WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

If you're nearing your 30's, you've thought about that 1,000 times and counting. If you're of a certain older age, you've thought about that perhaps 15,000 times! Why not make it simple to decide?

Whether you're a young couple just cooking a weeknight meal for two, a grandma for your grands, or a well seasoned couple for themselves . . . .

A couple months ago, I got sick and tired of asking myself or my wife that question. So, I decided to create a plan, somewhat like what I was once taught in a tennis lesson. My instructor said to “format” my tennis stroke when rushing the net. I’m right-handed. Tennis wisdom dictated I always return my shot deep into my opponent’s nearest corner. Skip those daring cross-court shots. Don’t play tennis? Sorry. I have no format examples from football, deep sea fishing, catching butterflies, or anything else. So, to avoid making from-scratch decisions about dinner, we lean into this format. It’s a list of 35 dinner ideas we cook because we like to eat them. We first mentally scan this list—some for indoor stovetop or oven cooking, others for grilling outdoors. If mood dictates something different might be desirable, there are 7 special-occasion ideas on the list, too. Each has an * beside it. And in other cases when none of those ideas seems to fit the bill, either one of us reserves the right to choose something from our adorable grocery deli or take-out from a restaurant that always delights. Thus far, this format seems to perk up our dinner interest to guard against dreaded what’s-for-dinner tedium.

BEEF

Cattle being driven across the range to market

1. GROUND BEEF with B&M Original Baked Beans. The Seasoned Mom’s good recipe uses Bush's Brown Sugar hickory baked beans.

2. MEATLOAF that my bride makes which I thoroughly enjoy for days after made into meatloaf sandwiches. Sliced it freezes well for a quick meal later.

3. NEW YORK STRIP STEAK

4. HAMBURGERS (July-September only, when tomatoes are at their peak)*

5. RIBEYE CAP STEAK*

PORK

1. PORK CHOPS, thin cut breaded, and baked

2. PORK TENDERLOIN, stuffed with rosemary and Grey Poupon Dijon either baked or grilled

FOWL

Painting by Jacques Pepin

1. CHICKEN THIGHS, baked with chicken broth and navy beans or grilled

2. CHICKEN BREASTS, breaded and sauteed

3. CHICKEN WINGS. Delish from Hearst Magazines has a nice recipe.

4. CHICKEN, roasted or rotisserie

5. CHICKEN SAUSAGE, smoked and with apples from aidells

6. CORNISH GAME HENS, baked or grilled

7. DUCK BREAST*

FISH & SHELLFISH

1. SALMON

2. SCALLOPS, sautéed

3. PETRALE SOLE, sautéed

4. VENTRESCA TUNA in oil with scallions and mayo on the side. Tonnino brand yellowfin pole & line caught from Costa Rica. This is known as ventresca, unusually rich tasting tuna belly.

5. DUNGENESS CRAB*

6. CHESAPEAKE BAY BLUE CRAB *

LAMB

1. LAMB CHOPS

2. LEG OF LAMB, butterflied and grilled * [Butterflied lamb leg is simply a leg of lamb with the bone removed so the meat lies flat and is relatively uniform in thickness. This means the lamb cooks faster than a traditional whole roast leg, as well as opening the leg up to all sorts of flavour possibilities.]

3. LAMB SHANKS*

PASTA

1. SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE, classic iconic Neopolitan dish, briny clams, white wine, garlic, and peperoncino

2. SPAGTHETTI CARBONARA

3. RAVIOLI, with lemon ricotta filling served with pancetta. I’m too lazy to make my own ravioli so I track down the best I can find at my fave grocery stores and markets.

4. LASAGNE, with spinach noodles alla Bolognese.* I’m crazy about this spectacular dish, just sayin.’

CASSEROLES

1. TUNA NOODLE

2. MAC & CHEESE

3. CHINESE NOODLES, with cashews, celery and tuna

SALADS & SANDWICHES

1. GRILLED SALMON SALAD

2. RED SALAD, with red leaf lettuce, tomatoes and radishes

3. GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

4. EGG SALAD SANDWICHES

5. TUNA SALAD SANDWICHES

6. PB&J SANDWICHES

7. TUNA MELTS

8. BLT’s (as with hamburgers, July-September only when tomatoes are at their peak)

TAKE OUT

1. TACO BELL, tacos, which I had for the second time in my life recently. And, did I like them? Sure did. They were ccompanied by guacamole, which my bride makes very well

2. CHICK-FIL-A, Cobb salad, from the only other fast-food franchise I frequent.

GROCERY DELI

1. LENTIL SALAD, which mine has a delightful version

2. GRILLED FLANK STEAK

3. POTATO SALAD

4. EGG SALAD

ANTIPASTO PLATTER

I’d never eaten off a charcuterie board until a couple months ago. Since then I’ve had a couple, enough to hook me on the idea of them. Zero formality. Tons of fun to eat with your fingers. And all that’s on the board is one whole meal. Lots of my fave cured meats, cheeses of all sorts, with condiments and vegetables and breads or crackers interspersed throughout, plus maybe even sweets. Just what kind of a “board” all this is displayed on includes wood, ceramic, slate, marble, or stone.

I have some favorites when comes to meat. Pancetta, which I’d have to cook. Prosciutto di Parma is an all-time favorite. Mild soppressata. Jamón. Now to cheese: Parmigiano-Reggiano. Gruyere. La Tur. Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Époisses. All all-stars. For bread, I’ll search out a fresh baguette and slice it into small rounds, maybe drizzling a bit of extra virgin olive oil or spreading French butter from igourmet or myPanier.

Another approach I’m considering—forget cutting anything. Leave everything whole. Round up a couple sausages, pâtés—duck or goose liver; bunches of grapes; plums, apricots, and radishes with tops on; and spring onions. Anything in season. It is charming to see each in its original state.

Only after searching 15 Google pages for charcuterie board did I come to understand such boards can come in so many different themes: Vegetarian, berries and cream, fruits, sweets, or tinned fish. So give yourself license to experiment like a Mad Hatter!

SO, HOW TO MAKE DINNER SIMPLE?

You now have the answer. These are 35 recipes and 7 special occasion dishes listed above that are my favorites. Don’t like my list? Make your own. It’s the list that’s important, not what dishes are on it. If I haven’t linked to recipe directions, how about finding your own on the Google Machine. But if it’s a home-cooked meal for us tonight, often as not, it may be a repeat of a favorite: ground beef with beans, tacos (homemade or fish tacos from our favorite taquería), one pasta or another, a chicken dish, salmon or scallops or petrale sole, some casserole, chicken and apple sausage, a salad, or leftovers. Sometimes nothing more than a simple sandwich . . . .just sayin’.