about weekly dish
•
about the culinary bookworm
•
contact •
home
DINNER IN A FLASH
Monday, October 3, 2005
Things are getting really busy at school--a stack of papers to
grade, a presentation to prepare, reading, reading, reading, etc., and David and
I made a quick jaunt to Jackson this weekend to see Jerrod and Jessie and the
new baby (click here for a
really cute picture of David holding him). All that to say, I'm fixing more
and more dinners that can be ready on the fly (and probably these posts are
going to ramble less and less).
For my busiest weeks, the formula is usually: salad, pasta,
pizza, a meat dish, and something else that could use up leftovers. For this
week, my pasta and salad center around gorgonzola cheese, and the phyllo spinach
pie uses up all the leftover spinach from the one main-dish-and-sides night.
Most all of these meals can be prepared in less than an hour, and good food
that's also quick makes me happy when life is busy.
This Cobb Salad is a great example of a simple, fresh meal
in not a lot of time. I am averse to salad dressings that come in a bottle, so I
make my own (which takes about 2 minutes), but other than that, a little
chopping, and this meal is ready.
Here's what you'll need for 2 salads:
Baby spinach leaves
Sliced ham
1 avocado, sliced
1 plum or Roma tomato, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 ounces blue cheese (I used gorgonzola)
Arrange the spinach on the plates. Top with everything else,
arranging each ingredient in its own little stripe. Drizzle with Blue Cheese
Dressing.
Here's how to make that:
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup mayonnaise, homemade if you've got it
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
2 ounces blue cheese (again, gorgonzola for me)
Add the garlic clove to the food processor with the motor
running; when it's minced, add everything else.
Linguine Marinara
with Roasted Carrots
ARCHIVES: MY FAVORITE COOKBOOKS: The Aunts' Recipe Book
by Cindy, Prissy,
Jennifer, and Emily
This is the cookbook
my aunts gave me when I got married. It is a 3-ring binder compilation of all
their favorite recipes and some hilarious photos of me as a kid. It is by far my
favorite book to cook with because it reminds me of people who love me. And,
boy, do they know their food! by Ina Garten Ina Garten's
philosophy on food suits me so well. She believes in simplicity and fresh
ingredients, and everything I have made of hers has been both easy and
delicious. Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten I gave my
sister-in-law, Hannah, this cookbook for her birthday last year, and we recently
traded. She has the original Contessa, while I'm trying recipes from this one.
So far, Ina's record with me is impeccable. by Sara Foster I love this cookbook
for its sheer variety; if ever I am in a creativity slump, I can count on this
book to inspire me. Fresh Everyday by Sara Foster with
Carolynn Carreno I just got this one,
and so far I love it. Lots of good basic recipe templates with ideas for
innovation. Come On In! Junior League of
Jackson, MS This cookbook is a
staple in the kitchens where I come from, and whenever I need a southern food
fix, I turn to it. Intercourses by Martha Hopkins and
Randall Lockridge Based on ingredients
that have aphrodisiac qualities, this is a cookbook to hide when your mother
comes over. The food and the photography are fabulous, but as for its
aphrodisiac powers, well, you'll have to be the judge of that (my mother might
read this, after all). The food really is good, though; I've made almost
everything in it. Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and
Naomi Duguid I love Asian food, and
this cookbook is valuable as much for its narrative and photography as for its
recipes. Often, it calls for ingredients I can't find, but I have had fun trying
my own substitutions nonetheless. SYNDICATION, ETC.
(look at me--i'm learning about technology!)
Recently Dished:
|
WEEKLY MENU Monday Cobb Salad
Tuesday Penne with Gorgonzola and Walnuts
Wednesday Crunchy Catfish with Lemony Spinach and Zucchini
Thursday White Pizza with Ham and Artichoke Hearts
Friday Phyllo Spinach Pie COMMENTS
|