Week of February 9th

Saturday:

• Dinner with dear friends at their home. I am told we will be enjoying duck — quack! Although I won’t be cooking dinner tonight, I will spend some time in the kitchen today making rubs, sauces and marinades for the upcoming week. 

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Sunday:

• Lamb Tagine with chickpeas and apricots
• Morrocan-spiced roasted vegetables

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Monday:

• Pork tenderloin with allspice dry rub
• Charred lemon-shallot chutney (I will make this ahead of time)
• Parmesan-roasted cauliflower:  roasting cauliflower caramelizes the vegetable, turning the florets into a vegetable candy, if there is such thing. This is stupidly good. 

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Tuesday:

• Tunisian-poached eggs in red pepper sauce. (Yes, it’s back. I never got around to making it last week. Here’s hoping it’s worth the wait.) My husband and I will enjoy the eggs, but I plan to offer up tofu for my vegan friend, who will be joining us for dinner. 
• Chickpeas with leeks, spinach and smoked paprika. 
• Homemade Harissa

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Wednesday:

• Leftover lamb Tagine
• Greek salad

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Thursday:

• African Adobo-rubbed tuna steaks with avocado salsa  (Make the Adobo rub ahead of time and this comes together very quickly).
• Champagne-marinated cucumber ribbons (this recipe is included in the above link).
• Spicy green salad with lime vinaigrette

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Friday:

• We are off to Vegas baby! The next menu will be up when we return. 

Week of February 3rd

Sunday:

• Penang vegetable curry  we are headed to a Super Bowl gathering hosted by a vegan, so I’ll be giving tofu a whirl in this dish.  I have chunks of homemade Penang curry paste in the freezer to pull out and use, but any brand of your favorite red curry paste will work for this dish. These types of curries are very forgiving, so use any vegetables you have on hand and dial-up the heat factor with more curry paste and less coconut milk. Certainly add shrimp or chicken to turn this into a meat-lovers dish. Set out dishes of crushed peanuts, lime wedges and coconut shavings as toppings. 
• Brown rice

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Monday:

• Cauliflower soup with truffle salt and Parmesan curls: make this on Sunday and it’s easy to whip out on a weeknight. This is a lovely, easy soup. I omit the butter and just use olive oil and like to swap out the chives for fresh tarragon. Sometimes I roast the cauliflower rather than simmer it for a more robust, earthy flavor. Makes great leftovers as well. 
• Mussels with tomatoes, anise and wine: I like to swap fennel for the onion and add toasted fennel seeds as the raw fennel cooks. Serve with hunks of sourdough bread for dunking
• Raw kale salad with roasted vegetables, feta and orange vinaigrette:  my husband, who swears he hates kale, actually loves this salad. The recipe calls for beets and barley, but I sometimes swap in roasted butternut squash and parsnips instead. I also often use dried orange peel in place of freshly grated orange peel as I always have the dried version handy in the pantry. This makes delicious leftover lunches topped with grilled chicken or tuna. 

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Tuesday:

• Tunisian poached eggs in red pepper sauce: this will be a new recipe for me to test out. I am, however, making my own harissa for this as I have yet to find a jarred brand that I like. 
• Chickpeas with leeks, spinach and smoked paprika: use dried garbonzo beans rather than canned, it does make a difference. 

Homemade Harissa

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Wednesday:

• Prosciutto-wrapped halibut: this is just as it sounds. Take a hunk of fresh halibut, rub flesh with olive oil, any fresh herbs on hand (such as tarragon and thyme) and salt & pepper. Wrap fish in 2 to 3 slices of prosciutto and pan sear until crispy – about 2 minutes per side. Leave fish in the pan and transfer to a 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes. You can also make a quick pan sauce with drippings by adding chopped shallots, a splash of white wine and a swirl of butter. 
• Simple green salad with balsamic-Dijon vinaigrette

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Thursday:

• Leftover Penang curry

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Friday:

• Out to try a new restaurant with friends!

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Week of January 28th

We just returned from a cruise yesterday, so expect a very stream-lined and easy menu this week.

Monday:

• Slow-cooker pork chile verde (I made this before our trip and kept it in the freezer so I wouldn’t be scrambling for dinner our first week back).
• Freshly made guacamole
• Crisp green salad with feta cheese, toasted pepitas and a spicy lime vinaigrette (whisk lime juice, oil and sriracha sauce to taste. Add salt and pepper and there is your salad dressing).

Pork Chile Verde Recipe: 

This is crazy easy and is open to all sorts of interpretation:

Toss into a slow cooker the following: 1 to 2 pounds cubed boneless pork loin, several cans of diced green chile peppers, 1 diced white onion & 1 to 2 jars of your favorite green salsa. Add a sprinkle or two of ground cumin, 1 cup of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of beer. Stir. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6. I like to serve it with loads of fresh chopped cilantro, cubed feta cheese, warm corn tortillas and sliced pickled jalapenos.

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Tuesday:

• Whole wheat pasta with a quick pomodoro sauce
• Shaved fennel and butter lettuce salad with garbonzo beans and sherry wine vinegar

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Wednesday:

• Pan-seared fish (whatever looks fresh at the fish market on the way home from work)
• Wilted garlic spinach
• Roasted spiced butternut squash

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Thursday:

• Leftover chile verde
• Green salad

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 Friday:

• Dinner out!

Week of January 12th

Saturday:

• We are headed out to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday so no cooking tonight. Off to try Pabu at the new Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Baltimore.

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Sunday:

• Honey-roasted Cornish game hens with preserved lemons (the recipe actually calls for whole chicken, but I often prefer either game hens or as I like to call them, mini-chickens. They are a perfect little package of both white & dark meat for those who enjoy both.)
  
• Roasted red pepper and onion salad with Spanish blue cheese (Cabrales or Valdeon)
• Red quinoa with toasted pistachios (I am trying hard to get on board with the whole quinoa thing. I still think it’s more fun to say than to eat. Perhaps this new recipe will make me a believer. I will keep you posted.)

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Monday:

• Greek-style roasted shrimp with tomatoes, feta and capers. *TIME SAVER* (Peel and de-vein the shrimp the day before and keep on ice) This is a bit of my own creation. Simply roast tomatoes with capers and perhaps a bit of garlic. Add shrimp or scallops, crumbled feta cheese and fresh oregano and it’s Greece on a plate. 
• Simple green salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil

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Tuesday:

• Crispy duck breasts with chile-pomegranate sauce *TIME SAVER* (make the sauce on the weekend, it keeps well in the fridge for several days and freezes beautifully). This recipe is a winner. If you enjoy more heat at your house as we do, toss in a bit more adobo sauce.
• “Celery root” remoulade (no celeriac available, so I will be substituting golden beets and rutabagas)

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Wednesday:

• Pan seared salmon over shaved fennel salad
• Roasted winter root vegetables

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Thursday & Friday:

• Leftovers as I am packing for our upcoming Caribbean cruise!

Menu for the week of January 5th: 

Saturday
Supper Club Night! We participate in a Supper Club that meets every other month, rotating the host and hostess. Host chooses the theme and we all bring dishes to match. Tonight, I am making pissaladiere nicoise for a French country theme hosted by fellow supper clubbers. It’s a savory French tart filled with caramelized onions, oil-cured olives and anchovy filets.

Sunday:
Shellfish and black bean chili with chipotle peppers
Freshly made guacamole & store-bought salsa
Simple green salad with lime and roasted pepitas

Monday:
Beef and vegetables braised in red wine. ( prepared on Sunday as it’s always better the next day)
Fennel and tart cherry salad with feta and lemon vinaigrette

Beef & vegetables braised in red wine.

Tuesday & Wednesday: Leftover nights

Thursday:
Indian black pepper chicken *TIME SAVER*(I made the freshly toasted and ground spice rub on Sunday for an easy weeknight supper)
Grape raita
Roasted cauliflower with garlic.

Friday: end of a work week — we are going out!