Get in line, huh? Who isn’t making curry? Who doesn’t have a curry dish that they love and make time and again? [Uncomfortable silence]… me? I have been determined to find a curry that will keep my palate happy. Not amused, befuddled or bored, but genuinely satisfied. Like every bite was worthwhile and “I am so glad there is some left for lunch tomorrow satisfied.” The weeknight version of curry that in its ease to make—yet depth of flavor— can still cut it as a proud dish in front of guests.

This curry fixation has been the bane of my existence. Yes, I am being picky. There are many curry dishes out there that are absolutely adequate. They do the job, offer a bit of variety and leave you wondering: what was it I had for dinner again? Yes, they made that sort of [non] impression. I even turned to my usual kitchen friends: Barefoot Contessa, Nigella and Jamie Oliver. All decent curries, and great for wrapping my mind around classic Indian spices and what ‘usual ingredients’ go into curry. (What’s For Lunch offers a helpful overview of curries).

I even have pretty pictures of those curries that I made, not that you would see them (hey, if I am not going to make them again/see them again, why should you?). And you wonder why I don’t post every day? I am busy making and remaking curry (I mean, you can only have curry so many times before you need to ‘just step away from the pan’): to finally deliver a sentilating concoction to my palate, this blog and your table.

My latest was to ask a friend, who loves cooking, whose father loves cooking. He emailed the family curry recipe (one that has evolved and changed over the years, and in a family with piles upon piles of good cooks, I figured their unified tweaking probably lands this curry in the finish zone). Besides, we aren’t sure if I am a good curry tweaker anyway.

What I loved about this curry? EASY to make, and you start with just chicken and can add/or not whatever veggies slide your way (which is great for picky kiddos):

Chicken Curry
Chicken tenders
Olive oil
Butter
2 T Pataks Curry Paste
¾ cup vermouth
1 T curry powder
1 small jar major gray chutney (this makes it a little spicy)
2 T sour cream

Sautee chicken, mix in paste. Remove chicken; deglaze with vermouth or chicken broth, simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken, 1 T curry powder, chutney and simmer. Off heat and stir in 2 T sour cream.

Optional add-ons: garlic, potatoes, coconut milk, green beans, salt and pepper, cilantro.

My tweak: Trader Joe’s has this frozen bag of organic green vegetables called Greens with Envy (edamame, spinach, asparagus tips, peas, green beans, broccoli) that I defrost with lukewarm water in a strainer, then add to the curry in the last few minutes just enough to warm them. I love all the green in there, it adds such a nice color and freshness. Or green beans on the side is great, especially if your kids need them ’separated.’ No worries if you don’t have Trader Joe’s (whimper, sniff): last I checked, most grocers carry greens!

Important note: can you say default dinner? Oh yeah!

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You know I am a sucker for easy meals—the kind my family will eat again and again—so no shock should register on your face when I bring you yet another easy to make, family pleasing recipe.I was tipped off to this easy recipe via… Kristen’s Dine and Dish… who got it from Kirsten’s Home Cooking. Ah, the power of the net landing on tables all around. I love it:

Hoisin Ginger Pork
1 Lb Pork Loin
Kosher Salt & Coarse Pepper (KSCP)
1 T fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 T soy
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T sesame oil
4 green onions

Salt and pepper roast, sautee in olive oil over medium high to brown all sides, about a minute per side (I count four sides). Roast in 400 oven for 20 minutes (I splashed with a few T of chicken broth). Use the same pan, adding first the ginger for a minute over medium, then all other ingredients except the onions. Simmer for 20 minutes, off heat and add sliced spring onions. (Oh, and once you pull the pork from the oven, pour any accumulated juices into the sauce just before it is done simmering). Let pork rest 10 minutes under a foil tent, slice and serve with sauce.

I was afraid to try my hand at veal scallopini. I think I was intimidated to attempt this restaurant stalwart, the ‘unavoidable signature dish’ that reflects the caliber of food at a given restaurant.

To gauge an Italian restaurant, I order—with a mix of trepidation and genuine anticipation—veal scallopini. Or in a pinch, I order the other ’standard Italian’ dish: lasagna (somewhere in my head I hear my husband’s voice: standard and Italian don’t belong in the same breath—it’s an oxymoron! One guess on his heritage.).

Do you do that as well? You walk into a new restaurant—one tied to a particular culinary tradition—and order what is considered the standard, classic, staple [and ideally specialty] entree, since it so stereotypically represents the culinary barometer from, in this case, Italy.

If the lasagna tastes blah, with overcooked pasta and rubbery cheese and ‘how do you ruin red sauce?’, chances are the rest of the menu falls under the ‘blander side of life.’ But if the lasagna melts in your mouth, has award-winning red sauce, fresh noodles, and quality cheese that can hold its own, it may be safe to bet that all dishes are crafted with the utmost care as if for a king (or a non-standard Italian).

So it is with veal. And who am I to take on this ultimate, bar-setting, easily-critiqued culinary feat?

I tried it—and who knew? Found that a simple version is quite easy to make, and the melt-in-your-mouth flavors far outweigh the efforts to plate and put this lemony gem on the table. Even my fourth grader adored it: the veal was tender, the flavors rich yet citrusy with a certain sophistication ushered in by the capers. Steamed or roasted vegetables and some focaccia to sop up the extra sauce makes for a simply prepared, quick to make meal (and just may beckon the status of ‘default dinner’).

And who knows? Maybe at some point, not too long from now, I will venture to make veal marsala?

Veal Scallopini w/lemon and capers
serves 4.

4 scallopini (1/4 - 1/2 inch thick)
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
3-4 T flour
1 lemon (or 2 cubes of lemon juice)
2 T capers, rinsed of brine
2/3 - 1 cup chicken broth
optional: 1/3 cup white wine
optional: 1 T butter
KS&CP (kosher salt & course pepper)

Lightly coat scallopini by dipping into and shaking off flour. Heat skillet over medium high, pouring in 2 T oil and 2 T butter. When almost smoking, add scallopini (two rounds is fine, as they won’t all fit at once, add more oil and butter if needed). Cook one minute per side until browned, place under foil on plate to keep warm. When finished cooking veal, using same pan, pour in broth and wine and simmer until reduced by half (about 15 minutes). Off heat, stir in juice from half a lemon (slice other half into wedges to serve on dinner plate), the capers, 1 T of butter if using and KS&CP to taste. Pour over veal and serve.

So what is a default dinner you ask? Here is a hint: another default dinner is the Buttermilk Parmesan Chicken.

Here is the answer: a cheesy way for me to say: ‘even a kid could make it,’ or ‘5 minutes of effort for 50 minutes of praise,’ or ‘meals that make themselves,’ or my favorite: ‘weak-night’ meals—for nights when you are out of time, energy and ideas to answer ‘what’s for dinner?’

Default dinners are how I describe the 10 [or so] meals that I—or you, or anyone else—come back to time and again, week after week, night after night. It is a standard list of entrees that I keep making because I already know they are fail-proof meals for my family.

I was taken with the idea that my 10 are different from your 10 are different from your neighbors or sister’s or friend’s 10. It made me realize there are a lot of delicious standbys—defaults if you will—that grace the tabletops of people like you and I: people in a hurry, with a full schedule, trying to balance everything, perhaps raising children, working too many hours and maybe playing too few. Some nights we may be inspired to pull 25 ingredients together to perform a masterpiece meal. But probably not every night, in fact I am thrilled if that happens once a week (most likely for a dinner party).

So when I am not performing a chef-worthy marathon or aiming for an ‘honorary mention,’ I am cooking one of my favorite, easy, brainless, faultless meals. (Thanks to this blog and my perpetual curiosity, I am always pushing myself to try to lengthen, add to and adjust my default dinner list: by trying new recipes and asking friends for theirs).

Entrees that make the cut become default dinners. Honestly: I probably make anywhere from 2-6 new recipes for every one that appears on this blog. No, I don’t blog about all my mishaps or what this recipe ‘could have been.’ I post recipes that are worthy of my table, make the grade and gain small-time notoriety on my own humble default list.

In fact, this recent addition to my default list sort of came as a surprise. It turned out great, much better than I could have hoped for. AND of course, it meets the default requirements of taking little to no time, little to no thinking, and minimal ingredients:

Sausages & Sweet Roasted Peppers
Italian sausages
6 oz. - 1 lb baby bell peppers
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Cut sausages in half lengthwise. Slice baby bells into halves or thirds. Place on cookie sheet; lube all with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Place sausages cut side up. Roast at 450 for 35 minutes.

Note: baby bells are mini sweet bell peppers, and now come in a small container with mixed red, orange and yellow baby bells. They are so sweet and yummy when roasted! Pull out a bottle of fruity red wine, maybe add in a green salad and a lovely baguette.

Default disclaimer: sometimes the 5 minutes will mean the macaroni and cheese or sausage lasagna are already made and waiting in my freezer. Though at one point it took a little extra time and more than a few ingredients, it maintains its safe spot on my default list because 1. I usually make multiple at a time (so I can eat one and freeze a few), 2. when it is time for dinner, the work is already done (no thought, no time required), and 3. my family loves it.

So easy! And when the brain is going on fumes in deciding ‘what’s for dinner,’ this round of chicken is the perfect answer. In fact, as I write this, my 11 year old son is in the kitchen making this.

There are days… and sometimes weeks, where my kitchen repertoire and responsibilities go on autopilot. This is when I reach for my list of tried-and-true, never-be-blue dishes.

Meals that are easy, take little brainpower, use minimal energy and are often quick to assemble. No doubt you have such standbys? This should be a coveted list! Harbored by the kitchen master in times of hassle and hurry, displayed easily yet eloquently to the table top, the look of labor, extensive effort and of love… and how brilliant that this recipe—in my default repertoire—is so accessible that my son can make it!

So I have time to write about it. Usually, I just throw together a salad, easy broccoli or any variety of roasted vegetables with this Buttermilk Parmesan Chicken. Sometimes I add a nice loaf of Tuscan bread with olive oil and kosher salt for dipping. Dinner is served, consumed and cleaned up just in time for us to rush off to the next endeavor. In this case: basketball practice. For the next time you need an easy meal or very nearly a night off:

Buttermilk Parmesan Chicken Tenders
1 cup buttermilk
12-18 chicken tenders
1 cup Parmesan
1 1/2- 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2-4 T olive oil

Heat oven to 500. Place tenders in bowl, cover with buttermilk and let rest 15-30 minutes. Combine Parmesan, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning in another bowl. Using tongs dip tenders into mix and lay on cookie sheet. Drizzle tenders with olive oil (approx. 1 tsp per tender). Bake 12 minutes. 18 tenders serves 6 (I plan on 3 tenders per appetite; adjust as needed!).