Weeknight Dinners

Lately, I've only been posting meals that I make on the weekends.  It's not like I don't cook during the week.  Really, I do.  I just never post any weeknight dinners here because, well, they're really simple.  But simple is not bad; in fact, simple can often be spectacular, especially when it comes to food.  Weeknight dinners around here are cooked off the cuff with whatever's in the fridge and pantry.  Most meals depend on what my roommate and I get from our weekly CSA pick-up.  We're not picky eaters and we certainly don't need anything fancy, but we like fresh, good-tasting food that's natural and nutritious.  And that's how I try to make dinner every night of the week.  It's very economical for us to eat in, and there's usually enough to take for lunch the next day also.  The following dishes are just what I happened to make this week.  Most of the time, weeknight dinners involve little more than cutting things up and throwing them in a pan for a couple of minutes, or roasting them in the oven.

Swiss Chard with Tomatoes and Basil

1 bunch Swiss Chard, washed, dried, and chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

about 10 leaves basil, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add Swiss chard.  When the leaves have wilted down just a bit, add the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Just before serving, add basil and incorporate.  Serve with roasted potatoes (below).

Roasted Potatoes

4 red potatoes, cut into bit sized pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place potatoes in baking dish and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until potatoes are gold brown.

Capellini with Roasted Eggplant

1 pound capellini pasta

1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes

1 white onion, diced

a pinch of brown sugar
1 medium-sized eggplant, cubed into 1-inch pieces, generously salted, and set in a colander to drain for a couple of minutes
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly rinse the eggplant to get rid of excess salt.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper and bake on a cookie sheet or in an oven proof dish for about 40 minutes, until eggplant is golden brown.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add pasta and cook until al dente according to instructions on package.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet or medium-sized sauce pan.  Add onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes.  Season with a bit of salt.  Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a bubble.  Add brown sugar and lower heat; simmer for about 20 minutes.  Season with a bit more salt, if needed.  At this point you can either mash down the tomatoes and create a chunky sauce, or you can puree the sauce with a hand blender or in a food processor (be careful, the sauce is hot!).

Toss pasta and pasta water with sauce.  Serve with roasted eggplant.