Meatballs with Couscous and Feta

lease repeat after me: "Couscous and water do not mix. I will only mix couscous with stock." Meatballs are usually a safe dish, but wow, did I step in it when I made Tuesday's menu. My standing policy on onions is that they're awesome cooked, but otherwise I will politely pass. Why, then, did I dump half an uncooked, chopped red onion into a bowl with turkey (and dried apricots?), thinking they'd magically cook in the few minutes they were on the stovetop? Also, I followed- naively - the recipe's instructions for the couscous, which came out dry, bland and gummy. What I'd already known is that couscous is best with chicken stock and always needs some sort of seasoning. If you're noticing a brown mess on my plate, that would be the white wine reduction I made with the pan drippings as a last-ditch effort to give the couscous any flavor.

On the bright side, the feta and cucumber were really tasty, especially with the lemon dressing.

TUESDAY:



Lamb Meatballs With Couscous and Feta
Serves 4 (I made the full recipe so I'd have leftovers)

Hands-on Time: 25m

Total Time: 25m

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground lamb or beef (I subbed 99% lean ground turkey)
* 1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 small red onion, half finely chopped and half thinly sliced
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1 cup couscous
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
* 1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
* 4 ounces Feta, crumbled

Directions

1. Heat broiler. In a medium bowl, combine the meat, apricots, coriander, chopped onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

2. Form the meat into 1 ½-inch balls (about 20) and place them on a broilerproof baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place the couscous in a bowl. Add 1 cup hot tap water, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

4. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

5. Serve the couscous with the meatballs, tomatoes, cucumber, Feta, and sliced onion. Drizzle with the dressing.

Tip

Crumbled Feta sold in the supermarket is often dry, flavorless, and treated with additives. For tastier results, buy a block of cheese and crumble it yourself.

Curry Shrimp and Snow Peas

es, good friends, I fixed a shrimp dish. AND I liked it! For those of you who haven't heard me whine about shrimp, here's the deal - the tails gross me out. Not to the same extent that lobsters served in their shells make me barfy, but still, they're pretty disturbing. So, setting aside years' worth of refusing to make or even touch tail-on shrimp, I jumped into another fun "Hey! Let's try new things!" adventure and made it work. The best part of this dish, far and away, is the incredible bean sprout and snow pea salad on top. The lime juice and basil make it so phenomenally bright, and the vegetables are so crisp that they totally enhance the creaminess of the shrimp curry and rice beneath.

MONDAY:



Curry Shrimp and Snow Peas

Real Simple, Week 2

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 20m

Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

* 1 cup long-grain white rice
* 3/4 cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise
* 1/2 cup bean sprouts
* 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1 14-ounce can coconut milk (I used light coconut milk, which cut down the fat content)
* 1 to 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
* 1 1/2 pounds frozen peeled and deveined large shrimp, thawed

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the snow peas, sprouts, basil, oil, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

4. Add the shrimp and simmer, stirring occasionally, until they are opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice.

5. Top the rice with the shrimp and curry sauce, then the snow pea mixture. Serve with the lime wedges, if desired.

Tip

Tail-on shrimp make for a pretty presentation. If you prefer not to deal with tails at the table, pinch them off before adding the shrimp to the coconut milk.

Nutritional Information

Calories 621; Fat 29g; Sat Fat 20g; Cholesterol 259mg; Sodium 722mg; Protein 42g; Carbohydrate 49g; Sugar 1g; Fiber 3g; Iron 10mg; Calcium 146mg

Steak with Roasted Carrots and Onions

ack in the day, when I was Livin' La Vida Low Carb, I ate a LOT of steak. Now that its no longer 2004, I seem to have lost my fauxhawk, all my pink shirts, and my Kelly Clarkson "Breakaway" CD. I also seem to have lost interest in beef, at least to some degree. I think my steady, steaky diet pushed me over the edge toward beef overload. Needless to say, after years of not cooking it for myself, it was a nice change to dig in to a steak with a *fantastic* mustard pan sauce.

FRIDAY:



Steak with Roasted Carrots and Onions

Serves 4 (I quartered the recipe for a single serving)

Hands-on Time: 30m

Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds medium carrots, halved crosswise, thick pieces halved lengthwise
* 2 small red onions, quartered, stem ends left intact
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 4 small Newport or sirloin steaks (1 inch thick; about 1 1/2 pounds total)
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots, onions, 2 tablespoons of the oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

2. Roast the vegetables, tossing once, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Season the steaks with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook to desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plates.

5. Add the wine to the skillet and whisk in the mustard. Simmer until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

6. Stir in the tarragon. Serve the steaks with the sauce, carrots, and onions.

Tip

Try these roasted vegetables with lamb chops or roasted chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories 392; Fat 17g; Sat Fat 4g; Cholesterol 63mg; Sodium 837mg; Protein 35g; Carbohydrate 19g; Sugar 9g; Fiber 5g; Iron 3mg; Calcium 88mg

Pork Chop with Spicy Noodles

ecipes that don't allow at least some flexibility just aren't worth keeping around. Tonight's recipe from the Real Simple plan worked so well as a pork chop dish, even though it called for pork cutlets. Since the grocery store butcher didn't anticipate my needs in advance, I took a chop and made it work. Oh, did it work. This is easily one of the best meals I've cooked myself in a long time. The udon noodles were new to me, as were cooking with shitake mushrooms. Everything was incredibly easy in this recipe, and I loved how much heat the stock picked up from just one little pepper.

THURSDAY:



Pork Cutlets with Spicy Noodles

Serves 4

Hands-on Time: 30m

Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

* 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used home-made)
* 1 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
* 1/2 pound udon noodles
* 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
* 1 red jalapeño pepper, sliced (I substituted a red Thai pepper. Spicy!)
* 4 thin pork cutlets (about 3⁄4 pound total) (I used one thick-cut boneless chop)
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 2 scallions, sliced

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and ginger to a boil.

2. Add the noodles and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the noodles are al dente, 4 to 6 minutes.

3. Add the mushrooms and jalapeño and simmer until the mushrooms are just tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Coat with the flour, then the egg, and finally the panko.

5. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

6. Slice the pork and serve over the noodles. Sprinkle with the scallions.

Tip

To lower the heat on this dish, remove the seeds from the jalapeño before slicing.

Turkey Burgers with Creamy Romaine Slaw

ven without a grill, its possible to have tasty burgers in no time. The third dinner in Real Simple's plan yields a super-easy sandwich topped with the easiest slaw ever. This isn't one I'd eat every night, but by all means I've got a sure-fire go-to for the next time I'm craving burgers.

WEDNESDAY:



Turkey Burgers with Creamy Romaine Slaw

Serves 4 (Since I had a pound of turkey, I made extra; tasty lunch tomorrow!)

Hands-on Time: 20m

Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground turkey (I used 99% lean to cut down on the fat content)
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
* 2 scallions, sliced
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
* 2 leaves romaine lettuce, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
* 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
* 4 soft rolls, split and toasted
* potato chips and pickles, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, gently combine the turkey, mustard, thyme, and scallions.

2. Form the meat into four ¾-inch-thick patties. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side.

4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Toss with the lettuce and carrot.

5. Serve the burgers on the rolls, topped with the slaw. Serve with chips and pickles (if desired).

Tip

Resist the urge to press down on the patties as they cook. That will squeeze out the flavorful juices.

Nutritional Information

Calories 376; Fat 19g; Sat Fat 4g; Cholesterol 69mg; Sodium 750mg; Protein 27g; Carbohydrate 25g; Sugar 4g; Fiber 2g; Iron 4mg; Calcium 92mg

Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Mozzarella

nce summer's warm rays have subsided to fall's frosty mornings, I immediately start missing garden-fresh tomatoes. Thankfully, day 2 of Real Simple's plan brings us this incredibly flavorful (and easy!) dish:

TUESDAY:



Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Mozzerella

Serves 4 (I halved the recipe so I'd have leftovers for lunch tomorrow)

Hands-on Time: 30m

Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound penne (1⁄2 box)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 medium eggplant (about 1 1⁄4 pounds), cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
* 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
* 2 cloves garlic, sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
* 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Add the eggplant. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, tossing, until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the tomato mixture to the pasta, along with the mozzarella and reserved cooking water. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with the mint.

Tip

If you have kalamata olives (or any black or green olives, pitted and halved) on hand, toss in ¼ cup when you add the tomato mixture to the pasta.

Nutritional Information

Calories 533; Fat 28g; Sat Fat 10g; Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 539mg; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 53g; Sugar 7g; Fiber 7g; Iron 3mg; Calcium 336mg

Roasted Tilapia, Potatoes and Lemons

ast month's issue of Real Simple offered a 4-week dinner plan marketed as a shake-up to the tired routines we all fall into at times. I certainly needed the nudge, as I've been doing a terrible job of cooking anything for myself - healthy or otherwise. However, exciting as the menus look, following this easy program is turning out to be a much bigger challenge than it should be.

Part of the problem is my relationship with time; I get so caught up on how long it takes to cook that I'd rather cook a big meal on Sunday eat leftovers for a week, than to commit to all that prep, all that effort, and all those dirty dishes. I also get overly panicked buying a week's worth of ingredients all at once. The recipes are each written for 4 servings, and looking at the easy-to-follow shopping list, there shouldn't be any waste since they follow typical packaged amounts. However, I'm cooking for one. Half an eggplant here, a nearly full bag of carrots there - anything that doesn't get incorporated into a dish means I have to come up with a creative solution OR throw out (waste) unused goods. Until I meet and marry Billionaire Husband, MD, I'm afraid my money anxiety isn't going away.

BUT - I'm not just posting a list of all my fears. With all that out of the way, I'll focus on the meals themselves for the rest of this series. I'm going one week at a time, mostly for anxiety-management but also to allow flexibility in the coming weeks. Here's the first night's dinner:

MONDAY:



Roasted Tilapia, Potatoes and Lemons

Serves 4 (I divided everything by four to get a single serving)

Hands-on Time: 10m

Total Time: 40m

Ingredients

* 1 pound baby potatoes (about 12), halved
* 1 lemon, thinly sliced
* 8 sprigs fresh thyme
* 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
* 4 6-ounce skinless tilapia fillets
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F.

2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, lemon, thyme, 2 tablespoons oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer.

3. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes.

4. Toss the olives with the potato mixture; nestle the fish in it. Drizzle the fish with the remaining oil and season with paprika and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

5. Continue to roast until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp and the fish is opaque throughout, 12 to 15 minutes.

Tip

To pit an olive, place it on a cutting board and firmly press on it with the side of a chef’s knife (blade facing away from you). When the olive splits, pull out the pit.

Nutritional Information

Calories 374; Fat 15g; Sat Fat 3g; Cholesterol 85mg; Sodium 567mg; Protein 37g; Carbohydrate 23g; Sugar 0g; Fiber 2g; Iron 3mg; Calcium 34mg