Fall Seasonal Simple Healthy Dinner for Two
Dine together, wherever. We finally have a dining room table, and we're excited to use it.
Disclosure: This post and contest opportunity are sponsored by Dietz & Watson. We're excited to bring a local DMV-er a chance to win this dinner for two in DC!
We have a dining room table. It's actually our first dining room table despite the fact we've lived together for about seven years now. Our first apartment had a bar in the kitchen and a coffee table. In our current house, we do have a dining room, but we finally found the table we wanted recently. That sucker was delivered and Chris set it up even though that room is not quite ready yet after renovations. And I love it. It's an enormous oak table that seats eight and for the two of us, we hemmed and hawed. We thought it might be just too big for what we need. Then we realized how much we are looking forward to the number of people we can invite over to cook with...and a table for eight seemed just right.
Growing up I always had an enormous dining room table. Even as a family of five, my parents had a dining room table that had leaves that could be added to seat twelve or fourteen, and we ate there ever night through high school. Yes. We were that family that ate together at the table. This freaked out many friends/significant others who typically did not eat with the family, nor at a table. So despite the discomfort many teenage guests shared, I do love that a table makes you focus on the present and enjoy people. Tables are good for social skills.
When you do "#choosethetable", you've set your intentions to spend quality time with your family and friends. Mealtime is just more meaningful when you're with people you like. I think that's why many people like to dine out: you focus on the food and the person across from you because you're in a different setting away from your TV... But you can do it at home. Don't get me wrong: I do love to cook and go all out, but sometimes it's better to find tools to make dining together happen. Shortcuts at the grocery are key. Everything does NOT need to be made from scratch. And a meal together can be anywhere, any time. Sometimes our 'dinner' together is really a big lunch. It's whatever works for you: just set the intention to spend time together and take whatever shortcuts you need.
NO WORK FALL DINNER FOR TWO
Herb Rotisserie Chicken:
make it no work: buy a cooked rotisserie chicken
- work it: use our easy whole roast chicken recipe
Fall Roasted Squash and Grain Salad:
make it no work: buy pre-cut fresh or frozen winter squash, toss in olive oil and roast. Buy microwavable grain pouches. Season all with salt and pepper and herbs. Toss to combine.
- work it: make our butternut burrata salad
Charcuterie Appetizer and Dessert Platter:
make it work: buy a baguette, empty your fridge and hit the fruit department along with the bulk bins! Be sure to stop and pick up a variety of DIetz & Watson cheeses that include something mild, something stronger and something creamy. Same goes for the Dietz & Watson meats. Pick up some sausage, some sopresata, or even some roast beef (perfect for lunch the next day). I also like to throw in a few dessert like things: there's chocolate but also macarons which are nice and bite sized.
work it: Make garlic cast iron skillet rolls, smoky spiced sumac cashews and round it out with the same as above! I like to work from a theme when I build these, so we went very 'fall' to balance sweet pears and grapes with spunky cheeses and meats.
How do you make meals happen together?
Dietitian Nutritionist and cookbook author sharing flavor-forward recipes and simplified science-driven wellness.
