Nesting In The 21st Century

Dinner Help

I would love your help.  I am really running dry in the dinner ideas area.  I have found some new recipes to try and would like you to vote for one.  Hopefully it will get me out of this little rut and into some new food ideas.  I will make the winner on Sunday night.

I thought this would be a fun idea to add some humor to the what-in-the-heck-should-I-make debate.  I have a house filled with cookbooks but honestly nothing sounds good these days.    I guess it is down to cooking by committee.

Web Polls by Vizu

Fiesta

  Ole!  I tried the Tequila-Lime Strip Steak from Fresh Every Day cookbook.  It was a great excuse to do a little fiesta dinner in the sunroom.  I made the Black Bean Salsa and Guacamole from the same cookbook.  It was all very good although the Black Bean Salsa was as much tomatoes as it was black beans.  I think I would add more beans if I made it again.  My husband is convinced that I cannot leave a recipe alone and that I am almost compelled to do something to it.  I guess that is true...it is one of those things about me that he just doesn't get. I can't complain, he is patient with me although I do know that in his head he must be yelling "Just leave the flank steak alone!"   

The kids just love dining with a theme.  They get so into it.  They even like to dress up. I don't do themed meals often, once every week or two but they are such a hit with the kids.  I love that they look forward to them and that my almost teenager is excited to come and spend time at the table.  The next theme is Spain.  I am doing a whole array of tapas.  It will be fun to do kids food is tapas form...macaroni & cheese in little cups, that sort of thing.

The kids have decided that they want to do a series of dinners based on movies they like.  I am not sure how to build a menu around Star Wars or Napoleon Dynamite but I will have to start getting creative.  If anyone has any ideas please send them my way. 

It's Granola Baby

This morning I made the granola from the aforementioned Fresh Every Day Cookbook.  I have been searching for a granola recipe for literally years.  I'm not sure why it has been so difficult.  Some types of recipes I have tons of variations all which are good (Lemon Chicken comes to mind as one) but granola has been harder to track down.  Either it tastes too earthy-crunchy or too sweet (but in a bad way.)  It is the one recipe so far that I don't like from Ina Garten. I was excited to try this one from Sara Foster.  It is made a bit differently than the others I have tried.  Everything is toasted first and then a lot of liquid is added.  Once it bakes it is still very moist and it comes together on the baking sheet as it cools.  Interesting.  I have to say it was the best recipe yet.  I think it needs some tweaking but overall it was very good.  It almost caramelizes together.   It still isn't as good as my favorite store bought Fruit and Nut Bear Naked  granola but it certainly is a step in the right direction.  Besides.  I saw the Bear Naked story on the Food Network Show Recipe For Success and I really liked the owners, Brendan & Kelly.  So I guess I am okay until I can finally figure out how to make  my own.

Cookbook Inspiration

I am often talking about inspiration.  Most of the time it has to do with home and design but sometimes it is about food.  I have many friends who are wonderful cooks and it is not usual to hear girlfriend Deb casually say she made a lovely little risotto with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan.  Hmmm.  Or Janine who made a chicken marinated with an "easy" little sauce of artichokes and lemon.  Somehow when it is time to put the dinner menu together those types of things don't naturally come to me.  So I am defiantly the type who needs inspiration...and lots of it.   My newest inspiration is Sara Foster's latest cookbook Fresh Every Day.  Now this the type of inspiration I m looking for.  Not only great sounding recipes but recipes along the lines of Ina Garten.  Simple and delicious without a lot of fuss or bother.  There are times which I want something over the top, but usually it isn't a Wednesday night when dinner is sandwiched between soccer practice and a little league game. 

My first try at a dish in this cookbook was last night when I made Greek Chicken with Tomatoes and Feta.  Easy and so good.  Somehow when I think of comfort food I usually think of heartier winter weather food.  But somehow this chicken recipe is light and flavorful summer food as well as giving that comfort food feeling.  Not an easy culinary task.  I am not an olive fan but I did add the Greek olives and didn't eat them.   I do think they flavored the dish ever so slightly but it was pleasing even to a non-olive eater like me.  I served the chicken with Italian-Style Green Beans.  They were good.  I am not sure why they were "Italian Style".  It consisted of green beans with garlic and olive oil.  What was interesting was the cooking process.  Boiled and then sauteed in the pan once the water had evaporated.  I have read a lot of cookbooks in my day but I had never read about that.  They were delicious.  Both of these recipes will be in heavy rotation in my kitchen this summer. 

Another one I am dying to try is the Pan Seared Red Snapper with Fresh Butter Beans, Tomatoes, and Corn.  It sounds so good. Butter beans.  Such and old fashioned type of vegetable.   The Lemon-Curry Roasted Chicken I will save for the early fall.  Next on the menu is a Tequila Lime Skirt Steak with Grilled Scallions.  It will have to be something special to compete with my favorite Tequila Lime Chicken from Ina Garden's Barefoot Contessa Family StyleIna has a wonderful show Barefoot Contessa on the Food Netword and if you haven't tried any of her recipes many are listed there.  Ah, inspiration around every corner.