The other night my wife surprised me with a barbecue chicken meal. I say surprised because it was the first time she’d made it. It was delicious. No surprise there since she cooks pretty amazing things for me and the family. During the weekend, I return the favor by cooking the Saturday meal. My kids like it as does my wife.
Freedom Friday is not the same if I don’t talk about food in some form or another. Today makes no exception.
Some of my favorite meals my wife makes are the simple ones with lots of flavor. For instance, during those cold winter nights when the heat cuts in every two minutes and the snow piles high outside our front door, she’ll dedicate a good portion of her time making all sorts of soup. Squash soup, heavy on the hot pepper, is a regular treat for dinner. It lights up the palate and soothes the chills from the bitter wind blowing from the Arctic. Broccoli soup is another one of her specialties. I don’t know what she puts in it to get it so creamy, but I have to say it’s so good.
Although not a meal, my wife has taken to making batches of Greek Tzatziki sauce. It’s a yogurt-based sauce with bits of cucumber and lots of garlic in the mix. We use it to dip fries, chicken and pita bread in it. I can only describe the flavor as divine. The creamy richness of the sauce provides the meal a missing element of flavor that few sauces can compare. Simply outstanding.
My wife also cooks the traditional Italian dishes for our family. Pasta sauce and meatballs is a staple in our diet. Our typical Tuesday night meal consists of lots of pasta—penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, etc.—drenched with her homemade sauce and lots of spicy meat as part of the plate. She’ll add salad and vegetables as side dishes, but her salads are meals in themselves. Standard ingredients in her salads are sliced cucumbers, chunks of feta cheese and at times, Greek olives. I suppose you might call it a Greek salad with a little something to boot.
My Saturday meals can be anything. I’ve been on a curry kick lately, making everything from curry chicken to any meat with curry in there. I have a handful of ingredients I use on a regular basis to bring out the flavor of the meat in a wild and exciting way (coconut milk, curry, garlic, onion, salt, black and cayenne pepper).
I’ll sometimes make lamb as a special treat on a long weekend. I love my garlic, so I’ll mince garlic in the lamb, add olive oil, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard to give it an extra kick. I don’t want to brag—oh, why not—it’s one of the best dishes I enjoy making and eating with the family.
Lastly, the best part about our meals is sitting together as a family and talking about our day. Nothing quite beats that.
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What foods do you enjoy making or eating? Do you also have recipes you like having for special occasions?
Looking to God 
Before I met my future wife, I thought opening a can of chili and heating it in the microwave was cooking.
You mean it wasn’t? 😉
I always like hearing about your family meals, Jack. I can’t think of a more wholesome, nutritious, and loving way to embrace both the life-affirming nutrients of this earth and your loved ones. I live the same way, and love it. 😀
Hi, Jack! I make a pretty brutal tuna noodle casserole. I make up these special Amish noodles first, then in the pot I mix Cream of Mushrooms , milk, tuna, some parm cheese, onion powder, Jack’s Creole Seasoning, and then maybe a couple more if I am in the mood, and some butter. Sometimes I put some mixed veggies in there like cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, and I have even cut up Brussel Sprouts too. I let it thicken up and warm up and then I put it in this nice little red casserole dish my Mom got us for Christmas from Pampered Chef, put the lid on it. After the oven is preheated to 350F, I cook if for about 15-20 minutes with the lid on. I may have sprinkled bacon bits prior to putting it in the oven but not always. It is a quick, delicious meal to have occasionally.
Your meal looks tasty too! We eat a lot of BBQ chicken round here, especially during the summer when we grill out.
Sounds great, Heather! Anything with mushrooms and broccoli, I’m there!
That looks good. I’m trying to vary what I cook, but it tends to fall back to simple, Italian, or Asian dishes. My best is still the homemade vodka sauce. Though a Bourbon Chicken dish that I started making a month ago is getting up there.
Oh, lord. Greek olives, Greek anything. I then regard it as fantastic, nothing less. Culinary art, sir, CULINARY ART.
Absolutely, Zathra. I share your sentiments–and your appetite!
I like to pretend I can cook, but really I’m just a master of turning random items plucked from an overstuffed (and random) pantry and making something that isn’t poison. Though I am proud of my “lasagna”; ground beef, mushrooms, onion soup mix, cottage cheese and about 3 pounds of Fiesta Blend shredded cheese. (Me and tomato sauces don’t get along so well.)
I’d do my lamb chops more often (which, with the exception of adding a few shots of Jack Daniels to the marinade, feature similar ingredients to yours), but the meat doesn’t come cheap around here and I can’t justify spending $18+ on the chops alone, before sides and such.
Lamb is especially expensive here, too. But it’s something we have during those special occasions when no other dish can quite compare!