Tips & Tricks
Cooking has always been a form of stress relief for me. The routine feeling of chopping vegetables, sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil, stirrings yummy bits around a pot - these are all very calming activities for me after a long day of work. However, after those particularly long days of work and I’m ravenous, the last thing I want to do is spend over an hour making dinner. But what if I do want a slow-cooked dinner on a week night? What’s a girl to do?
Keep reading for a one-two weeknight dinner routine that has changed my views on a “quick weeknight dinner”.
Last Friday, I wanted to throw together a quick dinner before the husband and I went out with some friends for drinks. There was a pound of pork in the fridge that needed to be used ASAP - so meatballs it is! However, I normally only ever make the italian style meatball and was craving a new recipe to add to my meatball archives. Poking around in the fridge, I had enough ingredients to make it more of an Asian style meatball.
Like all new things I cook, there were a few errors along the way and I’ll probably change it up the next time I attempt these meatballs. I don’t believe in perfecting a “recipe” before sharing it since new ideas are too exciting to withhold. Cooking is forever a learning process but I’m a big fan of how they turned out.
This past weekend, my husband and I went up to Madison, WI for a quick one night getaway to check out the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Capitol Square. You guys. It was AMAZING. I ended up buying a bunch of heirloom tomatoes, a giant bunch of basil for $1 (!!!), and some sweet red onions, and fresh corn. I didn’t really think it through and the tomatoes and basil got a little bit dented and droopy on the way home. BUT THEY MADE IT. See what I made Sunday night with these farmers’ market goodies…
On my post about dinner party basics, I mentioned that dips are one of my go-to appetizers when entertaining. To be honest, I love dips so much that I will gladly have a lunch or dinner composed of just a few different dips. Keep reading for four of my favorite dips…
My parents are hosting machines. Some of my favorite memories as a child involved a giant dinner table with all of my cousins, my grandma, my aunts and uncles, and my parents. Relatives would waltz in and out of the house, sometimes popping in for dinner or right after, settling down around the dining room table as my mom brewed some tea for everyone. Wine glasses and stained corks would litter the table after late-night conversations. To this day, every year when I’m home for Thanksgiving weekend, my high school friends still congregate at the same table while my parents pop open a few bottles of wine. Everything seemed effortless. You can say I inherited the same hosting gene - but it took me a few tries to achieve “effortless”.
Over the years, I’ve found the best structure that works for my sanity. I’m able to cook what I want without driving myself nuts and I bake in enough time for myself to decompress before guests arrive. Here is a comprehensive timing guideline for a relaxed dinner party.
Risotto is one of those indulgent meals that always seemed too difficult or time-consuming to make. After each failed attempt, I would throw my hands up in defeat and the bag of half-used arborio rice would sit alone in the pantry for months. But after a few more determined tries this past year, I think I’ve gotten the formula down to its simplest form. Practice a few times but as long as you get the general technique and structure down, you should be smooth sailing.
Here’s something you might not know about me:
I love grocery stores.
Seriously. When I was 15, I had double dates with my high school best friend at the local grocery store. These days, if I’ve had a tough day at work, my husband knows to ask “Should we swing by Whole Foods on the way home?” It’s a thing.
There’s something calming about wandering aimlessly through the produce section, peering at each type of protein in the meat section (for the sales - duh), and poking around for interesting additions in the pantry aisles. I rarely go to the grocery store with a list - instead, I stock up on my essentials and leave it up to that particular store to inspire my next meal. With my essentials in stock, I know I always have something to fall back on for dinner. Here are some crucial items: