Dinner Time!

My favorite magazine (Real Simple) has a great article this month.  It's called "A Month of Easy Dinners."  I generally cook dinner at least five times a week (only because I like to) and like most people who do the same, I often get stuck in a rut.  I have a lot meals I rotate in, but it seems like we're eating the same meals more often than I like.  So this idea really appealed to me.

Somehow I'm really good at timing.  More often than not I get dinner on the table at six o'clock on the dot.  I guess because I've been doing it so long.  That's one reason why I love the way they have organized this plan.  There is a pull-out grocery list for everything you need week-by-week.   Meals are organized so that you use the most perishable items earlier in the week and the total prep time is given for each night. 

So far we have had Monday and Tuesday's dinners of week one.  Monday was salmon with green beans, carrots and baby bok choy.  There was an Asian Chili sauce on the side.  I am trying not to substitute if I can help it.  This way I will expand my culinary experience.  I already know how to cook like me.  The salmon was cooked on a skillet (I ususally broil) with kosher salt and pretty much nothing else.  I never would have tried baby bok choy.  And the Asian Chili sauce was a great accompaniment.  Four stars!

Tuesday was supposed to be roast beef panini with tomato soup.  Since it was in the 90s at Wellington today, I substituted a cole slaw for the soup.  But since I'm trying to use their recipes, I used a cole slaw from week four which was completely different from my own.  I'm hoping when it comes time to make the cole slaw from week four we will either feel like it again, or I can shove in the tomato soup.  The panini had freshly sliced roast beef, which I don't normally buy, baby arugala and a condiment of sour cream (I did substisute Greek yogurt) and horse radish.  The cole slaw had no sugar (I always use sugar) and was made with Napa cabbage, mint, fresh ginger, sesames and olive oil.  Four stars again!

Isn't this fun?  YES!