Meals 242-248

08/29 since i had such success with last weeks bbq chicken flatbread, i decided to try my hand at another tonight. this was my attempt at recreating the "holy shiitake pie" from mellow mushroom. now i know i'll never make one as good as the original, but i was very happy with the overall result of my creation! sautéed portobello and shiitake mushrooms. caramelized onions. a drizzle of roasted garlic olive oil. a mix of parmesan, asiago and fontina cheese. but the part that really bring everything together? is the drizzle of garlic aioli added when it comes out of the oven. such a wonderful grouping of flavors. and vegetarian friendly! next time i'll have to try to make my own pizza dough....the store bought i've been using is ok.....but i know it can be better!

08/30 i had a half a jar of salsa verde from last week's chicken that i wanted to use up tonight. i ended up making a tex-mex/low carb take on a shepherds pie with it! i took a lean piece of pork tenderloin and slow cooked it with the salsa verde, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, pinto beans and a handful of spices. once the pork was tender enough, i shredded it and put it into a baking dish. rather than top it with mashed potatoes, i used mashed cauliflower mixed with cheddar and scallions. as filling a meal as this was, you would never thing it was actually relatively healthy!!!

08/31 for tonight's meal i attempted a recreation of the "mongolian beef" that's served at pf chang's. now it's been a while since i've had that dish? but if memory serves, this was pretty close! even if it wasn't close....it was really tasty. and that's what counts! thin slivers of flank steak tossed in a sweet and salty sauce. the sauce was actually fairly easy. soy sauce, brown sugar and beef broth. a cup of each. boiled down until think and glossy. a giant handful of green scallions completes this dish. i served it over brown rice with a side of snow peas. very happy with the meal!

09/01 tonight i met a friend of mine for dinner at a local restaurant called "sweet water tavern". they consistently have served simple and delicious meals. nothing fussy, just good quality and good portions! i had their southwest chicken salad. tender roasted chicken on a bed of mixed greens with avocado, corn, tomatoes and tortilla strips. it sounds so simple, but it really is a fantastic salad! it all hinges on that chicken of theirs. always cooked perfectly!

09/02 tonight was another homemade modified take on a chinese take out favorite. sesame orange chicken. rather than the heavily breaded deep fried variety, i sautéed chicken breast with sesame oil, ginger and garlic. then made a very simple, and very delightful sauce. 1/2 cup each of orange marmalade and toasted sesame salad dressing mixed with one packet of french onion soup and 1 Tbsp of thai chili paste. a sweet and spicy sauce that was such a wonderful combination of flavors. rather than serve on rice, i made a batch of soba noodles. and a side of steamed broccoli. much better than strip mall chinese carry out!

09/03 my parents were over for dinner tonight. and i was having an internal dilemma. do i make what i know is one of their favorites? chicken piccata with lemon basil spaghetti? or do i make them one of tony's favorites? smoked brisket and apple bleu cheese cole slaw? being the ever indecisive cook i am......i ended up making both. two dinners. as different as you can imagine. and yet, it all got devoured!

oh....and i threw in a side of peas. because i know they're dad's favorite. and i needed a green side!

09/04 tonight we went to a friend's for a labor day weekend bbq. he had the usual fare laid out. hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst and all the sides you can imagine. i spent so much time nibbling on the various salads (pasta, potato, corn, fruit) that i never made it to the main dishes! it was a gorgeous evening to be outside with friends. it's finally cooled off a bit, which is perfect for a long weekend!