This is a very typical meal rotation. A balance of 'American' meals like spaghetti and chicken divan with 'Asian' food like Kim Chee Pork and Dan Dan Noodles. I'm finally getting to a Poached Salmon with Grape Sauce Recipe from the Greenhouse.

Sunday
How do you feed 4 hungry teenage boys who have decided to stay for dinner? Spaghetti Sauce II--Laurie and the Jars and lots of it. Friends and family are always welcome here.

Monday
It's dinner for breakfast. Ham cups filled with egg, a little pesto, chese and tomato. How can this not be good?! Plus fresh hash browns. I've borrowed a brunch cookbook from our local library at least three times and now I'm hell-bent on finally making this. I anticipate this will be fast-tracked in the Greenhouse too.

Tuesday
Kim Chee Pork. Another fast-tracker in Greenhouse. All I need to do is balance out the enoki to kim chee to thin pork ratio. This is going to be a great winter speed dinner.

Wednesday
Chicken Divan. Mid-week comfort food. What's not to love about cheese and broccoli?

Thursday
Dan Dan Noodles. I'm finding that the Middle Eastern tahini paste has become very, very handy for Asian-type recipes. Will try making Dan Dan Noodles with tahini.

Friday
Salmon and grape sauce. This is another recipe that's been sitting in the Greenhouse for way too long.

Happy Halloween. Eat Well. Be Well. 

It's 'cold' in the Bay Area again. It's even raining, perfect weather for some hearty stew/soup items. This is also a great way to use a use a single bunch of celery and a bag of carrots in a week without them wilting. I will also get some naan flatbreads and a tub of feta cheese to split between two meals.

Monday--Japanese Chicken Curry using Vermont curry instead of S&B packet this time. Uses half of the carrots and celery. Leftovers for this will be used in lunches during the week.

Tuesday--Grandma's Braised Meat. Because we need a red-meat fix every once in awhile. And I don't have a photo. Finish off the other half of the carrots and celery. 

Wednesday--The experiment of the week: another "Arabian Night"-spiced chicken with Steve's hummus. Plus a new recipe for baba ghanouj (an eggplanty-dip/spread) and Greek Salad. This should just about use all of the extra lemons. As we watch the hockey game. Go Sharks!!

Thursday--Simple Spaghetti and a green salad. Something fast for the triple-bonus carpool day--piano, soccer, volleyball.

Friday--Tandoori Chicken Sandwiches. This will use up any leftover feta cheese and flatbreads from Wednesday's dinner.  

Look for the kids and husband approved-mahi mahi to be posted this week.

Eat Well. Be Well.

Finally, some nice weather! As I sit here in the glorious sunshine, eating the last of the 15-minute fish, I figured out not only what's cooking this week, but the order of things so I can best use the oven. Ever since we converted to solar electricity a couple of years ago, we've been really trying to be more energy efficient.

Anyhow, here's what we're eating this week. The energy efficiency doesn't always happen, but it's something I aim for.

Monday--Mayonnaise Chicken, Orzo Salad and sauteed spinach. My son has been not-so-gently reminding me to make an orzo salad and that it is not currently posted to Feeding My Ohana, so this is the day to do it. Also, I'll bake the mayonnaise chicken, a couple of extra chicken thighs (for enchiladas) and meatballs all together today to maximize the oven use.

Tuesday--Meatballs with Simple Spaghetti Sauce and a salad. Meatballs were made yesterday, so spaghetti and salad are a fast dinner on carpool driving days.

Wednesday--Chicken Enchiladas, based on the seasoning for Tortilla Soup. In the ideal world, I would have made this on the same day as mayonnaise chicken, but I'll have to use the oven today.

Thursday--Attempt #2 at Pan-fried Noodles, w/leftover (frozen) chicken breast from last week's Pad Thai experiment. Another fast dinner for carpool day.

Friday--TBD fish--Cioppino, Teriyaki Salmon, or my Sister's Fish Sticks, depending on what's at the store. And some Swiss Chard.

For those of you in the SF Bay Area, enjoy the week of warm weather. We've earned it! Eat Well. Be Well.

My son is taking a Foods Class. What can middle school kids really cook in 40 minutes? As it turns out, a lot. 

The first recipe he brought home is now called Ridiculously Good Scones #2. We were blissfully happy with Todd's Ridiculously Good Scones, so when my son came home and said, "These are really GOOD." we had to try it. And he was right. It's a different, but equally delicious scone. Now we take turns on which one we make.

Since then, he's brought home some other really simple and Really Quite Delicious recipes. Here are the new additions that we fully endorse and have made at home at least twice since coming home. Maybe I'll have my first intern soon.

Warm Jalapeno Cheese Sauce--perfect for nachos, tailgating and our Thanksgiving and Christmas parties
Simplest Spaghetti Sauce--made this past weekend and no leftovers. Even mom liked it.

I got a new for-pay contracting job. And like all marketing consultant/wife/mom/tutor/chauffeur/cooks, time is is limited and tasks are many. On the plus side, marketing consulting does pay to feed my ohana, it's very interesting work for a large "techie" company. I've just finished a communication programs for a new product and helped launch a new website. However, all that time spent there takes away from my real passion of feeding my ohana, literally and otherwise...

So I've focused this blog on dinners that you can do Easily. Swiftly. When you are Kind of Tired, Rushed or A Little Bit Grouchy. Easy to make. Good eating. And we all know that a good meal always makes you happy.

Here's the work week of PDQ dinners.

1) Spaghetti with Simple Tomato Sauce. My friend Lana swears I stole this from her, but I solemnly swear that I did not. It is descended from Cooking Light. Garlic, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes and a can of whole tomatoes. We use two cans because we love it so much. Basil if you have it. You can have spaghetti sauce faster than you can boil the water for the spaghetti. (Meatballs not required!)

2) Costco Rotisserie Chicken. Yes, you have to buy this one, but it's so worth it. One complete (hot!) meal, and the leftovers lead to....

3) Chicken Divan Use the leftover chicken. Cut broccoli or buy a bag of pre-cut broccoli. Prep time = 10 minutes, and that's if you buy uncut broccoli. Bake time 30 minutes, the same amount of time it will take to make the rice to go with this.

4) Banish the Bottle Teriyaki Chicken. This is THE go-to dinner. Not to sweet, not too salty. Pour everything into a pan and let it cook. Again, in the time it takes to make rice, the chicken is done. Open a bag of salad for a fully balanced meal.

5) Quinoa Salad. The handy-dandy rice cooker to the rescue again--this time to make the quinoa. If you can open two cans and cut up a cucumber, you are done. And a vegetarian option to boot!

6) Fish sandwiches with marinated tomato salad--Brand New
Buy a carton of grape or mixed tomatoes, buns and your favorite fish. Have mayo, salt, pepper, lemon, sesame oil, shoyu, olive oil and balsamic vinegar at home.

Split the tomatoes and toss a little Hawaiian salt and olive oil over them. While that sits, bake your favorite fish (I had mahi mahi ) at 350 for about 20 minutes.

While that bakes, make a shoyu-sesame oil-mayonaise and green onions sauce for the sandwiches. When the fish is done, drizzle balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Spread the mayo/sesame oil/shoyu over the bread and eat.

I'm planning some more updates to the site, and more quickly than this past month! Thanks much for sticking with me. Eat well. Be well.