In the Mood

Do you ever have one of those days when you don’t feel like making the thing you had planned for dinner? Or you’re just not hungry for it? Sure, fish chowder sounded good when you did your weekly meal planning and grocery shopping last Sunday. But not anymore—today, the very thought of seafood ruins your appetite. I have one of those days a lot. It drives my husband nuts, but how in the world am I supposed to guess what I’ll be in the mood for at some future date? If only I had a crystal ball. So what to do? Go out? No, that would blow the budget. And, in any case, all I know is what I’m not hungry for, not what I actually do want to eat. Then there’s the inevitable exchange…

Me: “What do you feel like having?”

Husband: “I don’t know, what do you feel like having?”

Me: Sigh. “I don’t know, I asked you first.”

Husband: “I don’t know. Fish chowder?” Belly grumbles.

And on and on.

Me, finally: “I know, there’s broccoli and cheddar.” There’s always broccoli and cheddar in the fridge, and there’s one thing I’m always, always in the mood for—Broccoli-Cheese Soup.


Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Printable Recipe

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts chicken broth
1 ¼ pounds broccoli, stalks and florets separated and chopped
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon powdered mustard
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the butter and onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in the flour. Stir in the broth and add the broccoli stalks, Worcestershire, Tabasco, bay leaf, mustard, and cayenne. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the stalks are tender. Discard the bay leaf, remove from the heat, and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Return to the heat and add the broccoli florets. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 8 minutes, or until the florets are tender. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cheddar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 6. Feel free to substitute vegetable broth or water if you prefer a vegetarian soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender but remember: never fill a blender more than half way with hot liquid. This means you will need to blend the soup in batches and reheat it before adding the broccoli florets. Do not boil the soup once the cheddar has been added, or it will have a grainy texture.

Go-To

Do you have a go-to dinner? A dish you make more often than any other? One that you can eat over and over again and never gets old? Here’s my current go-to.


Looks good, even if I do say so myself. I’m actually gonna go way out on a limb here and say that it’s the perfect meal—it’s budget friendly, it’s a breeze to throw together, it's got all the important stuff like starch, veggie, and protein right in there, and it’s so fresh and vibrant you feel good eating it. And the leftovers are great for lunch the next day. And, it just tastes so good. What, did you say you don’t have a go-to dinner of your own? Well you’re welcome to try mine.

Pasta with Arugula, Roasted Peppers & Italian Sausage
Printable Recipe

4 links hot Italian sausage
1 pound fusilli, rotini, or penne
Kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 roasted red bell peppers, julienned
2 roasted yellow bell peppers, julienned
7 ounces baby arugula
Grated Parmegiano-Reggiano, for serving

Heat the grill to medium-low. Add the sausages and cook, covered, without disturbing for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they release from the grate and are crusty and brown. Using tongs, turn the sausages and continue to cook, covered, over medium-low heat another 6 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the sausages to a plate, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package directions. Whisk together the oil and garlic in a very large bowl. Add the red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and arugula and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt. Cut the sausage links in half lengthwise and slice into bite-size pieces. Drain the pasta when it is al dente. Immediately add the pasta and sausage to the arugula mixture and toss to combine. Arrange on individual plates, top with plenty of Parmegiano, and serve immediately.

Serves 6. The arugula will wilt ever so slightly from the heat of the cooked pasta and sausage. Leftovers are delicious served at room temperature or reheated.

Some Days

Some days, I just can’t figure out what to do about dinner. I don’t know what I’m in the mood for, nothing’s calling my name, and I plain don’t feel like cooking (yes, it's true, sometimes even I don’t feel like cooking). On days like that, I just throw together a chicken sandwich.

Now I know what you’re saying, “A chicken sandwich? Snore.” But I don’t mean dry, tasteless chicken slapped between two slices of white bread. What I’m talking about is a tasty and satisfying sandwich that may not even need a side of chips. For some reason, a chicken sandwich always brings out my creative side.

I’ll make paninis with thinly sliced roasted chicken, provolone, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red bell peppers, and pesto mayo. I might whip up chicken, tomato, and cheddar melts on sourdough. Or I try smoked chicken salad on a bun. I really like to build grilled chicken and Guacamole BLTs. And I just created a new favorite, a sandwich with grilled chicken breast, Swiss, lettuce, tomato, and Smokey Mayo on a ciabatta roll.


The Smokey Mayo is so good, you almost don’t need the chicken.


Smokey Mayo
Printable Recipe

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt

Blend together the mayonnaise, paprika, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Makes enough for 4 to 6 sandwiches. Keeps for a day or two tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Delicious on any type of sandwich, not just a chicken sandwich. Also fantastic as a dip for French fries or crudités and as a substitute for rouille in bouillabaisse.