Rainy Sunday Night Dinner

After a weekend of revelry and dancing, snow tubing and multiple meals out of the house, this rainy and tired Sunday called for a simplistic meal at the house.  The day broke with sort of a sleepy and inarticulate feeling of 'blah'.  I find Sundays to be something like this often, most especially in the winter.  As is the weather modus operandi of this wonderful city, one day it is nice and beautiful, the next it is rainy and chilly.  You'd think after all these years I'd be used to it.  Not to mention, I hail from the not-so-far-away state of New Jersey.  However, clearly, I am not yet used to this swinging pendulum of weather, which sometimes feels to swing my sentiments along with it. So, Sunday found me in jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt wandering about the cooking section of Borders bookstore, with a hefty old gift card in my pocket, looking for something, anything, to inspire me.  About 1 hour and 45 minutes into my two hour visit I found it.

I picked up several magazines: Donna Hay (love her), Real Simple (the cover page is ridiculously enticing right now) and The Best of America's Test Kitchen.  And I bought Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1.  A generous stack of Post It notes, a pen and a few hours at a coffee shop with a friend had me dozens of earmarked recipes and inspiration back!

The apartment to myself and wanting to just watch the latest episode of 30 Rock from On Demand, I found a recipe that involved ingredients I already had in the fridge and the glory of everything in the big blue pot in the oven.

Menu:

Pepper roasted chicken (#14) with mustard vinegar dressing (#15) over arugula

The recipe, with both parts, is from Donna Hay Magazine.  I've always found her to be an incredible cook, not to mention her cookbooks, photography, props and lighting included, are stunning to look at.  If you're not inspired by her presentation and simplicity, I'm not sure what will, in fact, inspire you.

The chicken was deliciously tender and moist, and I really think it is this pot.  I find it to be amazing in the way everything can cook well all nested together in one spot.  After quickly getting everything prepared, in the pot and in the oven, I pulled off my sneakers, caught up with my wonderful Mommy on the phone and waited for supper.  After piling it on the plate nicely, opening a Bud Light (I know, I know, I'm a classy lady), I settled into the couch for a nice night before falling asleep before 10pm.

Sundays really can be nice, no?

285 to go...