Last night we got back from Dallas pretty late and despite some seriously bare cabinets and an essentially empty fridge, I managed to scrape together what was an exciting, tasty little dish. I chalk some of that up to the inspiration of 4 1/2 hours of food magazine reading on the plane. I want to refine it a little and post it at some point, but here’s a little preview and a horrifically yellow photo.
It’s quick cooked bulgur with lemon, smoked paprika and chopped kalamatas, topped with olive oil roasted artichokes (from a can) and olives, then some toasted pine nuts to finish it all off. Kept it vegan, resisting the urge to add cheese, and I used up the only legitimate ingredients left in my house. I found the idea for roasting olives in some of my plane reading, and it really concentrates the olive flavor, without affecting the texture negatively. I’ll be adding them to every feasible roasted vegetable from now on. When I started, I was going for more of a Greek flavor profile, but I think it may have ended up as a cross between that and Spanish.
The menu I came up with for this week is also vegan…ish. Why? I’ve had a cold I’ve been unable to shake, and a week of margaritas, meat, and Tex-Mex did not, I’m almost positive, help it to heal. I used to crave things like Club crackers, Sprite, buttered toast, or Campbell’s chicken noodle soup when I was sick. It’s what Mom always gave us when we were sick, but my body neither craves nor agrees with such processed foods anymore. They’re definitely comfort food flavors, but, stangely, so now are kale, miso soup, rice, and hearty vegetables. And tea! I’m not a tea drinker, but much to Steve’s delight, I cross over when I’m sick. It’s hard for me to go straight black or green tea given the strong herbal bite, but I love anything with a hint of peach or with some honey or lemon added. Hence, I’ve stocked up on lemons, too. Did anyone else happen to notice they’re really expensive right now? I don’t remember paying a dollar for one lemon a month ago.
- Monday: Miso soup and roasted sweet potatoes with scallion oil
- Tuesday: Butternut squash risotto (from America’s Test Kitchen Cooking for Two issue) and roasted leeks
- Wednesday: Chana masala with jasmine rice, roasted cauliflower, and sour cream
- Thursday: Tuna hot dish patties
- Friday: TBD if we’re staying in for date night
- Saturday: Double date with some friends! Out!
- Sunday: Leftover spaghetti squash pie (another one coming up on the blog–refining a recipe I first made for my parents during this summer’s trip to Minnesota)
So vegan-ish doesn’t have to be boring, because I’m pretty pumped for everything we’re eating this week, and you’ll definitely see some pics popping up on my Instagram. My Dallas food recommendations and trip recap will also be up this week! So much good food with good people. It’s always sad to leave my sissies, but I think time will fly by with Toryn’s wedding less than three months out!
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