Archives for the month of: June, 2014

Pork Medallions with Mustard-Caper Sauce
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This recipe is for two, but you can easily double it. It may not be the most beautiful looking dish, but it is really tasty and pretty fast to prepare. I used half and half instead of cream because that is what I had and it was fine.

Braised Swiss Chard

2 large bunches of yellow or red swiss chard, remove thick part of the ribs and chop the leaves and smaller ribs into large pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
2 TB. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and saute onion for about 5 or so minutes until it is tender and translucent. Add swiss chard and stir until it starts to wilt a bit. Turn heat down to low and cover the pot. Every 5 minutes or so stir the chard so it doesn’t stick. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the chard is very soft. Remove cover and let the chard saute another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, dress with good olive oil if you desire.

Soy-Glazed Chicken Thighs with Asparagus and Scallions
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This was delicious, although I wish I hadn’t made it on the first day we needed the air conditioner. Roasting chicken at 450 degrees definitely makes the kitchen hot!

The recipe calls for anise seed (aka fennel seed), but if you don’t have it I am sure the marinade would still be delicious. I made the marinade the night before to save time, but the chicken doesn’t need to marinate overnight. And, finally, I didn’t have much sauce at the end to pour over the chicken, but it was still amazing.

No, not that kind of stock.

Since I started this blog in January I have posted almost 20 meal plans and over 70 meals! It is crazy to think that I have made that many different meals so far this year, and the best season for cooking is just beginning! This is obviously a roundabout way of saying that I’m sorry I haven’t posted a new meal plan in a few weeks, but I hope you’ve been able to use the archive to pull together some tasty dinners for your family.

Fortunately, we are entering into the best time of the year to cook. I am obviously inspired by what I find when I am grocery shopping, but no shopping experience inspires me more than a trip to a farmers market. When I first caught a glimpse of those sugar snap peas you see below my heart leapt a bit. This week features a bunch of recipes that make the most of Spring’s finest; I especially love the soy-glazed chicken with asparagus and scallions. And, I promise there are more meals to come.

Sugar Snap Peas web

Meal #1: Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Meal #2: Pork Medallions with Mustard-Caper Sauce and Braised Swiss Chard
Meal #3: Soy-Glazed Chicken with Asparagus and Scallions
Meal #4: Whole Baked Trout with Cherry Tomatoes and Potatoes

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

broccoli rabe – 1 large bunch
Swiss chard – 2 large bunches
shallots – 4
onion – 1
asparagus – 1 large bunch
scallions – 2 bunches
Yukon gold potatoes – 2
cherry tomatoes – 12 ounces
oregano – 1 bunch
cilantro – 1 bunch
lemon – 1
limes – 3-4
penne – 1 box
aniseed (fennel seed) – 2 tsp. (optional) 
chicken broth – 2 cups
whipping cream (or half and half)
capers (if you don’t already have them)
grain dijion mustard (if you don’t already have it)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
honey (if you don’t already have it)
chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on – 8
pork tenderloin – 2, 8-10 ounce each
sausage – 1 lb.
trout – 2 whole fish (9 ounces each)