The week that was January 17, 2022

I'll confess that the dinners this week were a little underwhelming. Not every week is full of showstoppers and I was working with a hodgepodge of ingredients that where purchased in a rush at a slam packed grocery store and seemed like they would create a cohesive dish. Anyone who lives in the southeast knows the kind of frenzy the threat of 3 inches of snow can induce.

So we weathered away, as it were, while the roads cleared and here are the meals we ate and (mostly) enjoyed!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

My husband and I were both working from home in our humble 861 square foot home this week so a "squashed together" recipe certainly felt appropriate. I stuffed these acorn squash with wild rice, ground chicken, carrots, kale, and goat cheese. It was perfectly decadent and stuffed squash always makes an impressive looking dish. Good gourd almighty.

BBQ Chicken, Bacon, and Cheddar Pizza

When in doubt, Pizza. This BBQ chicken, bacon, and cheddar pizza was simple with store bought sauce and pizza crust. I like the roll out ones you get by the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls because its big enough for leftovers. Also, I started using the big blocks of cheese and grating it myself because I read that it melts better because the shredded cheese contains flour to keep it from sticking. I never found it really affected the recipes that much but I am trying it out and I'll keep you posted on the results. Easy Cheesy.

Pan Fried Falafel Salad aka The Fala-Fail

I don't want to disparage this recipe because I'm well aware as an amateur cook most of the blunders in the kitchen are due to my own errors. That being said this was almost thrown in the garbage can. I will say the tahini sauce was awesome and I dressed the romaine in a yummy lemon vinaigrette. But the main event, the falafel, was pretty terrible. The little guys just wouldn't stay together in the frying pan and I ended up with a big mush that had to be spooned out.

Tajin Turkey Burgers and Crispy Brussels

Hodgepodge case in point. Burgers with brussels sprouts. It's a strange combo and those burgers look bland AF. Sometimes looks are deceiving and the flavors were on point! I seasoned the turkey burgers with some siracha and a good bit of Tajin which packs a nice spice and citrus punch. The brussels were perfect, crunchy leaves and soft in the middle. The trick is to make sure to layer all cut side down and do not disturb when cooking in the oven.

Apple Crumb Cake

I had some honey crisp apples that were nearing their DNR phase so I whipped up a quick Apple crumb cake on Tuesday evening. I very loosely followed a recipe but I quickly started to do my own adjustments. Overall very good and I was excited to be able to use the cake stand again so soon! 

I hope you all have a great week!

Enjoy