dishes by shane

Snow day pizza

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My husband Shane (aka David) is a great cook. He also has a great sense of humor. So, you know, win-win.

It’s blizzarding here in Massachusetts. Really blizzarding, like it’s been snowing for maybe 20 hours straight.

Shane/David watched the kids all day while I worked from home so that I wouldn’t have to use precious vacation or sick time. While Sid napped, he made brownies. And then with sense of humor intact—tough because the kids were more or less totally bananas for a good part of day—he made pizza for dinner.

Although we don’t like it as much as Shane’s homemade dough, we’ve been buying pizza dough from Wegmans for weeknight use. It needs to be really stretched, but if you do that, it works fine. Since it was just the 4 of us, Shane made just two pies, a margherita for everyone followed by a white for the adults. I kicked in a simple salad.

Thanks to Shane/David, for killing it today.**I want to say he’s a masterpiece, but that is probably way too cheesy.

Fresh pasta with sage butter, and other things

By in dishes by shane, family 1 Comment

One of the things I love about my husband Shane is that he thinks nothing of throwing together a seemingly fancy, labor-intensive meal at the last minute.

It was 5:30 or 6 last night when he said “I think I’ll make fresh pasta tonight.” “Do you have time for that? Or will we end up eating at 9:00?” I replied. “We have time, I’m just going to go play a few games of darts with the kids and then I’ll get started.”

And he was right! Even with the kids helping to make the pasta, we ate at a very reasonable 7-ish. And he made Rose’s dish into a smiley face to boot!

I love the delicate flavor of fresh pasta and don’t think it needs a lot in the way of saucing. Shane and I opted for simple sage butter (so good!) and had ours with a side of roasted orange cauliflower and a simple arugula salad.

Rose wanted her pasta with sauce and meatballs, we happened to have Polpo’s meatballs left from a meal earlier in the week.

Sid, in typical wacky fashion, chose to eat his pasta with butter, and a pinch of salt sprinkled directly into his mouth with each bite. Silly new restaurant trend? I hope not.

OMG vegetarian shepherd’s pie

By in dishes by shane, Vegetarian

Shane had his knee replaced a couple of months ago. In the time he’s been home convalescing, there are two things he’s been doing more than anything else. He cooks and he does physical therapy.

Admittedly, I’ve found the 6 or so hours per day of PT rather tiresome. But the cooking? The cooking has been awesome. It’s been so awesome that a few folks and I have wondered if perhaps he could turn it into a small side business.

Last week, he compiled a few recipes that could theoretically be made and delivered to the homes of hungry people who don’t have time to cook.

This week, we’re testing.

Tonight’s recipe was his favorite Shepherd’s Pie from Avoca. It’s a crowd-pleasing recipe which I personally have never tried due to it’s meaty composition. To my surprise and delight, I came home to find out that tonight there was also a vegetarian Shepherd’s pie!

It’s true. It exists and it’s delicious!

It looks like Shepherd’s pie but instead of meat it’s got a base of carrots lentils, edamame and mushrooms stewed up with onion, red wine and vegetable stock. It’s topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar and is totally hearty and delicious. I might even go so far as to describe it as meaty but without the meaty flavor. Totally unexpected and perfect.

And for those die-hard meat eaters and omnivores out there, here’s the meat version which I am told was also very good.

Happy Wednesday. xoxo

 

 

Friday finds: Tiny thermometer (plus dinner)

By in dishes by shane, Friday Finds 2 Comments

If you’ve been following Friday Finds for the past few weeks since it’s inception, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that this Friday’s treasure is tiny, metal and old.

What I’ve got for you today is a very small (see my fingers for scale) old mercury thermometer reading accurately at about 73 degrees. It’s got gorgeous detail for something so small, with engraved numbers and a scalloped motif around the edge.  It’s also got an incredibly pleasingly round bulb full of mercury (!) which is somehow extremely satisfying to me.

Meanwhile, Shane made a delicious and very lemony pasta tonight from Cook’s Illustrated. It doesn’t look like much but it was a creamy, lemony, shalloty delight.

 

• Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil •
from Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 4 to 6

Table salt
1 pound spaghetti
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
¼ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons finely grated zest and ¼ cup juice from 3 lemons
1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves

Let the dish rest briefly before serving so the flavors develop and the sauce thickens.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water; cook, stirring frequently, until al dente. Reserve 1¾ cups cooking water, drain pasta into colander, and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 1/2 cups of reserved pasta cooking water and cream into pot; bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat, return pasta, and stir until coated. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Cover and let pasta stand 2 minutes, tossing frequently and adjusting consistency with remaining 1/4 cup reserved pasta water if necessary. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with oil and sprinkling with cheese.

Second to last supper

By in dishes by shane 1 Comment

I kind of felt guilty about not cooking tonight. It’s the weekend, and I have the time, and I love to cook….  Then again, Shane is having his knee replaced on Monday, so I might as well take advantage of having him in the kitchen since it’s going to be all me for the next few months.

Yeah, I might as well sit by the fire with a glass of wine and enjoy having an able-bodied husband while I can.

Shane made one of his favorites, a recipe he got from my dad, Penne with Anchovies, Tomatoes & Garlic. My mom contributed a gorgeous green salad with corn, gem-shaped mini mozzarella & sunflower seeds.

And all I did was sit on my butt and then combine these two photos into one to make it fancy-like.

30 days of posting challenge: day 18

By in 30 days of posting challenge, dishes by shane

Shane did the cooking again tonight. He’s making me look like kind of a slacker, but I can’t complain.

For what it’s worth, I had a kind of crazy day. Worked from home till 1:00. Attended my final Build Yourself Accelerator online workshop (boo hoo!). Went to the doctor for my Botox for injections…

That’s right, Botox.

I get Botox injections for migraines, not because I’ve got a wrinkly forehead. I’ve been getting them for about a year now and for the first 6 months or so, the jury was out as to whether it was working. But over time, my migraines have gone from about 16-20 days per month, to 3-6 days per month. And they’re milder too. I call that progress. (Ironically my forehead was never that wrinkled to begin with.)

I wanted put that out there for any of you fellow sufferers, in case you didn’t already know. Botox for migraine costs a bloody fortune, it’s a LOT of injections, it’s often painful (but not like giving birth or anything), and it’s really scary when you read that disclaimer they make you sign the first time. But after you get over those hurdles, it’s awful nice to not be in pain all the damn time.

After the injections, I went in to the office (an hour away) for a meeting, then booked it back home (another hour) only to hop in the car immediately to go get Rose at the gym (25 minutes away). We were home by 7:30. Ok, maybe not so much of a slacker.

Dinner was the pork Shane cooked during dinner last night, a gorgeous salad topped with lightly sautéed red peppers and crushed wasabi peas, and ravioli with sage butter. Rose took the photo. Go team.

30 days of posting challenge: day 17

By in 30 days of posting challenge, dishes by shane

We had leftover baked ziti, tonight. Shane for some reason was making giant pork chops while we ate. I think they were for tomorrow, or maybe they were for an after-dinner snack. One thing’s for sure, that man is a cooking fool these days.

As much as I love his domesticity, we can’t really afford to have him in the kitchen full-time. Anyone want to buy some art? Seriously, I can get you a good deal.

Since I don’t have a new meal to share with you, here’s recipe for last night’s baked ziti (pic here).

• Baked Ziti •
from Cook’s Illustrated Best Italian Classics
serves 4-6 (8 if you’ve got kids who don’t eat a lot)

2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt
1lb ziti or penne
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced (recipe calls for 8oz regular mozzarella shredded – but we use fresh)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic in a medium sauté pan until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and salt to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a big pot of salted water to boil (however much you usually use for boiling a pound of pasta). Cook until al dente but still a bit firm. Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water, drain the pasta and return it to the pot with the reserved water. Stir in the tomato sauce.

Coat a 9×13″ pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Pour half of the pasta into the dish and top with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan cheese. Pour the remaining pasta into the dish and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake until the cheeses are runny and melted, about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

30 days of posting challenge: day 16

By in 30 days of posting challenge, dishes by shane

We got home super-late (for parents and kids) tonight. Shane had a baked ziti all ready to go in the oven, and prepared a lovely salad while it cooked. I guess men can multitask after all.

The ziti was from Cooks Illustrated Italian Classics which Rose got him for Father’s Day at a yard sale one year when we were particularly tight on funds, which makes it feel special. Plus the great recipes.

That’s all I’ve got tonight. Sleep well.

30 days of posting challenge: Day 9

By in 30 days of posting challenge, dishes by shane, quick 1 Comment

When Shane has to work at 6pm, as he did tonight, the arrangement is that I pick up both kids from two different activities in two totally different locations. This gets us home around 7:15, barely—just barely—in time to avoid a dinner’s-too-late meltdown.

How totally surprised and delighted was I to come home to dinner all prepped and waiting on the stove? I was so totally surprised and delighted that I exclaimed out loud “Holy ho ho! I’ve got the husband of the year!”

I don’t know where “holy ho ho” came from.

Shane had made us a fresh pot of Penne Alla Vodka and a bowl of par-boiled pasta. He even left a previously boiled pot of still-warm water so that we were able to eat literally minutes after walking in the door.

Awesome sauce!

30 days of posting challenge: Day 4

By in 30 days of posting challenge, dishes by shane

Tonight as promised I’m picking up where I left off two nights ago. So go ahead and read that post here before you continue—that is, if you like things all chronological-like.

So, what exactly does this blog about dinner, food, family and life have anything to do with my career as a graphic designer? (Drumroll…. or not) Sorry, I don’t have an answer to that question right now. But maybe I will at the end of 30 days!

As part of the Build Yourself Accelerator workshop, we do a lot of really helpful exploring and asking questions of ourselves. One of the things we discussed was how to leverage what you’re already doing to build career success and visibility.

The blog immediately came to mind as something I’m already doing, now I just need to find a way to connect it to my career. And that connection is what all this posting will hopefully, ultimately reveal.

Want to know what I do for a day job? Tune in tomorrow… or maybe the next day.

Oh right, this blog is about dinner! Tonight Shane made pizza (yesssss!) and a delicious little plate of mozzarella with a teeny tiny pile of fennel on top, that he tried to pass off as a salad (it’s the thought that counts, right?)

 

 

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