Welcome to “G’s Kitchen”

No…I haven’t decided to abandon journalism to go into the restaurant business.

After long days of working in the city..my wife Karen takes great care of me and sees to it that i have a fabulous meal when I get home.  We’re not complicated here.  My wife always tells me when it comes to meals, “I do simple well.”  but the meals are always great!

Some weeks ago..I decided to return the favor.  So, on my weekday off day, I open up what I call ‘G’s Kitchen’..and make a meal for her..because she works long days from here at home.

Part of the challenge for me is not going back to old habits.  My wife has called me the “Crock Pot King” because I have done many a meal in the slow cooker (but I did go back to the familiar for one of them).  The other challenge is my wife doesn’t do a lot of meat (beef, pork, etc.) so it’s a test for me to see what I can come up with.

One of the meals I was most proud of was the pizza I made…well, sort of.”

It’s really just a store-bought cheese pizza..but Kalamata olives, marinated mushrooms and feta cheese placed on before baking put it over the top.  My thanks to Whole Foods for the ingredients.

I did go back to my crock pot roots for this tortellini dish.

The vodka sauce goes in the slow cooker along with fresh mushrooms and oregano.  Again..my wife is getting away from meat.  A company called Gardein makes a ‘beefless ground’ that — if you season it right — you’d never know the difference. Set the crock pot on high for 3.5 hours.  Add in store-bought tortellini of your choice for the last 15 minutes to warm through and …Viola!

One of the more recent meals had a daunting centerpiece:  swordfish.

I seasoned the fish and put each one in a foil packet to steam in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes.   Whole Foods again came through with zucchini noodles, marinated mushrooms and artichokes that I put together.  It turned out great.

I’m not a cook.  But..every time I can make my Karen a meal she can enjoy after her hard day at work..and it puts a smile on her face..my work in ‘G’s Kitchen’ is well worth it.

By the way…a glass of wine with dinner never hurts either.