Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Chunky Tomato Soup with Arborio Rice, grilled gruyere sandwiches, romaine salad with Crunchy Oven-Toasted Croutons and From-Scratch Caesar Salad Dressing

Tuesday
Easy Shepherd’s Pie, watercress salad with chopped walnuts, cheddar cheese and Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing

Wednesday
Orecchiette with Rapini and Goat Cheese, rustic Italian bread

Thursday
Smitten Kitchen’s Meatball Subs with Caramelized Onions, romaine salad with Crunchy Oven-Toasted Croutons and From-Scratch Caesar Salad Dressing

Friday
How Sweet Eats Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon, steamed rice, shredded cabbage with scallions, sesame oil and soy sauce

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Five Layer Chili Cheese Casserole, Old-Fashioned Coleslaw

Tuesday
Spaghetti al Limone, pan-fried broccoli, rustic Italian bread

Wednesday
How Sweet Eats Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon, Steamed Rice, Easy Oven-Roasted Green Beans

Thursday
The Spice Spoon’s Aromatic Scrambled Eggs, The Spice Spoon’s Cumin-Spiced Potatoes, toasted ciabatta

Friday
Bucatini all’Amatriciana, watercress salad with walnuts, Parmesan and Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

For a quick dinner nothing beats the one-two, carb-protein punch of taters and eggs. Sure you can quickly fry up eggs and spuds. But in almost as little time, you can put together these Baked Eggs and Potatoes with Cilantro and Pumpkin Seed Pesto.

Alright, if you make the pesto fresh, prep time expands slightly. But once made, the pesto lasts for weeks in the fridge and months in the freezer: scoop out what you need and store the rest to toss with pasta or spread on bruschetta.


If you’re really pressed, of course you can buy store-bought pesto.

But if you like cilantro, please try this recipe. The soapy herb is delicious pounded into paste with rich, nutty pumpkin seeds and Parmesan.


Once the buy-or-make pesto issue is decided, this recipe is totally straightforward. Thinly slice and fry potatoes and toss the spuds with a few spoons of pesto. At this point you can transfer the potatoes to a nice baking dish—say if you want it to go from oven to table for a company brunch or lunch.


Or if it’s just family, you can cook the potatoes in an iron frying pan and crack the eggs right on top. In either case, push aside the potatoes to make little nests. Now crack an egg into each nest. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, slide the pan into the oven and bake until whites are just set.

This dish is wonderful with a watercress salad and toasted ciabatta slathered with sweet butter and apricot preserves.

Baked Eggs and Potatoes with Cilantro and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup packed cilantro leaves, washed well and dried
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil plus extra for frying potatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 large or 6 small potatoes, scrubbed
6 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour pumpkin seeds onto a cookie sheet, centering them on the sheet in a single layer. Bake seeds for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
3. In a food processor or blender, grind pumpkin seeds, cilantro and garlic until pasty.
4. With processor motor running, pour olive oil in a slow stream into paste. You may have to stop the motor to scrape down the bowl’s sides.
5. Dump Parmesan cheese and a grinding of black pepper into pesto and pulse until blended.
6. In the meantime, thinly slice the potatoes—if they are thin-skinned, no need to peel.
7. Pour a tablespoon or two of olive oil into a frying pan set over medium-high flame. When oil is shimmering and fragrant, add potatoes as well as salt and pepper to taste. Fry, stirring and adjusting flame, until potatoes are golden and just cooked through.
8. If using a serving pan, transfer potatoes to pan. If not, keep potatoes in pan. Toss with 6 tablespoons—or more, to taste—of pesto.
9. With a spoon, push potatoes aside to create little hollows. Crack an egg into each hollow and sprinkle with salt and a grinding of pepper.
10. Slide pan into the oven and bake for 14-16 minutes or until whites are just set.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Red and Yellow Dal with Cumin Potatoes, steamed basmati rice, Farm House Table Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad, naan

Tuesday
From-Scratch Sloppy Joes, Warm Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Wednesday
Spaghetti with Smitten Kitchen’s Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion, Easy Oven-Roasted Green Beans, rustic Italian bread

Thursday
Baked Eggs with Potatoes and Pumpkin Seed and Cilantro Pesto, romaine salad with From-Scratch Caesar’s Dressing, toasted ciabatta

Friday
Pan-fried salmon with garlic and lemon, steamed basmati rice, Easy Oven Roasted Herbed Cauliflower

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

This Warm Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette was a mishap. Well, by the time we ate it, it was a hit, but its journey to the table was a near disaster.

See, I was all set to make a crisp, cold kale and bean salad recipe I’d seen on Pinterest. It was an easy recipe and I was busy, so I waited till the last minute before putting it together.

As I washed the kale and whisked the dressing, the Copywriters’ Kitchen crew began snapping about the late dinner hour. And it was about this moment that I realized I had no beans.

Oh, I had beans all right: pintos, chickpeas, cranberry beans, lentils of every color. But they were dried.

What a scratch-cook fail. Smug little me, I make a point of always having extra beans on hand: When I cook them, I simmer a whole pound and store leftovers in one- and two-cup containers.

Not this time.

In a last ditch effort to salvage dinner, I quick cooked split lentils–if you cover them tightly and keep them on a high simmer, split lentils cook in ten minutes.

I didn’t bother to cool the lentils. I drained and dumped them hot right onto the kale. Then I tossed the greens with Parmesan cheese and Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.

The results were spectacular: The lentils wilted the kale, turning it a dark green. The cheese softened and released its oily, tangy goodness. And the vinaigrette bound the whole mess together in a sweet-sour, gummy jumble that made a fantastic, rib-sticking main course salad.

Later, I wondered if my hunger had prejudiced me unduly in favor of this salad. So I made it again when we were less famished, the next day. What can I say? We’re having it again tonight…

Warm Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe

1/2 cup dried red split lentils
6-8 cups of kale, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2-3 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a saucepan, bring two cups of salted water to boil.
2. Wash the lentils well and pour them into the boiling water. Cover pan, bring lentils to a boil, then lower heat to keep the lentils on a high simmer. Cook lentils until just tender—10-12 minutes.
3. In the meantime, wash and tear up the kale. Place in a salad bowl.
4. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, mustard, vinegar, honey, minced shallots and salt and pepper to taste.
5. When lentils are cooked, drain them and dump them over the kale. Pour the vinaigrette over the kale, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the greens and toss, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Quick Creamy Broccoli Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches

Tuesday
Mediterranean Poached Eggs in Chunky Spiced Tomato Sauce, toasted ciabatta bread

Wednesday
Orecchiette with Rapini and Goat Cheese, rustic Italian bread

Thursday
Comino Chili con Carne, Gritty Corn Dodgers, Warm Kale and Lentil Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Friday
Kerala-Style Coconut Fish Curry, steamed basmati rice, Mayor Booker’s Caramelized Roasted Yams

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.
Broccoli soup photo courtesy of Jules:StoneSoup

Winter was mild this year in the Hudson Valley. But it’s still glorious to welcome spring with its parade of apple blossoms, emerald seedlings and perfumed narcissus.

Along with leafing trees and long, sunlit evenings, spring brings seasonal food cravings. Like rabbits, horses—and my strange, grass-eating boxer dog—we humans lust after green shoots and tender, unfurling leaves.

While you can buy hothouse greens, it’s a little early for honestly grown asparagus and baby lettuce. And that’s why here at Copywriters’ Kitchen we’re eating so much rapini right now.

Rapini: The sweet taste of bitter greens

A late winter-early spring green, rapini—also known as rabe—sates our spring appetites. Especially when the slightly bitter leaves are quick-fried with garlic and crushed red pepper and tossed with puffy, al dente orecchiette.


The following recipe for Orecchiette with Rapini and Goat Cheese, inspired by a Saveur pasta, is a breeze to throw together. While the pasta cooks you quickly blanch and fry the rapini. Toss the greens with the drained pasta, olive oil, lemon zest and juice and creamy chunks of tangy goat cheese. Add a splash of pasta water and toss for a wonderfully flavorful, soupy pasta.

Orecchiette with Rapini and Goat Cheese Recipe

1 large bunch rapini well washed with ends trimmed
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces goat cheese, cut into ½ inch chunks
½ cup coarsely grated Parmesan or grano padana cheese
1 cup leftover pasta water—use as needed
Zest and juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash rapini well. Trim off tough ends of greens—about 2”-3”.
2. Grate zest from lemon using a plane or fine side of a grater. Squeeze juice from lemon and reserve.
3. Bring a large kettle of salted water (3-4 quarts) to a boil for pasta.
4. Bring a second large kettle of salted water (2 quarts) to a boil and toss in rapini. Cook greens until crisply tender (about 3-4 minutes).
5. Drain rapini and plunge into a bowl of water and ice cubes to stop greens from cooking. Drain rapini, pressing greens into the sieve to remove excess water.
6. When pasta water is boiling, cook orecchiette.
7. While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is fragrant, add garlic cloves and crushed red pepper, stirring so mixture does not burn. Lower heat and cook garlic and pepper for a minute or so—do not let garlic burn. Throw drained rapini into the skillet, stirring and frying for 4-5 minutes. Remove pan from flame and set aside.
8. When pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a cup of pasta water. Place pasta back in pot and toss it with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking. Throw rapini, goat cheese, zest and lemon juice over the pasta and toss. Add Parmesan or grano padana and pasta water, one-half cup at a time and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves 6 generously.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Eggs scrambled with cream cheese and scallions, No-Knead Irish Soda Bread

Tuesday
Cheeseburgers made with pasture-raised beef, Crispy Oven-Fried Potatoes, romaine salad with From-Scratch Homemade Caesar’s Salad Dressing

Wednesday
Gingery Teriyaki Chicken, stir-fried broccoli, Spicy Cold Sesame Noodles with Black Tea

Thursday
Orecchiette with Rapini and Goat Cheese, rustic Italian bread

Friday
Recipe.com’s Caramelized Salmon with Orange-Pineapple Salsa, steamed rice, watercress salad with sliced oranges, walnuts and Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.
Salmon photo courtesy of MaggieJane

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
The Spice Spoon’s Aloo Keema “Sloppy Yousefs,” mixed green salad with Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing

Tuesday
FAST Whole Wheat Pizza with Sautéed Onions, Minnesota Monthly’s Tuscan Kale Salad with Red Pepper and Pecorino

Wednesday
Penne with Roasted Peppers and Pan-Fried Potatoes, Easy Oven-Roasted Green Beans with Toss in The Bowl Lemon Garlic Dressing

Thursday
Burritos made with whole wheat flour tortillas, pastured ground beef and grated Monterey Jack cheese, Healthy Homemade Refried Beans, romaine salad with From-Scratch Homemade Caesar’s Salad Dressing

Friday
Spicy Homemade Falafel, pita bread, romaine salad with Lemony Sesame Tahini Dressing

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Penne with Slow Simmered alla Vodka Sauce, ciabatta

Tuesday
Mediterranean Poached Eggs in Chunky Spiced Tomato Sauce, toasted Italian bread

Wednesday
Best Corned Beef Hash, toasted leftover No-Knead Irish Soda Bread

Thursday
Mom’s Meatloaf with Creamy Onion Gravy, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Easy Oven-Roasted Green Beans

Friday
Chunky Tomato Soup with Arborio Rice, tuna fish sandwiches

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.