Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Monday: out to eat with Ben, celebrating the end of my internship

Tuesday: Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Wednesday: Southwest Pasta Skillet

Thursday: leftovers

Friday-Sunday: out of town for my grandpa’s 90th birthday party!

Beverages, Recipes

Watermelon Coolers

I know, I know. It’s Monday. But that doesn’t mean that a little cocktail is out of the question. It is summer, after all. Because I mean, seriously… what else are you going to do with 31 cups of chopped watermelon?I love watermelon as much as more than the next girl [in my youthful days I may or may not have told my mom I’d eat an entire watermelon on my own…] but 31 cups? From one melon? You’ve got to be kidding me!

watermelon!
oh my goodness… watermelon galore!

Before you go into watermelon overload, have no fear because…

Watermelon Coolers | thepajamachef.com

are here!

A little sweet + a little tart + a little fizzy + a little kick = a whole lot of refreshing. I’m not one who drinks often, but when I do, I gotta love it… which to me means fruity, fun, and without the overbearing taste of alcohol.

These Watermelon Coolers are so refreshing and fresh that I’ve made them time and time again this summer [if time and time again means twice… I told you, I don’t drink often!]. It’s the perfect afternoon treat, and could instantly become family friendly by omitting the tequila. Either way, it’s a sip of summer, so enjoy while it’s still here!

Watermelon Coolers | thepajamachef.com

What part of summer do you want to soak up before it’s too late? I know I’m going to be gobbling down as many berries, melons, and tomatoes as I can in the coming weeks! Yum!

Watermelon Coolers

  • Servings: 2
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 2 3/4 cup watermelon, cubed and frozen
  • 12 ounce can Sierra Mist Naturals
  • 3-4 ounces tequila, depending on how strong you like it – optional!
  • 1 lime

Directions:

In a blender, mix together watermelon, Sierra Mist, and juice of half a lime. Blend until watermelon is pureed. Stir in tequila, if using. Garnish with remaining lime. Serves two.

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, Recipes

Kale Frittata for Two

So, we left town for vacation on a Thursday. Since Wednesday is our CSA Day, not only did I have the task of packing and cleaning out the fridge that evening before we left, [because nothing is worse than coming home to half a rotten, mushy cucumber…ask me how I know] but I also had to figure out what to do with a pound of potatoes, three bell peppers, a bag of kale, two heads of garlic, and three sweet onions from that day’s CSA pick-up. Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it again. But it was necessary… I already gave up a week of my CSA while we were gone [a friend got to enjoy it]; I didn’t want to miss out on another week, too. I am happy to report that I was able to deliver on this very important task. Read on to see how.

In order to guarantee success, I did what any good blogger/blog reader would do–take to the interwebs! After perusing posts I had saved in my Google Reader, I came across a lovely little recipe that was sure to satisfy our packing-induced hunger and our abundant amount of produce.

Introducing… Kale Frittata for Two! This little gem can be prepared in about twenty minutes and is packed full of veggie goodness, but a healthy dose of cheese makes everyone happy–even those who aren’t the biggest bell pepper fans, like a certain husband ‘o mine. We loved that each bite contained a variety of textures and tastes–from cheese and eggs to veggies and herbs, each bite was flavorful and simply delicious to behold! And a bonus–since it’s sized “for two,” you won’t even have any leftovers! Well, on second thought–that’s not exactly a bonus if you want leftovers, so adjust comment in your mind accordingly. 🙂

In my book, the no-leftovers was a great thing and was a huge help in finishing all the produce. For the record, here’s what I did with everything:

  • pound of potatoes–roasted about half in the oven for dinner, saved the rest in the pantry
  • three bell peppers–used one in the frittata, flash froze the rest for future meals
  • bag of kale–used 1/3 in the frittata and made a marinated kale salad with the rest
  • two heads of garlic–used some in the frittata and refrigerated the rest
  • three sweet onions–refrigerated

I’d call that a victory, especially when you look at all the pretty colors on our plate… since color = nutrients, I’d say we passed the test for our last homecooked pre-vacation meal with flying colors!

And in case you’re worried about making a frittata, like I was… you’ve have no reason to be nervous. They really aren’t as complicated as you think. This was my first time making a frittata and so I wasn’t exactly sure to what to expect, but Megan’s directions were super clear and concise to guide me through the process. This is definitely a recipe that I’ll be making again and again, perhaps next time with different variations–spinach, tomato, and feta, anyone? Enjoy!

What’s the most creative pre-vacation-use-up-the-fridge meal you’ve made? Creative does NOT have to equal artsy-fabulous like mine. I must say, I was quite impressed with this meal… usually our finish-the-fridge meals are crazy random concoctions like yogurt with soup and the odd carrot or two.

Kale Frittata for Two [adapted from What Megan’s Making]
printable version

Ingredients:
  • olive oil
  • about 1 cup chopped kale leaves, washed and stems removed
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4-1 cup shredded cheese [I used a combination of cheddar and colby jack]
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon water
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a small oven safe skillet on medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and garlic to skillet and saute until just softened. Add the kale and cook until it begins to wilt [it may be helpful to cover the pan to help the process].
Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a small bowl and stir in pepper and tarragon. Mix in water and 2/3 cup cheese. Add eggs to the pan, using a spatula to evenly distribute the vegetables. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, until the bottom of the frittata starts to set, then use a thin spatula to lift the edge of the frittata. This allows the uncooked egg to transfer to the below to cook. When eggs are almost set, top with remaining cheese and place in the oven to cook for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cool briefly before cutting, then serve warm.
Musings

CSA Day

Since today is Wednesday, also known as CSA Day around here, I thought I’d share with you a snapshot of CSA goodness. For full disclosure, this was a few weeks ago so things have changed with the weather, but the lack of rain and intensity of heat has kept things like tomatoes and squash out of our baskets for now. Hopefully soon though! We’re supposed to get peppers today!

First up… the goodies. BTW this is the tarragon that made the salmon yesterday. Fantastic. And purple potatoes and kale are yet to come… be ready for it!!

In case you were wondering, we don’t eat the catnip. That’s for the kitty.

And then… a close up of garlic! Comparison with the iPhone for size, of course.

But a close up does no justice whatsoever to the sheer size of the entire stalk of garlic! Wowza! Can you believe the size of that thing?

It’s a good thing I like garlic…

…and as Ben says, quite obvious that I’m not a vampire. Good to know, honey, good to know.

So that’s a week in CSA-land. What do you think? Have you ever participated in CSA? If not, would you ever consider it?