Food for Thought...And Recipe Notes

Today on this balmy 52 degree day in Central Massachusetts (just remember, it was -16 Sunday morning, WITHOUT accounting for the windchill), I decided to take an afternoon walk. Here are some mysteries that I came across. If you have thoughts/answers, lemme know...

Remember the Shel Silverstein book, "Where the Sidewalk Ends?".... I feel like this is not what he had in mind....walking down the street and halfway down the block, it just ends. No explanation.

Why does this happen? It's not unique to Worcester, this also happened in my old midwest neighborhood.... you think the sidewalk is leading to the end of the block where it will link up with the corner of the sidewalk perpendicular to it. Not so. Pet-peeve.

Next up:

Private Street.

Dangerous. 

Why?? Deadly pot-holes?

That's my best guess based on the neighborhood and the street (see below).

Now up: Tuesday night's dinner!

Crepe filed with chicken, basil pesto, a splash of white balsamic vinegar, corn, arugula, red onion, mushrooms, and a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

So, that opens the next topic. I want to make sure that I'm not giving any false impressions.

Almost all of my recipes include some short cuts. Yes, I usually cook on the weekends, but even then I don't usually have the time, or want to take the time to make every dish from scratch.

So, tonight's shortcut(s)? 

1) I made the crepe batter on Sunday, and kept the leftovers (which I used tonight)

2) I used rotisserie chicken

3) I used pre-made pesto, which I bought 

The rest of the ingredients I had in my fridge/pantry (eg, white balsamic).  For things like this I usually just use odds and ends I have around and try to add in healthy and fresh ingredients.

So, what other short cuts have I made in recent recipes? Here's a complete list from the weekend's food posts.

Salmon w/ Mint-Pea Puree & Lemon Brodetto

1) Fresh Salmon-- on-sale, already marinated (and I didn't catch it or clean it =), but I did broil it)

2) Frozen peas--I didn't grow them

3) Mint-- store bought, don't have a fresh mint plant right now

4) Chicken broth-- from a can, healthy choice, low-sodium

5) Parmesan-- from a block, I did grate it myself

6) lemon-- didn't grown it, just juiced it

7) Shallots and garlic-- freshly chopped (but not home-grown)

Roasted Chicken Thigh, with Lemon-Parmesan-Garlic Sauce

1) Roasted Chicken Thigh-- I made this a week earlier, when I was roasting chicken for my home-made chicken dumpling soup

2) Pasta- ordinary boxed stuff

3) Kale-- organic store brand

4) Lemon-Parmesan-Garlic sauce...added garlic, reheated the lemon brodetto simmered it together, added a bit of butter and topped it off with parmesan

Haddock with Quinoa Pineapple, Red Pepper, Black Beans, Corn, and Kale

1) Fresh Haddock-- on sale, au naturale (I seasoned it and broiled it)

2) Quinoa w/ Pineapple, Red Pepper, Black Beans and Corn... came from Archer Farms, thanks Target! I just added in fresh baby kale, a little lemon and some olive oil

Brunch with Crepes...

1) Bought the eggs...don't have the chickens some of my friends do. I think they are a no-no living in a condo

2) Made the crepe batter from scratch

3) Pea Puree leftover from Saturday

4) Arugula from the grocery store

5) Block Parmesan, freshly grated

6) Pre-cooked bacon, just heated to a crispness

So... as you can see...plenty of short-cuts... So, you can probably do it too!! Most of these meals take 30 minutes or less, although I haven't actually set a timer.