The Dinner Project in Action

It's the heart of winter here in Minnesota, and the house projects have taken a back seat to weekends of skiing, seeing family and curling up in the basement with friends to sew and knit.

So I thought I'd entertain you with a few of the things I've been feeding these poor people that I cajole into coming over to fulfill my weekly quota.

Corn and Roasted Pepper Soup with Pepper Jack Quesadillas

Made with:

Corn and Roasted Pepper soup from Trader Joe's

Tortillas

Shredded pepper jack cheese

Butter

Avocado

Sour Cream

Cilantro

Mexican crumbling cheese (I get mine at Midtown Global Market)

Kale Chips

Variations of these have been all over the blogosphere this year, but I love them best with sea salt, garlic powder and parmesan cheese shaken over olive oil-covered pieces of dinosaur kale. Pop 'em in the oven for about 12 minutes at 375, and you have a healthy snack that satisfies the "I need something crunchy and salty" craving. In fact, you'll probably want to make two pans... they kind of disappear once people get over the fact they're eating baked kale.

Lentil and Spinach Salad

This is one of my new favorite recipes - I've served it at least three times in the last few weeks. I made it up one night when I made last-minute dinner plans and didn't have time to stop at the grocery store. I had these amazing pre-cooked lentils from (you guessed it) Trader Joe's, and I warmed them up then spooned them over a bed of baby spinach leaves. I threw some feta cheese on top, and made a simple dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and minced garlic. It's a great salad for a cold winter evening.

Friends and family have also helped me with this project by introducing me to two amazing desserts - both happen to be new takes on old classics... Pies in a Jar and Cake Balls. The photos alone make me hungry, and believe me, they're just as good in real life:

Top: Peach Pie in a Jar, courtesy of Betsey

Bottom: Red Velvet Cake Balls (covered in white and dark chocolate), courtesy of Maria

I don't know the exact recipes, but I can tell you that they're both delicious. The pies are perfect for making ahead of time and keeping in the freezer, and the Cake Balls are some magical mixture of cake and frosting dipped in melted chocolate.

And with that, I'm off to cook spaghetti with some friends because they're saying we'll get 12-18" of snow today and tonight. Nothing says spaghetti and wine like a snow storm.

xoxo

L