Day 12: Italian Sunday Dinners

Sunday dinner prep. Sauce and meatballs! 

(Oh, and lentil soup for the week)

Growing up, Sundays always meant family dinners.

It was usually at our house or my grandmother's house, and nine times out of ten, we ate macaroni.

"Dinner" time was always in the middle of the afternoon. It could start anywhere around 2pm and last until the time when non-Italians eat dinner on Sundays.

And the best part about these dinners, was that everyone showed up. No matter what was going on, they dropped everything and were seated at the kitchen table (no fancy dining rooms here), tearing apart a loaf of Italian bread with their hands.

We'd eat macaroni, meat – such as pork meat, braciola, sausage and meatballs, which had been simmering to ultimate tenderness in the sauce all day, sort of salad and bread. And, of course, red wine. That's it. Nothing fancy.

There were no invitations, besides determining the place where Sunday dinner was to be held, and that destination trickled down through the Sunday morning phone tree. And then you just showed up, grabbed a bowl, and dug in.

Nowadays, it's not so easy to pull off a Sunday dinner. Schedules are busy. Laundry is waiting. Errands need to get done. 

When did life get so busy and complicated? 

I know for us, if we are planning to attend – or even host – a Sunday dinner, I have to plan for that during the week, and pull double duty on Saturdays to get everything done.

Our weekends are sacred: grocery store, errands, laundry, cooking for the week, yard work, catching up on bills, putting away all the stuff that was lying around on the counters all week. And sometimes, finding time to do something fun, like take Little Mister to the park or go out to eat. And when I'm feeling frivolous with time, I try to sneak in a haircut or manicure.

We are fortunate that our 3 year old still naps (I KNOW), and not only that, he's a marathon napper. I use those 3-hour blocks like a pro, accounting for every minute. Downside: when I wrap up doing what needs to get done and I'm ready to sit down and relax for 10 minutes, he wakes up. Mommy time over.

So today, I'm recreating Sunday dinner, even if it's just for the 3 of us. Macaroni, meat sauce, salad. Lots of grated cheese and red wine.

I'd like for LM to have traditions he can remember from his childhood. 

Maybe it's time to bring back Sunday dinners! (Well, maybe once a month...)

Day 23: T-minus 1 Day until Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving Eve, and probably one of my favorite days of the year.

We host Thanksgiving, so today is my prep day, where I get to start the day at the grocery store (my favorite place), cook for 8 hours, and then end the day eating at a bar.

This year was no different.

After dropping my munchkin off at daycare, with my tea in hand, I hit the grocery store.

Just to get to this milestone took a lot of work. Writing out menus, doing two rough drafts of my grocery list until finally organizing one master list with items listed in order that they merchandised in the store.

Once home, I started cooking. Baking cornbread for stuffing, bringing cream cheese to room temperature for a dip, cooking down cranberries and shredding brussels sprouts.

This year, I listened to my audio book while I diced, sliced and chopped.

I wrapped up the day by making dessert. While I love to cook, I'm AWFUL at baking. There's too much measuring, it's too much of a science. Whereas cooking is about flavors – a little of this, a little of that. It's much more my speed.

When it comes to baking, there are about 5 things I bake well. And my pumpkin cheesecake is one of them. This year, however, I'm trying a new recipe, and keeping my fingers crossed.

And while our situation has changed a bit in the last two years, we still ended today at a bar. With Mr. Max bellied up in his booster seat, eating a grilled cheese and french fries like it was his job.

So on this eve of Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for so much. A day of cooking, our little boy, and wrapping up the day as barflies.

Day 5: The Perfect Dinner

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Fall.

And today was the epitome of a fantastic Fall day.

I look forward to this time of year, after the craziness of Summer weekends are over, and we spend time at home. 

Of course, much of that time for Mr. KK is blowing leaves, cleaning the yard, and shoveling – yes, shoveling – acorns. 

Much of that time, for me, is cooking.

My house smells amazing right now, having just pulled dinner out of the oven.

There's something about a warm kitchen, fragrant air filled with the aroma of dinner, and a glass of red wine. 

Heaven.

On tonight's menu: Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken.

And perfect, it was.

Stuffed with garlic, thyme and lemon, this chicken lived up to its name.

Crispy and golden on the outside. Juicy and delicious on the inside. And underneath? The most amazing caramelized vegetables.

I paired it with roasted potatoes and a fruity red wine.

Thanks again, Ina, for a fantastic meal. You never disappoint.

Sunday Funday: Ladies' Brunch (Day 22)

When I was younger, I wasn't much of a breakfast fan (the horror!). I'm not sure why, but I would pretty much skip over breakfast and go right to lunch.

In my college  and early post-college years (read: hangover years), I learned to appreciate the miraculous breakfast food known as the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich.

And in my late twenties and early thirties, I learned to love the meal known as brunch. I love that brunch happens late morning/early afternoon and it's perfectly acceptable – almost required – to drink. I love the diversity of brunch: if you are in the mood for breakfast, they have it. Feeling more like a lunch meal, they have that too. And, on those occasions you can't make up your mind, they have items perfect for you, such as a burger with a fried egg on top.

NOTE: is there anything better than a burger with a fried egg on top? I'll tell you: No, there's not.

Not only do I love to go to brunch, I love to host brunch. It gives me the opportunity to cook foods that span two different meal times, but all during one event.

Today, I hosted Sunday brunch for a few friends. We haven't been all together in so long, that I wanted to serve something delicious, but that didn't require me to be slaving over the stove the entire time they were there, so that I could spend my time drinking catching up.

They brought the bubbles, and I served up a kale caesar salad, sweet potato hash and eggs, and cornbread. AND, I even made my (famous) pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

the coupe glasses were ready and waiting for the bubbles! 

 The hash was delicious! You can find the recipe here.

From-scratch cornbread. The recipe is here.

The sign of a good brunch.

#datenight (Day 21)

It was a crazy Saturday.

Up at 5am (naturally, don't ask me why)
Max's strobe light show at 6a
Gymboree at 9:30am
Mr. KK priming the ceiling in the addition
Me, prepping for a brunch I'm hosting tomorrow
2-hour trip to Lowe's (insert silent tears)
Then bath night for Mr. Max

PHEW.

We were both looking forward to an amazing dinner and relaxing.

Good thing I didn't disappoint!

Uh-may-zing.

Snack time while Max has dinner! Cocktails and kale and artichoke dip.

The beef rib roast is seasoned and ready to go 

with minced garlic, herbs de provence and olive oil.

Now that is a thing of beauty. 

Onion rings (because I can't help myself) and roasted garlic and rapini. 

That is restaurant-quality medium rare right there.

And, of course, a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Happy #datenight!

Day 4: Easy Weeknight Chicken

Weeknight meals are always tough, especially after working all day and then trying to spend some QT with #maxmars...leaves little time for cooking.

Last night I whipped up this little chicken number: chicken thighs with white beans, kale and cherry peppers. It was pretty good!

I served it alongside some roasted brussels sprouts, but it would have been delicious over spaghetti squash or with a salad, too.

Chicken And White Beans

NOTE: all measurements are approximate, as I was making this up as I went along!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper

(use 6 if they are bigger, or 8 if they are smaller; they have to all be able to fit in the pan together to simmer)

• 1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed

• 5-6 cherry pepper slices, from the jar, cut into slices

• 4 garlic cloves

• Chicken stock (1-2 cups)

• 1 small bunch kale, chopped

Directions:

• In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, brown the chicken thighs on each side in batches, removing from pan when done

• If you have too much oil in the pan, please remove some until you have about 2 Tablespoons of oil/fat

• Add the garlic and stir frequently for 1 minute (don't let the garlic burn)

• Add white beans and cherry peppers and stir

• Season with salt and pepper

• Cook the beans and cherry peppers until the beans start to slightly brown

• Add 1-2 cups of chicken stock to deglaze the pan; you should have enough liquid in the pan to cover the beans and provide a nice amount of liquid to finish cooking the chicken thighs

• Scape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan

• Add the kale and stir until kale is coated in the liquid mixture

• Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan in the liquid

• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken thighs are cooked through (about 15-20 minutes)

Day 2: Delicious Fall Entertaining.

I'm a warm-weather girl for sure (the hotter the better!), but if I had to pick a favorite season, it's Fall.

The changing trees. Boots and sweaters. And every day is perfect hair weather.

My other favorite thing about the Fall?

Comfort food.

Crock pots and casseroles. Chilis and stews. Braising and roasting.

One of my favorite meals to cook when we're entertaining is chicken pot pie. I know that CPP was in its heyday in the 70s, but it truly has made a delicious comeback.

My go-to Chicken Pot Pie recipe is from Ina Garten. It's creamy and hearty and the perfect cold-weather meal.

I've made these just like Ina, as little individual pies with crusts. However, this weekend, I deconstructed them a bit, and put my own little Halloween twist on them.

Get Ina's full recipe here; see below for my adaptation.

Chicken Pot Pie

This pumpkin "crust" would be perfect for Thanksgiving, too!

Ingredients – The Filling

• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts (boneless) OR 1 cooked rotisserie chicken
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 cups chicken stock (I use College Inn low sodium)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 1/2 stocks unsalted butter (butter=better)
• 2 onions chopped
• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes (blanch them, trust me)
• 1 10-oz. package frozen peas
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

• Place chicken breasts in baking dish, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the chicken breasts in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. Once cooled, cut into cubes. 
• If you're using a rotisserie chicken, simply remove meat from the bones and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.
• In a Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the chopped onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent.
• Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
• Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce.
• Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick.
• Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and heavy cream.
• Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.
• Continue to cook the mixture on low for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Ingredients – The Crust

Instead of making a pie crust and individual pot pies (who has time for that?), I use refrigerated pie crust to create crust "toppers" for the chicken pot pie.

• 1 package refrigerated pie crust, at room temperature for 30 minutes then rolled out flat
• seasonal cookie cutters

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Roll out pie crust on flat surface and use cookie cutters to cut into shapes
• Place dough shapes on ungreased cookie sheet
• Bake until golden brown

To Serve

Ladle chicken pot pie filling into bowls. Top each with a crust.

Enjoy!

Day 14: Navigating weeknight meals with a favorite recipe

One thing Rob and I have always done was try to eat dinner together each night. Even when I would work late, he would wait for me to get home so we could sit down together, even if that meant not eating until 10pm. But it allowed us to take a breather from everything around us and catch up.

Now, eating together is a little easier because I'm home, but it can also be a challenge to work around Mr. Max's schedule. I plan dinner around when Max eats and his post-dinner nap, knowing we'll be able to take that hour to eat and chat.

I always like to try new things out for dinner, especially with the extra time on my hands.

However, there are those few dishes that pop up in our dinner rotation every week or every other week because we love them so much.

One of those dishes is Skillet Chicken with Apricots and Capers.

This dish is easy enough to make during the week, but delicious enough to serve when you have friends or family over.

Skillet Chicken with Apricots and Capers
Adapted from "Everyday Food", October 2013
Serves 4

NOTE: this recipe calls for bone-in chicken breasts. I make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs because, to me, they add more flavor and you don't have to deal with the bones. Up to you!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (OR, 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs – about 6-8 small thighs)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous (uncooked)
1/2 cup sliced dried apricots (I use about 1 cup because they add such an amazing sweetness to the dish)
1/4 cup capers
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a large, straight-sided, oven-safe skillet (I use my Le Creuset) heat oil over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side (about 3 minutes each side if using chicken thighs). Transfer to a plate. You may need to do this in batches depending on how big your pan is.

Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. 

Stir in couscous, apricots and capers and cook until couscous is lightly toasted (you'll need to keep stirring the couscous so it toasts evenly).

Add broth and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken (skin side up if it has skin) and transfer to an oven (uncovered).

Bake until couscous is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.


This makes enough for 2 to have dinner at night, plus leftovers for lunch the next day.

Happy Friday!

Day 13: Thanksgiving countdown; and a whole lot to be thankful for this year.

Thanksgiving is OUR holiday to host.

It's the one holiday that we have bi-coastal representation, with both Rob's uncle's family and my uncle from California at the table.

Thanksgiving last year was a little bittersweet. We had just lost my Grandmother Rita a few days before the holiday. 

Also, a few weeks earlier – unbeknownst to everyone at the table – Rob and I had just met our surrogate for the first time and were moving forward with medications and all that good stuff. I remember us hoping that maybe there would be one more, very small, special guest at our Thanksgiving table the following year.

For me, Thanksgiving prep started today. I've been gathering recipes over the last few weeks, but today I made my official grocery list with specific items for the recipes I'm going to "try out" next week before preparing them for Thanksgiving. The test run allows me to adjust ingredients and measurements, and to see if the recipes measure up to last year's.

A tradition we started for Thanksgiving was starting the meal off with a bowl of soup. Last year's soup was SO DELICIOUS (recipe below), I'm hard pressed to find another recipe that can top it.

I make a vegetable and stuffing. But the big finale is my famous pumpkin cheesecake.

There are about 3 things in the world that I bake well: Ina's blondie bars, our holiday cookies, and this cheesecake.

Last year's cheesecake…no cracks!

#tbt snapshot of Thanksgiving 2013:

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, I went to turn our oven on and it wouldn't ignite. 

I came home that afternoon to THIS. We were only hosting 15 people in 4 days…no biggie.

Thanksgiving morning, in the throes of cooking.

My two favorite things: Mr. KK and a cocktail.

Thankfully we fixed the oven, or we couldn't cook up these two gorgeous birds!

Another tradition we started is taking a family photo each Thanksgiving.

Looking forward to our first holiday photo with Mr. Max.

This year, we have so much for which to be thankful: our families gathered together, and – of course – the addition of Max to our family. 

Let the Thanksgiving prep begin!


Sausage and Lentil Soup Recipe

If there is any recipe you make from this blog, it should be this one. This soup is perfect on a cold night with a glass of red wine and hunk of crusty bread. Adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe.

Ingredients for the lentils:

1 cup dried lentils
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, halved
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the soup base:

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 potato, peeled (NOTE: I use a sweet potato)
2 carrots, peeled
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 ribs celery
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves separated; leaves finely chopped and reserved for garnish
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves
salt and pepper
4 cups beef or chicken stock
1 pound sweet sausage (casings removed)

Garnish:

Grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a medium size saucepan, place the lentils with the bay leaves, onion and salt. Cover with 2 inches of water; bring to a boil and cook until tender but with some bite, 20-22 minutes. Drain and discard the bay leaves and onion.

Meanwhile, in a medium size soup pot, heat 3 tablespoons of the EVOO, a few turns of the pan, over medium heat. Using a food processor, pulse the vegetables, parsley stems and rosemary leaves until chopped (NOTE: be careful not to puree them! keep them about 1/4 big); transfer to a pot. Season, cover and let ingredients sweat in the EVOO, 6-8 minutes. Add the stock and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes (NOTE: because I use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes, it may take longer for them to be tender).

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a little EVOO in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until brown and crumbly, about 5-7 minutes. Drain the fat, then stir the sausage into the soup along with the cooked lentils.

Serve the soup in shallow bowls and top with the reserved parsley leaves and the Pecorino Romano cheese.