This is dinner #2 using the shredded chicken from the post two days ago. I like to serve this salad a little warm/a little cold, pretty much at room temperature. When you get home from work, running the kids around, the gym, whatever it is you’re racing in the door from; throw the potatoes in the pot. Then change your clothes or get the kids set up with their homework, or whatever it is that needs to be done pronto. Then drain the potatoes and set them aside. Next, in-between doing all the things that get in the way of concentrating on making dinner, stop and make the vinaigrette and set it aside. And then when you’re ready to assemble it all; just slice the potatoes, and throw it in all together in a bowl and dinner is on that table before you know it. Please be sure to get one of those people, who always need to be fed, to set the table. I honestly hope you’re not doing that and making dinner, put those kids and husbands to work!

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This is meal #1, using the idea of “Cook Once – Eat All Week”. Yesterday we roasted 2 chickens, shredded the meat, and will use that for several meals. Each meal will be simple to slam together and slap on the table during busy weeknights. Use as many or as few connivence items as you please. For example; roast, peel, core, and seed your own fresh red bell pepper – or use the jarred version. Shred a block of cheese, or buy pre-shredded. Grind cumin seed or use already ground. You get the drift – make it easy on yourself! This takes only a few minutes to assemble and just 20 minutes to bake. Serve with the garnishes or not.

Tomorrow’s shredded chicken dinner will be – Honey Mustard Potato and Chicken Salad.

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Shrimp: My darling daughter, Marissa, made dinner for the family last night.  I’m guessing she did this for two reasons. First, she misses making “roomie dinners” for her college roommates now that they’ve all graduated. And second, she feels sorry for me, her sad exhausted mother.

Hoarding: Yes, hoarding is the reason for both my sadness and my complete and utter emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. No, I am not the hoarder. Someone very close to me, who shall remain nameless, is though. When said person goes out of town for more than a week, (which only happens once, maybe twice, a year) I go over and clean up the disgusting mess that this person calls home. I won’t go into the gory details, but trust me, it’s awful! During this particular cleaning and tossing session, I went deep, deeper than I have in many years. I began on Saturday and have been working on it every single day, every waking hour, since. Hence, cooking and taking care of myself, my family, and this blog have been on the back burner (pun intended) and that burner has been turned off! I’ve missed a couple days of posting and will miss a few more. But the next few days will be due to something much more fun and happy. I’ll be in Laguna Beach this weekend for the wedding of a dear friend’s beautiful daughter. I’ll me back on Monday.

Contest: No, as you’ve probably figured out by now, this is not an actual “Shrimp Hoarding Contest”, although that doesn’t sound all bad. The contest I am referring to is the one that ends at 11:59 PM Mountain Time on August 22, 2010. That is Sunday night, so get on the stick and ENTER HERE! I don’t want any of you to miss out. The winner will be named when I return to blogging on Monday morning, it’ll be here before you know it.

Now for Marissa’s dinner. A wonderful cookbook for novice or experienced cooks alike is Homemade in a Hurry by Andrew Schloss. In fact it is on my list of “must have cookbooks” which you can view HERE. Marissa adapted the recipe a bit to match her taste and it was delicious! Thank you sweetheart, not only did you make dinner – you made my day! xoxox [Read more →]

After yesterday’s long “birthday” post, I thought it would be nice to post a quick and easy soup for today. Since it’s still scorching here in the desert, I serve this soup at room temperature rather than hot. The avocado just seems to make it more “cool” and summery. If you haven’t already commented on yesterday’s post, be sure and do so to be in the running for the grand prize for a baker’s dozen of fabulous cookbooks. You can easily make this a vegetarian soup, just use all water instead of chicken broth. The carrot and avocado flavors actually come through better that way.  I’m just not a huge carrot fan, so I prefer the broth to tone that flavor down a little.

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I’ll be making this dish on Channel 12 Valley Dish on Wednesday, September 8th. I have just a few things to say about it; Delicious, Quick, Easy, and only 5 Ingredients (no counting the spices, oil, and butter!) Make it, and thank me later!

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On July 22^nd I used both Mission figs from the store and Kadota figs from my backyard tree to make pickled figs. Of course, I have no idea if any of you made a batch of your own, but I’m giving you a recipe to use them, just in case. Even if you don’t have pickled figs in your refrigerator, you can still make this delicious pork tenderloin by substituting fig preserves (available next to the jams and jellies at the grocery store).

Pork tenderloin is such an easy, yet elegant, main course. The problem is that people tend to overcook pork which makes it tough and dry. The safe, and most flavorful, internal temperature to cook pork to is 150 degrees. If you don’t already own an instant-read thermometer, you should get yourself one ASAP. They are available just about everywhere, I’ve even seen them in grocery stores and are an invaluable kitchen tool.

Traditionally I would use the grill for the pork, but when the temperature in the shade is 111 degrees “triple matchsticks”, as it was yesterday, the grill pan atop the stove is the way to go!

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Yesterday was my dear friend and mentor, Barbara Fenzl’s, birthday. Our tradition is to take each other out for a birthday lunch. I’m taking Barb to Modern Steak today for her celebratory lunch. So while we’re enjoying that, here is a couscous salad for you to enjoy. The picture above of my sister, Sloane, Mark Tarbell, me, and Barb was taken at a party a couple of years ago at Tarbell’s restaurant. The party was a fundraising event to celebrate after Mark won “Iron Chef America” on Food Network.

Happy Birthday, Barb. I love you and love all our time cooking together! xoxo

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We left early this morning for the drive down to Tucson to pack up Marissa and move her back to Scottsdale. Of course, I love having her home, so that is the really sweet part. But I also know how eager she is to “begin” her independent life, her career, and to have a place of to call her own. I remember that feeling of longing and yearning and wish all those wonderful things for her. But with today’s economy and job market, she is just one of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of young adults and college graduates in the same situation. Daily she is sending out resumes, searching on-line, reaching out to every possible connection; lucky to ever get a call, acknowledgement, or interview. So, we’ll store her furniture and other belongings that one doesn’t need when living with your family (meaning parents) in mini-storage and continue to give her all the love and support we can while she waits for her new beginning. And of course, if you are reading this and know of any positions or possible openings for a brilliant, beautiful, and bold graduate with a bonafide Journalism degree, (such as writing, editing, public relations, journalist, newspaper, magazine, etc.) who will move anywhere for an opportunity; please email or call right this very minute!

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This is the typical sort of dinner you’ll get at our house on a day when I don’t want to venture out in the 110 degree suffocating heat just to get groceries! I will do anything to avoid leaving the air-conditioned loveliness that is my house! First I look in the refrigerator – not much there. More smoked pork, but we’ve had that 2 days in a row, so that will not fly with my guys. Produce drawers – bell peppers, wilting green onions, romaine that has about 24 hours before decisions must be made, and a surprisingly good looking bunch of cilantro. Next stop – garden – ugg! Everything is looking sad, drought ridden, and parched! Snip off the last bit of tarragon and get back into the A/C! What about the pantry – nothing at all inspiring. There is pasta, but that’s always sitting there…. Why in God’s name do these people need to eat every darn day – don’t they know how hot it is?!?!  OK, compose thyself. Last stop the freezer – oh the glorious coldness that flows from the freeze finally gives me the inspiration I have been so very desperate for! What miracles do I find there? Nothing all that much really – shrimp, edamame, and peas – but it is enough.

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Bulgur is one of the unsung heroes of the grain world. A staple of the traditional Mediterranean diet for thousands of years, bulgur wheat has recently become popular in modern health food and vegetarian diets. Rich in “B” vitamins, iron, phosphorous and manganese.

Bulgur is wheat in its whole form, which has been parboiled for quick cooking. Bulgur is sometimes confused with cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that has not been parboiled. It comes in three types, coarse grind which has a consistency that is similar to that of rice and can be used in place of rice in any recipe. Medium grind is most commonly used for cereal and fillings, and fine grind which is usually used for tabbouleh and other salads – such as the one below.

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