Night Five: A Lot of Dirty Dishes

I think my entire kitchen counter was covered in dirty dishes after preparing tonights dinner. I realized that I really enjoy making soups! They are so satisfying, simple, and delicious. I love the color of a nice vegetable soup, and also all the different variations you can make on a simple recipe.
I have had such an amazing time with this project, but I am getting a little tired of cooking for 3 to 4 hours a day. While it is extremely rewarding, I am definitely realizing that preparing a meal is not as easy as I thought.

For Dinner I Made Three Dishes:

1) Calabaza Squash, Corn, and Coconut Soup
This was the biggest hit of the night! This particular soup turned out to be rich and creamy without the use of chicken stock or dairy products. I found low fat Coconut Milk and added a bit of that to the soup mixture, it was healthy and allowed the soup to have a creamy consistency. The original recipe called for quite a bit of cayenne pepper. At first I was skeptical about the amount of seasoning, but the cayenne added a nice kick to the soup. I added a corn relish and a dollop of sour cream to create a bit of a different texture along with the soup. This is a recipe that I will be making again!

2) Peanut and Curry Chicken Satay:
Chicken satay is a crowd favorite, and something I know I love to make. I am known in my house for my peanut sauce, so I incorporated that recipe into my chicken preparation. I utilized my new blender by making a lovely marinade and peanut dipping sauce. My mom and I spent some time together at the grill making sure the chicken was cooked perfectly. I really enjoy cooking with the members of my family, and sharing funny stories while we prepare the meal.

3) Caprese Salad with Grilled Peach:
This salad was a last minute addition to the dinner. After I realized I didn't have enough fennel for my original recipe, I ran to Trader Joes and picked up some fresh Heirloom Tomatoes. My mom and I decided to make a nice and summery Caprese Salad, and grill some peaches with balsamic to add a nice smokey flavor to the salad. My cousins who were over for dinner had never had grilled peaches before, and they were pleasantly surprised with the sweet taste. I loved having my extended family over for dinner tonight. We had great conversations and they were extremely supportive of my cooking!

After dinner I asked each guest what their favorite dish was, this is what they said:
Charlie (my brother's friend) - "The chicken was my favorite dish of the evening. It was moist on the inside and had great overall flavor." 
Alex (my brother's friend) - "The chicken was also my favorite. The peanut sauce added a nice asian flair that I was not expecting. I loved the soup because the corn relish added a nice texture."
Jesse- "I enjoyed all three dishes. The flavors of all the dishes went well together. The soup was the perfect consistency especially with the corn and dollop of sour cream. The salad was surprisingly fresh and refreshing with the peach." 
Abby (my cousin) - "I loved the chicken. The peanut sauce was yummy and well balanced. The peaches and burrata were also an unexpected treat."
Stuart (my cousin's boyfriend) - "I loved the salad. I had never had anything like that before due to the grilled peaches." 
Dad- "The soup was my favorite dish because it was a new twist on a classic soup with the addition of cayenne pepper." 
Uncle David - "Overall the presentation was beautiful. There was a sophisticated common thread throughout the meal tying the dishes together. The chicken was a nice combination of the marinade and the peanut sauce. All of the flavors complimented each other well. 
Aunt Mindy - "I was surprised that you went in an Asian direction with the skewers and salad, I thought you were going to be preparing something Mediterranean. The color of the Caprese was in line with spring and was a fresh delight." 
Mom- "I loved the soup. It was really light and I loved that it was dairy-free." 

The best part of the night was not the food, but the incredible company of my family. This has already been such a great way to learn about the people I love and spend more time with them. I am grateful for the memories that we create at every meal.

Waiting for the squash to soften 

Mom and her chicken 

#foodporn 

My yummy soup! I can't believe its vegan (except for the little bit of added sour cream). 

My beautiful family and friends 

Night Four: Attempting To Master Asian Cuisine

All I can say about tonights meal is that I made my very own MISO BUTTER!
I didn't really know what that was before today, but its a delicious mixture of whipped butter and miso paste. Its super creamy and flavorful, and it also goes great with grilled corn!
I also had a dinner with my friends and my younger brother. It was great to sit and enjoy a nice meal together.

For Dinner I Made 5 Dishes (yes, tonight was a big undertaking):

1) Grilled Corn with Miso Butter
This was my favorite dish of the night. The miso butter melted all over the corn giving it a great peanut-like flavor. It was really fun to hear the corn pop when it was cooking in the oil. I got a few burns on my arm, but it was well worth it.

2) Soba Noodles with Vegetable Sauté
I made this dish up on the spot. I found some organic Soba Noodles at Gelson's and I added some fruits and vegetables that I found in my fridge. I chopped up some red onion, red pepper, pineapple, and mint for the sauté. I cooked them with some peanut oil and soy sauce, it added a nice salty flavor to the pasta.

3) Beef "Korean BBQ" Skewers
I was inspired to make these skewers because they reminded me of my favorite dish at the restaurant Tofu Ya. The beef bologi at Tofu Ya is always perfectly cooked and flavored with soy sauce and garlic. I marinated the skewers in a mixture of soy, honey, garlic, and peanut oil. The skewers were slightly difficult to cook, but the sauce absorbed into the meat perfectly and left it very tender. I was really impressed with the way the miso butter and beef went together.

4 and 5) Seaweed Salad and "Sticky" Rice
I took a bit of a short cut when preparing my two side dishes. I found some "easy cook" white rice packages at the market and used them on the side of the corn and beef. I also love the Gelson's seaweed salad, so I added a small helping on the side of every plate. The seaweed added a nice green color to the plate and tasted delicious.

After dinner I asked each guest what their favorite dish was, this is what they said:

Michelle- "My favorite dish was the beef. It tasted really yummy and it had nice subtle Asian flare.
Henry- "My favorite dish was the sticky rice. It had the perfect consistency that was unmatched by any rice I've ever had."
Alana- "My favorite dish were the noodles. The noodles had an interesting and delicious flavor."
Jesse- "I liked all the food, but the noodles were moist and had an airy consistency."

The best part of the night was not the food, but the incredible company of my family. This has already been such a great way to learn about the people I love and spend more time with them. I am grateful for the memories that we create at every meal.

Choppin' Onions

Ready to dig in!

The plate: Grilled Corn with Miso Butter, Beef Teriyaki, Seaweed Salad, and Sticky White Rice 

The Noodle Salad! I love the color of the peppers!

Bonus Post: How I Stay Organized

I was just inspired to write an extra post on how I organize my grocery lists and recipes for each day of cooking. Cooking for a whole week straight is a huge undertaking and I realized the best way to manage all of it is by staying organized.

Below are some examples of my grocery lists:

I organize them by color and section. I noticed that having different types of produce in different sections makes them easier to find in the market. I also like to include the measurements needed for each item so that I do not over-purchase any product.

I also make Meal Plans for each day of the week. The first image below is my first draft of my meal plan. I made this rough sketch to show what each night might look like, sort of like a menu, so that it will be easy to find recipes.

Now, I reference a meal plan like the photo below. I have all the recipes typed up with a list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions. These meal plans are broken up into different days with serving sizes and clear instructions that are easy to follow! I find that following a recipe is a great starting place for cooking, but the most amazing thing to do is to stray a little from the recipe and make it your own! 

Night Three: An Italian Feast

Today was my third night serving dinner for my family. My wonderful grandparents came over and brought their adorable dog Ebony. I made soup from scratch for the first time tonight, and it was delicious and extremely fresh.

For Dinner I made 4 dishes:

1)Avocado and Corn Summer Salad
I made the same salad from last night, due to its success with my guests. I added some sliced red onion and a squeeze of lemon to change up the salad a little bit. The salad was completely gone by the time dinner was over, and my grandma stole the recipe for my amazing dressing!

2) Chicken Piccata
This chicken recipe is a family favorite. Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa, the pounded chicken is light and lemony. My Grandpa told me that it was the best chicken he has ever had (I don't believe him.) I love breading the chicken and lightly frying it on each side with some oil. Its really satisfying to flip the chicken and watch it cook! I also made a delicious butter and lemon sauce to pour over the chicken. I think that this sauce would be great over most meats and even salad!

3) Tomato Soup with Cilantro Crème
I was really nervous to make this soup from scratch. Interestingly, the recipe said to roast they tomatoes before pureeing them into the soup. Roasting the tomatoes with some herbs and garlic made them soft and salty. The chilled cilantro crème added a nice creamy touch to the soup. My grandma loved the soup because it wasn't too creamy and had a nice smokey flavor.

4) Chocolate Chip brownies with Powdered Sugar
My brownies were a bit of a cop out. I used a box recipe but added some extra chocolate chips and vanilla extract. The brownies were gooey and easy to bake. They photographed great and everyone in my family decided to have seconds!

After dinner I asked each guest what their favorite dish was, this is what they said:
Jesse (my brother) - "My favorite dish was the chicken. It was cooked to perfection and went perfectly with the salad!"
Bubie (my grandma) - "My favorite dish was the salad. It was light and interesting with great flavor. The dressing was spectacular. I also loved the salty and yummy soup. Everything was perfect!"
Zadie (my grandpa) - "My favorite dish was the chicken. It was perfectly bounded flat and breaded. The sauce was beautiful. I would eat 5 more pieces!"
Mom- "I also loved the chicken. I usually don't like white meat because it's dry, but this was moist and flavorful. The crust on the chicken was a nice crispy contrast with the lemon."
Dad- "My favorite was the soup. I was so impressed with the different flavors. The roasted tomato made it really unique and complex."

The best part of the night was not the food, but the incredible company of my family. This has already been such a great way to learn about the people I love and spend more time with them. I am grateful for the memories that we create at every meal.

Roasting the assorted tomatoes

My mom taking the first bite of the soup!

My beautiful grandparents

I love photographing these brownies!

My plate :)

A toast to a great dinner

The Summer Salad

Tomato Soup with Cilantro Crème 

Night Two: POLENTA!!

Today was my second attempt at cooking a home cooked meal. To be honest, it went 1,000 times better than the last time I slaved over the stove.
I had my Great Aunt, Great Uncle, and two Cousins over for dinner and we had some amazing conversation. We had a great time talking about The Kardashians, family drama, and my future at college.

For Dinner I made 5 dishes:

1) Creamy Polenta with Mixed Mushrooms
This dish was a huge hit. Cooking polenta is definitely a challenge. I didn't realize that it bubbled so much when cooking. The polenta popped all over my kitchen stove and made a huge mess. I went to the farmers market with my Dad this morning. We picked up some fresh Morel mushrooms that added a smokey flavor to the polenta. While I was cooking down the polenta, I made a mixed mushroom sauce with a little Mascarpone cheese which made it extra creamy and a little salty. The dish was gone in 3 minutes and I am going to be making this dish again in the future.

2) Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic and Pancetta
OMFG! These Brussel sprouts were the best dish of the night. Not only were they my favorite thing to eat, but they were also my favorite thing to make. I cooked down the Brussels and Pancetta with aged Balsamic to give them a nice glazed texture. It made the Brussel Sprouts taste like candy! Next I toasted some home made bread crumbs with thyme in the oven. The bread crumbs and sprouts went together perfectly. I think the key to the success of this recipe was the long cook time on the brussels. I let them sit in the balsamic reduction for 1/2 hour on low heat. This let the sprouts absorb all the flavor, and allowed the pancetta extra time to get crispy.

3) Lemon Chicken Skewers (Grilled)
My Mom and Dad both pitched in and helped me make this entire meal, but my mom really stepped up and took over the responsibility of the chicken. She is a wiz of the grill and cooked the skewers to PERFECTION. My little cousins gobbled up the chicken and my dad loved taking a bite of Brussel sprouts and chicken at the same time. While this was the most simple dish to make, it was a huge hit and a nice balance to the two heavy side dishes.

4) Avocado and Corn Summer Salad
I take it back, this salad was the most simple dish of the meal. My aunt said it was the most delicious salad she has ever had and I think the key ingredient was the dressing. Although the corn and avocado were fresh, the lemon and garlic dressing added a nice zesty punch to the baby spinach. My mom stole my recipe for the salad and said she is going to make it for her friends birthday potluck.

5) Blueberry and Mascarpone Treats
I actually made this recipe up myself. I wanted to have a light dessert to end our heavy meal. I mixed Mascarpone cheese with vanilla extract and sugar to resemble a sort of whip cream. I spread this cheese mixture on top of Cinnamon Graham Crackers and topped the whole thing off with fresh blueberries and agave. This dessert took me 5 minutes to make and I really enjoyed creating my own original recipe!

After dinner I asked each guest what their favorite dish was, this is what they said:
Mom - "The Brussel Sprouts! They were a unique take on the preparation that I would have never thought of."
My Older Cousin - "The Chicken was my favorite. It was salty, lemony, and had delicious seasoning."
My Uncle - "The Polenta was incredible. The mushrooms were awesome and they melted in my mouth. I also loved the Brussels because they were unique and perfectly sweet."
My Younger Cousin- My younger cousin is super picky so he just ate bread.
Dad- "The Brussel Sprouts were my favorite. The flavors came together because they were cooked for a long time. I really think that technique made the flavors soak into the sprouts."
My Aunt- "The Salad by far! The corn was perfectly grilled and complimented the fresh avocado. I'm stealing that dressing recipe by the way."

The best part of the night was not the food, but the incredible company of my family. This has already been such a great way to learn about the people I love and spend more time with them. I am grateful for the memories that we create at every meal.

Stirring!

Mom and Dad having a little too much fun with the knives 

Allowing the Brussel Sprouts to cook in the aged Balsamic 

Dessert! 

My adorable cousins posing after a long meal 

My plate: (clockwise from bottom) Salad, Chicken Skewer, Brussels, and Mushroom Polenta 

My Great Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins before the meal!

Night One: A Simple Meal

Last night (Wednesday May 20th) was my first night cooking for my family.

Photo of the dinner table from last nights meal

To begin the meal I asked every member of my family a few questions, here is what they said:

1) How many times a week do we eat a family meal?

• Dad- 2 times
• Jesse (my brother) - 4 times
• Mom- 4 teams 

2) How many times a week do we eat a home cooked meal? 

• Dad- 1 time
• Jesse- 1 time
• Mom - 1 time if you're lucky 

3) What do you hope to gain from these family dinners? 

• Dad- I hope for you, Emily, to gain respect and enjoyment for the process of cooking, and also this whole process is a good reason to spend time together as a family. 
• Jesse- I hope to gain insight about everyones day and have productive conversations.
• Mom- I hope to take time to be together and try and experiment new types of food. 

4) What was your favorite dish that your Mom or Dad made for you as a child?

• Dad- Lasagna 
• Mom- Tuna casarole 
• Jesse- Dad's risotto! 

After discussing these questions, I presented my family with the meal.  

1. Avocado, Grapefruit, and Orange Salad with Mixed Nut Pesto - This salad was a huge hit. It had the mixed nut pesto with pine nuts, walnuts, and mustard which added a nice taste to the Arugula. I added in some strawberries because we had some lying around the fridge and they blended into the salad perfectly. I watched a few videos on youtube to learn how to "filet a fruit." It took a few tries but I ended up filleting the orange, and it looked pretty damn good.
   
   
2. Cornbread Muffins - This was my favorite thing to make by far. Not only was the recipe extremely straight forward, but the muffins turned out to be moist and delicious. My dad ended up taking some extra muffins to work the next day and they were a HUGE hit!
3. Chicken Wings with Paprika and Garlic Seasoning- The Chicken Wings were a little complicated. I started the wings a little later in the evening so they couldn't marinate for as long as they were supposed to. When I put them in the oven, they didn't really brown on the top so they were a little gooey on the inside. The dipping sauce was delicious but overall the wings were not my greatest success.  

After dinner I asked each member of my family to rate each dish, this is what they said: 

Muffins: 

• Dad- 9 
• Mom- 9
• Jesse- 8, they could have been moister 
• Me- 9.5 

Salad: 

• Dad- 8, too much dressing
• Mom- 8.5 
• Jesse- 9.3, my brother likes weird ratings
• Me- 8.5

Chicken: 

• Dad- 6
• Mom- 6
• Jesse- 6
• Me- 6

So far the first night was a great success. I can't wait for 6 more days of meals! 

- Emily

The delicious salad!

 

The Chicken Wings look better than they tasted :(

My personal favorite- The cornbread muffins!