Thanks to Anna's brilliant "almost newlywed game" at our co-ed wedding shower in Austin, and my amazing WIN, I earned one year of monthly dinners from our Cuisine at Home magazine. I pick a couple options from magazines within the season, and Matt chooses the one he wants to make. So far, it has been a foodie's dream! Here's the run down, and I'll post some of the recipes soon.
We started in September with Shrimp Parmesan (Dinner #1). This was an amazing start to what promised to be a fabulous year of foodiness! It was a strange take on "chicken parm," and included pan-fried, panko-crusted fresh mozzarella cheese, angel hair pasta with fresh tomato sauce, and sauteed shrimp in a white wine sauce. Put all that together, and you've got one delicious meal! I think each part would be great on its own, too. Overall, he started out with a bang, and I LOVED IT!
For Dinner #2, I chose Vietnamese Carmelized Chicken with Rice and Cucumber Salad. Let's just say that caremelized means burnt sugar, and this dish was just a tad too bitter for our tastes. But, we loved the cucumber salad (http://www.cuisineathome.com/extras/048/recipe/cucumber-peanut-salad/)! Matt was not happy with this dinner choice at all, so I'll leave it at that.
In November (Dinner #3), Matt made Peppercorn-crusted Beef with Balsamic Reduction, Zucchini and Potato Pancakes, and Sauteed Garlic Spinach. This was a pretty traditional steak dish, and every bit as wonderful as you'd get in an expensive steak house. I personally would have reduced the peppercorns; but the steak was cooked perfectly, and I loved the balsamic and the veg pancakes. I think we'll try to perfect them even more in the future (Matt didn't think they held up well enough).
For Dinner #4 (December), Matt made what has maybe hit the top of my ratings for the dinners so far: Peruvian Grilled Chicken with Tomato Rice. I can't even explain how delicious this chicken was, and I am still not sure why it was so fantastic. It sounds so simple, but it packed some serious flavor that I hope becomes a staple in our home. The sauce included some parmesan cheese and walnuts and spices, and it was absolutely incredible. I'll definitely post this recipe so you can experience it for yourself. Even trying to write about it, I realize it still remains a mystery in my mind.
In January (Dinner #5), Matt made Coconut Pork Cutlets, Brazilian-style Black Beans, and Rice. The pork was crusted perfectly with unsweetened coconut and lightly pan fried. The beans had onions, tomatoes, and mandarin oranges enhancing their flavor and bringing a little sweetness to the dish. Together it was really wonderful, though I think we'd try to do something a little different with the rice next time to add a bit more flavor. I'm a sucker for island-style flavors, and this was just perfect to help get us through what's been a very long winter!
Finally, in February (Dinner #6 - the halfway point!), we decided it was time to try a fish dish. This was the last month for me to pick from our "winter volume" of the magazines, and this dish had caught my eye a few times even though it was a bit out of the box for our tastes: Parmesan-Crusted Halibut in Crazy Water with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Orzo. Sounds interesting, right? It was! I think Matt and I both agree that we'd take out the olives next time because they added a brininess to the broth that we weren't too excited about, but the fish was wonderfully flavorful. It was topped with pesto, parmesan, and panko, then baked in the oven. And it was perfect! So even if we lose the crazy water, we'll definitely keep this fish recipe on hand for future meals!
So now I get to move into the "spring volume" of our Cuisine at Home magazines, and I am very excited for this shift. The recipes look exquisite, and Matt has proven that he's quite a rock star in the Isbetto kitchen! I'll definitely keep you posted on what the next half year brings! And if you have specific recipes you'd prefer me to post, please let me know!
Til then...happy (and healthy) eating!
For our anniversary, Matt made my seventh monthly dinner: Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps with Rice Cakes and Cucumber Orange Salad. There is something about eating food that you get to layer yourself. I love tacos, fajitas, and lettuce wraps all for this reason. With each layer - beef, rice, veggies, peanuts - in addition to the fun sauces that accompany, you get to make your own little package of flavor. And this version of a layered, eat-with-your-hands concoction proved worthy. The tastes - spicy and sweet - were perfect. It was a wonderful anniversary! And this meal may have moved up with some of my faves so far in the best monthly dinner race. The wine and tulips were a nice touch too. Nice work, hubby!
Dinner #8 was shared with Jane, my mother-in-law. Matt made marinated Grilled Tuna Steaks and Wasabi Butter with Pineapple Cilantro Rice and Strawberry Candied Almond Salad. Delish! The tuna could have had more flavor (not Matt's fault), but overall the dish was a success. Matt and Jane weren't huge fans of the sweet rice, but I liked it. It went even better with a spicy leftover dish we had days later. I don't think cooked (even if rare) tuna is my favorite of the fish varieties, but this was a good version. Not at the top of my list of monthly dinners, but not at the bottom either. The salad, however, rose to the top for salads we've prepared as part of these dinner events. The citrus dressing with the almonds and strawberries was fantastic! We all devoured it, and funny how those leftover candied almonds disappeared so quickly.
