Hello, all! I hope this post finds you hanging in as best as you're able. It feels like we're in a marathon, with no idea about the mile marker we're at, doesn't it? I kind of can't believe that we're at day 124. Life has reorganized to make sticking close to home seem more normal, and I am grateful for that. The other day, I took a quick trip to Lowes and it felt like I was driving in an unfamiliar city! Even close to home, I am still discovering new things, despite the stripped back version of summer life we're living. Greater appreciation of small pleasures is a decidedly positive side-effect of the pandemic.
We are doing a little more take out than before-- usually one dinner a week. That has taken a little pressure off of our kitchen, which is nice! Over the past month, we had Ethiopian (from the inimitable Zenebech); Afghan (from my favorite Kabob Palace); Balkan (from Jeff's neighborhood favorite, Ambar); and Szechuan (From DC icon Panda Goumet). This has been supplemented by the occasional sweetgreen for lunch, and a breakfast bagel or donut every once in awhile. But, by-and-large, still cooking and eating nearly all meals at home. After a bit of a break from regular recipe blogging (and a short detour into the world of sugar cereal for breakfast... and dessert), I have a few new favorites to share!
I always keep shrimp in the freezer, because it makes such a quick and easy protein component. While prepping other things, I bring it up to room temp in a bowl of water. Olive oil, garlic, a little crushed red pepper, and some oregano in a skillet over medium high. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the shrimp, and saute for a couple of minutes on each side. And this time of year, we eat plenty of variations on tomato salad. This one had, think, just basic basil, oil and balsamic. Last night, we had grilled corn, cherry tomatoes, fresh mint and parsley, and some red wine vinegar and olive oil.
We are doing a little more take out than before-- usually one dinner a week. That has taken a little pressure off of our kitchen, which is nice! Over the past month, we had Ethiopian (from the inimitable Zenebech); Afghan (from my favorite Kabob Palace); Balkan (from Jeff's neighborhood favorite, Ambar); and Szechuan (From DC icon Panda Goumet). This has been supplemented by the occasional sweetgreen for lunch, and a breakfast bagel or donut every once in awhile. But, by-and-large, still cooking and eating nearly all meals at home. After a bit of a break from regular recipe blogging (and a short detour into the world of sugar cereal for breakfast... and dessert), I have a few new favorites to share!
Lebanese Meat-stuffed Pitas
Tonight, New Recipe Monday brought these pitas into our lives. They will definitely make a repeat performance! A few departures: I like a heavily seasoned beef, so I added 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, and doubled the garam masala to 1/2 tsp. I used 90% ground beef, and that felt perfect... the fat crisped the pita but didn't make it soggy. I made the filling yesterday during prep, so tonight it was just about stuffing the meat into the sectioned pita, brushing with olive oil, salt, and sesame seeds. I made them a little larger than the recipe called for (3 pitas instead of four), so I ended up baking them for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 to crisp the bottom.
Served with a quick tzatziki: yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, fresh dill and cilantro, and lots of chopped cucumber. It's a keeper!
Panko Parmesan Zucchini Spears
It's zucchini time of year! Now we've made these twice, and both Jeff and I agree that it's time to add it to regular rotation. Somewhere in all that food TV I watch, I heard that breading will stick better if the flour has awhile to set onto the surface moisture of the thing being breaded. Here, it sat for 5 minutes before I dipped in egg and seasoned bread crumbs, and it worked like a charm. This is a great use of canned Parmesan, and I didn't bother to pulse the panko. The texture was nice! We've tried them with a couple of dipping sauces. As pictured here, with a garlic yogurt sauce. Another night with yogurt pulsed with green onion, a dash of hot sauce, and some salt. Next up? Good ole marinara! These are best before they've been put in the fridge; one zucchini is plenty for two. Done and done!
I always keep shrimp in the freezer, because it makes such a quick and easy protein component. While prepping other things, I bring it up to room temp in a bowl of water. Olive oil, garlic, a little crushed red pepper, and some oregano in a skillet over medium high. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the shrimp, and saute for a couple of minutes on each side. And this time of year, we eat plenty of variations on tomato salad. This one had, think, just basic basil, oil and balsamic. Last night, we had grilled corn, cherry tomatoes, fresh mint and parsley, and some red wine vinegar and olive oil.
New England Greek-Style Pizza
Okay, so we shared this one back on Day 56. But it's become a Friday go-to. A full batch of sauce lasts a couple of weeks, but we mix up the dough fresh in the morning. This week, Jeff made caramelized onion, Italian sausage, and ricotta. Plus fresh oregano. Yum!
Vegan Hoppin John-- aka Beans and Greens
Isa Chandra Moskowitz has some great vegan recipes, and this Hoppin John with Red Hot Tahini is a New Year's tradition of mine since it appeared in 2012. Whole Foods finally brought back the brown sushi rice I like and tomatoes are gorgeous right now, so we riffed on this bowl favorite with blanched kale and canned cattle beans instead of the from-scratch black eyed peas (warmed then soaked with liquid smoke while the rest was prepared). The sauce-- tahini, garlic, and Frank's Red Hot-- is magic. This one lasts a couple of meals, and it tastes healthy and decadent both. Highly recommend!
Roasted Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Miso Butter
If you're looking for a light but delicious dinner, roast up some asparagus in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix together 1 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp of white miso until they are well combined. Plate a couple of poached eggs on top of a pile of asparagus, and top with half the butter. It's gently sweet, umami, buttery, delicious. Here, with a sprinkle of black sesame and great with some bread on the side to sop up the delicious sauce!
Sweet Ricotta with Berries
No picture of this one, but the pizza left a bunch of Whole Milk ricotta behind, and I decided to riff a dessert. To each 1/2 cup portion of ricotta, I added 1 Tbsp powdered sugar and a few drops of almond extract. Topped with a few dark chocolate chips and a handful of raspberries. Delightful!
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