Since we went and had last minute dinner guests, I am once again recycling recipes from last week, although it’s only one this time:

Salmon Cakes with Zucchini: I have decided that I am going to adapt this recipe (https://www.thatskinnychickcanbake.com/fresh-salmon-cakes-with-homemade-remoulade/) by replacing the mayonnaise with two large eggs.And ignoring the Old Bay, which I don’t like. I will further adapt it by using the oven-baked method in this recipe. I am also planning to do a homemade tartar sauce for my husband. (I prefer a bit of mayo mixed with sriracha, myself.)

Follow Up: My take on the salmon cakes went pretty well. They were a little crumbly, but held together well enough overall. My husband did not like the addition of capers to the cakes, although I did, so we may have to find a compromise.

Poor salmon cakes. The salmon is frozen, so there’s no time pressure to eat these. And they are pretty high maintenance, which means I rarely want to go to the trouble of making them. But I am pretty sure the zucchini is on its last legs, so I MUST make these this week. Carla is off school today, so maybe she and I will make them together (and this also means I can avoid dragging her with me to the grocery store).

We are going to the house of new friends this weekend (yay! look at us being all social!) so I only have six days accounted for. That leaves us one wild card. (Although my husband and I have recommitted ourselves to low-calorie eating, so we’ll see.)

Here’s what else we’re planning for dinners:

• Thai Veggie Quinoa Bowls with Shrimp & Bell Peppers: https://avocadopesto.com/thai-veggie-quinoa-bowl-gluten-free-vegan/#wprm-recipe-container-19442 

Note: I made these veggie quinoa bowls as a side a looooooong time ago. And now I am going to attempt to alter the recipe to make it more My-Family-Friendly for a main course. I’m adding shrimp, which I will probably marinate quickly in some lime juice and garlic and paprika, and I am replacing the broccoli with red and green bell peppers. Also, I am going to increase the amount of quinoa so there’s enough to satisfy my husband’s appetite. Also also, I am not including the peanuts.

• Cod with Warm Farro & Vegetable Salad: http://www.brummelandbrown.com/recipe/cod-with-warm-farro-and-vegetable-salad.html

Note: I am not 100% sure what “Brummel and Brown” is, although my sense is that it’s a brand of margarine? I am replacing it with butter. I have never had farro before, so this will be an adventure.

Follow Up: I sort of cheated with this recipe. I ended up dipping the cod into a mixture of two tablespoons melted butter and two tablespoons lemon juice, then sprinkling the top with a mixture of two tablespoons panko, one tablespoon melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and some salt and pepper. I baked the cod in a 9 x 13 dish at 400 degrees until it was cooked through, then I broiled it for two minutes to crisp the panko. But here’s where I REALLY cheated. I made the farro. I steamed some peas. But then I put the cut up green beans and diced red onion in the 9 x 13 dish — before I put the fish in there — with some olive oil and salt and pepper. I roasted the veggies for about 10 minutes, then added the fish and let the veggies continue to roast. Then when everything was cooked, I mixed all the veggies into the farro. IT WAS SO GOOD. My husband loved it, I loved it. The cod was delicious but the farro and veggie mixture was the star of the show.

• Mushroom Subs: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/grilled-mushroom-salad-subs-recipe-1944471

Note: This is an old favorite, although I skip the roasted red peppers entirely. I love the marinade and I love the mushrooms. My husband always complains about this meal when I tell him it’s for dinner, but then he enjoys it. So I’m taking a chance on it again. Because even if our grill was operational, it is buried under 85 feet of snow, I will just marinate the mushrooms and then roast them. I use mozzarella instead of whatever cheese this recommends but I think many varieties of cheese would be delicious. I like to layer the cheese on the bottom and top of the scooped-out baguette, and then gently toast it in the oven. This helps prevent the bread from getting too soggy from the marinade. The biggest problem with this recipe is that the mushrooms shrink down to nothing, so you need way more mushrooms than you think a human could possibly need.

• BBQ Crockpot Pork with Baked Potato + Coleslaw: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/classic-coleslaw

Note: This is the one where I throw a pork tenderloin, a chopped onion, a jar of BBQ sauce, some minced garlic, and some squirts of sriracha into a crock pot and cook for a few hours. So easy, so good. I like it on top of a baked potato, but my husband likes to make little pulled pork sandwiches with the pork and some easy coleslaw. My husband has a meeting one night this week, so I’ll make this, which is easy to leave in the crock pot and eat whenever you can. I usually make rolls with this recipe, but I am not going to. Maybe I will pick up some sweet Hawaiian rolls for my husband.

• Oven Baked Pork Chops with Broccoli: https://www.recipetineats.com/oven-baked-pork-chops-with-potatoes/

Note: This is one of my favorite marinades. Simple and delicious. Instead of having potatoes two nights this week, I will pair it with broccoli.

 

We are also bringing a salad to our friends’ house this weekend. I think I’ll make this salad with pecans and a maple vinaigrette (although you can bet I am buying candied pecans from Trader Joe’s) or this apple, cranberry, walnut salad… or maybe I’ll find some way to mishmash them together.

(This simple butter lettuce salad sounds divine to me, but a) my husband doesn’t like olives and b) the panko topping sounds like it might be better warm, and I won’t be at my house.)

What are you eating for dinner this week?