menu call

so, as usual, the beginning of a new year brings me wanting to get a better hold on my menu/meal planning.  and, as always, i seem to be in desperate need of some new ideas.  thus, i am asking anyone who still remembered this blog existed to help me out.  do your own post or even throw your suggestions in the comments.  

please, don't make me beg...

burch house

monday - bbq chicken sandwiches with broccoli, sweet potato fries (cheat), and arugula salad

tuesday - croque madames (fried egg on top) with fruit

wednesday - jessica's pot roast

thursday - farmer's market casserole, grilled chicken and buttered noodles

friday - fondue (super random, but we were cleaning out for a garage sale and came across our old fondue pot and thought we should let the kids use it one time before i decide to sell it)

farmers' market casserole is my new favorite dish thanks to allie.

quick rundown.  fill the bottom of the pan with uncooked israeli couscous, roast egg plant and onions with a little olive oil and seasoning then layer on top of the couscous.  then layer any vegetables you like.  i used italian zucchini, a layer of mozzarella and tomatoes.  then mix together some panko (or your choice of breadcrumbs), some parmesan, some chopped basil and chopped garlic.  sprinkle over the dish and bake at 350 covered for about 30-45 minutes, then uncover and let the top get crispy and delicious.  finally, greedily hope your family doesn't eat all of it, because the leftovers are fantastic as well.  and lunch the next day has been made.

(allie, if you have any variations to add, feel free to chime in!)

we always have a couple of these in the freezer.  my kids are obsessed and when i don't have time to make a side dish, they come in mighty handy.  if you have more kids than me and want to make two bags, pour them on separate trays as they do get soggy when all piled up together, but are super crispy when able to bake in a single layer.  just a suggestion.

and, as a random extra, we made these egg biscuits this weekend.  store bought biscuit dough, rolled out and pressed into a cupcake tray.  crack an egg in the center and top with whatever you like (cheese, salt and pepper, maybe a little meat...).  bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes.  they will make your kids very happy!

Giardiniera

This is one of those tasty treats you can get in Chicago, but it's hard to find elsewhere. A few years ago I found a recipe in the paper and we've made it a few times - the homemade version is even better than the jars you can get at the store. It is great on sandwiches or nachos.


Preparation time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 2 1/2 days
Yield: 3 cups

6 jalapenos, thinly sliced (I usually only do 3 so it's not too spicy)
2 each, diced: green and red bell peppers
1 each, diced: celery rib, carrot, yellow onion
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped stuffed green olives (I usually omit)
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup each: apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine the jalapenos, bell peppers, celery, carrot, onion and cauliflower florets in a large bowl; stir in the salt. Add cold water to cover vegetables; cover bowl. Refrigerate 12 hours. Drain salt water; rinse vegetables. Set aside in the bowl.
2. Combine the garlic, olives, oregano, red pepper flakes, celery seeds and black pepper to taste in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. Pour the vinegar into a medium bowl; whisk in the seasonings. Whisk in the olive oil. Pour over the vegetable mixture; toss lightly. Cover;refrigerate at least 48 hours before using. The giardiniera will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

beach dinners

every year for the fourth of july the entire burch family goes to the beach for a week (minus a few dads that have to work and only get to come for part of the time). we create a schedule so that each family is responsible for dinner one of the nights. it works out great and we eat amazingly well the entire time we are there. i happen to be blessed to have a mother-in-law and three sisters-in-law who are all fabulous chefs. this year, for the first time, we also did a potluck beach brunch (i should have pete write a burch beach brunch poem in the style of dr. seuss...). it was delicious and i hope a tradition that continues.

for our night pete and i made bbq pulled pork sandwiches using this fabulous recipe, watermelon and brussel sprouts salad. as a couple of my sisters-in-law asked how we made the brussel sprouts salad, i thought i would share it. unfortunately i took absolutely no food related pictures this entire trip, so the recipe alone will have to do. also, allie was the person who turned me on to this salad, so i shall give her the full credit for its tastiness...

brussel sprouts salad

ingredients:

brussel sprouts

bacon

red onion

havarti cheese

craisins

olive oil

rice vinegar

salt & pepper

cook the brussel sprouts, tossed in some olive oil (i have even made them after the bacon and poured off most of the grease, but cooked them in a little of the leftover bacon grease...) on the stove until soft enough to pierce with a fork. let cool. add crumbled/chopped bacon, red onion, cubed havarti cheese and craisins. toss with rice vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste. we usually refrigerate it and serve cold, but either way would do.

so, i am now calling on all the burch ladies to share the fabulous recipes they shared with our family with all of you.

Marinated Vegetables

This recipe reminds me of one of my favorite eateries in Italy. The Castelli Romani has this glorious form of fast food known as Porchetta stands. Porchetta itself is roasted pig, but the side dishes at these places are what I find myself dreaming of when the weather gets warm but not too warm for al fresco suppers on our patio. The stands always had those fist sized portions of mozzarella di bufala, fresh crusty bread, and a smorgasbord of delicious marinated vegetables: peppers, baby artichokes, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, olives, you name it. Jon, I am sure you remember some great meals off paper plates from "Da Agnese"...after one such meal I actually found a strand of prosciutto hiding in the fat roll of Lili's (then 9 months old) neck. Anyway, sorry for the long intro, but this recipe for marinated eggplant from "The Silver Spoon" really reminds me of those veggies, (I add some white wine vinegar because I think it needs some acidity to be perfect. It is a great dish to make ahead and stick in your fridge because it just gets better after a couple of days. When I make it with eggplant, I serve it on top of a bed of arugula with some feta sprinkled on top and bruschetta toasts, which makes an easy and attractive party dish. I'm roasting some peppers and zucchini to marinate right now. The view from our back yard patio (dominated by our block wall fence and our neighbor's clunking roof-mounted AC unit) may not be as picturesque as Lake Albano, but I'm looking forward to the meal nonetheless...

Here's the recipe for the marinade...I think it works well with both roasted and grilled vegetables:

3/4C olive oil

1 fresh chile, seeded and chopped (I've used crushed red pepper too)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped

10 fresh mint leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

white wine vinegar, to taste

stuffed squash

so, we had this big squash from our garden...


and in my attempt to find something tasty to do with it, i asked christine. she had the wonderful suggestion to make some sort of sausage stuffed squash. i searched a few different recipes and basically just made up my own with ingredients i had on hand. i have to say, it was mighty tasty...



first, i cut the squash in half lengthwise, then drizzled a little olive oil over it and baked it in the oven at 350 until soft (about 20 minutes). meanwhile i cooked italian sausage, onions, red bell peppers, leeks and garlic on the stove and added some salt, pepper and seasoning. when it was done i took it off the stove (i poured the oil off) and mixed it with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and pine nuts. then i took the squash and scooped out the seeds and filled them with the sausage mixture. i sprinkled a little more parmesan cheese on top and baked them for about 15-20 minutes more.