I’ve made some more quick and easy meals that really satisfy on these chilly (even in California) fall evenings, so I thought I’d share! Two caveats: there are vegetables but I’m afraid the meals as a whole don’t translate as well for my lovely vegetarian friends (my apologies!). Also, there is butter involved- I make no claims as to the “figure friendliness” of these meals, but they are yummy, which is sometimes the most important thing! All of the photos are a little funny since they were taken at dinnertime, with no flash, but you get the idea.
Pork Marsala(ish) and Roasted Acorn Squash
Squash:
1 acorn squash
2 T butter (divided)
2T brown sugar (divided)
ground nutmeg
salt
1/2c water
Heat oven to 400. Halve your acorn squash lengthwise and remove seeds & stringy pith. Pour water into a small glass baking dish (I use a 9×5ish pyrex) and place squash in it, cut side down. Put in hot oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove from oven and turn squash halves cut side up. Put butter and brown sugar in center cup of each squash half, sprinkle over a dash of nutmeg and salt on each half. Return to hot oven for another 15-20 minutes until the butter and sugar are melted and bubbly in the centers of each squash half
Pork Cutlets marsala(ish)- I don’t care for mushrooms these days, so I leave them out!
4 thin-cut pork cutlets
2 shallots, cut into rings
1T butter
1t olive oil
1/4 c sweet marsala
salt & pepper
Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring until they are soft and starting to turn golden. Push them out of the way and place pork in skillet (I do them in batches), cook for 2 minutes then turn, salt and pepper the done side and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and pop in the oven to stay warm while you finish the sauce. Pour marsala in the hot skillet with shallots and bring to a boil, allow to boil down almost completely. Remove plate of cutlets from oven and pour juices on plate into skillet with sauce, stir a bit. Divide chops onto plates and spoon sauce over each portion.
Roast Chicken Breast with Shallots and Greenbeans
2 (or however many people you’re serving), bone in, skin-on chicken breasts
3-5 shallots, each cut in two pieces
melted butter (1t per chicken breast)
salt and pepper
Heat oven to 400. Wash chicken breasts and pat dry. Place in baking pan (skin side up), brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange shallots around chicken breasts. Bake for 35-40 minutes. That’s it! You could also toss some new potatoes with some olive oil and put them in with the chicken and shallots to roast. Yum!
Green Beans
1 lb trimmed, washed greenbeans
olive oil spray
salt & pepper
Spray baking sheet with spray, throw in greenbeans, spray again, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and put in the oven along with the chicken. Everything will be ready at the same time.
Oh! And last night I made the Shepherd’s Pie from the latest issue of Everyday Food:
I highly recommend it! It makes *a lot* and though it has more steps and chopping and dirties more pots than I typically like for a weekday meal (which is why I made it on Saturday with Moondoggie there to entertain HMB while I peeled potatoes), it is very easy and very tasty. I did make some changes- tarragon instead of thyme (bleah! thyme!), yellow extra-sharp cheddar instead of white, buttermilk instead of regular milk and less beef than recommended since that is how much came in the package. I think we’ll be having leftovers for dinner tonight…