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Weekday dinner inspiration: Spiced Lentils With Poached Eggs and more

 
Published Sept. 25, 2012

Mon | Meatless meal

It's Week 2 of my egg-on-top-of-things kick. I stumbled upon Spiced Lentils With Poached Eggs (recipe below) in the new Cooking Light and fell in love. It calls for red lentils, which are really orange and cook a bit quicker than other lentils. I sub the poached egg with a fried egg.

Tues | Glazed over

Sweeten the deal tonight with Honey-Barbecue Glazed Pork Chops served with mashed sweet potatoes. Mix the juice of 1 orange with a 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Pierce bone-in, center-cut chops in several places with a fork. Place in baking pan, pour sauce over them and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove chops, brush with honey barbecue sauce and broil for about 4 minutes. Drizzle with honey before serving. Make your own mashed sweet potatoes or buy them.

Wed | Rotisserie chicken

It may not feel like fall but the calendar says it is. So tonight, we celebrate autumn while wearing shorts and eating a bowl of Creamy Red Pepper and Chickpea Soup With Chicken, inspired by the latest Food & Wine magazine. In a blender, process a container of red pepper hummus (which is made of chickpeas) with 3 cups chicken stock until smooth. Add 1 cup of cooked rice and a cup of shredded rotisserie chicken. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Brush pita bread with olive oil mixed with minced garlic then toast until lightly crisped.

Thurs | Seafood bake

To make Shrimp and Feta Pasta, cook a package of orzo according to instructions. While that's cooking, saute 1 pound of peeled, uncooked large shrimp in olive oil and minced garlic. Remove from heat when just cooked. Mix drained, cooked orzo with shrimp and 1 can diced tomatoes, ½ cup of white wine, a couple of teaspoons of Greek seasoning and salt and pepper. Layer in lightly greased casserole and dot with feta cheese crumbles. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbly, about 12 minutes. Before serving, garnish with chopped, fresh parsley.

Fri | Here's the beef

Grilled Skirt Steak Tacos With Guacamole goes well with a fresh fruit salad and a mighty margarita on the rocks. It's Friday, after all. Season steak with salt and pepper and grill to your liking. Cut in thin strips across the grain, pile into small soft flour tortillas and then top with slices of avocado. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice. Simply delicious.

Janet K. Keeler can be reached at jkeeler@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8586.