It’s been super busy around our neighborhood. It’s that time of year for elections for board members of the MOA/HOA for our community. Several of us are now running for positions that are opening up. It’s been hectic to say the least!

Over the past couple of weeks, we planted five trees: two on our property and three on our neighbor’s. I must say, they look fabulous! I look forward to seeing them bloom this coming spring. They’re crepe myrtles.

Enough of that, let’s talk food – the very thing that brings us humans together in harmony, in breaking bread together.

Monday

I have leftover cabbage I need to use, which drove the idea of having an Asian-themed meal for tonight. Fried rice is one of our favorite side dishes in Asian cuisine, and I plan to post a recipe for this dish soon. It’s one that I’ve made since we were stationed in Hawaii in 1976, and I had a Filipino neighbor who showed me how to make several dishes.

However, the real star for me is always the main entrée, that’s the chicken. This recipe from The Recipe Critic starts with coating the chicken in cornstarch, then beaten egg, and back into the cornstarch to create a crispy coating when the chicken pieces are fried. A sauce of honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and more is poured over the chicken and baked. Yes, I’m drooling!

To complete this meal, I plan to serve a side salad with orange sections, candied almonds, and a dressing that elevates the dish to the next level. The original recipe is from a Betty Crocker cookbook. I no longer follow the recipe and do my own thing.

Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
Fried Rice
Garden Salad w/ Orange Sections, Candied Almonds & Sweet ‘N Sour Dressing

Tuesday

Stop the clock! Did you say jalapeno(s)? I have to say, as soon as I saw this recipe from The Recipe Critic, I added it to my meal plans. I have jalapenos, potatoes, bacon, garlic, chicken broth, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and half-and-half; I have everything to make this soup, which has definitely sparked my interest! As the temperatures drop (apparently not just outdoors), and the leaves on the trees change color, this hearty soup is an excellent choice to serve on a cool fall evening.

To sop up the dregs at the bottom of the soup bowl, we need some bread, and with many options to choose from, the jury is out. I’m leaning toward corn muffins, but I may try beer bread again, or perhaps Cheesy Beer Bread Muffins, or, possibly, even Cheese Bread.

Jalapeno Popper Soup
Corn Muffins

Wednesday

Salmon is seasoned with minced garlic, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, dried parsley, and seasoning before cooking. What takes this dish from How Sweet Eats to the next level is its complementary side dish of orzo, which is cooked much like risotto – only faster, and perhaps even better! It’s served creamy, lemony, and oh-so-delicious, especially with the addition of Parmesan cheese, like risotto! Smacking my lips.

Fried Zucchini would be perfect with this meal. I alternate what I dredge the slices in, depending on how I feel, and what ingredients I have on hand. I’ve used flour and cornmeal, just flour, flour and Parmesan cheese, and I have even dredged the slices in flour, then beaten egg, and then in panko and Parmesan cheese. No matter, though, I liked them crispy!

Salmon Aglio E Olio with Lemon Parmesan Orzo
Fried Zucchini Slices

Thursday

I feel like singing soprano with this recipe from Jo Cooks for Italian Meatball Soup. Carrots, onion, and celery are cooked in EVOO until tender, and then diced tomatoes and cannellini beans are added to the mix with broth to create a hearty and flavorful soup everyone will love! And we haven’t even added the meatballs yet! I plan to add a Parmesan rind to the mix to enhance the flavor of this soup further. *Hint* When you have used most of the Parmesan cheese, don’t toss the ring. Add it to a zip-lock freezer bag and toss it in the freezer. When you need a rind, grab it from the freezer and toss it into the soup.

We’re serving this soup with leftover baguette to sop up the juices…yum!

Italian Meatball Soup
Leftover Baguette

Friday

Tonight, it’s a Cobb Salad Sandwich from Shutterbean that’s served up with only the good stuff, only the good! The filling consists of crispy bacon, mashed avocado, hard-boiled egg slices, sliced tomato, rotisserie chicken, red onion slices, and fresh crisp lettuce, served between sourdough toast. Blue cheese dressing is spread on the toast before adding all those delicious fillings. I may serve mine open-faced.

To make dinner easier on this Friday night, I’m serving these hearty sandwiches with a pickle and some chips. We’re eating off trays tonight and finding a good movie to watch…

Cobb Salad Sandwich
Chips & Pickles

Saturday

Our friend and neighbor might be able to make it over for dinner this weekend. We still have the same menu plans that are shelved until then. Grilled steak always makes a great and easy meal to serve company, which I plan to serve with a garlic butter sauce that pairs well with almost everything, including seafood!

To complement the steak, the horseradish mashed potatoes sound like a winner, a recipe from Culinary Compass, another new-to-me food blog. And you need a great veggie, like asparagus baked with cheese – oh my!