Thai-ish Menu

This week, the weather is supposed to be nice but maybe a little rainy and I’m craving the wonderful combination of sweet/spicy found in Thai food. Our weekly dinner menu this week is scheduled to be:

First Course – Thai Peach Salad
Second Course – Sticky Thai Chicken
Third Course – Blueberry Crunch

The blueberry crunch doesn’t really go with the rest of the menu, but we’ll see what I can do with the crunch mixture. Or maybe, per request of my wonderful husband, we may start cutting these weekly meals down a course as we back away from sweets…

Food Network Inspired Menu – Baked Squash Gratin

First Course – Baked Squash Gratin
Second Course – Hogs in Sleeping Bags
Dessert - (Eliminated by request of DH)
Beverage – Belgian beer from beer of the month club!

Flipping through channels yesterday afternoon, I noticed that Everyday Italian was cooking up some butternut squash in a really simple but yummy sounding way – and since I had everything I needed (or a variation thereof – I used Asiago instead of Parm) in the kitchen already, I went strait into the kitchen to make it for dinner. First time I’ve done that. Actually, we ended up having quite the food network inspired dinner last night, first with this recipe for the squash, and then from Paula Dean’s Hogs in Sleeping Bags. Double Yum!

Baked Squash Gratin

Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

1 (3 lb) butternut squash, cubed

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup purchased basil pesto

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces

Pam

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease 8″ baking dish and set aside.

Steam the butternut cubes. (I did this in the microwave steamer, she does it on the stove.) When they are steamed, put them right into the food processor with some salt and pepper and whir until creamy.

Spoon half of the squash into the baking pan. Cover with half of the pesto and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers. (Swirl decoratively if desired). Top layer is cheese, dot the cheese with the butter cubes. Bake in preheated oven about 40 minutes, until browned around the edges.

Warm Weather Birthday Menu & Pecan Burgers Recipe

This week, week 16 (already?) of our one-three-course-meal-each-week-during-2008, is in celebration of Pinot’s 1st Birthday (on 4/18) and because it’s supposed to be really nice out! When I think of dogs and good weather, somehow being outside comes to mind, which makes me think of grilling and summery-foods and flip flops…. you are probably starting to see how this menu came together. Yes, this meal plan includes bringing out the hibachi grill & propane, small cooler, and heading down to the lake and picnic tables!

First – Marinated Potato & Artichoke Salad
Second – Toasted Pecan Burgers on Whole Wheat Buns
Third – Czech Kolache Cookies (Yes, I’m cheating and re-using a dessert. But if you saw how stocked our deep freezer is with desserts, you’d see why we need to start re-using some of them!)
Beverage – Arrogant Bastard Ale

I’m excited about the salad & the burgers! Hooray pecans! This is a recipe that I found at the start of summer last year on the Washington Post and am excited to test out!

Toasted Pecan Burgers
Perhaps not for the burger purist, these are fine examples of what a little sweetness and crunch can do for ground beef. Serve them hot on toasted sesame seed buns with mayonnaise and butter lettuce leaves. Put the rest of the green bell pepper to use by grilling it and adding to a bright coleslaw or tricolor roasted bell pepper salad.

Ingredients
1 pound ground chuck
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons prepared barbeque sauce (preferably not mustard based)
2 tablespoons barbecue seasoning or rub

Method
Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into 4 firm, thick patties. (The patties may be prepared earlier in the day; refrigerate until ready to use.)

When ready to cook, prepare the grill. If using a gas grill, preheat the grill to high, then turn it to medium or medium-low, depending on your grill. If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes. When the briquettes are ready, distribute them evenly under the cooking area for direct heat. Oil the grate with nonstick spray oil.

Grill the burgers over direct medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes, turning them once, until they reach the desired degree of doneness. (Medium burgers will register an internal temperature of 160 degrees.) Serve hot.

Original Recipe Source:
Adapted from “The Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Cookbook,” by Kate Heyhoe (Wiley, 2007).

Source: Washington Post | (Servings: 4)

Breakfast Dinner Menu & Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Mmm, there is nothing like a good breakfast! Especially if it’s for dinner! That is what this weeks menu is inspired by….

First – Baked Oatmeal
Second – Country Style Ham Hash
Dessert – Mousse a la Banana
Beverage – Strait up Orange Juice

I loved, loved, the ease and taste of the Baked Oatmeal! Filling, and the leftovers warmed up really well for a good breakfast the next morning. The recipe is below:

Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked quick cooking oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup raisins
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1.5 cups skim milk
½ cup applesauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
cooking spray

Method
Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Source: Cooking Light | (Servings: 5)

Vermont Maple Menu

Vermont Maple Menu this week because we were supposed to go to VT last weekend before all the house stuff happened!

Appetizer – Maple baked brie en croute
Main – Maple glazed pork with parmesan couscous
Dessert – Maple pecan bars with whipped cream

Beverage – Organic Shiraz we got from Wegmans – I wish it were maple wine or maple soda, and miss dakin farm where I could at least get the latter easily!

Spring Menu

With all of the house craziness going on the past two weeks, last weeks dinner got bumped into this week. Fun stuff to have 2 cool dinners this week! Our makeup spring menu was:

Amuse-bouche: Three cheeses (Compte, Morbier, Australian Blue) on baguette
First: Greens salad with Avocado & Tomato
Second: Sausage, Mushroom & Bean Ragu on Whole Wheat Penne
Dessert: Stacked Strawberry Shortcake

Beverage: Gray Ghost Adieu wine from our first VA wine excursion – sweet wine to complement the tangy blue!

Irish Menu

Two of our dinners with only 2 days in between? Yum!

First Course: Traditional Irish Bread
Second Course: Corned Beef & Cabbage
Third Course: Guiness Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Honey Sauce

Silver Spoon Menu

This weeks menu came from a wonderful cookbook that was given to me at my bridal shower from Mrs. Patterson – The Silver Spoon Cookbook.

First Course: (this beef based soup thing that I can’t recall the name of that turned out really great)
Second Course: Beef Carbonnade with buttered noodles on the side (yum, yum, yum – let the guiness inclusions begin!)
Third Course: Lindt chocolate truffles (we’re trying to cut down on sweets – the deep freeze is filled, literally filled, with baking excursions that we tried and kept the remainder of, so no more baking for awhile!)

Beverage: Swedenburg Estates Cabernet Sauvingon

Super Mario Brawl Brunch Menu

Aaaah, the addition of Pinot made for a very busy week, and alas, we did not get to go shopping for the dinner I’d planned. Instead, I mixed it up this week and did a brunch menu on Sunday, just in time for a break in the super mario brawl action.

Appetizer:
Mini turkey sandwiches with zesty maple mustard

Main course:
Shredded chicken soup

Dessert:
Hot dark chocolate

Kingsolver Menu

Another thing we started this year was a book club for the two of us, since we always read books and want the other to read them but then with all of our own books… aha, the dilemna. So anyhow, this year we are doing an NJ&CJ bookclub on our anniversary every month to discuss whatever book the other wanted us to read. In February, I read “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver and gave that to Nick as my pick for him in February too so that it would be fresh in both of our minds for discussion.

The menu for this week was inspired by the book, as it contains recipes for each season. The recipes in the book can also be found online.

First Course: Sweet Potato Quesadillas
Second Course: Chicken Recuerdos De Tucson
Third Course: Lite variation of Basil-Blackberry Crumble
Beverage: Czechvar Beer (yep, we’ve still got a bit of it in the fridge!)