What’s For Sunday Supper, Dear?

All across America and the globe, families gather for Sunday Supper on a regular basis. But, in case you don’t, or have forgotten the concept, today is National Sunday Supper day. The concept is that families and friends gather around the dinner table on Sunday, and become closer. This year (as with last year), that doesn’t sound like a good idea. In case some of you may not have been paying attention, there is a pandemic affecting everyone on the planet. However, if you and your family take proper precautions, the tradition can continue. You could even do a virtual Sunday dinner via Zoom, facetime, skype, or whatever your preferred video conferencing interface is. So, if you’re the one cooking, be prepared for the age old question: What’s For Sunday Supper, Dear?

The beauty of Sunday Dinner is that it doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, it can even be leftovers. The meal isn’t the focus. It’s the comradery. Of course, it can also be a particularly uncomfortable situation depending which direction the conversation goes. Perhaps your teenage daughter doesn’t really want you to know she isn’t as pure as you think. Or, maybe your son shared something with the priest in confession that he would prefer to keep there. Maybe you want to know who is using all the toilet paper and hand cream. Sorry, but most families aren’t the Waltons. Today’s Sunday Dinner is more like the Costanza’s on Festivus.

What’s For Sunday Supper, Dear? Keep it civil…

Whatever you talk about, try to remember a more civil time in our history. People used to have pleasant conversations because of the cardinal rule: Don’t talk religion and politics! People have forgotten that in recent years. Everyone complains about how divided the country is. That’s because everyone is talking about the 2 things that should be kept to themselves. You can’t escape it. How about this, instead of talking about what makes us different, we concentrate on our similarities. We are all human beings. We all enjoy laughter, acceptance, love, and the thing that brought us to the table: food.

So, let’s start there. I know. This is contentious too. But, let’s think back to the original occupants of our country. Although meat was consumed, it was not a staple of the diet. In hunter/gatherer and agrarian societies, meat takes a lot more energy, work, and planning than eating plants. From a logical perspective, a plant based diet makes more sense. You can yield more calories and nutrients from an acre of crops than killing an animal who consumes an acre of crops itself. So, here is a suggestion: make a plant based meal. You would be amazed at how many things you can make without involving animals.

However, there will be an ornery person who will feel slighted if there isn’t some kind of animal on the table. So, is you want to appease them, do so, but keep the meat and non meat dishes separate. And, vegans, please don’t judge tonight. You can solve the world’s problems t another time. But, just for Sunday dinner, keep it to yourself. The same goes for you too, Uncle Jimbo! Don’t try to force your meat eating agenda on your niece!

Make due with what you have

In Massachusetts, we had what they called Blue laws. These were remnants from the puritanical days. Sunday was the Lord’s day. So, all businesses were closed on Sundays. That was everything from liquor to supermarkets to department stores. In the late 1970’s, legislation passed to start relaxing those laws. But, they only applied to the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would take a couple decades to fully open. In fact, there are still some minor restrictions in place to this day. I remember stocking up on beer to get through Sunday, because all liquor stores would be closed. People used to cross state lines if they didn’t plan ahead. New Hampshire loved Massachusetts on Sundays.

The point here is that you couldn’t run out on Sunday to get whatever your family wanted for dinner, so you made due with what you had or planned ahead. So, your task today is to open that fridge and make a meal out of what you have. Think of it like an iron chef show, but without the pompous judginess. It’s your family. Chances are, they won’t pick at the meal and say, “don’t you think you overdid it on the paprika?” Or, face ambiguous backhanded compliments. If you have read any of our basics articles, you should have plenty in your fridge and pantry to create a restaurant quality meal.

So, here are a few ideas:

Family style meals generally call for family style service. If you want to be fancy, you can plate each meal individually. Or, you can platter and bowl things individually, and prepare for a lot of “can you, please, pass the…” Of course, you could also set up the food buffet style, let people go up, fill their plates, then return to the table. Then again, if you have the means to hire a chef or caterer, you could call or e-mail me (just FYI). Whatever you decide, we are here to answer that Sunday night question: What’s For Sunday Supper, Dear?

1. Caramelized Onion and Wild Mushroom Calzone with Vegan Cheese and Romesco Sauce
2. Baby Kale Salad with Spiced Apples, Pine Nuts, Roasted Cranberry, and Cider Vinaigrette
3. Cinnamon Rubbed Chicken Breast with Avocado Salsa
4. Agave Lime Sweet Potatoes
5. Lemon Thyme Brussel Sprouts

Caramelized Onion and Wild Mushroom Calzone with Vegan Cheese and Romesco Sauce

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

  

• 2 Cups Typo 00 flour
• 1 Cup Warm Water
• 1 TBSP Yeast
• 2 TBSP Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
• For Onions and Mushrooms:
• 4 Cups Thin Sliced Sweet Onions
• 3 Cups Sliced Assorted Wild Mushrooms
• 1/4 Cup Sherry
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
• 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Garlic
• 1 tsp Truffle Oil (optional)
• 2 Cups Vegan Pizza Cheese
• Olive oil for cooking
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• For sauce:
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Sweet Onion
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh garlic
• 1 Cup Red Wine
• 1 Cup Roasted Red Pepper
• 1 Cup Ground Tomato
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Basil
• 1 tsp Chopped Oregano (fresh or dried)
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Almonds
• olive oil for cooking
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Make the Romesco Sauce: Saute the onion and garlic over medium high heat in a thin layer of olive oil until translucent. Add red wine and reduce by 1/2. Then add the remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and taper back to a simmer. Cook down until it is about half the original volume. Add more stock or water if it is too thick. Add seasoning and Blend until semi smooth.
• While the sauce is Cooking, Cook the onions in olive oil. Start at high heat to get some color, then drop down to medium. Allow the onions to caramelize slowly, stirring as needed to prevent burning. When they have a golden brown color, add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook until soft. Then, add the sherry and increase the temperature. Burn off the alcohol, and cook off the extra liquid. You want it as dry as possible to prevent soggy dough. Season and add the thyme. Set aside to cool.
• While those 2 are cooking, make the dough. Or you can make all the ingredients ahead of time to assemble on the day of service. For the dough, Put the sugar, yeast, and water the bowl of a mixer. make sure the water is warm, not hot. Stir in the yeast and allow it to bloom about 10 minutes. Then, add the remaining ingredients and use a dough hook attachment to knead the dough. You may need to scrape the sides to aid the dough in forming. When it takes shape, remove the bowl from the mixer. Coat the dough with Olive oil and cover. Allow it to rest about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 550
• While the dough is resting, fold vegan pizza cheese into the onion and mushroom mixture. Also, add a touch of truffle oil if you want to boost the flavor.
• Roll out the dough, preferably by hand into a long Wide rectangle. You could also do smaller pieces of dough for multiple smaller calzones. Place the filling down the middle of the dough and paint the edges with olive oil. Roll the calzone up like a cigar. Fold the ends over to keep the filling inside. Poke a couple small holes in the top, to allow steam to escape.
• Preheat a pizza stone or an inverted sheet pan in the oven. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pan or stone to prevent sticking. Place the calzone on the stone or pan and brush with olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until perfectly browned,
• Remove the calzone to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then cut it into manageable pieces. Serve with heated romesco sauce on the side.

Notes

You can do individual or a large calzone cut into pieces. Whichever you desire. They should take about the same amount of time.

Make sure you pull the dough thin enough that it will cook through, but thick enough to hold the fillings. When you fold over the ends, don’t let them get too thick or they won’t cook all the way through.

Also, make sure your filling is not too wet. The bottom of the calzone can sog out easily. This makes it difficult to handle and eat.

You can change out ingredients and use the same dough to make a variety of calzones. This version is vegan. But, you can use real cheese if you aren’t as particular.

This dough can be used as a pizza as well. We wanted the Calzone shape for this menu, but feel free to experiment. Add meats, make it sweeter or more savory.

Keyword calzone, Caramelized Onion, cheese, flat bread, Pizza, Romesco Sauce, vegan, Wild Mushroom

Baby kale and Spiced Apple Salad

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• For Cranberry:
• 2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Neutral Oil, like canola or soy
• For Apples:
• 1 Large Apple Cut into 12 to 16 wedges
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• Neutral oil for cooking
• For salad:
• 1 Pkg baby kale or similar hearty greens
• 1/4 Cup Pine nuts
• For Vinaigrette
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Cider
• 1 Cup Neutral Oil
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 300
• Toss the cranberries in a light coating of neutral oil, toss with sugar and spread out on a sheet pan with a non stick liner or sprayed parchment paper. Pop in the oven and allow to slowly roast. Check them occasionally. You want them to be wilted, firm, and maintain their shape. This can take 30 minutes to over an hour depending on the consistency of your oven. When done, set aside to cool.
• Place the pine nuts on a sprayed Sheet Pan. Toast them in the oven until golden brown (About 8 to 10 minutes). Set aside to cool.
• Mix the sugar and spices for the apples, Cut the apples and toss in the spice mix. Heat a thin coating of oil in a saute pan over high heat. Carefully, place the apples in the hot pan. Cook one side and then flip to the other (about 1 minute per side). They should have a golden brown caramel hue when done. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• make the Vinaigrette: Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender. Turn it on at low speed and increase to medium/high. With the blender running, drizzle in the oil until an emulsified dressing forms.
• To serve, start with the Kale. Toss all the ingredients in a bowl or carefully arrange on plates. You can serve the dressing on the salad or on the side. We're easy here.

Keyword Baby Kale, Cider Vinaigrette, Pine Nuts, Roasted Cranberries, salad, Spiced Apple, Strawberry, citrus, soup, dessert, vegan, gluten free

Cinnamon Rubbed Chicken Breast with Avocado Salsa

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Marinating time 2 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Southwestern

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Mustard Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 to 2 Lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
• For Salsa:
• 1/2 Cup Diced Fresh Onion
• 1 Cup Diced Fresh Tomato
• 1 Cup Diced Fresh Avocado
• 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
• 1/2 tsp Chopped Fresh garlic
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Jalapeno
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Mix all the spices from the beginning of the recipe in a bowl. Rub the Spices on the chicken breasts. Save an extra spice mix for future recipes. Put the chicken in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to a day.
• Make the salsa: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Adjust seasonings as needed. Refrigerate until service. To prevent the avocado from discoloring, we recommend making the salsa closer to service time. You can mix all the ingredients except avocado ahead of time, though.
• Heat a little avocado oil in a saute pan over high heat. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the oil. Cook about 2 minutes per side to get a good color on them. If the breasts are very thick, you may want to transfer them to a sheet pan and finish in the oven. You want to cook them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• When the chicken is cooked through, let it rest a couple minutes. Then, slice it into thin pieces and garnish with Avocado salsa.

Keyword American, Avocado Salsa, Chicken breast, Cinnamon Rub, Southwestern

Agave Lime Sweet Potatoes

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southwestern

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 2 Lb Sweet Potatoes, Peeled, and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 Cup Agave syrup
• 1/4 Cup Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Scallion

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400
• Whisk together all ingredients except sweet potatoes and scallions.
• Toss the sweet potatoes into the marinade. Drain off the excess marinade. Then put them onto a sprayed sheet pan.
• Roast the Sweet Potatoes for about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. They should be lightly browned, firm, yet yielding to the touch.
• When they are finished, Toss them in a bowl with the scallions and a little of the marinade. Serve Hot.

Keyword Agave, Lime, Spiced, sweet potato, vegan

Lemon Thyme Brussel Sprouts

cheffd

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, German

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  

• 1 to 1 1/2 Lb Brussel Sprouts
• Olive oil to cook
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
• 2 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar
• 1 Large Lemon, Zest and Juice only
• 1 Cup Diced Sweet Onion
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cut the Brussel Sprouts in 1/2 and cut the stem part off if it is browned.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and cook until lightly caramelized, stirring as needed. Add in the sugar and stir until it melts.
• Add the brussels and allow them to brown on one side. Then shake or stir the pan to flip them. Add in the lemon juice and reduce the liquid until it is a glaze. Don't let the Brussels get overcooked. They should maintain a green color, but soften to the touch. Add salt, pepper, and thyme, toss well. Serve hot.

Keyword Brussel Sprouts, Lemon, side dish, thyme, vegan