There’s no denying that I am a homebody through and through. You won’t find me out on the town to all hours of the night; I’d just rather be home with the family and the dogs, even when it comes to date night.
While I do enjoy a fancy-ish meal at a nice restaurant, if you were to ask me what my perfect date was (other than April 25, because it’s not too hot and not too cold), it would more than likely involve me curled up on the couch wearing something comfy, eating something cozy, and watching what we adults want to watch on the t.v. (because let’s be honest, with an almost teenage boy in the house, we’re watching a lot of YouTube these days).
And so, for most of our date nights, we have what we call the sweat pants date. We drop the kiddo at the grandparents or the birthday party or whatever, come back to the house, and just stay in (sweatpants not required, but highly encouraged!). It’s an opportunity for us to cook something only we like and catch up on the shows we’ve missed.
We usually snuggle in (two people + two dogs = one full couch!) and nibble on a snack plate first, then pause to cook dinner and bring our meal back to the sofa.
Risotto is a go-to for many of our date night meals - a pea and pancetta or mushroom risotto are frequent flyers, but this Pesto Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes, might be my favorite.
The tomatoes are slow roasted in the oven to concentrate their flavor, and then basil pesto is stirred into the creamy risotto with a handful of parmesan cheese giving the dish a rich, yet herby quality topped with little pops of tomato sweetness. It’s the perfect one bowl dinner for a lovely date night at home.
MONDAY - Mexican Chicken Soup/Chicken Tortilla Soup
I’m playing with a recipe in which I cook a whole a chicken in a Mexican inspired broth and serve it with rice and toppings like tortilla strips and avocado. Not sure what to call it yet, but I hope it comes out ok, because we’re having it for dinner!
TUESDAY - Fried Rice and Dumplings
I’ll use yesterday’s leftover rice and add some veggies (I always keep a bag of frozen peas and carrots for fried rice!) and a scrambled egg. Frozen pork dumplings are fast to steam in a skillet on the side.
WEDNESDAY - Shepherd’s Pie
Freezer casserole that I made ahead a couple of weeks ago - ground beef, sausage, and vegetables on the bottom, mashed potatoes on the top! I have a meeting tonight, so this is an easy one to pop in the oven for the boys.
THURSDAY - Cheese Tortellini in Marinara with Italian Sausages
Another meeting tonight, so another easy meal it is! I’ll go ahead and slice the cooked sausages and toss them with the marinara and tortellini, put everything in a casserole dish, and top it all with mozzarella and parm. Pop it in the oven to reheat on my way out the door.
FRIDAY - Friday night pick-up!
SATURDAY - Dinner at Yaya’s (the in-laws!)
We’re back to the Kiddo having archery tournaments on Saturday afternoons/evenings, so we have to play it by ear depending on what time we get done. Perfect opportunity to put something in the slow cooker and have it ready when we get home.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s
Pork ribs baked under a layer of sauerkraut and sliced apples (we’re German, what can I say!) with mashed potatoes on the side. It’s one of those comfort food situations that I grew up with, and I say don’t knock it ‘til you try it!
LUNCHES for this week - Kale Caesar with Roasted Chickpeas
Another recipe I am working on - adding a little chili crisp to a homemade caesar dressing and tossing it with chopped kale. I’ll add roasted chickpeas, but I think it would also be really good with chicken or salmon for something more substantial.
EXTRAS for this week
I have blueberries left from last week’s pancakes that need to be used, so I think I’ll make a big batch of oatmeal blueberry muffins to put in the freezer for some easy breakfasts.
Pesto Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes
Makes about 4-6 servings.
Roasted Tomatoes
· 2 pints Grape Tomatoes, halved lengthwise
· 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
· 3 cloves Garlic, minced
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
Risotto
· 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
· 1 tablespoon Butter
· 1 medium Onion, diced
· 1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
· ½ cup White Wine
· 4 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· ½ cup Pesto (homemade or store bought)
· ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for serving
For the tomatoes – preheat the oven to 325 and arrange the rack in the upper third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place halved tomatoes in a medium bowl, add olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and mix well. Spread tomato mixture in an even layer on baking sheet and roast for 50 minutes to an hour, until tomatoes begin to look light brown in some places.
Make the risotto – in a medium size pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add onion, salt, and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes until onion is cooked through. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent onion from browning.
While the onion is cooking, pour the broth into a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it is hot, but not boiling.
Stir in arborio rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, to toast the rice. It should begin to take on a clear appearance around the edges of each grain of rice.
Add white wine and stir until it is absorbed into the rice.
Add the hot broth, about one cup at a time, stirring and waiting until it is mostly absorbed before adding the next cup. Keep the pot at a low simmer. This process will take about 25-30 minutes. You do not have to stir the pot constantly, but you should stir very frequently.
After you have added the last cup of broth, and it has been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pesto and parmesan cheese.
Serve the risotto in wide, shallow bowls topped with the roasted tomatoes and extra parmesan cheese.
NOTE: If you use store-bought pesto, I prefer the choices in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, not the shelf stable ones.