Frittata with Sauteed Artichokes

This was a simple recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Suppers .

Catalan Paella

I don't make paella very often because neither Lisa nor Tess is particularly fond of it. I love it though so they have to eat it occasionally. This is a recipe from Penelope Casas' very good book Paella!: Spectacular Rice Dishes From Spain. The paella incorporates chicken, shrimp, mushrooms and a typical Catalan picada of nuts, garlic and parsley.

Pressure Cooker Chili

A repeat of the Alton Brown recipe.

Teriyaki Chicken

A repeat of another staple of ours.

Mini Burgers and Asparagus Omelet

I had a little hamburger meat left over so I made little mini-burgers. I supplemented with an asparagus omelet.

Zuni Cafe Hamburgers

When we went to Zuni Cafe last month, Lisa ordered a hamburger. It came on focaccia bread with arugula, pickled onions and aioli. The secret to the burger is to salt strips of chuck and leave them in the fridge for 24 hours prior to grinding. I made the focaccia from Cooks Illustrated's The New Best Recipe cookbook. The "recipe" for the Zuni Burger is in The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
.

Brined Pork Chops

Another repeat.

Pasta with Ligurian Artichoke Sauce

Artichokes were on sale, so I did this pasta from Martha Rose Shulman's Mediterranean Harvest: Vegetarian Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine. Artichokes are thinly sliced and cooked in olive oil with garlic and onion. This was very simple, but very good.

Achiote Chicken

I used the Achiote Marinade from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday on some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Served with rice and black beans it made a quick and simple meal with leftovers.

Macaroni and Cheese

Hard to believe that we haven't had Mac & Cheese yet this year. This is a terrific recipe by Grace Parisi. I like it even better reheated.

Macaroni and Cheese with Buttery Crumbs

Posole Verde

The repeats are repeating. We last had this in February.

Flank Steak Fajitas

Flank steak was on sale again...and I'll get two meals out of this.

Smoked Turkey Hash

I also smoked a turkey breast when I smoked the tri-tip last week. I used it instead of corned beef in the recipe in Cooks Illustrated's The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition.

Bibimbap - Again

Pablo's Coctel de Camarones - Shrimp Cocktails

This is a shrimp cocktail recipe from Cindy Pawlcyn's excellent Big Small Plates. The cocktail sauce is spiked with fresh ginger, fresh horeseradish, and jalapeno chile. This is a great recipe to use when jumbo Camarones are on sale.

Tuna with Celery, Capers and Olives

This is a Sicilian dish from Paula Wolfert's The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook. The tuna is dusted with seasoned flour and seared. The celery is then cooked with the garlic. The tuna is added back to the pan with the capers, olives and some vinegar and then just barely cooked. The dish is served at room temperature. This was very simple and very good.

Brined Pork Chops with Grilled Radicchio and Sweet Potatoes

Another Zuni Cafe menu...I had this when we went to lunch at Zuni Cafe last week. I brined some thick-cut pork loin chops for 3 days. Then grilled them and served with a reduced pork stock. I also grilled some quartered radicchio and wedges of sweet potato. I made a balsamic glaze that I poured over the radicchio. All of the recipes are the in the The Zuni Cafe Cookbook.

Broccoli and Feta Pasta

This is one of Tess' favorites. It is simple to make and is good both warm and cold. We like to use a large shell pasta and Valbresso French Feta.

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp red hot pepper flakes
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
1 head broccoli
1 lb large pasta shells
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, slivered
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

Mash the garlic with the salt until smooth, then put it in a large bowl with the oil, pepper flakes, capers, tomatoes, and olives. Trim the flowerets off the broccoli then peel and slice the stems. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add some salt, then add the broccoli and cook for about 4 minutes. Drain the broccoli and add to the bowl. Cook the pasta until al dente if you are serving the pasta warm. Cook it well if you are serving cold. Toss the pasta with the other ingredients and serve.