Here I am at the airport, waiting to fly to Chicago for the FemCatholic Conference! I can even list all the many things I’m looking forward do about this weekend. It’s going to be awesome.
But first, the food! Here’s what I’m having for lunch right now:
Bland, but not terrible. I did dribble tzatziki sauce all over my shirt. And here’s what else we dribbled on ourselves this week:
SATURDAY
Grilled ham and cheese, sweet peppers and dip
Nothing to report. I didn’t take a picture.
SUNDAY
Birthday pizza and cake
Yes, Corrie’s birthday! She asked for only one present: A Chompo bar. I know Chompo Bars have a soft nougat part inside, and there is a chewy caramel part around that, and the outside is chocolate with nuts; but Corrie said they are all chocolate with no nuts and with a green wrapper, and when you’re the birthday girl, you get to say what’s q-p-m and what’s c-r-n. So I printed out a wrapper and glued it to a Hershey bar
and she ate the whole thing herself, because she was the birthday girl.
She had also asked for a Puffin Rock cake, but without any puffins or anything on it.
I’m not gonna claim it wasn’t 40% tin foil, but she liked it. Bababa boo!
She also requested pizza and Abba. Can do.
MONDAY
Chicken quesadillas, nacho chips
I coated the chicken breasts with olive oil, then dusted them generously with chili lime powder, and roasted them, then cut them into thin slices, and sprinkled it in with the cheese in the quesadillas. Quesadillas are awesome. They are another food I never ate until I was in college, or possibly in my 30’s. It just goes to show.
I forgot to take a picture of this as well, so here’s a photo of quesadillas of yesteryear, back when there was still a sun.
TUESDAY
Out for pizza!
Because it’s vacation, that’s why. We got almost all the way through the meal before Corrie discovered that one wall was entirely covered with mirrors.
WEDNESDAY
Fettuccine with ragù, garlic bread
Damien made this. He always uses this Deadspin recipe, but it turns out different every time! I liked this iteration a lot. Very tender but you could really taste the wine, and the anchovies could not be denied. It’s ground meat, milk, vegetables, a little tomato paste, wine, and misc. If you thought a pasta meat sauce needed to be red, prepare to be the wrongest person in the world, that’s all.
Clara made enough garlic bread to . . . I can’t think of something that you need a lot of things for. It was good garlic bread.
THURSDAY
Beef skewers with chimichurri, honey goat cheese, fig paste, cranberries, snap peas, and crackers
Some much-anticipated guests had their travel plans derailed, so that was a bummer, but we did have a good meal. This beef is much better threaded on skewers and grilled over the coals, but it was still far to Februaryish to send Damien out into the yard, so I just sliced the beef thin, doused it in olive oil and salt and pepper, and roasted it in the over right under the broiler.Then I just set out bowls of everything else and let people put together their own combinations.
Chimichurri:
Pickled onions:
Yum.
FRIDAY
Tuna noodle casserole again, because (a) it’s vacation and I will say yes to anything, as long as it’s not a lot of trouble, and (b) I won’t even be in the same time zone by dinner time!
Here’s some recipe cards:
Beef skewers
We used a cheap cut of oven roast and it turned out just great (but I'm sure steak would be good, too!). Serve with chimichurri and pickled onions for a wonderful treat.
Ingredients
- beef
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
-
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least half an hour before skewering meat.
-
Slice beef across the grain into wide strips, trimming off fat if necessary. Thread them, accordion style, onto the skewers.
-
Build the fire and let it die down to coals.
Just before cooking, drizzle the skewers with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then lay the skewers over the grill, turning occasionally, until they are sizzling. -
Serve with chimichurri and pickled red onions.
Chimichurri
Dipping sauce, marinade, you name it
Ingredients
- 2 cups curly parsley
- 1 cup Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup dried oregano (or fresh if you have it)
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
Instructions
-
Put all ingredients except olive oil in food processor. Whir until it's blended but a little chunky.
-
Slowly pour olive oil in while continuing to blend.
Pickled red onions
A nice side dish for beef skewers with chimichurri
Ingredients
- 2 red onions, sliced thin
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup red wine or cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- water
Instructions
-
Dissolve sugar into vinegar. Add onions and cilantro. Add water if necessary to cover onions. Cover and let sit for several hours before serving.
