Weeknight Dinners

Dinner on weeknights continues to be a challenge. I typically collapse into our apartment around 7:30 or 8 to a sink full of dishes, a fridge with ingredients that never seem to go together, and a voracious appetite. i.e. danger


In this past, this has often resulted in something like three spoonfuls of peanut butter, some pita chips with Turkish salad, an apple, and ice cream--consumed over a span of three hours--for dinner. And while this random snack combination may be deemed a "meal" in the caloric sense, it simply doesn't satiate like a home-cooked meal.


So Gus and I have decided to sit down and eat together every night (or as often as possible), whether we're making dinner or eating a can of soup. I know I've said this before, but we're really sticking to it this time! Perhaps now that we're 2-year-old New Yorkers we've come to truly value the wonderful simplicity and the importance of sitting down together and talking and eating without any distractions.


So tonight, I made a very simple meal from Epicurious: Spanish White Beans with Spinach. I love this recipe because it's quick, healthy, filling, and only requires 7 ingredients--most of which are inexpensive and/or pantry staples:

• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• 2 (19-ounces cans) cannellini beans
• 2 (10-ounces) bags spinach

I was pretty excited about the sweet smoked paprika, a.k.a. Pimenton de la Vera, Dulce. I picked some up at Kalutsyans (which deserves its own post) and it definitely lives up to its sexy-sounding name. Deep and red and sweet and smoky, the spice house tells us it's essential for authentic Spanish cooking: "Popular for dishes such as gratin of leafy greens and crispy potatoes, fish dishes, spinach and chickpea stew or bean dishes. A great way to add a smokey flavor with no heat."


So I was a little disappointed when the flavor didn't come through much in the dish. Next time I'll try adding some more. (Especially now that I have an entire bottle to go through.) Otherwise, I stuck to the recipe and served it with Chapati (Indian flatbread, homemade, from Kalutsyans). The dish was a little brothy for this type of accompaniment, but the tastes went well together. It would also be good served over basmati rice or couscous. Definitely going to tuck this one away for future rushed dinner nights.