Honkman

Dinner was made today in large parts by our daughter - ricotta-herb gnocchi with green beans, lemon zest and parmesan

Stir fried beef (filet mignon) with gai lan and an oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil based sauce

Oven-roasted brown mushrooms (with rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika) with a taleggio-infused bechamel sauce served with mashed potatoes (with parsley and tarragon) and baby arugula salad with an olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, agave nectar vinaigrette (the recipe was calling for chickweed and garden cress but both are impossible to get anywhere)

Brussel Sprouts and Spaetzle Gratin - Cooked brussel sprouts and spaetzle are mixed with bechamel sauce (more heavily spiced with nutmeg) and grated Gouda. Baked in the oven and than topped with roasted onions and chives

Groestl is a Austrian/German dish of cubed meat, potatoes and vegetables sauteed in a pan and often served with a fried egg. Here is a lighter summer version without potatoes but with red pepper, zucchini, onion, kielbasa and parsley.

Quick pasta salad with tortelloni, peas, snap peas, radish, scallions, baby spinach and a vinaigrette made from olive oil, lime juice, agave nectar and basil

Veal stuffed sweet potato - Sweet potatoes were baked in the oven for 80 minutes. During that time you prepare the filling with ground veal, onion, garlic, parsley, milk-soaked bread, egg, harissa, pistachios, feta. Once the sweet potatoes are done you half them, scrape them out and mix it with the veal filling, divide the filling in the sweet potato halves and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve with a mix of mashed avocado, cilantro, olive oil and lemon juice.

Orecchiette with Caponata (eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, over-roasted red peppers, onion, garlic, rosemary)

Some simple chili with kidney beans and corn - and we also wanted to try some “fake” ground beef with Beyond Meat - it was quite good. Served with corn-guacamole and rice.

Actually classical ragu bolognese as it is made in Bologna always contains dairy (most of the time milk, sometimes also cream).

Stir-fried pork tenderloin with choy sum in plum sauce (plum sauce, rice wine, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil) over rice

The Splendid Table Cookbook has a nice overview of different recipe versions of ragu bolognese over the centuries. This is the contemporary ragu bolognese version with a little bit less fat than the “original” one - made with ground beef, pancetta, carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste, white wine and milk (added in small portions over two hours). Overall a very good version and we always like them with the addition of milk which gives it a “silky” texture.

“Japanese” salad with grilled chicken thighs (marinated a few hours in soy sauce, sake, garlic, ginger, chile, brown sugar) with edamame, radish, sugar snap peas and mizuna with a dressing made from white miso, garlic, ginger, pickled ginger, oil and vinegar and sprinkled with some wakame and roasted sesame seeds.

The texture is very different to croutons (which are obviously very bread-like).You mix flour, baking powder and cold butter until it resembles coarse sand. Than first add parmesan and afterwards some heavy cream, mix and place 1/2 inch pieces of the savory crumbles on parchment paper on a baking tray and bake it for 10 minutes at 450F. You can use it later in dishes.

Linguine with Broccoli Rabe Pesto and Oven-Roasted Peppers - the blanched leaves from broccoli rabe were used with olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan to make the pesto. Oven-Roasted red peppers, garlic and the blanched stems of broccoli rabe and more parmesan completed the dish.

Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble - chicken thighs with carrots, mushrooms, celery, peas in a simple flour-based sauce with milk, chicken broth, tomato paste and soy sauce and everything covered with some savory crumbles made with flour, butter, parmesan and cream.

Kheema Mutter - Spicy ground beef with peas and chilies (made with cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, turmeric and chili) served with oven roasted zucchini and rice

Rutabaga Curry with leeks, garlic, curry powder, coconut milk and vegetable broth served over rice

Spaetzle are quite easy to make at home and a great alternative for regular pasta in some dishes. Not sure where you live but Bechtle Spaetzle are quite available in the US at World Market and other European shops https://www.worldmarket.com/category/food-and-drink/food/pasta-grains.do?template=PLA-2&plfsku=386019&mrkgadid=&mrkgcl=660&mrkgen=&mrkgbflag=&mrkgcat=&camp=ppc%3Agoogle%3Apla%2BSmartShopping|Consumables%2BFood&acctid=21700000001660222&dskeywordid=92700066061129109&lid=92700066061129109&ds_s_kwgid=58700007370789081&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007265821&dsproductgroupid=350600084087&product_id=386019&merchid=5165106&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=local&storeid=CP369&device=m&network=u&matchtype=&locationid=9031927&creative=541986255796&targetid=pla-350600084087&campaignid=14427810453&adgroupid=125959448629&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-7re6KSc9wIVaj6tBh3q1AF5EAQYASABEgLmk_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Pad Thai (using a CI recipe) with shrimps, bean sprouts, radishes, eggs, rice noodles, scallions and peanuts with a sauce made from fish sauce, tamarind paste, sugar and white wine vinegar.

Spinach-lentil salad with pine nuts, dried tomatoes and an olive oil, aceto balsamico, maple syrup, dijon mustard dressing. Served with some seared baked teriyaki tofu and oven roasted rosemary-bread chips (from our spelt-whole wheat bread)

We used a recipe from “See you on Sunday” by Sam Sifton. It looks like here is an identical recipe https://chewingthefat.us.com/2018/02/sam-siftons-great-south-bay-duck-ragu-inspired-by-chef-dave-pasternack.html

Fried rice with chorizo, baby kale, napa cabbage, spinach, soy- and fish sauce and some eggs (which made the rice quite wet but it still tasted good)

Duck ragu with pasta (duck ragu made from duck legs braised with carrots, celery, onions, garlic, lots of anchovies, tomato paste, red wine, red wine vinegar, juniper berries and chicken broth)

Pan fried shrimps (with cumin, paprika, cayenne, parsley, cilantro, pistachio, lemon juice) with oven roasted kale (just with olive oil, S+P, pine nuts and 5 minutes at high heat)