August 3 Menu

Last week was hot, weather wise. But what really bothers me about Boston summers, unlike my fond memories of Las Vegas summers in high school, is that it is humid. Then imagine an apartment with no central a/c and hopefully you can sympathize with us and understand why we didn't get around to cooking up last week's braised monk fish, nor the soft tofu stew, or the fried rice. Frankly, we resorted to spinning the chicken soup into several days and added a pasta dish to break up the monotony. This got me thinking that this coming week, we should look for recipes that don't require turning on the oven. Here's a few, and if the weather keeps at it this way, you'll see more each week.

Monday - Ceviche Tacos

• You just got to love fish - it's versatility just amazes me. It's ease of preparation just makes you smile. The flavor - well, distinctive, if not delicious for some people. I'm convinced that people who don't like fish grew up without ever trying good fish.
• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Ceviche-Tacos-354303
• A lot of great fresh vegetables and citrus flavor just for the summer.
• I might put the jalapenos on hold.
• Pair with a fresh fruit salad?
• Oh, and this is my gazpacho substitute.

Tuesday - Ham, Manchego, Fig Tartine and Avocado Soup

• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ham-Manchego-and-Fig-Tartines-243612
• http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/chilled-avocado-soup?backto=true
• Seems easy enough, I just wonder if it's really going to be dinner.
• And I almost feel like I should serve some wheat grass juice shots.

Wednesday - Navy Bean Nicoise

• http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/navy-bean-nicoise?backto=true
• You knew there was going to be a salad dinner, right? Well, good thing is our daughter loves beans.
• You may be able to save a little time and ingredients if you pick up a bottled dressing.
• Does boiling eggs count?

Thursday - Pesto Pasta

• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Three-Basil-Pesto-242861
• I've included a pesto recipe, but really, just buy one from a reputable specialty store.
• Does boiling pasta count? While your at it, why not steam up or add some shrimp to the boiling water.

Friday - Pizza!

• Finally my wife did something that measures up to my goofball passport debacle.
• So, we'll call it even and celebrate with pizza. Maybe even bon chon next week.

Shopping List for me:

• Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs - tomatoes (5), red onions (2), romaine lettuce, avocado (4), cilantro, fresh seasonal fruits, dill, lemon
• Meat, Chicken, Fish - sushi grade fish, prosciutto
• Milk, Dairy, Tofu, Eggs - butter, manchego, buttermilk
• Grains, Breads - baguette
• Frozen, Canned - green beans, navy beans, pesto
• Other - lime juice, lemon juice, canned jalapenos, taco shells, salsa, dressing

Shopping List Addtl:

• Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs - potatoes, baby spinach, parsley, basil
• Meat, Chicken, Fish - shrimp (optional)
• Milk, Dairy, Tofu, Eggs - eggs

Notes of the week:
1. Salmon Ceviche couldn't be better. I wouldn't change or modify any part of that recipe.
2. The avocado soup was good, but for those less adventurous folk, you'll constantly wonder if you're having soup or guacamole.

July 27 Menu

Due to an unforeseen and very much unfortunate set of circumstances, we did not go to London last week. And I riase my hand solely in a "mea culpa" and hope my daughter will be able to forgive me when she gets old enough to realize what she missed out on. And of course, my wife has forgiven me, or rather, has extended to me a bargain that I couldn't refuse - ten years of servitude, to put it bluntly. So this week's menu is going to be all korean, and this may be a regular thing, as that is her favorite menu of choice.

On a side note, if you are bemused by this little blog, I would suggest another that I have started: www.hybridskeptic.blogspot.com. This blog is a result of a contest that Lexus is running, the winner of which will be able to test drive their new hybrid for a year. When we first bought our car, an RX350, we quickly dismissed the hybrid version because of the fact that the cost clearly outweighed the slight environmental benefits. Lexus promises this version to be different, and I'm willing to take them up on on their promise and see if they really deliver - on all fronts. So, if you believe in what I'm proposing, please vote for me.

Without further ado, here's this week menu (and I apologize that I'm posting this on Sunday, probably well after everyone's done their grocery shopping for the week). All dishes come with rice, I mean served with rice.

Monday - Sam Gae Tang (Chicken Soup)

• http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/samgyetang
• I've had this menu on before. If you don't have the dates, feel free to use any dried fruits. I've used apricots once and it was fine. You can also leave it out. Hopefully, you'll have some leftover ginseng root from last time.
• You can always opt to get the prepackaged sam gae tang herbs/ spices at the local korean grocer.

Tuesday - Soft Spicy Tofu Stew

• http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/soondubu-jjigae
• Don't be afraid of "spicy." Like many things, it's in the eye of the beholder - just tone down the hot pepper flakes.
• Also, this dish can be 100% vegetarian, as I have had it that way many times.

Wednesday - Braised Monkfish

• http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/585171
• The ingredients for this dish can be quite overwhelming. I say, don't sweat the small stuff. If you have the soy bean sprouts, you're all set.

Thursday - Leftover Fried Rice

• So, after having cooked up Yang Chow Fried Rice, I've come to the realization that fried rice can really be an incredibly flexible dish. So, I'm proposing to take the left over monk fish to make fried rice.
• Follow the Yang Chow Fried Rice recipe, but use monk fish instead of the salty fish. You can also skip the shrimp because the monk fish is going to bring a lot of salty/ spicy flavor.
• http://www.nibbledish.com/people/chaditz/recipes/yang-chow-fried-rice

Friday - Pizza?

• Probably only if I beg.

Shopping List Addtl:

• Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs - summer fruits and vegetables, shitake mushrooms, soybean sprouts,
• Meats, Poultry, Fish - whole chicken, monkfish
• Dairy, Cheese, Egg, Tofu - tofu, eggs
• Frozen - Peas
• Specialty - dates, ginseng root, kelp

July 20 Menu

We'll be on vacation this week in London, returning Wednesday. In the mean time, I thought I could suggest the following website which I will crib from again in the near future. This is where I got my carne asada recipe a while back.

http://simplyrecipes.com/

Have a great week, friends.

July 13 Menu

We will be off to London on Friday, making this an abbreviated week and one without my wife, who's traveling on business. Hence, to serve this predicament, my friends helped me come up with a theme that I think later on should be revisted to consider more recipes. The theme of the week will be recipes that taste better on the second day. Two popped up immediately. First, my friend offered her own recipe of sweet italian sausages, kale, and white beans. The second is japanese curry. And that's all there is too it. I'll be serving rice with each meal, which is great for my daughter because these days her favorite is seaweed wrapped rice - virgin sushi.

Monday - Sausage, Kale, White Beans

• Remove casings for sweet italian sausages into pan of chopped garlic clove and olive oil. Once cooked, add kale and rinsed white beans (canned). Salt & pepper to taste.
• Serve with rice or some pasta.
• Of course, this is probably not the first recipe that comes to people's minds, but my wife had already bought a couple of pounds of sweet italian because they were on sale at WholeFoods.

Tuesday - Cold Sausage, Kale, White Beans

• Unpack into a plate of greens if desired.
• Side of warm rice is nice too.

Wednesday - Japanese Curry

• We've had this one on before and this menu really does get better on the second day.
• Gather up a meat, some potatoes, carrots, onions, and of course, the box of japanese curry. Following the box directions is all you need. Some also add hand made apple sauce for additional texture and flavor.
• If possible, use up the burdock root and make some miso soup, again this will be better tomorrow too.

Thursday - Japanese Curry v. 02

• Just reheat, nothing special necessary.
• I forgot to mention kimchi, that tastes better on the second day too. Actually, waiting a year makes it vintage.

Friday - Off to London

• A 16 month old on a five hour flight, with only one seat to share between us. Many have already forewarned us that we will regret the one seat. Ah well.
• She's been an angel so far in the all the flights we've taken her on. I think this is where the lucky streak comes to an end.
• Pray for us!

Shopping list for me:

• Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs - kale, zucchini, carrots, corn, seasonal fruits
• Canned, Bakery - canned white beans

Shopping list addtl:

• Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs - potatoes
• Specialty - japanese curry cubes