In Our Kitchen

Food Marketing to Kids

2012-08-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

This morning, the fitness boot camp I work for was meeting at the recreation center at a park in the neighborhood. At one point this morning, I looked down and saw this:

There was another on the other sidewalk, a hopscotch game. At first, I thought a group of kids had been playing with chalk the previous day. At closer examination, I realized I was seeing an advertisement for GoGoSqueez applesauce pouches.

GoGoSqueez isn't a bad product, but I'm annoyed with the blatant marketing to kids. When I was a kid, you could really only find ads on television, billboards, and in newspaper and magazines. Now kids can't even come to the park rec center to play without being sold on something. I'm thankful this is only an ad for a non-GMO/natural applesauce and not some other "kid-friendly" food horror.

What's the most unconventional food ad you've come across?

Making Sauce

2012-08-15T14:14:00.002-07:00

On Saturday, I bought two pounds of Sweet Juliette tomatoes at the farmer's market for the sole purpose of making some sauce. I wanted to freeze the sauce for lasagna purposes later this fall.

Bath time!

Tomatoes boiling

Boiled, peeled, and ready to get saucy

Cooking down

Sauce!

I used the tomato sauce recipe from the 100 Days of Real Food blog (I'm a fan, you all know this by now) as a guide. I didn't follow it exactly, but that's okay.

I added some organic tomato paste to provide some extra bulk. I ended up (after adding some water as well) with almost three quarts of sauce to freeze. It's really more of a soup, so we might just have a good bit of tomato soup this winter. We'll see. I might give this another go if I find a crazy-good deal on tomatoes before the season ends.

What are you looking forward to preserving from summer?

Seasons Change

2012-08-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Remember Expose? They were one of the mid-80's girl groups. They sounded a lot like Bananarama. Or The Bangles. They had a song back in the day called "Seasons Change." Here's the video.

Now that you're educated (don't you feel smarter with that bit of video trivia?), you can better understand why this song comes to mind when I think about the transitional season of the produce cycle. We're in that transition right now, and it's a sweet spot where you can get awesome blueberries and okra, sneak a peek at butternut squash and apples, while still swimming in tomatoes. So, basically, it's like every supermarket in America.

Except everything tastes great. And while there's still room for the fall stuff to peak in terms of taste, it's already pretty good.

Take for example the CSA box we received today. It was a crazy bounty of foods:

okra
potatoes
corn
basil
tomatoes
apples
arugula (special order)
beets (special order)
zephyr squash (special order)
muscadines

*We have the option to shop an online market to purchase additional foods/products that aren't in enough abundance to include in all subscriber boxes, but they have enough to sell to interested individual members.

Okras!

Arugula!

Beets and corn cobs

Apples, zephyr squashes, potatoes, muscadines, tomatoes

I love summer, but I also love fall produce, namely the vegetables. As much as I was looking forward to tomatoes and okra a month ago, I'm now anticipating brussels sprouts and spinach. What are you looking forward to in the fall season? Do any random songs pop into your head when you think of certain foods (or is that just me)?

Random Dinner Hang-Ups

2012-08-14T11:48:00.002-07:00

Sometimes, despite my best efforts (and usually several trips to places to purchase food), we find ourselves without enough. I don't quite know how it happens - do I overestimate the amount of food we already have, or do I just not feel like grocery shopping at the moment? Regardless of the cause, when it happens, we end up with a really random meal.

Case and point, last night's dinner:

I feel a little bit guilty when I serve a meal that isn't cohesive in theme. Not that every meal has a theme, but I usually put more thought into sides for a main course. These mushrooms had a lemon-thyme flavor base, so the frozen green peas were okay; but a tomato-avocado salad? It was kind of out of place (especially with the lime I put on it to keep the avocado from oxidizing).

I also have this weird hang up with needing to serve a green vegetable with every meal. Somehow, I forget that 95% of our meals are vegetarian, and I find myself wondering if I'm a bad wife if I don't put a green vegetable on our plates. My husband always reminds me that vegetables of other colors "count" (except for corn, really), and that we only eat meat once a week, if that often (Fish Saturdays).

Do you have any random hang-ups about dinner (or any meal)? What are they? What are some rules you always try to follow, even if you know they're unnecessary?

Fish Dinner

2012-08-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

We've unofficially designated Saturday evening dinners as our fish dinner night. We don't eat a lot of meat, and when we do purchase meat, it's usually fish. We like the lightness it offers, as well as the beneficial fats and other nutrients (depending on the fish).

This week, my husband purchased some wild-caught grouper. He's skilled in selecting and cooking fish, so Saturdays are also his night to cook dinner. He comes up with a vision (both the look and flavor of the meal) and then he does the prep, cooking, and clean-up. These are usually meals made entirely on the grill; there's the ease of clean-up, as well as the awesome taste the grill offers.

He topped the grouper with some Kalamata olives, chopped fresh basil, onion, garlic, and fresh tomatoes from Saturday morning's market. He added some olive oil, red pepper, and a little bit of sea salt, before wrapping it in parchment. Deliciousness!

Fish in a pouch

On the side, we had some grilled pouch potatoes, grilled zucchini, and grilled peaches. If you've never had a grilled peach, you are missing out on something really good.

My plate

For the peaches, I spread a tiny bit of coconut oil on both sides, and sprinkled some cinnamon on the cut side. The heat from the grill concentrates the natural sugar in the peach, making them extra sweet. The grill adds a nice smokiness to the skins, too.

In all, this was a great meal. Every bite tasted great with everything or just two things in it. I love it when a meal comes together this way. My husband really has a gift for putting flavors together with fish, as well.

What did you cook this weekend? We're getting into marathon training season, so I look forward to tinkering with our diet to help enhance our athletic performance.

Summer Bounty

2012-07-25T12:58:00.001-07:00

Summer CSA boxes are always bountiful in content; this week's was incredibly diverse, too.

The first apples of the season!

A red cabbage I ordered special

Red Russian Kale

Fingerling potatoes, garlic, and a lone pepper

Tiny bounty of tomatoes

We also received a pint of blueberries and I ordered a half dozen eggs this week. Now I need to set to work figuring out what we need to eat first and what will keep until next week. What's your favorite summer vegetable or fruit?

The Lighter Side

2012-07-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

You saw the indulgence we had on Sunday at the tea room - the afternoon cake, as tasty as it was. As a result, because we indulged for tea, we opted for a lighter, healthier dinner. It ended up being a kind of hodge podge salad dish.

What you see is a bowl using Saturday's leftover couscous, with brown lentils, tomato cucumber salad, and mustard greens in a lemon vinaigrette. There's a sprinkling of feta as well, to add some creamy saltiness to the dish. We served it cold, and it was delicious and refreshing.

What do you make when you need a light meal that is still satisfying?

Improvisation

2012-07-23T17:04:00.002-07:00

We've unofficially declared Saturday night dinners as "fish night" in our home. We made a stop at the DeKalb Farmer's Market on Saturday morning, and decided to peruse the fish counter while we were there. As a result, we purchased 10oz of black cod that was wild caught in Oregon (this is what the sign on the case said). My husband spent part of the afternoon browsing recipes and determining the best way to cook it. He's a fan of the hobo pouch method (parchment or foil with the herbs/spices and other flavors) on the grill, but he opted for baking it this time.

He carefully layered the fish with fresh sliced tomatoes, sliced lemon, and onion, with white and pink peppercorns and some chopped green olives. The fish was baked for "the amount of time it takes to drink a beer" on 375.

The fish dish, pre-cooking

The result was a delicious, flavorful baked fish that (bonus!) didn't stink up our house (which is why we tend to grill fish). We had some roasted okra and avocado on the side, with the fish served over whole wheat couscous with the pan juices.

I'm proud of how he's become comfortable with cooking in an improvisational way. And I'm thankful that he likes to cook fish, because it's definitely not a skill I've developed. This looks like something you'd get in a restaurant; and it tasted like restaurant-quality, too!

Deliciousness!

Supporting the Loconomy

2012-07-22T14:21:00.004-07:00

This afternoon, after a lazy beginning, my husband and I decided to venture out for an afternoon beverage and a walk. We decided to walk over to a neighborhood tea shop that was offering a Scoutmob deal - Zen Tea. We've managed to discover a few hidden gems nearby, so we figured this was a worthwhile gamble.

The tea room was fairly busy when we arrived, and there was a lady playing guitar and singing towards the front of the room. We placed our orders and sat down. I opted for the Strawberry Papaya iced green tea and my husband ordered a Green Tea Matcha Latte with soy milk. We also each ordered a piece of cake (because everyone knows you can't have tea without a little smackerel of something).

Everything was delicious! And the ladies who run the tea room were so nice. We'll definitely go back again, and even purchase tea for home brewing.

Deliciousness

It's so much fun to be a tourist in your own small town.

Refrigerator Clean-out

2012-07-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, usually at the end of the week, we find our refrigerator empty or very close to it. Friday was no exception, and I had the following items in the crisper drawer: two red bell peppers, cilantro, three cobs of corn, an avocado, half an onion, and there was a farmer's market tomato on the counter.

Naturally, I made stuffed peppers, with the help of some pantry staples (canned chickpeas and brown rice) and some frozen chopped spinach. The avocado and sliced tomato made up the side salad.

Random dinner

What do you make when you need to get creative to piece together a meal? We wanted to avoid eating out on Friday night, so this is what happened. I'm not sure it was the most balanced of meals, but it was in-season produce and made in our kitchen.

Ratatouille Results

2012-07-16T14:15:00.002-07:00

I made a baked ratatouille last night for dinner with the farmer's market goodies purchased on Saturday. I cooked each layer of vegetables by themselves and then combined them in a pot to cook down together for about an hour. I also added some whole wheat penne and some cannellini beans for added fiber and protein. We topped the dish with a sprinkle of feta. Delicious!

Before oven baking

It was even better as lunch leftovers this afternoon. Do you have a favorite summer season dish?

Bastille Day

2012-07-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

Not really in honor of Bastille Day, although it's quite convenient, we purchased a bounty of tomatoes at the farmer's market this morning. We also sought eggplant, but we arrived too late for that. But what do these things have to do with Bastille Day?

A bounty of deliciousness

Ratatouille.

Not the movie. I'm talking about the deliciousness of summer, a pot of stewed tomatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic, and olive oil. The peak of summer season produce, cooked down in layers.

I'm not sure what I like best about ratatouille - is it the combination of the flavors, or is it the fact that it's a dish best made during the middle of summer? It doesn't really matter the reason, does it?

[Side note - there are people who believe that farmer's market produce is over-priced. These tomatoes were $2/lb this morning. That's what happens during the peak season of a food - it gets cheap. These are organically, locally-grown tomatoes and $2/lb is a great price.]

We also picked up a pint of grape tomatoes for salad purposes later.

Is there a dish you love to make during a particular season? What is it?

Pita Time!

2012-07-14T15:05:00.001-07:00

After the delicious Mediterranean cuisine we enjoyed on our way home, I decided to try my hand at making pita bread. I was curious if it would be difficult.

As it turns out, it's not difficult at all. It's pretty similar to making pizza dough, actually. I found a recipe online, and gave it a whirl this afternoon.

I should have taken more pictures of the process, but I didn't. Here's the dough before baking:

And here are a couple of the finished pocket breads. With mixing, rising, and baking, it took about the same amount of time as a regular loaf of bread. Longer than pizza dough, but the same effort.

Tasty finished product

I also made some babaganoush for dinner last night with our CSA eggplants. I've enjoyed our recent journey into more ethnic cuisines, and look forward to trying more.

A Variation on the Banh Mi

2012-07-13T12:26:00.003-07:00

You know I'm currently obsessed with the Vietnamese sandwich, the banh mi. It's a delicious combination of flavors and textures, and that's what I love about it. I can get crunchy, smooth, creamy, tart, sweet, and savory, all in one bite.

Last night's dinner was banh mi tacos made with lentils. I cooked the lentils in water until tender, and then marinated them in a mixture of lime juice, rice vinegar, and freshly grated ginger while they chilled in the refrigerator. For the toppings, I swapped the radish for some red cabbage and I realize now that I forgot the cucumber (!) in the mix. I did have some fresh jalapenos, so I chopped some of one and added it to the shredded carrots and cabbage, along with some lime juice, rice vinegar, and grated ginger. Yum. For the creamy, I mixed a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt with some lime juice and chopped jalapenos. Delicious!

Just before serving, I sauteed the marinated lentils in some olive oil to warm them. I served the mixture on Ezekiel small tortillas. I love their sprouted grain tortillas for their nutty flavor, whole ingredients, and extra protein.

In typical CSA subscriber fashion, our sides were pretty random (and starchy) last night. I had to use some corn on the cob and fingerling potatoes. I wasn't excited to serve corn with potatoes last night, but it's what we had. I think avocado is a great side, condiment, or garnish, so I serve it with almost every meal during the summer.

My husband's plate

What's your current food obsession? What variations do you make of it?

Eating Locally

2012-07-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

While we were enjoying our weekend at Lake James, we made a short trip up to Black Mountain, NC one afternoon. The town is pretty neat, and featured a farmer's market on Saturdays. It worked out well for us, since we were missing the farmer's market at home that day. We decided to high tail it over to the market before it closed.

It wasn't the tailgate market we expected, as we were too late for that on Saturday. We did stumble upon a shop/market where the leftovers go to be sold during the week, so we shopped there. We picked up some nice Cherokee Purple tomatoes, a few okra, and some peaches. We also got a nice jar of wildflower honey, complete with some wax and bee pollen floating on the top.

beautiful tomato

see the pollen in the top?

On our way home, we stopped at a roadside stand outside of Greenville, SC. We scored about 1.25lbs of fresh blueberries, some corn, and some more peaches.

Look at all these delicious berries!

In all, it was a pretty tasty trip from a food shopping perspective. We love checking out the roadside stands and local restaurants on our road trips. During our drive home on Sunday, we took a detour through Clemson, SC. We shopped for some great Tiger gear, and then decided to have lunch. We asked the lady in the shop for a recommendation and she told us a little place called Woodstone Pita would be good. She highly recommended the tabbouleh, as they make it (and everything) from scratch.

This meal was delicous! We ordered a mixed platter of appetizers, which included hummus, fresh pita bread, vegetarian grape leaves, and baba ghanouge. We also ordered a side of tabbouleh and then some fresh baklava for dessert. Everything was fresh in taste and so delicious. It was nice to be in a casual, almost fast food restaurant where the owners and workers took a real pride in their craft. Meals were hand-delivered to the table, after a waiting period (I'm more than fine with waiting on my food to be prepared by hand) and you could tell there was pride in the dishes. Also, we discovered that we really like baba ghanouge, which gives us a new way to use the eggplant I'm sure we'll have in abundance this summer.

Have you ever discovered any hidden gems during road trips? What have you discovered?

Bargain Dinner

2012-07-09T10:37:00.001-07:00

There's a school of thought that says that eating locally is expensive. In a way, it is, if you look only at the price tag. Sometimes. It's always cheaper overall, though, because it takes less fuel and less labor to transport produce and meats up to 200 miles in comparison with 2,000 miles.

And in some cases, it's just cheaper, overall.

My husband and I spent the weekend up at Lake James, visiting his sister and her family. We had a blast, spending time at the pool, boating, and walking around the nearby towns. On Friday night, after a long day at the pool, we had dinner at a restaurant across the lake. We took the boat to get there, which was pretty fun. My husband was very hungry (he'd gone on a 38 mile bike ride that morning while I hit the gym), and he wasn't keen on sharing an entree for dinner. I was able, with some reassurance from his sister that he would have more than enough to eat, to get him to share the flounder dinner on the menu.

The flounder dinner was a reasonably-priced meat and two (the flounder and two sides, basically) for $17.95. I figured that even if my husband was still hungry, he could order an additional side and we'd still come in at $20 for our dinner for both of us. He talked me into getting a side salad (he ordered one for one of the sides) as well, so we had some decent-sized side salads before our flounder dinner arrived.

Our giant flounder with sweet potato fries

This picture doesn't really show you how big a portion of flounder we received. His sister was not kidding about it being more than enough for two. I'm fairly certain that this was a whole flounder on our plate. I ate half of one filet and my husband ate about 3/4 of another. We gave our niece and nephew some to try as well, and still had some left on the plate. It was pretty delicious, fresh, and crazy-cheap. This meal at the same price with half as much flounder was reasonable; with the whole portion, it was over the top.

Have you ever sampled a local specialty and been surprised? Do you have a favorite local dish or food that you eat when you visit a place?

My Night Out of Our Kitchen

2012-07-02T08:50:00.002-07:00

I had a busy weekend, attending a workshop for group fitness instructors. It was a great time, learning from a seasoned professional and I was able to meet some fun and interesting women during the two days. My time away gave my husband a lot of time to himself. And on Sunday, because the workshop went from 1-5:30, it also meant he was in charge of dinner for the night. I know a lot of women don't like to leave their husbands in charge of their regular tasks; I also know how fortunate I am that my husband will do his best when he needs to take the reigns in one of my areas every now and then.

Last night, however, he went above and beyond.

I had no idea what to expect when I returned home. I called to let him know I was leaving the workshop, to give him a heads up on the timing of things. He was already hard at work making dinner. All I knew is that we were having fish. This was great news to me. I've been wanting fish for a few weeks for some reason. I was looking forward to dinner and I had no idea what was waiting for me.

Here's a picture of my plate. It's not a great picture, which is my fault; the actual meal looked delicious. It tasted even better. And when I learned he made up the recipes himself, it was even more special (he's not one to go "off-recipe" too often).

Delicious!

He made cod with lemon, olives, thyme, and olive oil, all tucked in foil and grilled. In another foil packet, there were red and russet potatoes with onions. The green you see is grilled kale and some grilled poblano pepper (he even checked the crisper drawer and used up what was oldest first). We also had tomato cucumber salad, which is a summer staple for us.

This meal was so good and it was exactly what I didn't know I wanted for dinner. But even better than how it tasted was how it felt. For him to take over dinner for the night like this for me and not only do it, but to do it so well made me feel so amazing. I love preparing our meals, but the occasional night off is really nice sometimes.

Has anyone ever made a meal for you that made you feel super-special? Have you ever prepared a meal for someone else and received an unexpected positive response? We don't think about it, but cooking for someone is a personal gesture. We don't usually prepare a meal for someone we don't like.

Summer CSA Bounty

2012-06-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

I love summer foods. Everything is ready to bloom in summer and it's a season of delicious foods. You have the stone fruits (cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums), melons, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, squashes, and okra (!) to name a few. It's a really tasty season.

This week, we got a nice variety of summer produce - some corn on the cob, a tiny watermelon, blueberries, garlic, kale, squash, and some carrots (unexpected surprise).

So tasty

Doesn't that photo collage look good enough to eat? Don't worry, we've already started. What are your favorite summer foods? What are you looking forward to enjoying in the coming months?

Exploring A Tasty Town

2012-06-26T09:59:00.002-07:00

Saturday ended up being an impromptu date night for us. I love the impromptu dates, because they're usually very simple, but so much fun. After a fairly tiring morning at our Peachtree Road Race Prep Run, we weren't much in the mood for making plans. We started by visiting a little coffee shop about 20 minutes north of us, in a town called Roswell. Roswell, GA has done it right - they've sort of taken the small town feel and made this whole strip of restaurants and local shops, almost like you'd find in a tourist town. The coffee shop was outside of the downtown area, but we wanted to start there with a beverage. We went to Land a Thousand Hills, which is a locally-owned shop that supports coffee growers in Rwanda. We had a Scoutmob deal, so we opted for blended coffee drinks as a splurge (I'm not against treating yourself, as you'll see in this post; I'm just against undoing your workout every time you work out as a "reward" for doing so).

As we wandered down the street, we happened upon a little olive oil and vinegar tasting shop called Ollie + Vie. It was a little converted house of delicousness. They had three rooms of olive oils, gourmet oils (think white truffle), and balsamic vinegars. They also had a room that featured some kitchen tools and other goodies, such as almond butter and gourmet salts. It was so neat to read the tasting notes on each oil and vinegar, and then try to pick them out while actually tasting them.

We settled on a dark chocolate balsamic vinegar that we're sure will taste amazing on fruit or ice cream. Side note: if you've never tried regular balsamic vinegar on strawberries (let them marinate for an hour before enjoying) you are seriously missing out on a great party for your taste buds. We also tried a great espresso vinegar on a sample of ice cream and it, too, was delicious. It would make a great substitute for an impromptu affogato or tiramisu.

We finished the night with dinner at a Thai restaurant, Rice Thai. Our mission was to order something we wouldn't normally order; this was pretty easy, given that we don't eat Thai food very often. I had a basil stir fry (salty and tasty) with tofu and my husband had a green curry with tofu (also tasty, but I'm not a fan of curry, even on a mild level). We also shared a peach shortcake dessert and purchased some organic local peaches at a general store.

In all, a very indulgent night (peaches aside). Sometimes, a day of indulgence is good for you (just not every day).

Have you discovered any hidden food or beverage gems in your town? What were they?

Not Just An Orange Crush

2012-06-21T12:56:00.001-07:00

Although it's most often seen in movies, life often brings together a series of seemingly random "plot points" and occurrences. What seems random is woven together to form a tapestry that is the picture of our existence, so to speak. Like reading a book after first reading the last chapter, it's neat to look back over a story and see where all of these events began to come together.

All of that said, this particular story ends with a can of orange soda.

In 1981, the Clemson Tigers had an undefeated football season. It was a pretty big deal, as it is when any team is undefeated for a whole season.

In 1981, I was three years old. The previous year, my dad brought home two coke bottles from the UGA championship season. Also undefeated, again, a pretty big deal. My dad was a hotel chef at that time, and it wasn't unusual for him to come home with knick knacks, furniture, or random memorabilia. It wasn't unusual, but that may not be how he came to own two UGA championship Coke bottles. It's possible he purchased them for the same reason everyone else did - to own a collectible piece of history.

[To spoil another plot point in this story, I did not attend Clemson. Or UGA.]

In 1992, a high school graduate named Neil moved from Fairport, NY to Clemson, SC. It was time for college, and he spent four years studying Packaging Science (did you know that's a major?) at Clemson. He attended many football games and saw several cans of Clemson Orange Soda around town during his time there.

In 1992, I was a Clemson Tigers fan. I had a crush on a boy who was also a Clemson fan, and that's what you do when you're a 14 year-old girl.

In 2008, I met the aforementioned Clemson alumni named Neil. In 2009, we were engaged to be married. Three months before our January 2010 wedding, my father passed away. In April 2010, we helped my mother pack up the home they'd lived in for almost 20 years and moved her to an apartment. We found a lot of old photos, family artifacts, and general random knick knacks. Neil and I did not come across UGA Coke bottles or a can of Clemson Orange Soda.

Last weekend, my mother gave my brother two UGA Coke bottles as a sort of reverse-Father's Day gift. They were from the 1980 championship season. They were also the same bottles that my dad had purchased. The same bottles that occupied each pantry in every place we lived after their purchase. My brother was really happy to have them. He's a UGA fan and he likes having things that once belonged to our dad.

And the can of 1981 Clemson Orange Soda? My mom is gifting that to my Clemson alumni husband, Neil.

In 1981, my dad purchased a can of orange soda. In 2012, it is given to my husband. A seemingly random purchase comes full circle.

Probably flat after 31 years.

Banh Mi Update

2012-06-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

The banh mi experiment on Friday was a success. I guess they were technically banh mi-inspired sandwiches; regardless, they were tasty.

Yum!

I served the sandwiches with steamed broccoli (from our CSA box) and homemade potato chips. But you don't care about the sides, let's get back to the sandwiches. Here's the "recipe" (or you can search sites like Epicurious.com for more structure).

Banh Mi-Inspired Sandwiches

Ingredients
Firm or Extra-firm tofu (enough to serve 2-4)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar (optional)
cilantro
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic, diced
Liquid Aminos (or soy or tamari), about 1 cup
2 limes
cucumber, sliced thin
jalapeno, sliced thin or diced
salt
pepper
red pepper

Method
In a shallow dish, combine the juice of two limes, liquid aminos, diced garlic, black pepper, and red pepper.
Drain and slice tofu into 1/4-1/2" thick slices and lay them in the marinade, flip to coat. Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the toppings.
Shred carrots (food processor will be the easiest way to do this) and combine with rice vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using). Stir, cover, and refrigerate.

When ready, heat oven to 425 and place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment (the lazy way to clean up). Rub an oil-saturated paper towel and place the marinated tofu pieces on the rack. Discard the remaining marinade. Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. [I usually turn on the broiler when there are 5 minutes left and let both sides get nice and brown and a little bit crispy.]

Place cooked tofu on bread, top with carrot slaw, sliced cucumbers, cilantro, and sliced jalapeno. Top with mayonnaise, or chili yogurt spread (recipe below).

Chili Yogurt Spread

Ingredients
chili powder
cumin
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (I used soy yogurt to keep the meal dairy-free)

Method
Mix yogurt, lime juice, and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of chili powder (depending on desired heat). Add 1/4 teaspoon cumin and stir.

I'm really looked forward to trying more Vietnamese dishes and then finding a way to put my own twist on things. What cuisines are you currently exploring?

Experimental Dinner!

2012-06-15T11:03:00.001-07:00

Tonight, I'm finally giving the banh mi sandwiches a try. As in, I'm going to make them for our dinner this evening. I'm using tofu, that I will marinate in liquid aminos and lime (instead of stinky fish sauce). I'm making the mayonnaise a little bit different - it will be a jalapeno soy yogurt spread, and I'm keeping with the pickled carrots, with cilantro and cucumbers.

I'll post pictures of the finished results.

What are you trying your hand at this weekend?

Summer CSA Bounty!

2012-06-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

It's CSA Wednesday! Wednesdays might be my favorite day because I love opening the box before I read what's on the label to see if there's anything surprising contained within. Today was no exception, the surprise in the form of fruit this time.

Tiny plums! What a surprise!

Blueberries from a farm just across the AL/GA border. They're delicious!

Hairless peaches!

Inside the box I also found some lettuce, squash, green beans, and a tiny head of cabbage. A box of delicious summer bounty.

But, like a typical CSA subscriber, I have the things I'm looking forward to getting in my box. For summer, it's okra and tomatoes.

What's your favorite summer produce? What are you looking forward to enjoying during these summer months?

Grill-a-Rama!

2012-06-11T06:17:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a busy day, so dinner time arrived before we knew what was up! We made a quick grocery store run and decided to throw everything on the grill to make for easy cleaning.

We had:
Marinated tofu (liquid aminos, lime, garlic)
Corn on the cob
Bread with olive oil
Chard (!)
Tomato-cucumber salad

The chard was a wild card. I needed to use it, but it wasn't enough to sauté. I figured grilling it with some olive oil might be a good idea.

It was delicious to me (merely "okay" to my husband). It had a nice smoky flavor from the natural charcoal we used, and the tips of the leaves got nice and crispy.

What did you cook over the weekend? Anything fun or unexpected?

Bachelorette Dinner

2012-06-08T17:26:00.001-07:00

My husband is at a baseball game this evening with a friend. That means I'm on my own for dinner tonight. After a tiring week, I wasn't in the mood to cook.

I decided to make a quick quesadilla-type thing. I didn't use cheese, so the tortilla didn't stick to itself in the way a normal quesadilla would. And I baked it in the toaster oven instead of cooking it in a skillet. So, it wasn't really a quesadilla at all, except that it shared some common ingredients.

I filled it with black beans, black olives, tomato, and arugula. On the side, some avocado with lime. I also sprinkled some nutritional yeast in the quesadilla to add a cheesy taste.

What do you eat when your normal meal time partner is otherwise engaged?