Hi all! Wednesday and Thursday of this week, as we move from week four to week five, are going to be a combo post. Last night I had a delightful extended family Zoom, including with folks who are avid readers of the blog. My Aunt Marge used the honey Dijon marinade from Day 31 for her pork last night, and it received rave reviews (I added proportions to the post at her request :). And my cousin Barb tried the Shawarma from Day 12 to good success. I would love to be cooking and eating in person with them, but meanwhile it's fun to be connected across the country in this way.
This is the first week in Distance that has really felt like a Work Week. It seems like we all are starting to adjust to the expectation that it may be quite awhile, indeed, before we return to business without regular interruptions, and we'd better settle in to new patterns of working that fit with the long haul. I appreciated the lull while I had it, and I do hope to keep up some of the good habits that I built during the slow down. I was starting to get used to the feeling of more space in my days.
And now, for the food:
WEDNESDAY
Blackened Salmon and Veggies
In our regular meal prep, we always make some roasted bulk veggies to round out leftovers for lunch and replace rice or pasta with dinners. Tonight, I popped a head of cauliflower florets on to sheet pans with olive oil, s&p. With oven set to 400, it takes about 25 minutes for them to get nice and caramelized. They got a head start while I prepared the salmon.
The key to moist baked salmon is to bring the fish up closer to room temperature before popping it in the oven... it cooks more evenly that way! Today my marinade was a rub-- Cajun blackening seasoning. I marinade the fish on the counter while the oven heats. Today, it went a little longer, including the first 10 minutes of the cauliflower. Then, as I stirred the veg, I popped the fish on and set the timer for 15 minutes. At the beep, both were ready to go.
I served the salmon with a sauce of yogurt/sour cream/tons of fresh dill/lemon juice/s&p, which balanced the spicy rub. Stirring half the roasted cauli into the leftover two-bean salad from Tuesday, and we had a beautiful meal that felt intentional, rather than just slapped together.
Italian Sub
In the middle of the day, I don't love the way that sandwiches make me want to take a nap. So today, it was open-faced. With a banana.
Breakfast
More beautiful cantaloupe, the last bit of Sunday's herb bread, and some Greek yogurt with Dukkah and honey.
THURSDAY
Southwest Salad with Taco Lentils
Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Ancho Lentil Taco recipe is a staple here-- it's simply great. While I still sometimes buy pre-packaged taco seasoning, this one is really wonderful. I used my lunch hour to simmer the brown lentils, measure out the seasoning, and saute up some onions. By the time the lentils were tender (about 25 minutes), I was ready to add the tomato paste and spice mix to the heated onions. Toast until fragrant. Then I dropped in the (still slightly soupy) lentils, mixed thoroughly, adjusted heat (Cholula) and salt, and left it to meld while I returned to work.
When dinner rolled around, we mixed the lentils in to a Trader Joe's Southwest Salad. This is a standard weeknight dinner during busy normal weeks. I also threw in some roasted sweet potato chunks, and it was a nice fit!
Lunch
While I got the lentils ready, I was happy to grab for the Indian dishes we made on Sunday. This was the last of the saag paneer and a good portion of the remaining mushroom curry. And a tortilla, which is... almost like a naan?
Breakfast
I forgot to photograph, but it was an fried egg sandwich on an English muffin. With muenster and Everything Bagel seasoning. And cantaloupe. And coffee. A big coffee.
This is the first week in Distance that has really felt like a Work Week. It seems like we all are starting to adjust to the expectation that it may be quite awhile, indeed, before we return to business without regular interruptions, and we'd better settle in to new patterns of working that fit with the long haul. I appreciated the lull while I had it, and I do hope to keep up some of the good habits that I built during the slow down. I was starting to get used to the feeling of more space in my days.
And now, for the food:
WEDNESDAY
Blackened Salmon and Veggies
In our regular meal prep, we always make some roasted bulk veggies to round out leftovers for lunch and replace rice or pasta with dinners. Tonight, I popped a head of cauliflower florets on to sheet pans with olive oil, s&p. With oven set to 400, it takes about 25 minutes for them to get nice and caramelized. They got a head start while I prepared the salmon.
The key to moist baked salmon is to bring the fish up closer to room temperature before popping it in the oven... it cooks more evenly that way! Today my marinade was a rub-- Cajun blackening seasoning. I marinade the fish on the counter while the oven heats. Today, it went a little longer, including the first 10 minutes of the cauliflower. Then, as I stirred the veg, I popped the fish on and set the timer for 15 minutes. At the beep, both were ready to go.
Italian Sub
In the middle of the day, I don't love the way that sandwiches make me want to take a nap. So today, it was open-faced. With a banana.
Breakfast
More beautiful cantaloupe, the last bit of Sunday's herb bread, and some Greek yogurt with Dukkah and honey.
THURSDAY
Southwest Salad with Taco Lentils
Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Ancho Lentil Taco recipe is a staple here-- it's simply great. While I still sometimes buy pre-packaged taco seasoning, this one is really wonderful. I used my lunch hour to simmer the brown lentils, measure out the seasoning, and saute up some onions. By the time the lentils were tender (about 25 minutes), I was ready to add the tomato paste and spice mix to the heated onions. Toast until fragrant. Then I dropped in the (still slightly soupy) lentils, mixed thoroughly, adjusted heat (Cholula) and salt, and left it to meld while I returned to work.
When dinner rolled around, we mixed the lentils in to a Trader Joe's Southwest Salad. This is a standard weeknight dinner during busy normal weeks. I also threw in some roasted sweet potato chunks, and it was a nice fit!
Lunch
While I got the lentils ready, I was happy to grab for the Indian dishes we made on Sunday. This was the last of the saag paneer and a good portion of the remaining mushroom curry. And a tortilla, which is... almost like a naan?
I forgot to photograph, but it was an fried egg sandwich on an English muffin. With muenster and Everything Bagel seasoning. And cantaloupe. And coffee. A big coffee.
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