dinner

Spinach-Artichoke Tilapia and the Rest of Last Week’s Menu

Nibbles

There’s really nothing like sharing good food with good friends, and we got the chance to do just that twice this week, plus celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary (8th dating anniversary). It was a pretty good week…

OTP 11-2-11-8

Monday: Apalachicola Oyster Stew
For our at-home anniversary dinner (we’ve got a trip planned for later) I decided to make something a little special, and this oyster stew from the newest Garden & Gun release, The Southerner’s Cookbook, sounded like a good option. It’s heartier than the oyster stew I grew up with (which was all of milk/cream, oysters, butter, and green onions) but just as tasty. Unfortunately, oysters were a little on the scarce side in the grocery store (I know the local oyster beds have been having issues) so I threw in some frozen seafood mix to fill things out a bit.

Pipers Pit Fired BBQ Pizza at Northside Pies

Pipers Pit-Fired Pulled Pork Pizza Pie at Northside Pies

Tuesday: Beer & Cheer at Northside Pies
Would you get a load of that pizza up there? Pulled pork, BBQ sauce, and coleslaw. It was delicious! I’ve made many a barbecue pizza in my day, but I never thought to top it with creamy coleslaw, and I’m a little ashamed of myself for that fact.

Wednesday: Rosemary Balsamic Chicken, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
This was intended to be a super easy slow-cooker meal from Crockpot Gourmet, but I was not in the mood to set things up when we got home from Northside Pies (and I’m perpetually running late in the mornings, so it wasn’t happening then!) but I figured this was something I could do in the oven, too. I was right. Obviously you need to decrease the liquid quite a bit–I used 1 cup of water and it was still more than enough, I’d say go with 1/2 cup and then add more if necessary. Once everything was cooked through I moved the chicken onto a covered plate and mashed the potatoes in the baking dish, so the whole one-pot, low-less idea was upheld.

Thursday: Spinach-Artichoke Tilapia, Roasted Carrots, Coconut Rice
I like eating fish and I like the idea of putting it on the menu regularly, but I don’t always like cooking fish so much. If I commit to a simple preparation of broiling it, etc. then I can usually avoid making it a take-out night. So Thursday night’s supper was just going to be Parmesan-topped Tilapia but when I was retrieving the cheese from the fridge I saw the leftover artichoke hearts from the party. Artichoke + Parmesan cheese sounded like a good idea, and then I dug around and found an open bag of chopped greens in the freezer… this then became spinach-artichoke tilapia and was so very good. I even paid attention to what I was doing when I threw this together, and the recipe is below.

Friday: Corn Chowder with Beer Biscuits
This was First Friday and the annual meeting of the local Artist’s Collective, so I was going to be leaving work early and getting home late. It seemed like the perfect time to pull a container of Corn Chowder from the freezer and whip up a batch of drop biscuits once I got home. Gluten-free Bisquik comes in handy for things like this, and I like to use coconut oil for the butter or shortening in biscuits.

Duck Flatbread at Bacchus

Duck Flatbread at Bacchus

Saturday: Tapas at Bacchus
It wasn’t supposed to be dinner when we met up with friends at 3:30, but we noshed and nattered long enough that that’s what it ended up being. I neglected to get a picture of my fondue when it arrived, but Todd’s flatbread with duck, goat cheese, and caramelized onions made it into pixels and was very tasty! This was sorta-kinda a meeting to discuss plans for my 40th birthday party (it’s 6 months away, but L and Todd are collaborating and L likes to get a good head start on things), which we might be holding at Bacchus depending on how L’s call to their sales manager goes. If so, that flatbread might be a good contender!

Sunday: Beef Stew with Rice
It rained steadily all day on Sunday and I can’t say that I minded terribly. Not only did it bring the temperature down (this past week was back up in the 80s with the humidity to match, blech!) but it was perfect for the beef stew I had planned. Just your basic potatoes, carrots, celery, and green onions with beef, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Slow cook for 6 hours and wallow in the warmth.

And here’s the tilapia recipe I promised:

Spinach-Artichoke Tilapia

serves 4-6

6 tilapia fillets
olive oil
salt and pepper

For the topping:
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Arrange the tilapia fillets in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet (rack optional). Drizzle the fillets with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl, then divide the mixture between the fillets. Try to keep the topping in an even layer over the fish so it cooks evenly.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked. If your fillets are frozen to start with, it might take another 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

On The Plate: 9/7-9/13

Nibbles

I feel like I should include a warning to not read any further on an empty stomach…

A heaping helping of dinner inspiration!

Monday: Cheese-Stuffed Cheeseburgers, Grilled Zucchini, and Potato Wedges
It was Labor Day and while we didn’t have any other plans, grilling out seemed like a really good idea. To increase the chances of the inner cheese staying in place, I used the colby-jack cheese snacks you buy for lunches (though cheese cubes could work too) cut in thirds, one stick per burger, with the lightly-seasoned meat wrapped around it. Then, because there’s no such thing as too much cheese, I topped them with a slice of provolone.

To cut down on kitchen mess, I sliced and tossed the zucchini in oil and herbs then transferred them to a plate. In the same bowl I tossed the steamed potato wedges with more oil and different spices before transferring to a baking sheet and popping in the oven. Then, I used that same bowl to mix the ground beef with egg, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire* sauce. Any remaining seasonings from the previous dishes can only improve the burgers!

Tuesday: Leftover Night!
We ended up with several extra lunches since a couple of Todd’s dinner selections from the previous week made more than 4 servings. By the time I got home on Tuesday night with a headache and video editing that was going to take all evening, leftovers seemed like a fabulous idea.

Wednesday: Sweet Potato-Bacon Mac & Cheese with a Green Salad
Inspired by a recipe on Spoon University, I followed the spirit but not the specifics. Turns out? Sweet potato makes a fabulous substitute for the enriched white sauce I usually use on homemade mac & cheese! I microwaved a large sweet potato then blended it with about a cup of pasta water and a splash of milk. Meanwhile, I sauteed the bacon with green onions and a red bell pepper, then added the sweet potato puree to the pan along with some shredded Gouda (which I had on hand, unlike nutritional yeast). It was still a little thick, so I added in more of the reserved pasta water along with the quinoa rotelle pasta and then let the mix rest on low while I put together the salads.

Thursday: Caprese Chicken with Bacon, Green Beans
Another find from Spoon University, only this time I actually followed the recipe! It’s hard to go wrong with a caprese combo, and wrapping it in bacon just makes it more of a sure-fire win.

Friday: Seafood & Sausage Paella, Glazed Carrots
Quickest paella ever! I used a yellow rice blend purchased as is, along with the frozen seafood mix we’d picked up from Sam’s Club and a pound of spicy sausage. Toss it in the rice cooker and go on with your life. To speed up the carrots, I first steamed a bag of baby carrots in the microwave, then combined half a stick of butter with half a cup or so of brown sugar on the stove, added the carrots and continued to cook, covered, until the paella was ready.

Saturday: Blueberry Pancakes and Eggs
I tried out a new-to-me brand, Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix, and I’m really impressed! This was the first batch of gluten-free pancakes that wasn’t thick as biscuit batter to start, and they cooked up super fast and light. Thank goodness I added some frozen blueberries and vanilla extract, though, or they’d have been pretty bland. Next time I’ll add a bit of sugar and maybe some cinnamon for flavor. Todd likes his eggs over-medium, so I continue to try to flip them without breaking the yolks. I find this easier in an omelet pan, but I was using the griddle and, well, three outta four ain’t so bad, right?

Sunday: Marmalade Chicken Thighs, Arepas, and Not-Exactly-Creamed Spinach
A marmalade that’s more tart than sweet is best for these chicken thighs, which otherwise only need olive oil, salt and pepper. I’d made a frozen a huge batch of marmalade ages ago and may have overdone it with the natural pectin because it is thick, thick, thick. So I cooked it down with some champagne jelly (a batch that I made pre-wedding that never gelled, so it’s more like champagne sauce) and it was just perfect. In lieu of that, I’d suggest a splash of white wine or brandy and a little water. Arepas are like little cornmeal pancakes or fritters with a bit of cheese, and my not-exactly-creamed spinach is close to the steakhouse staple but skips the heavy white sauce. Just a little butter, garlic oil, and cheese added to cooked spinach.

What’s on your menu this week?

When Inspiration Strikes: Pork Cutlets Cristo

Nibbles
Getting a VoxBox is always a bit of a treat--this one came with the Sargento coupons and a soft-sided lunch tote.

Getting a VoxBox is always a bit of a treat–this one came with the Sargento coupons and a soft-sided lunch tote.

Todd and I take turns each week setting the menu, grocery shopping, and cooking supper. We’ve been doing it this way since we first moved in together and I am continually grateful to has a husband that enjoys cooking as much as I do. Sometimes my menus are very specific (especially if I’m working on a new cookbook review) while other times they can be pretty vague: just stating the primary protein, starch, and vegetable for the meal. Keeping a good variety of spices and condiments on hand means I can improvise at will without needing to make a special trip to the grocery store.

Such was the case last weekend when I was making pork chops. Granted, we seldom buy the old-fashioned bone-in chops, usually it’s the leaner loin chops, and this day I’d actually picked up the thin cutlets instead. As I was seasoning them with salt and pepper I was reminded of a recent conversation with friends about Monte Cristo sandwiches–a rare indulgence back in the day, there’s just something about the sweet and savory combination of the meats and cheeses with the powdered sugar and the raspberry jam, not to mention the crunch of the fried outside with the melty goodness of the cheese inside. I love those sandwiches so much that I even devised a slimmed-down version of it for my own cookbook.

While I wasn’t tempted to break out the deep fryer for supper that night, I was tempted by the flavor combination, so while the cutlets sizzled in the pan, I grabbed some grainy mustard, some strawberry preserves, and some Sargento Ultra Thin Swiss that I’d recently picked up with the coupon in my recent VoxBox from Influenster.

jvanderbeek_sargentoultrathin_porkcutletscristo-1

Pork Cutlets Cristo

Pork Cutlets Cristo

serves 4

8 pork loin cutlets (approx. 1 lb)
kosher salt, black pepper
garlic-infused olive oil
2 Tbsp grainy mustard
2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
4 slices Swiss cheese (like Sargento UltraThin), sliced in half for 8 pieces

Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil into a hot frying pan large enough to accommodate all 8 cutlets.

Brown each side of the cutlets over medium-high heat, arranging the cutlets in a way that leaves the center of the pan open.

Add the mustard and the preserves to the center of the frying pan and stir together with the remaining olive oil and resulting pan juices. Top each cutlet with a half-slice of Swiss cheese and wait only long enough until it melts (should be quick) before moving two cutlets (one serving) to a place.

Spoon a bit of the strawberry-mustard pan sauce over the top of each cutlet.

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I served the cutlets with a quick creamed spinach (frozen spinach cooked with a bit of butter, a bit of 2% milk, a generous handful of grated Parmesan cheese, and thickened with an arrowroot slurry) and it made for a nice and light Sunday supper. Sure, it’s not the decadence of a true Monte Cristo sandwich. To bring it closer a toasted crouton (the larger kind of French cuisine, not the smaller ones that top your salad) underneath the cutlets would be a tasty addition, and also soak up some of those pan juices, as well.

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

Sweetheart Table: Oasis or Exile?

Third Time Wife, Wedding Planning

So. Sweetheart tables are a definite thing in weddings these days.

It's sweet and all, but doesn't it look a little lonely, too? | Image via Style Me Pretty | Photo by Anna Kuperberg

It’s sweet and all, but doesn’t it look a little lonely, too? | Image via Style Me Pretty | Photo by Anna Kuperberg

I’m not sure how I feel about this trend.

On the one hand…

If it’s been all day and you’ve just barely seen your beloved during the ceremony and pictures, having a little space of your own probably sounds like a good idea. A time to catch your breath together.

On the other hand…

How much time are you going to spend at that table, anyway, if the whole point of having a reception is to share your day with your guests? And while I love spending 1-on-1 time with Mr. Road Trip, I’m afraid I’d be distracted by the other tables around us anyway, not to mention wondering what they were talking about!

Sure, it takes care of the who-do-we-sit-with dilemma: parents? bridal party? people we haven’t seen for years who flew across country to spend a couple hours with us? But I’m not sure it’s the best solution. More like, if I can’t sit with everyone, I’ll sit with no one, and that sounds almost more spiteful than practical. (But, really, I can see where it’s the only sane option if tensions are running high.)

At the same time, if you’re constantly up visiting other tables and trying to say hellos and cutting cake and tossing garters and bouquets and catching various photo ops, that sweetheart table is just another still-life photo op in the waiting. A cute one, but you could stage any 2 chairs with signs for Mr & Mrs and have done with it.

Image via Style Me Pretty | Photo by Miki & Sonia Photography

Wouldn’t this just be amazing?! | Image via Style Me Pretty | Photo by Miki & Sonia Photography

Personally, I love the one long table option but that’s not really practical for all groups or all spaces. And Mr. Road Trip wasn’t really a fan of it, either, when I brought it up one night at dinner. But, then, as is usually the case, Mr. Trips had a brilliant idea that we–due to having changed our original plans for our reception vision–now cannot really use. But I’d like to offer it up to you as a possible solution:

Table. Hopping.

Now, not just going from table to table while everyone else is eating, but actually having 2 seats at every table reserved for the newlyweds so you can go from table to table, sit down, eat a little something, and converse a bit with your guests.

Granted, this works best with a tapas-style or tasting menu where there are as many courses as tables, but tasting menus are actually gaining ground in the catering world, so it’s not incredibly far-fetched. (Sure, they’re gaining ground now–2 years ago when I was approaching caterers with request idea everyone and their cousin was pushing stations, stations and only stations. Sigh…) It’s a little like speed dating at your wedding, but I still love this idea and think that guests would really adore it, too.

So, hive,  let this be a lesson: just because your groom-to-be isn’t all up on the latest wedding tricks and trends, doesn’t mean he might not have a brilliant, left-field suggestion ready to pop out as the perfect solution. And if you’ve done this or plan to do this, I totally want to hear how it went/goes!

Disney Honeymoon Dreaming: Delicious Decisions

Third Time Wife, Wedding Planning
(I'm actually not all that fond of buffets, but I liked the rhyme) digital collage by Miss Road Trip

(I’m actually not all that fond of buffets, but I liked the rhyme) digital collage by Miss Road Trip

One of the great things about being on vacation–any vacation, but more so your honeymoon–is not having to cook. The downside is that you then have to decide where to eat for each meal. That can get to be a little much. After all, we’re the type to sit down and plan a menu each week so we never have to face the ‘what’s for dinner’ dilemma.

Disney offers a lot of dining options both in the parks as well as at each resort (you can hop over to a resort you’re not staying at just to have a meal in new surroundings). They basically break down into Carts & Kiosks for the snack and beverage carts strewn about; Counter or Quick Service places that are akin to fast food; and Table Service dining. Table Service includes both regular sit-down dining as well as various buffets and many of the character meals, too. There are also some dinner shows to choose from.

A few years ago Disney started offering Dining Plans that you could add to the Magic Your Way room & ticket packages. The definite upside is that you can pre-pay some or all of your meals (depends on the level of plan you choose) and not have to worry about it (much) once you’re on property. Some say that the most recent price increases have made the dining plans not as cost effective as they were when first introduced. I think it depends, though, on if you’re doing it for the savings or if you’re doing it so you don’t have to worry while in the parks.

In our case, it was a little bit of both. I haven’t discussed it much, yet (but I will, once we get around to menu tasting), but I’ve recently “discovered” a laundry list of food intolerances that, if not heeded, will make me anywhere to mildly uncomfortable to quite ill. Neither of which I want to feel on my honeymoon (or any given day, for that matter). Disney is amazing at dealing with special dietary requests, but it’s admittedly easier for the chefs at the table service places to accommodate than the managers of counter service shops. Hence, we’ll be doing a lot of table service dining for my safety as much as anything else.

So we decided not only to go with a dining plan, but actually select the Deluxe Dining Plan which includes (among other things) 3 dining credits per person per night that can be used at either counter service or table service meals and 2 snack credits per person per night. That sounds like a lot (especially for snacks) but the other reason this works well for us is that our honeymoon falls on the last week of the Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT, and many of the items offered at each F&WF stand count as dining plan snack credits!

The downside to the popularity of the dining plans (and it’s only a slight downside at that) is that it’s had an (I’m sure) intended effect of packing the table service restaurants on a regular basis, so walk-up seating can mean a long wait.

Not that Disney is going to leave you hanging! At 180 days out (or about 6 months prior to your arrival) you can make ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) for any of the table service eateries on property. You don’t have to be on one of the Dining Plans to make an ADR (though they may require a credit card to hold certain reservations).

This is the main reason I started nudging Mr. Road Trip to make the final call on our honeymoon plans, because our  ADR window opened on May 7th, and since we wanted some Character and Signature dining reservations, I was up at 6am to get online before work and get everything sorted.

To decide where we want to eat, we’re using a combination of the reviews in the PassPorter guide and the menus posted on allears.net (a great resource in general, but definitely for the restaurant menus). And since we’ve already worked out which park(s) we’re doing each day, we can plan our meals to match our surroundings, therefore not having to criss-cross the entirety of Disney each day (unless we want to, of course).

Right now our plans are to have a nice dinner at Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge our first night on property. Tuesday will be spent eating/snacking our way around the World Showcase at EPCOT, using up a bunch of those snack credits, but will be back on Thursday for dinner in the World Showcase. Wednesday night we want to dine with the Hundred Acre Wood gang, so reserved our spots at the Crystal Palace and Friday will start with a late breakfast at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary. While some seasoned Disney travelers view a lot of sit-down dining as a time waster, I’m looking forward to those planned breaks in the day to keep us from running ourselves ragged. Plus, we’ve tried to space everything out (late suppers, especially) to still get plenty of park time in.

It’s kinda like a jigsaw puzzle, in a way. A delicious jigsaw puzzle. But with the big pieces in place (the corners, if you will), we can now get back to wedding details, knowing that the broad strokes of the honeymoon are all taken care of.

Would you ever be able to decide where you wanted to eat 6 months in advance?