November got off to a slow start (especially as compared with October) - we went out for dinner or movie nights a few times in the first week.
Things picked up, though! A few things to try again:
Overall I made 45 things in November.
November 1
Roasted Broccoli (Side)
November 3
Mock Frites
I made just the potatoes part of this recipe, skipping over the steak & butter. I thought these were good, and they're easy, but they didn't get a great reception. I'd probably make them again though since they were pretty good and so easy.
Served with carrots and Olympia Provisions frankfurters, this is probably the most meat-and-potatoes meal I've ever made.
Panic Carrots
November 6
Crispy Chicken Thighs With Peppers, Capers and Olives (Dinner)
Something went wrong - maybe the chicken was still frozen? I cooked it for 40 minutes under a brick and the skin still didn't get crisp. I finished it in the oven (10 minutes at 400º) and it was cooked, but not that great.
I reheated these for 15-20 minutes at 400º the next night, and the were way better - the skin got crispy, the meat was still good.
I've cooked this just once before
Sheet-Pan Gnocchi With Mushrooms and Spinach
I skipped the dressing, and it was still really great and easy.
November 7
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
2 tbps of butter (1.5 in the eggs, .5 in the pan); same Kenji style.
I've cooked this 11 times before
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower (Side)
I've cooked this just once before
Beans
I followed Serious Eats How to Cook Beans to cook Rancho Gordo Garbanzo beans.
November 8
Quesadillas (Lunch)
I've cooked this just once before
Pasta e Ceci (Pasta With Chickpeas) (Dinner)
Great once again. I made a bit over 1/2lb of pasta, and that worked well - the feedback was to add more beans next time.
November 9
Chicken Soup with Ditalini (Dinner)
The soup was easy and pretty great (from Canal House Every Day page 186).
The amounts were weird (6 cups of broth? Only 1 cup of dried pasta?) but I followed the recipe and it worked out. I didn't cook the spinach before putting it in the broth, and used a cooked chicken from Whole Foods.
Roasted Squash (Side)
Butternut Squash
November 10
Lentils with Cabbage and Morel Mushrooms (Dinner)
Everyone liked this! I made a full lb of bacon and that might have helped.
Asparagus
Popcorn
I make this fairly often (or at least I used to). Put a pan with a lid on medium high heat, coat the bottom in canola oil and wait for it to get hot. Add a layer of popcorn kernels, put the lid on almost all of the way and let it cook, shaking occasionally, until the popping stops.
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
1.5 tbsp butter
I've cooked this 12 times before
November 13
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
I've cooked this 13 times before
Green Salad (Dinner)
With rotisserie chicken
Panic Carrots (Side)
November 14
Zov's Hummus (Lunch)
Forgot the garlic! Still OK, but more like peanut butter than the garlicky hummus I've been making.
I've cooked this 21 times before
Lost Kitchen Beef Stew (Dinner)
Turned out good, this is a great recipe.
The squash turned out well too - sliced ~1/4", tossed with olive oil salt and pepper, roasted it in an oven at 400º, flipping once. It had some of the traits of the butternut squash I've been making (a bit crispy, pretty sweet), but with a bit more bite from the skin.
Acorn Squash
I've cooked this just once before
Sushi Rolls (Kid's Lunch)
Cucumber and carrot
November 16
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
I've cooked this 14 times before
November 17
Chard & Potatoes
I liked it! No one else even tried it.
Rosemary-Brined Pork Chops with Apples and Potatoes (Dinner)
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
I've cooked this 15 times before
November 18
Roast Beets (Side)
November 19
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
I've cooked this 16 times before
November 20
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
I've cooked this 17 times before
Broiled Chicken and Artichokes (Dinner)
November 23
Sauteed Cabbage (Side)
Steamed artichokes (Side)
Trimmed, steamed upside down for 35 minutes
Asparagus (Side)
November 24
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
Heat was a little higher, they turned out a little better
I've cooked this 18 times before
Rustic Potato Leek Soup (Dinner)
One kid and I both liked it; other reviews were harsh. It was super easy though so I'd probably make it again. Better with parmesan on top.
November 25
Warm Dates with Blue Cheese and Prosciutto (Side)
String Beans with Shallots (Side)
Fancy version - blanched, then added to sauteed shallots. Turned out well!
This was a panic addition to Thanksgiving. At the last minute we were worried we didn't have enough food, so I ran out to the store and grabbed haricots vert and a few other ingredients.
Pony Pie
I've cooked this just once before
Spatchcocked Turkey (Dinner)
Turned out great! The picture looks a little deflated, but the skin was crisp and the meat moist and tender.
For the whole Thanksgiving meal, we got the sides from a nice restaurant which saved a bunch of time. From the restaurant: brussel sprouts, bacon & leek stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, parker rolls.
Not from the restaurant, but a can of cranberry sauce (this was the big hit, especially with the kids).
We made: bread and cheese and prosciutto-wrapped dates to start, green beans, pony pie, pumpkin chiffon pie (from Canal House Cooks Everyday), and of course this turkey.
November 26
Scrambled Eggs (Breakfast)
I've cooked this 19 times before
November 28
Beans
Scarlet Runner from Rancho Gordo
November 30
Sauteed Mushrooms
I've cooked this just once before
Zov's Hummus
I've cooked this 22 times before
Scarlet Runner Bean Salad (Dinner)
Surprisingly a hit! Everyone liked it. I used my regular salad dressing (olive oil, dark balsamic, salt and pepper).