Day #64

Tonight's dinner was supplied by Sara, one of my awesome co-workers.  She brought me a "doggy bag" from a dinner she made recently.  It was 2 wedges of cooked polenta, with a topping mixture of salsiccia, white cannellini beans, tomatoes, and onions.   I placed the polenta wedges in a sautee pan with a little olive oil, and "fried" them until the outside was browned.  I  re-heated the rest of the mixture in the microwave, then spooned it atop the polenta.  To add some more color to my plate, I made a small salad of mixed greens, dried cranberries, gorgonzola cheese, and a balsamic vinegar drizzle.


Speaking of co-workers, I had the pleasure of cooking lunch for my whole office today.   I cooked the Potato Tot-Topped Shepherd's Pie (Rachael Ray) that I tried back on Day #43.   The smells permeated the office as it cooked, and I think everyone was glad when lunchtime arrived so they could eat.  To go with the meal, we had a tossed garden salad and some handmade bread (baked by my manager).

(organizing my ingredients)

(everything cooking and bubbling on the stove)

Time to eat!!

Day #63

Tonight for dinner, I'm having nachos.  But not just any ordinary nachos - these are gourmet nachos.  I started by taking 2 whole wheat soft tortillas and cut them into 8 wedges each.  I sprayed a baking sheet with a butter cooking spray, spread out the tortilla wedges, sprinkled them with a mix of spices (Chipotle rub, Southwestern Seasoning, and Jamaican Jerk rub - all Pampered Chef) - then baked them in a 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes until crispy.   I let them cool on the baking rack for another 5-10 minutes.

I had a small piece of leftover Ginger-Citrus Glazed Pork from earlier last week, so I diced that up, grated a little fresh ginger on top, and reheated it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to take off the chill.

I put the baked tortilla chips on a dinner plate, topped it with the diced pork, added some shredded cheddar cheese and a little black bean salsa - microwaved that for 30 seconds until the cheese melted.  I topped it with a little shredded mixed field greens, diced green onion, and a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt.

These were some of the most delicious nachos I've ever had.  The baked whole grain tortilla chips had a nice grainy crunch.  And the combination of the ginger, black bean salsa, and various spices gave the nachos a more Jamaican/Caribbean flair instead of a Mexican one.

Makes me wish I had more of that pork so I could make another helping....


After eating the nachos, I had a craving for something a little sweet and fruity, so I made some Microwave Peach Cobbler:

I started by putting a handful of frozen peach slices into a bowl and microwaving them for 45 seconds to start thawing.   To the bowl, I then added about a tablespoon of quick cooking oats, a teaspoon of brown sugar, a dash of milk, a dash of pure vanilla extract, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.   Mixed it all together, and microwaved for about another minute & a half, stirring occasionally.  Topped with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.   Quick, simple, and satisfied my sweet craving.  Plus I get a serving of fruit :)

Day #62

Tonight I am going bowling with friends. I decided to leave home a little early & treat myself to dinner out.  So here I am, blogging from Panera Bread.  I haven't had their food in a few months, and it tastes better than I remembered.
I ordered two of my favorites: French Onion Soup & the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. Delicious!

Day #61

Tonight I tried a new product.  This was Betty Crocker's new Whole Grain Chicken Helper -- Honey Mustard chicken with whole grain rice pilaf. All I had to do was add in the chicken. I did toss in some frozen broccoli and peas as well, to add more vegetables. But the whole dish was easy to cook and tasted delicious. Rather brainless for a Friday night.

Day #60

 

Happy 2- month Anniversary to my Project :)

Tonight I was looking for something quick and easy to put together, so I cooked a chicken breast fillet and some sweet potato fries in the oven. Served the chicken breast on an Everything Bagel Sandwich Thin with some BBQ sauce, provolone cheese, and mixed greens. The sweet potato fries are a little overdone, because I was talking to my cousin on the phone while cooking and lost track of the oven timer.

Day #59

Asian-inspired Pork Wrap:
I took a whole grain tortilla, spread half of it with a thin layer of leftover Butternut Squash risotto (from a few nights ago).  Added a few slices of last night's Orange-Ginger Pork Tenderloin, some steamed stir fry veggies (carrots, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and broccoli), a sprig of green onion, and a drizzle of soy sauce.   Served with a fresh pear.

Day #58

Tonight's dinner was Orange-Ginger Pork Tenderloin.  This is the 1st recipe I've created from my new Williams-Sonoma "Cooking At Home" book.   A pork tenderloin, marinated overnight in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, orange juice concentrate, fresh ginger, and spices.  Grilled, then glazed with an orange-ginger-molasses sauce.   The flavor combination was delicious!  Sweet and spicy and tangy.   I served the pork with brown rice and steamed stir fry veggies.
(One thing that wasn't in the recipe - as the pork was resting, I added a splash of beef stock to my grill pan and deglazed the pan with all the juices and basting sauces.  It made a delicious sauce to drip over my pork, rice, and veggies.)

This is a recipe I will earmark to make again in the future!!