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Shrimp “Scampi” and Linguine with Green Salad

February 21, 2014 //
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Shrimp “Scampi”

I added the quotes because this is definitely not a traditional shrimp scampi, but it tastes pretty close. I like to pair the shrimp with linguine, but rice or even some good Italian bread would be great for sopping up the wine and lemon sauce.

1 ½ lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ cup olive oil
½  dry white wine
2 TB. lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch black pepper
2 TB. parsley, finely chopped (optional)
¼ – ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay shrimp in baking dish.

Combine olive oil, wine, lemon juice, garlic and black pepper in small bowl. Pour over shrimp and sprinkle with parsley and bake 10 minutes.

Remove dish from oven and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Heat broiler to high, broil until bread crumbs are toasted, golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve!

Linguine

2-3 oz. of linguine per person

Boil salted water for pasta, when boiling add pasta and follow directions on the box.

Green Salad

 

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Categories Meals

Cooking for a Crowd

February 21, 2014 //
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Last weekend we escaped the dirty snow of New York and spent several days at my parent’s new house in Vermont. It is the perfect vacation house because it has plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, and a huge living room with two giant couches. It begs for groups. Funny enough, since I am an only child, there have only been a few nights where more than five of us have stayed there. But this weekend we packed the house – there were the five of us, two of my best friends, one of their boyfriends, and one of their daughters. Besides a lot of sledding, downhill skiing, and snowshoeing, we drank a bit too much wine and bourbon, and ate a ton of Vermont cheese.

Patrick in the snow fort he built out of 3 feet of snow.

Patrick in the snow fort he built out of 3 feet of snow.

Leading up to the weekend, my Mom and I planned the weekend’s menus. Knowing we had a lot of people to feed we tried to design meals that would be easy to prepare for a big group, be universally loved, and accommodate a variety of tastes and dietary needs. A couple of our weekend’s feasts made it to this week’s meal plan, along with two others that would also work for a large group. All of these meals can also be adjusted for as few as two people.

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal # 1: Cauliflower and Sausage Casserole + Green Salad
Meal # 2: Meatloaf, Roasted Potatoes + Green Beans
Meal # 3: Shrimp “Scampi” with Linguine + Green Salad
Meal # 4: Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry + Rice

Your Grocery List, excluding the usual pantry items:

cauliflower – 1 medium (about 2 lb.)
onion – 2
scallions – 1 bunch
snap peas – 1 cup, or handful
lettuce – 1 head or bag
lemon – 1
red or yukon gold potatoes – 1 lb.
red, yellow or orange pepper – 2
zucchini and/or summer squash – 2
green beans – 1 ½ lb.
ginger – 1 small piece
whole peeled tomatoes – 1, 28-ounce can
breadcrumbs
fresh or dried thyme (if you don’t already have it)
dried basil (if you don’t already have it)
dried oregano (if you don’t already have it)
garlic powder (if you don’t already have it)
Worcestershire sauce (if you don’t already have it) – optional
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
ketchup (if you don’t already have it)
soy sauce  (if you don’t already have it)
oyster sauce (if you don’t already have it)
rice wine vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
sesame oil  (if you don’t already have it)
eggs – 2
linguine – 2-3 oz. per person
sausage – ½ lb.
ground beef – 2 lb.
chicken breast – 1 lb.
bacon – 3 strips
cheddar cheese – ¼ lb.
shrimp – 1 ½ lb.
dry white wine

 

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Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon

February 7, 2014 //
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Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon

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Let’s get this straight; carbonara does not have heavy cream in it! Its creaminess comes from the use of eggs and grated cheese; capisce? I’ve had carbonara that sits like a bowling ball in your stomach, but the real stuff shouldn’t do that. The addition of lemon and leeks to this traditional dish imparts it with the flavors of spring.

Don’t be afraid of leeks if you haven’t cooked with them before, just beware that they are dirty. After you chop the leeks, soak them in cold water for several minutes to release any stubborn dirt stuck within their layers. The other nice thing about leeks is that they are often one of the first vegetables to return to farmers markets in the spring because they can overwinter, which just means they can survive in the fields, even under snow, and be ready for an early harvest. How’s that for a tough vegetable!

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Categories Meals

Groundhog Day

February 7, 2014 //
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I started to pull this post together on February 2 – Groundhog Day. Don’t you love the irony of Groundhog Day? If the sun is shining, good ole Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow and we’ve got 6 more weeks of winter, but if it is cloudy, dreary, and frankly winter-like, spring is on its way! How in the world does that make sense (putting aside the fact that we are looking to a creature that we normally never think twice about to predict the weather)? Of course, for this particularly cruel winter, those of us in the New York region were teased on Groundhog Day with sunny, relatively warm weather only to wake up the next morning to a cascade of heavy, wet snow. Despite that brief reprieve, this winter has been more like the Bill Murray movie – every day feels the same – dreadful. Do you get the sense by now that I hate winter?

At least they shoveled the Brooklyn Promenade.

On the bright side, at least the Brooklyn Promenade has been shoveled.

To survive the winter doldrums I try to remember that we are only a few months away from flowers peeking up through the ground, longer days, and the first bunch of asparagus at the farmers market. We may still be in the season of stews and braises, but there are a bunch of seasonal, yet light dishes that remind us that winter will not last forever.

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Grilled Shrimp + Avocado Salad
Meal #2: Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon
Meal #3: Spicy Peanut Chicken and Broccoli + Rice
Meal #4: Mustard Crusted Branzino + Sauteed Spinach

Your Grocery List, excluding the usual pantry items:

limes – 2
lemon – 1
cilantro – 1 bunch
parsley – 1 bunch (optional)
avocados – 2
grape or cherry tomatoes – 1 container
scallions – 1 bunch
broccoli – 2 heads
leeks – 4
spinach – 2 bags or bunches
short pasta (ex. penne) – 1 box
breadcrumbs
eggs – 2
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
peanut butter (if you don’t already have it)
sesame oil (if you don’t already have it)
soy sauce (if you don’t already have it)
sambal oelek aka Sriracha (if you don’t already have it)
rice vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
whole grain mustard (if you don’t already have it)
bacon – 6 strips
boneless, skinless chicken thighs – 4, approx. 1 ½ lb. total
shrimp – 1 ½ lb.
whole branzino or trout, butterflied – 2 (1 ½ – 2 lb. each) OR thin, white fish fillet – 1 ½ lb.

 

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Italian “Stir Fry”

January 31, 2014 //
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Italian “Stir Fry”

When I was single and living alone, I prepared full meals for myself as a way to unwind. I would either cut a recipe down to one portion or make a larger portion and have leftovers for lunch or other nights. However, a lot of nights I prepared dinner using whatever was kicking around in my fridge and pantry – this recipe is an example. You can make this dish with literally whatever you think looks good at the market or what you already have in the fridge. You can add meat or not. It can go over pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa or farro. It is the perfect “what should I make for dinner tonight?” meal. The ingredient list below is merely a suggestion.

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1 TB. olive oil
1 red, yellow or orange pepper, chopped *
½ red onion, chopped *
1 zucchini, chopped *
1 summer squash, chopped *
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup pesto (optional)
½ cup ricotta cheese (optional)
pasta – 3 oz dry for per person

* ingredients that can be prepped several days ahead.

Note – Boil salted water for the pasta as you prep the rest of the ingredients. When you add the pasta to the boiling water start your stir-fry; they should take the same amount of time to cook.

Heat olive oil in a pan and add the next four ingredients. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add your tomatoes, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until they start to break down and get saucy. When your pasta is done, drain it, and throw it in the pan with the veggies; add the pesto, ricotta, salt and pepper to taste and mix it up.

 

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Improv

January 31, 2014 //
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By now, you have probably gathered that while I love cookbooks and online recipe generators I rarely stick to the script. For me, cooking is like an improv show at the Upright Citizens Brigade; you never know what you’re going to get! I work with what I think is the best of a recipe, and then I tweak it so that it is faster, easier and (hopefully) more delicious. A few of this week’s meals are like that. I tried something once, and when I made it again I changed it up. Feel free to do the same with my recipes!

Just a few of the cookbooks I use for inspiration

Just a few of the cookbooks I use for inspiration

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Honey-Soy Salmon + Baby Bok Choy with Cashews
Meal #2: Italian “Stir Fry”
Meal #3: Chicken Breast Sautéed in Sweet Red Onion and Lemon + Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Meal #4: Brussels Sprouts and Pork (or Beef) Stir Fry + Rice

Your Grocery List, excluding the usual pantry items:

scallions – 2 bunches
baby bok choy – 1 lb.
pepper (red, yellow or orange) – 1
jalapeno pepper – 1
brussels sprouts – 1 lb.
red onion – 3
lemon – 3
zucchini – 1
summer squash – 1
carrots – 2 medium
broccoli – 2 large bunches
plum tomatoes – 3
ginger – 1 piece (you can freeze or refrigerate the rest)
pine nuts – ¼ lb (optional – if you buy them, freeze the extra)
salted cashews, ¼ lb.
ricotta cheese – small container (optional)
bottle of pesto (optional)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
bottle of sesame oil (if you don’t already have it)
bottle of rice vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
bottle of oyster sauce (if you don’t already have it)
salmon fillet, 1 ½ lbs.
boneless, skinless chicken breast – 1 ½ lb.
boneless, pork chops – 2 (4-6 oz. each) OR skirt steak, 8 oz.

 

 

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Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

January 10, 2014 //
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Broccoli rabe, an Italian favorite, is a bit bitter, but if you blanch it the flavor will mellow. 

¾ lb. penne
1 bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped*
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 lb. Italian sausage, removed from casings
½ cup chicken broth
olive oil
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

* ingredients that can be prepped several days in advance.

Boil salted water for pasta, when boiling add pasta and follow directions on the box.

Boil salted water and add chopped broccoli rabe for about 1-2 minutes, or until it turns bright green. Immediately remove it from the water, drain it in a colander and run cold water over it to stop the cooking. Or, if you are really ambitious, dump it in a bowl of ice water and then drain. Set aside. (Now you’ve learned how to blanch!) This step can be done before you start the pasta so that you can use the small pot twice.

Heat a saute pan and add sausage, cooking between 5-7 minutes, or until it is no longer pink and is starting to brown. Add garlic, and a bit of olive oil to the pan, sautéing until the garlic starts to smell delicious. Add broccoli rabe and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sausage and garlic and saute a couple more minutes until it is covered in all of the nice juices and heats through. Pour in chicken broth and let the mixture simmer a bit until the pasta is finished.

Before you drain the pasta, reserve about a ½ cup of the pasta’s cooking water, and set aside. Drain the pasta, add it to the broccoli rabe/sausage mixture and toss. If it is too dry for your taste add the reserved pasta water – just a little bit at a time! Toss, add salt and pepper and taste. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over it and serve!

 

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The Standards

January 10, 2014 //
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Welcome to Everyday Banquet! I’m Kelly, and I am very excited to introduce you to my blog, which is a meal planning tool designed to make your life easier and more delicious. On Fridays, I will post four to five meals and a grocery list to help you shop and prepare for the coming week. The best part is that my family has already enjoyed these meals, usually the week before, so along with recipes and/or links to recipes I will share my advice and insight from having already prepared the meals. To learn a little bit more about the blog and me please visit my about page. And now, on to the first post!

I believe it was Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, who once said that most people make the same five to ten recipes for dinner over and over. At first I thought that couldn’t be right, but then I thought about what I make on a regular basis and actually, it is! With some variation here and there, if something is relatively inexpensive, easy and obviously delicious why wouldn’t I make it again and again? For this first week I am sharing a lot of my standards, starting with roast chicken on Sunday night, which, when done well, is one of the greatest dishes on earth.

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Hamersley’s Walk-Away Roast Chicken with Onions and Potatoes, Steamed Green Beans
Meal #2: Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Meal #3: Baked Fish with Tomatoes and Olives, Kale Caesar Salad
Meal #4: Bourbon Glazed Smoked Pork Chops and Roasted Delicata Squash

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:
lemons – 2
large red onion – 2
medium red potatoes – 6
green beans – 1 lb.
broccoli rabe – 1 bunch
tuscan kale – 1 large bunch
delicata squash – 2
plum tomatoes – 8
chicken broth – 1 can (1 pint or 2 cups)
Whole Chicken – 4 lbs.
Italian Sausage – 3/4 lb.
smoked bone-in pork chops, ½- inch thick – 1 per person
white fish – 6 ounces per person

 

 

 

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