Buttery white Great Northern or Cannellini beans anchor this meal. They’re doused with Marinara Sauce and perked up with the bacon flavor of smoky tempeh. The savory beans are combined with seared sweet onion and peppers. Each plate gets a garnish of shredded Parmesan.
This farmhouse Italian-style dinner, served along with wholesome artisan bread and a green salad, offers cozy comfort-food dining.
Curries are simply dishes seasoned with a combination of spices. They date back thousands of years to India and Persia. These spices can be any combination of herbs and spices such as: curry leaves, ground cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, ginger and chilies. An Indian friend of mine once told me, “A curry is what spices you put in your cooking pot today.” You can either make homemade Masala Curry Spice or simply use some commercially prepared yellow curry powder and add a little extra turmeric.
Tonights menu features a seriously good pasta dish. A sauce anchored with a tangy sun-dried tomato pesto wraps around whole wheat penne pasta and Chik’n strips. Browned mushrooms and onion finish the unforgettable flavor profile of this pasta dish. You’ll have leftover pesto to use later.
Also, if you didn’t roast beets yesterday, put them in the oven to roast today while you’re hanging around the house. Once roasted, store in the fridge. You’ll use them in a beet dinner salad on Thursday.
It’s Saturday, March 23.
Another great week of dining awaits. It’s time to plan ahead and create your grocery orders.
Asparagus risotto is a favorite in my house. The rich, earthy flavor of asparagus in the creamy company of Arborio rice with browned mushrooms, pieces of smoky tempeh and a touch of lemon will light up your taste buds tonight. The dish is topped off with shaved Parmesan and the umami freshness of chopped tomato.
Risotto takes a little more time to prepare, but it’s Friday. Turn the evening into a fashionably late dining experience.
Bulgur with a Spanish flair anchors the dinner plate tonight. The grain is seasoned with a combination of Latin spices and layered over dressed fresh spinach. It’s topped with “Cowboy Salsa” (homemade salsa with black beans and seared corn), and garnished with a grating of sharp cheddar cheese.