Good memories, exotic places

I am so sorry for the absent week and for any of you that didn't know what to make for dinner... Hopefully this week's menu will attempt to make up for that gap. The meal I am most excited about is the Vegetarian Moussaka. When Adam and I traveled in Greece and Turkey last year, we fell in love with moussaka and ate it every chance we got. I hope that this version will bring me back to Greece even if only for a moment.

What are the meals that remind you of a special time or place? I think that food can so clearly and quickly bring us back to a specific time in our lives. Any peach-flavored beverage reminds me of the summer I spend at Malibu Club in Vancouver BC; oatmeal cookies (Dunking Platters) remind me of a certain winery lady and the times spend at her kitchen counter; stuffing always makes me think of my dad and the care he always gives to his Thanksgiving meal. More than the neat places and fond memories, I hope this week that you get to break bread with someone special in your life - share a meal and make a memory.

Good luck and eat well!
Menu, Recipes and Shopping List

Special guest menu

This week's menu is created at the request of my husband. He has mentioned to me several times that he has a few favorites and would like to see them repeated. I usually try to keep things new and fresh for all of you, but I think Adam is on to something. If a dinner is particularly tasty - why not have it a second time?

The seven meals for this week are ones that Adam specifically selected as some of his favorites. There were a few more on his list that I'll have to find a way to incorporate for future menus. What are some of your family's favorite meals? There must be a meal or two that makes your family say, "Oh, that was sooo good. I love it when you make this!" Does anyone feel adventurous or brave enough to share their family fave with Mealtime Workshop? I'm always looking for new crowd pleasers.

Don't be shy, you can even email me privately if you like. I look forward to your suggestions!

Good luck and eat well!
Menu, Recipes and Shopping List

Trying something new

I am very excited this week as the menu includes saag paneer. This is one of my all-time favorite Indian dishes and is such a treat for me. You might wonder, "what on earth is saag paneer?". This dish is a creamy, slightly sweet a little bit spicy dish primarily made of spinach and cheese cubes. This cheese - paneer - is not your mama's cheese-food-hydrogenated-oil-cheddar-flavored-who-knows-what. Paneer is light, fresh, and deliciously chewy.

If you're up for trying the saag paneer this week, there are two ways to get paneer. 1) Go to your Asian or Indian market and purchase it. 2) Make it from scratch at home. If you purchase it at a market, it may be difficult to justify the price for how much you get (we paid $5.85 for 8 ounces). Additionally, you might not live in an area where finding an Asian or Indian market is particularly easy. Should you decide to try it at home the recipes found on-line vary wildly and aren't generally very instructive - except for this one: Paneer Recipe. I have yet to actually try to make paneer at home, but next time I have a recipe that calls for it I will definitely use this recipe.

Good luck and eat well!
Menu, Shopping List and Recipes