On Our Table: January, Part Two
As I write to you with a very snowy view, I can only chuckle that the snow days and bitter-cold temperatures waited until after we moved into our house. The day of our move was sunny and beautiful, somewhat warm (for January), and perfect for a winter day that required a big life change.
Now, since we’ve moved, winter has arrived in full-force with multiple snow days, extra-cold temps, and all the usual characteristics of, you know, winter. Surprise, surprise! Therefore, our dinners during the second half of January had to reflect this shift. Cozy meals are even more delicious when eaten in our new home.
Comfort food was paramount surrounding the move and ever since we’ve finished unpacking the kitchen, that tone seems to have just continued! We are working on balancing out the pasta with the lettuce and making sure to have fresh veggies amidst the constant cravings for lasagne and all forms of cheese. Winter: the season of comfort (read: joyful) food.
Please see below for the dishes we made during the second half of January. As always, recipes are linked when available as well as key ingredients. Please leave a comment if you have a question about any of our meals. Enjoy!
Spaghetti and Meatsauce
There is not much that’s more comforting than a bowl of spaghetti and meat sauce. This version, made with Taste Republic fresh gluten free spaghetti, really hit the spot. A point to remember when making meat sauce: it takes time to develop the rich flavor, but it doesn’t take “forever.” Adding red wine to the sauce also helps. ;)
Breaded chicken tenders and cauliflower
A classic like no other, I love homemade breaded chicken tenders when I’m not sure what else to make, but want that protein. We always use Aleia’s gluten free breadcrumbs or Panko for breading - they are the best.
For this dinner, we re-heated some leftover marinara sauce for dipping and added roasted cauliflower to include a veggie. Simple. Delicious. Done.
red coconut curry chicken with zucchini
One of my favorite dairy-free comfort food meals is this curry which is packed with chicken, veggies, and plenty of spicy red curry paste. Of course, adjust the spice-level to your preference, but we love a spicy dinner around here. The great part about this dinner is its versatility - fill it with any vegetables you have available. It will always be delicious!
The original recipe for this dinner is from the book Dinner by Melissa Clark; a staple in my cookbook collection.
kale and sausage Fettuccine
Just a few days out from our move, all I wanted was a big bowl of pasta (but make it a little healthy?). Enter our go-to meal when this craving hits: gluten free pasta (this is Taste Republic Fettuccine) with kale, onion, and hot Italian sausage. We covered our bowls with plenty of parmesan because cheese. If you’re not a kale fan, then substitute with a leafy green of your choosing.
Also, we have been adding chopped plum tomatoes to this dish which adds a nice, bright flavor. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any at the time, but otherwise you would see them in the bowl.
rice noodle stir fry with pork and asparagus
On our last night of cooking pre-move, I requested another dairy-free favorite which is this pork and asparagus stir-fry. Scrumptious! We added mushrooms and onion for this particular iteration and tossed it all with our favorite rice noodles from Lotus Foods.
Sauce-wise we often find a recipe from Woks of Life or Seth improvises with the ingredients in the fridge (gluten free soy sauce is key). A spicy, rich sauce always takes this humble stir-fry to the next level of deliciousness.
Make sure to garnish with fresh scallions and sesame seeds. :)
skillet cheesy chickpeas
On our very first night in the house, we ate takeout, out of the containers, at the dining room table. On the second night, we got organized enough to cook dinner (and eat at the dining room table). This recipe is a personal favorite because it’s comfort food, but could be made healthier if you don’t add quite as much cheese as I did.
Essentially, dinner was chickpeas and tomato sauce cooked together, then topped with plenty of mozzarella, then baked to bubbly perfection. It’s so simple, but a wickedly delicious dish to have for our first cooked meal in the new house. To enhance it, we added a gluten free baguette from Against the Grain Gourmet.
asian chopped chicken salad with peanuts
It was time to lighten things up so we turned to one of the best weeknight salads out there. The original recipe is from The Lemon Bowl, which we’ve made it several times, but now adapt it slightly based on ingredients and preferences. This is one of my go-to salads that’s delicious and tastes indulgent, but is pretty healthy overall.
risotto with asparagus and peas
Winter comfort, with a hint of spring: enter this risotto! Overflowing with veggies and plenty of lemon, this dinner was refreshing and joyful. Risotto is a lifetime-favorite meal and I jump at any chance to have it at home (or when out. Remember going out?).
The recipe is from NY Times Cooking, which we adjusted slightly based on the ingredients we had at the time (we used asparagus instead of sausage). I’m sure its original form would be even better!
spicy chicken tacos with beans and avocado
Given we decided to make tacos only shortly before making dinner, I’m pretty pleased with how these came out. We used ground chicken for the protein, pinto beans for extra protein, yogurt dollops instead of cheese (slight mistake), and slices of avocado because how could we not?
The result was a spicy, scrumptious taco that I absolutely loved. Fresh lime wedges and cilantro for garnish; these are taco requirements. Whenever we skip making tortillas from scratch, we use Siete Foods cassava flour tortillas. They are perfect for taco night!
beef and PepPers stir fry
Here is one of my favorite meals of the whole month! I love this stir-fry. The original recipe called for broccoli, but we swapped that out for peppers and it was still just as excellent. My top tip for stir-fry these days: use flank steak!
Sliced thinly and cut into small pieces, this steak is so ridiculously good in meals like this one. In fact, for any beef dishes that call for strips of meat, I’d recommend flank steak. It’s not the least-expensive at the grocery store, but it’s well worth it for the flavor and yum-factor it adds to a regular stir-fry.
Italian chicken meatballs with broccoli and pasta
We had one box of pasta left in the cupboard and of course we made it into a dinner that included meatballs. Ha! This dish is our take on the classic “chicken, broccoli, and ziti,” which we turned into chicken meatballs, broccoli, and elbows. I think it works!
Pan-fry the meatballs (or bake them), briefly cook the broccoli in boiling water, and make the pasta according to the box instructions (we used Jovial Foods grain-free cassava pasta). Toss it all with some white wine, garlic, and parmesan, and then ta da! Dinner. Major yum.
Spicy pork wraps with brown rice
After a busy day of unpacking, and a handful of errands, my desire to think of an interesting dinner was fairly minimal. However, we had a pack of ground pork in the fridge, plus a couple veggies, and extra tortillas, which meant we had what was necessary to make this great dish!
It’s kind of like chicken lettuce wraps, but uses pork instead of chicken and a tortilla instead of lettuce. So not the healthiest swaps, but go with it! We also made brown rice because it made the meal heartier and we couldn’t resist the extra carb.
Honestly, for a dinner made of the “final” ingredients left before grocery shopping the following day, I was very impressed. It was easy to prepare and delicious.
Skillet Nacho dip with chips and guac
We channeled our pre-Superbowl vibes with this dinner on Saturday night since nothing says “game time” more than a giant skillet of meat and melted cheese. I was in the mood for nachos, but kind of also wanted dip, so we created this “nacho dip” and served tortilla chips and homemade guacamole on the side. Pretty great creation if you ask me.
If you want to make your own “nacho dip” simply saute ground beef (with taco-style spices), peppers, onions, and tomatoes until it’s all cooked/browned accordingly, then top with shredded cheese (whichever blend you prefer), and broil in the oven until slightly brown and bubbly. Serve immediately with chips and guacamole. Football viewing is optional.
Roasted cauliflower wiTh pancetta, oLives, and crisp parmesan
To finish January strong, we went back to our roots: we used a recipe! I’m going to work on including more recipes because it keeps our meals more varied and in the long run, somewhat healthier. I love bubbling cheese more than anything, but health is important and balance is key.
This dinner, which was more of an appetizer or side dish, was ridiculously simple to make, but packed a major punch of flavor thanks to bacon and parmesan cooking together. It was only three ingredients cooked together, then tossed with an olive-and-olive-oil “dressing,” which took it over the top. Yum!
Was this a “complete” meal? Not really. Would I make it again? Absolutely. The recipe is by Melissa Clark and linked below.
enjoy!
Mollie and Seth
@glutenfreemollied