamut have compared to rice. Way more satisfying to eat.
Tuesday: I need to make up for my seafood flop, so I did a go-to tuna dish: Alton Brown’s tuna croquettes. I stuck to the recipe (reduced to ⅔) and roasted brussels and sweet potatoes for the side. Totally simple and totally delicious. Guess I really do need to stick to the canned stuff after all?
Wednesday: I turned random fridge items into quesadillas. I fried sweet potatoes, home-fries style, sauteed onions and baby bellas, added smoked cheddar, and bacon. These were topped with sour cream, salsa verde, and avocado. You know it's good when your husband says "these are delicious....wait, what did you say was in them again??" Totally unconventional but delicious.
Thursday: Buffalo Wild Wings boneless Thursday called out names, and we answered. Ahh....wings and beer!
And this is how I feel about this week!
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