What We're Eating in Hilo, Hawaii - 12/7 - 12/13/14

Pictured above:  Strawberry Guava.  It's really coming on, and I should pick some, but I haven't finished dealing with the crop from last year, yet!  

This week I was looking at a cookbook that belonged to my mother:  Better Homes & Gardens' "Meals with a Foreign Flair." If you enjoy older, or vintage cookbooks, you'd get a kick out of this one. Some folks have made fun of it, and yes, the writing is a little dated.  They would probably make fun of me, too, and I'm OK with that.  My mother liked to make notes in her cookbooks, and would "star" good recipes.  Boy, if I had written in a book, she would have skinned me!  

Unfortunately, not all of the recipes from that cookbook have been uploaded to the Internet, so I'll be using some similar ones.  
Sunday:  Starting off with a tried-and-true Jambalaya.  It has just been a little chilly outside today and something spicy and hot sounded good.  
Monday:  Baked Chicken Thighs and Spaghettini with Green Sauce.  (Green sauce:  1 8-oz package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup parmesan, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tsp pepper and 2/3 cup boiling water. Blend well and serve over warm spaghetti.)
Tuesday:  Taco Salad.  I could eat a bowl of this stuff. In fact, we don't keep the bowl on the table, having learned that we will eat it all.  Recipe below.
Wednesday:  Beef Bourguignon.  Don't be intimidated! It sounds and tastes fancy, but it's really easy.  Crusty French bread is the traditional side, but I happen to have some fresh Kings Hawaiian rolls I am going to serve with this.
Thursday:  Chinese Walnut Chicken and rice. 
Friday:  Crispy cod (yup, from a box) and panko-fried eggplant; coleslaw.
Saturday:  Chicken Cacciatore and pasta; salad.

Taco Salad:  I brown a package of turkeyburger and add some Penzey's Arizona Dreaming spice mix.  Let it cool. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 head of lettuce, shredded, 1 cup sliced olives, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 can chiles, 1 chopped avocado, and 1 cup chopped tomatoes.  Add the cooled meat and toss.  Smash a handful of taco chips and put them on a plate; add the tossed salad.  Couldn't be easier. I like it with 1000 Island dressing, salsa, and sour cream.  

I hope you all have an excellent week. -M.