Hi! The first edition! I’ll probably mess with this as I go, but for now expect a few dinner recipes to scatter throughout the week plus something extra like a dessert or drink rec.
I’ll typically stick with dinners because I usually eat leftovers or PB&Js for lunch and steel cut oats for breakfast. Once, I asked a friend and her husband what they eat for breakfast and they responded with a rotation of five to six dishes that included everything from blueberry pancakes to quiche, and I was equal parts shocked and impressed. Couldn’t be me!
This week, I’m sharing a few dishes I made last year that I’d forgotten about. They are those recipes that make you say “Wow, I should make this all the time!” but then you totally move on with your life. So bringing them back for you! And me!
✨ Inspo ingredients for the week: feta, mustard, chicken, and red onion ✨
DINNERS
Lentils, Marinated Feta, and Chard
Cacio e Walnut | Leeks in Vinaigrette
Peruvian Roast Chicken & Spicy Cilantro Sauce | Rice
BBQ Chicken | Potato Salad | Corn on the Cob
LUNCH
Tuna salad sandwiches
DESSERT
Captain Crunch Cereal
DRINK
El Silencio “Essence” Cocktail
Notes:
I picked recipes that could build off of each other. So feta purchased for the lentils dish can later be used in the Peruvian chicken dish, the whole grain mustard in the leeks is also used in the potato salad, red onion in the potato salad can also be used in tuna salad, honey in the cilantro sauce is also in the cocktail, etc.
I also made a leek dish because they are in season right now.
I don’t really have a recipe for tuna salad. I just usually put celery, red onion, dijon, parsley, mayo, and maybe capers together and call it good.
Just really have a hankering for Captain Crunch and why not pick out your favorite grocery store cereal to eat in front of the TV this week?
I’ve been into making cocktails at home lately? Tips on how to achieve the perfect egg white sour next week…but this week…a very summery mezcal cocktail I can’t wait to make for friends when they are in town.
Lentils, marinated feta, and chard
That Sounds So Good | Carla Lalli Music
If you follow Bon Appetit and its carousel of cheeky chefs, you probably know Carla Lalli Music. Personally, she’s one of my favorites: her recipes are fairly no-nonsense, easy, and cheap. This one is no exception. It has the saltiness from the feta and a nice bite from the lentils. If you’ve never cooked with black lentils also known as beluga lentils, you’re in for a treat! I’ll tell you now: they usually don’t have them at Fred Meyer, but they do at New Seasons (surprise, surprise!). They are beautiful little pearls that provide a really dramatic contrast to the chard. You can substitute chard for any hearty green btw. This is definitely more of a light meal for those of us who aren’t accustomed to eating vegetarian, so I usually follow this up later with a bowl of ice cream….
Cacio e walnut + leeks in vinaigrette
That Sounds So Good | Carla Lalli Music
I’ve never really been a fan of boxed pasta. I think spaghetti doesn’t reheat well, and I just really don’t like it. But then I tried the fancy non-spaghetti kind at the grocery store, and I discovered the joy of a nice penne, an orecchiette, a curly fussilli. I feel like everyone is like “Duh, Riley. You’re just discovering boxed pasta?” But give me a break!
This recipe is also courtesy of Carla Lalli Music. It’s a play on cacio e pepe; instead of just parmesan and pepper, it features Manchego cheese + walnuts (both of which are Costco go-tos!). It’s so easy and tasty, but because I felt like I needed a vegetable and leeks are in season right now, I also chose to add in an even easier and maybe even tastier side dish: leeks in vinaigrette. This recipe reminds me a lot of the roasted leeks at one of my favorite restaurants, Navarre, and feels a lot fancier than it is.
A few notes on substitutes here: if you don’t have manchego, parmesan is totally fine. If you don’t have leeks, any vegetable would be tasty with the olive oil and shallot sauce.
Peruvian roasted chicken with spicy cilantro sauce
New York Times Cooking | Melissa Clark
Honest to god love this recipe. It can either be baked in the oven or grilled, but since it’s sunny this week we’re grilling. Just sear it on both sides over heat and then cook off heat for another 30 minutes or so. Make sure to use a meat thermometer, though. The green salsa is phenomenal, and you’ll want to put it on everything. I’ll probably serve this with rice and asparagus. Potatoes are great, too!
Fingerling Potato Salad With Creamy Dill Dressing
Serious Eats | Kenji Lopez Alt
This is the dish I bring to every potluck. This potato salad isn’t like other potato salads. Aka it’s not heavy. The vinegar and dill make everything taste fresh and bright. And since we are having friends come into town, this is a no-brainer to pair with BBQ Chicken. Honestly, I don’t make my own sauce. Just buy a fun one at New Seasons (there are so many local brands, like Podnah’s!) and follow this basic method.
El Silencio’s “Essence” Cocktail
I’ve been kind of into making cocktails at home? I think it’s a reaction to how expensive drinks are now. Anyways, this one is perfect for summer. It’s got lots of ice, the smokiness of mezcal, sweetness from the lillet and agave, and it’s not too strong.
1.5 oz Mezcal
.5 oz. Dry Vermouth
.5 oz. Lillet
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Agave
3 Dashes of Orange Bitters
Thanks for reading!
The command that releases our dog Mia from her “place” and lets her begin eating —normal dog training thing I swear—is “Enjoy!" So here she is telling you to enjoy your meals this week.
xoxo Riley and Mia
