This week's plan: We have half a chicken left over from last week's roast chicken (we bought a whole chicken, split, and so there's half still in the freezer.) and we have white beans, split peas and red beans left over from other recipes, so several of these recipes are here to use up those ingredients. I used to make the "Mexican" casserole with rice, but this time I'm going to try it with quinoa for more protein and a different texture. We'll see how it turns out. The Husband, of course, requested Husband Soup, and also the tilapia, which is one of his favorite weeknight dinners.
Husband Soup
"Mexican" Quinoa Casserole
Bean and Kale Soup
Tilapia and Asparagus
Roast Chicken with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Wilted Greens
Eggplant Almond Enchiladas
This recipe is modified from several I found online, and I think it is easy and delicious! I was pleased with the flavor of the eggplant and the texture of the almonds, and the sauce is easy and delicious... so much healthier and better than store-bought! This is a little time and effort-intensive, but it is totally worth it. In fact, I am always looking for gluten-free and vegetarian recipes for entertaining, and this one is a keeper!
Eggplant Almond Enchiladas
Nouns:
1 eggplant, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beer
2 medium onions, diced
12 corn tortillas
olive oil
Verbs:
Preheat the oven to 350. In a large saucepan, saute half the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, beer and half the garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or pan, saute the other half of the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the eggplant and cover, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. Uncover and add the remaining garlic, stirring for another 3-5 minutes. Then, take the sauce mixture off the heat and puree it with a stick blender or by carefully pouring into a regular blender. Grease a 9-13 baking dish. Take the eggplant mixture off the heat and add the almonds and cheese, then stir to combine. Add about 1/4 cup of filling mixture to each tortilla, then roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. After all the mixture and tortillas have been arranged in the dish, pour the sauce over the top and bake for 15 minutes, or until bubbly. Eat! Yummm!
Eggplant Almond Enchiladas
Nouns:
1 eggplant, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beer
2 medium onions, diced
12 corn tortillas
olive oil
Verbs:
Preheat the oven to 350. In a large saucepan, saute half the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, beer and half the garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or pan, saute the other half of the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add the eggplant and cover, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. Uncover and add the remaining garlic, stirring for another 3-5 minutes. Then, take the sauce mixture off the heat and puree it with a stick blender or by carefully pouring into a regular blender. Grease a 9-13 baking dish. Take the eggplant mixture off the heat and add the almonds and cheese, then stir to combine. Add about 1/4 cup of filling mixture to each tortilla, then roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. After all the mixture and tortillas have been arranged in the dish, pour the sauce over the top and bake for 15 minutes, or until bubbly. Eat! Yummm!
Finally Feeling Better
I have been sick for two weeks. I had strep throat for a week, and since I finished my antibiotics I have been struggling with the residuals; cough, sinus pain, congestion... just a general feeling of yuck. I have been exhausted and barely able to get through the day most days, and though I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I am wondering how long it'll take to get back to 100%. Hopefully, not too much longer.
As a result of all the sickness, I haven't been myself... I haven't been doing the things that keep me sane and happy, or really doing anything but going to work and going to bed. I had brief moments of feeling better last weekend before the sinus pain set in, and I got to see some friends, but mostly, I have been a blob going from work to bed and back again. Worse, I haven't run in two weeks! Two! I feel really weak and unenergized and it is kind of amazing that I am still standing, because running is how I manage my anxiety, how I center myself, how I feel strong and confident and reaffirm my own sense of Me-ness, and these last two weeks have had plenty of emotional sucker punches in them. I have had to practice the fine arts of letting go, delegating, and acceptance, and well, I suck at them. I totally suck. So it's been really difficult, even to do the little things like admit I don't have energy to make dinner.
Tonight I cooked. It was awesome. I really haven't cooked in two weeks, and so tonight I made some buttermilk roasted chicken, some kale wilted in garlic and white wine, and some crispy roast potatoes. The house is all warm and smells lovely, my belly is full and I feel content. Tired, but recuperating. It's good to be getting back to myself.
As a result of all the sickness, I haven't been myself... I haven't been doing the things that keep me sane and happy, or really doing anything but going to work and going to bed. I had brief moments of feeling better last weekend before the sinus pain set in, and I got to see some friends, but mostly, I have been a blob going from work to bed and back again. Worse, I haven't run in two weeks! Two! I feel really weak and unenergized and it is kind of amazing that I am still standing, because running is how I manage my anxiety, how I center myself, how I feel strong and confident and reaffirm my own sense of Me-ness, and these last two weeks have had plenty of emotional sucker punches in them. I have had to practice the fine arts of letting go, delegating, and acceptance, and well, I suck at them. I totally suck. So it's been really difficult, even to do the little things like admit I don't have energy to make dinner.
Tonight I cooked. It was awesome. I really haven't cooked in two weeks, and so tonight I made some buttermilk roasted chicken, some kale wilted in garlic and white wine, and some crispy roast potatoes. The house is all warm and smells lovely, my belly is full and I feel content. Tired, but recuperating. It's good to be getting back to myself.
In Defense of Justin Bieber
Of all the many many objectionable things on the internet, and oh there are many, one has been bothering me quite a bit recently: Justin Bieber Memes. For some reason, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc, are all full of memes to the effect that Justin Bieber is a girl. And that is ha ha ha hilarious. Except it isn't. This post would be more reader friendly if I linked to allllll those memes, but I don't want to support them, give them clicks, or make their authors think anyone cares. If you want to see them, use the Google.
First, calling boys girls like that is a bad thing is just a really tired and ridiculous trope. Some boys are more masculine and some are more feminine and there's nothing shameful or immoral or wrong about being either way. There's nothing inherently bad about femininity for men or women. It shocks me regularly that I have to explain that to otherwise educated and intelligent people (I'm looking at you, co-worker who thinks it's hilarious to mock men who play "girly" sports) that being a girl is just as good as being a boy, and being a boy who has some girly traits or a girl with some boyish traits is likewise hunky dory. Seriously. If you are not on board with that very simple proposition, just don't talk to me. At all. Thanks.
But, more importantly, Justin Bieber is an almost totally harmless teenage popstar. He's not a horrible example for kids in terms of drugs, violence, etc. He sings obnoxious catchy songs and lots of teenage and tweenage girls like him, probably because he is a little femme; he's cute, unthreatening and seems sweet. If you hate his music, fine. If you hate his fashion, fine. If you want to mock his unbearable singing voice, carry on. But mocking him because you think he is too girly is sending a bad message to girls and to boys: that boys have to be masculine to be valuable, and that being like a girl is a shameful, disgusting, bad thing. And girls will wonder what is so incredibly awful about being, well, like them.
And I'm here to say there is absolutely nothing wrong them. Nothing at all.
If you really want to turn your internetly mockery against a popstar who is a shame to masculinity, may I direct your attention to Chris Brown?
First, calling boys girls like that is a bad thing is just a really tired and ridiculous trope. Some boys are more masculine and some are more feminine and there's nothing shameful or immoral or wrong about being either way. There's nothing inherently bad about femininity for men or women. It shocks me regularly that I have to explain that to otherwise educated and intelligent people (I'm looking at you, co-worker who thinks it's hilarious to mock men who play "girly" sports) that being a girl is just as good as being a boy, and being a boy who has some girly traits or a girl with some boyish traits is likewise hunky dory. Seriously. If you are not on board with that very simple proposition, just don't talk to me. At all. Thanks.
But, more importantly, Justin Bieber is an almost totally harmless teenage popstar. He's not a horrible example for kids in terms of drugs, violence, etc. He sings obnoxious catchy songs and lots of teenage and tweenage girls like him, probably because he is a little femme; he's cute, unthreatening and seems sweet. If you hate his music, fine. If you hate his fashion, fine. If you want to mock his unbearable singing voice, carry on. But mocking him because you think he is too girly is sending a bad message to girls and to boys: that boys have to be masculine to be valuable, and that being like a girl is a shameful, disgusting, bad thing. And girls will wonder what is so incredibly awful about being, well, like them.
And I'm here to say there is absolutely nothing wrong them. Nothing at all.
If you really want to turn your internetly mockery against a popstar who is a shame to masculinity, may I direct your attention to Chris Brown?
Easy Corn Chowder
Easy Corn Chowder
Makes 6-8 servings, great for a potluck.
(Adapted from Nigella)
Nouns-
20 oz frozen sweet corn (2 bags)
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
6 scallions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
23 oz (one carton) vegetable stock
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cilantro.
Verbs-
Saute the scallions, garlic and jalapenos in the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until fragrant and beginning to caramelize. Add in the other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the mixture off the heat. If you don't have an immersion blender, then very carefully pour the mixture into a blender and puree in small batches. Return to the stove top over low heat and serve with tortilla chips, chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.
Makes 6-8 servings, great for a potluck.
(Adapted from Nigella)
Nouns-
20 oz frozen sweet corn (2 bags)
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
6 scallions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
23 oz (one carton) vegetable stock
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cilantro.
Verbs-
Saute the scallions, garlic and jalapenos in the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until fragrant and beginning to caramelize. Add in the other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the mixture off the heat. If you don't have an immersion blender, then very carefully pour the mixture into a blender and puree in small batches. Return to the stove top over low heat and serve with tortilla chips, chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.
Tips and Tricks- frozen fruit edition
I haven't done a helpful hints type post in a while, so here are a few tips from my kitchen.
Freezing Bananas
For years I have taken bananas going a bit too ripe and popped them in the freezer for banana bread, where they'd freeze solid and turn all black and be so unappetizing that I rarely got around to making banana bread out of them. Boo. Thanks to an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats, though, I realized there is a much better way. Now, the Husband and I buy large bunches of bananas on sale, and when they are getting too ripe to finish off before they go bad, we cup them into 1-inch slices to freeze. We've found that laying them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours and then popping them in a zip-top bag makes them not stick together, so you easily have as much or as little banana as you need for a particular recipe.
Day-ahead Smoothie Prep
The Husband and I are both really into smoothies right now, and so we have been experimenting with our favorite ingredients and techniques. We both use a mixture of frozen/fresh ingredients, but we've found with the addition of the frozen banana chunks from the above tip that they can be a bit of a chore to actually Blend in the morning. So, the easy solution is to put all your smoothie ingredients, fresh, frozen and liquid, into the blender carafe the night before and pop the whole thing in the fridge. That gives the frozen stuff enough time to defrost a bit so that you can just pop the whole thing on the blender base and whip it up no problem in the morning. If, however, your carafe doesn't fit in your fridge, like ours doesn't, you can put all your ingredients in your smoothie travel cup, pop that in the fridge, then in the morning pour that into the blender to blend and back into the cup to take with you... no extra dirty dishes that way.
Cocktail Garnishes
A few weeks ago, for a party, I made a TON of lemon twists and brought them to the party to garnish the cocktails with. However, we didn't use them all, and I feared I'd wasted all that work. On a whim, I popped them in the freezer. And... voila! Not quite as good as fresh, but it's fantastic to grab a bottle of vodka or gin from the freezer, shake up a cocktail, and have a twist ready without busting out the peeler.
Freezing Bananas
For years I have taken bananas going a bit too ripe and popped them in the freezer for banana bread, where they'd freeze solid and turn all black and be so unappetizing that I rarely got around to making banana bread out of them. Boo. Thanks to an episode of Alton Brown's Good Eats, though, I realized there is a much better way. Now, the Husband and I buy large bunches of bananas on sale, and when they are getting too ripe to finish off before they go bad, we cup them into 1-inch slices to freeze. We've found that laying them out on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours and then popping them in a zip-top bag makes them not stick together, so you easily have as much or as little banana as you need for a particular recipe.
Day-ahead Smoothie Prep
The Husband and I are both really into smoothies right now, and so we have been experimenting with our favorite ingredients and techniques. We both use a mixture of frozen/fresh ingredients, but we've found with the addition of the frozen banana chunks from the above tip that they can be a bit of a chore to actually Blend in the morning. So, the easy solution is to put all your smoothie ingredients, fresh, frozen and liquid, into the blender carafe the night before and pop the whole thing in the fridge. That gives the frozen stuff enough time to defrost a bit so that you can just pop the whole thing on the blender base and whip it up no problem in the morning. If, however, your carafe doesn't fit in your fridge, like ours doesn't, you can put all your ingredients in your smoothie travel cup, pop that in the fridge, then in the morning pour that into the blender to blend and back into the cup to take with you... no extra dirty dishes that way.
Cocktail Garnishes
A few weeks ago, for a party, I made a TON of lemon twists and brought them to the party to garnish the cocktails with. However, we didn't use them all, and I feared I'd wasted all that work. On a whim, I popped them in the freezer. And... voila! Not quite as good as fresh, but it's fantastic to grab a bottle of vodka or gin from the freezer, shake up a cocktail, and have a twist ready without busting out the peeler.
BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes
I made this in the crock this week, and it was delicious and easy. It would also be rather adaptable to variety of flavor combinations if you want to get creative!
Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes
Nouns-
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cups of BBQ sauce (I used a this one, which is AWESOME)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-4 tbsp stock or water
tin foil
2-3 baker potatoes
Optional Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chives, bacon bits, etc.
Verbs-
Fill the bottom of your crockpot with the chicken, sauce, onions and liquid, flipping the chicken a few times to be sure it's all coated and submerged in the sauce. Then, cover that mixture with a sheet of tinfoil and gently nestle your potatoes on top so that they are not touching the sauce. You can wrap your potatoes in foil, too, if you like. If you discover at the last minute, like I did, that you are out of foil, you can construct potato stilts out of chopsticks to prop your potatoes out of the sauce, and your husband will think you are crazy or a genius depending on your husband. Cook this on low for 6-8 hours. I cooked mine longer because of my commute, and it was just fine, though the sauce got a little more browned than it needed to. Remove the potatoes and foil from the crock and shred the chicken with two forks, until you have a saucy, delicious shredded BBQ chicken mixture. Serve each potato split open with a generous scoop of BBQ chicken on it, and other toppings as desired. Quick, easy, delicious.
Crockpot Shredded BBQ Chicken Baked Potatoes
Nouns-
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cups of BBQ sauce (I used a this one, which is AWESOME)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-4 tbsp stock or water
tin foil
2-3 baker potatoes
Optional Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chives, bacon bits, etc.
Verbs-
Fill the bottom of your crockpot with the chicken, sauce, onions and liquid, flipping the chicken a few times to be sure it's all coated and submerged in the sauce. Then, cover that mixture with a sheet of tinfoil and gently nestle your potatoes on top so that they are not touching the sauce. You can wrap your potatoes in foil, too, if you like. If you discover at the last minute, like I did, that you are out of foil, you can construct potato stilts out of chopsticks to prop your potatoes out of the sauce, and your husband will think you are crazy or a genius depending on your husband. Cook this on low for 6-8 hours. I cooked mine longer because of my commute, and it was just fine, though the sauce got a little more browned than it needed to. Remove the potatoes and foil from the crock and shred the chicken with two forks, until you have a saucy, delicious shredded BBQ chicken mixture. Serve each potato split open with a generous scoop of BBQ chicken on it, and other toppings as desired. Quick, easy, delicious.
Tengo Mocos!
I rarely get sick, but I have been fighting a cold all week, and this morning it finally got me. I woke up with a sore throat and some stuffiness, and so I had a quiet work from home day with my usual home cold remedies.
First, I am a big believer in liquids. I don't know if there's any medical evidence that drinking fluids all day helps you get well faster, but I do it anyway because that's what my mom always said to do, and then I can punctuate my dull sick day with lots of trips to the bathroom. Neat! I also try to get lots of vitamin C, but since I'm less enthused about most vitamin tablets these days, I try to get it from food sources.
A frozen smoothie was a great solution for both the sore throat and Vitamin C needs, so I blended up a bunch of frozen mango, frozen banana and tangerine juice. Plenty of C and other goodies, and the cold felt great on my throat.
After that I went with a series of crunchy hippie home remedies that might do nothing but soothe my symptoms, but they sure do soothe! First, for the throat, I went with a licorice root tea. Lots of brands sell a variety of "throat coat" teas, and I generally use one of those rather than going to the herb store and buying licorice root and blending my own. I also made a few of my favorite feel-better toddies: a cup of chamomile tea with a tsp of honey, a tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a splash of apple-cider vinegar. There are people out there who believe that you can cure anything from pneumonia to cancer with apple cider vinegar, and while I do not have quite that much faith in it, I do find that it opens up my congestion and makes me feel very good in this toddy. Yay!
I also drank my body weight in seltzer water, not because I think it helps cure colds, but because I love that stuff and I use our soda maker to fizz up a bottle every few hours when I am home.
Also, totally unrelated anecdote: one of my favorite Spanish phrases is the one used to say that you are congested: Tengo mocos! Literally translated, it means "I have mucus" and for some reason that has always tickled my fancy. My sister and I both like to say in whiny voices "Tengo mocos! Tengo mocos!" when we are sick. Yes, we are super duper weird. But kind of cute in a mucus-y way.
Perhaps I should go to bed now.
First, I am a big believer in liquids. I don't know if there's any medical evidence that drinking fluids all day helps you get well faster, but I do it anyway because that's what my mom always said to do, and then I can punctuate my dull sick day with lots of trips to the bathroom. Neat! I also try to get lots of vitamin C, but since I'm less enthused about most vitamin tablets these days, I try to get it from food sources.
A frozen smoothie was a great solution for both the sore throat and Vitamin C needs, so I blended up a bunch of frozen mango, frozen banana and tangerine juice. Plenty of C and other goodies, and the cold felt great on my throat.
After that I went with a series of crunchy hippie home remedies that might do nothing but soothe my symptoms, but they sure do soothe! First, for the throat, I went with a licorice root tea. Lots of brands sell a variety of "throat coat" teas, and I generally use one of those rather than going to the herb store and buying licorice root and blending my own. I also made a few of my favorite feel-better toddies: a cup of chamomile tea with a tsp of honey, a tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a splash of apple-cider vinegar. There are people out there who believe that you can cure anything from pneumonia to cancer with apple cider vinegar, and while I do not have quite that much faith in it, I do find that it opens up my congestion and makes me feel very good in this toddy. Yay!
I also drank my body weight in seltzer water, not because I think it helps cure colds, but because I love that stuff and I use our soda maker to fizz up a bottle every few hours when I am home.
Also, totally unrelated anecdote: one of my favorite Spanish phrases is the one used to say that you are congested: Tengo mocos! Literally translated, it means "I have mucus" and for some reason that has always tickled my fancy. My sister and I both like to say in whiny voices "Tengo mocos! Tengo mocos!" when we are sick. Yes, we are super duper weird. But kind of cute in a mucus-y way.
Perhaps I should go to bed now.
This week's meal plan:
Buttermilk Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Salad
Chard and White Bean Stew
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Beet Salad
Mac and Cheese!
Buttermilk Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Salad
Chard and White Bean Stew
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Beet Salad
Mac and Cheese!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
I just realized when I posted this week's meal plan that I haven't ever put this recipe up. The Husband really loves this, and it makes a great potluck dish or quick weeknight dinner. I love quinoa salads because they have such a lovely texture and can take a variety of flavors. I do a curried quinoa salad with apples, dried fruits and nuts in it sometimes, and it is equally versatile and delicious.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Nouns-
For the Salad
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed and prepared according to package directions
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and a diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (reserve 1 tbsp of the brine)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 red onion, diced
For the Vinaigrette
Feel free to use a bottled vinaigrette, but I really like a homemade lemony one for this!
Juice and zest of one small lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp artichoke brine
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Verbs-
Chill the prepared quinoa until room temperature or colder. If serving immediately, I usually put it in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two, rather than refrigerating it. This is faster and helps it not stick together. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, tomatoes, onions, artichokes and cucumbers. In a small jar, add together all the dressing ingredients and screw the lid on tightly. Shake it vigorously. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumbled feta over the top and serve.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Nouns-
For the Salad
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed and prepared according to package directions
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and a diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (reserve 1 tbsp of the brine)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 red onion, diced
For the Vinaigrette
Feel free to use a bottled vinaigrette, but I really like a homemade lemony one for this!
Juice and zest of one small lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp artichoke brine
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Verbs-
Chill the prepared quinoa until room temperature or colder. If serving immediately, I usually put it in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two, rather than refrigerating it. This is faster and helps it not stick together. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, tomatoes, onions, artichokes and cucumbers. In a small jar, add together all the dressing ingredients and screw the lid on tightly. Shake it vigorously. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumbled feta over the top and serve.
Meal Plan
Here's the plan!
For the Soup-er Bowl Party we are attending tomorrow: Sweet Corn Chowder
For the rest of the week:
Baked Potatoes Topped with Shredded BBQ Chicken
Yum!
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