Dal bukhara, chandi pindi with rice and naan 4/29/22

Posted on April 30, 2022 by Beebamom
Bukhara dal (lentils), chana (chickpeas) pindi, basmati rice, naan

On Friday John and I went out to lunch at the Yeti Restaurant, a Nepalese?Indian place, in Glen Ellen, CA. These days when I am going to eat out I like to go to a restaurant that makes something I do not usually make at home or that is difficult to make at home. I also like to get some new ideas for something I might try making in the future.

I ordered the bukhara dal and it was wonderfully delicious. John was equally happy with his chana pindi. According to the menu the dal, or black lentils in this case,  are ”cooked overnight in the embers of the tandoori together with onions, chili, ginger, fresh cream and butter with a garnish of cilantro tomatoes and sprout beans.” Ah, cream and butter, that must be one reason why it was so delicious. John’s chana (chickpeas) pindi is described as “garbanzo beans cooked with mango powder and Indian spices.”

Now I have two new ideas for vegetarian dinners!

Posted in Asian, Dining out, Indian, rice, stew, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , | Leave a comment

New! Tuna poke with rice 4/28/22

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Beebamom
Tuna pole bowl with cucumbers mango, edamame, cabbage, and cilantro over rice

We went to Costco on Tuesday and decided to buy a package of tuna that looked great. I have been wanting to try making poke so this seemed like a good time. I used this recipe from Serious Eats as a starting point https://www.seriouseats.com/ahi-poke-hawaiian-raw-tuna-salad-recipe Of course I put my own spin on it by using less soy sauce and less sesame oil plus substituting the Splenda for the honey. I was amazed when I went to one of the local grocery stores and that had ripe mango and ripe avocado. It seemed like an omen that I should make this dish. I sliced the cucumber and the cabbage thinly on the mandolin and chopped the other ingredients. We had some leftover rice and some left over dressing from the salmon bowls which I sprinkled on top. Then I mixed some mayo and sriracha for a drizzle. It was delicious!! I am looking forward to making this again although not too often since tuna is very expensive!

Posted in Easy, Fish, Hawaiian, Methods, pescatarian, rice, Vegetables | Leave a comment

Fusilli with mushrooms and kale 4/27/22

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Beebamom
Fusilli with mushrooms and kale

It’s Wednesday so it must be pasta! I cannot tell you how much I look forward to pasta night. Our pasta is a healthy, vegan bowl of vegetables and olive oil with some pasta water to make a thin sauce. As additions we also use onions, garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and of course salt. I cook the mushrooms in a little olive oil first and then add the onions, garlic, spices, and a little more olive oil. Right before the drained pasta goes into the vegetables I add big handfuls of kale and about a cup of reserved pasta water. After stirring the whole thing around for a couple of minutes it is ready to be served. Top the pasta with a drizzle of your best olive oil and some optional parmesan cheese.

Posted in Easy, Italian, Methods, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Salmon bowls 4/26/22

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Beebamom
Salmon bowl with edamame, avocado, cabbage, cucumber, and cilantro over rice

This is a family favorite. While John brines the salmon for half an hour in 1 quart of water and 2 tablespoons of table salt, I cut up the veggies (thinly sliced cucumbers, chopped avocado, cabbage shredded, and edamame) and make a dressing. The dressing consists of soy sauce, rice vinegar, a neutral oil, a few drops each of sesame oil and fish sauce, a dash of sugar, and minced ginger and scallions. The dressing doesn’t emulsify so you have to stir it up each time you use it. John quickly sears the fish and cuts it into pieces. All the bite-sized components go in a bowl with rice. We finish the dish with a squeeze of lime, cilantro, and a dusting of furikake.

Posted in Asian, Easy, Fish, Methods, pescatarian, rice, Vegetables | 1 Comment

Chicken Marsala with sheet pan squash and sprouts 4/25/22

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Beebamom

Chicken Marsala with sheet pan butternut squash and Brussels sprouts

The most onerous job in this dinner was cutting the sprouts in half! The chicken is pulled rotisserie breast meat from Costco and heated through in the sauce. The sauce is a packet of McCormack’s chicken gravy made with Marsala wine instead of water with added mushrooms. The pre-cut butternut squash from Trader Joe’s and the sprouts were shaken in a plastic bag with salt and olive oil. Then I roasted them in a 425F oven on convect for 15 minutes until they were super crisp. Be sure to watch the veg, though, depending on the size of the pieces they could be done even faster.

Really easy, really fast, really good!

Posted in American, Easy, Methods, Poultry, Sheet pan, Vegetables | Leave a comment

Soy seasoned vegetables and eggs 4/24/22

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Beebamom
Sautéed vegetables seasoned with soy sauce and ginger with soft scrambled eggs

Sunday’s breakfast for dinner consisted of several different vegetables sauteed until crisp/tender and seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. In a separate pan i soft scrambled two eggs and laid them on top. The vegetables I used were mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, snow peas, and kale. sometimes I leave the kale raw but this time I cooked it. Except for the chopping, this is a very simple and quick dish which nonetheless is quite satisfying.

Posted in American, Easy, Eggs, Methods, Vegetables, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Weekly Menu April 25 – May 1, 2022

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Beebamom
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Chickpea stew with ditalini and vegetables 4/23/22

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Beebamom
Chickpea stew with ditalini and vegetables

I made this enjoyable vegan entree on Saturday for dinner but there is enough left over for lunch on Sunday as well. Sure, there is a lot of chopping but the results are really delicious. Along with the chickpeas, ditalini, and vegetable stock there are onions, garlic, carrots, zucchini, spicy canned tomatoes, thyme, celery, kale, and scallions as a garnish. This is the kind of dish where you do not feel guilty for having a second helping.

Posted in American, Easy, Healthy tips, Legumes, Pasta, stew, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Tilapia with mustard sauce, new potatoes, and broccoli 4/22/22

Posted on April 23, 2022 by Beebamom
Roasted talapia, steamed new potatoes and broccoli with mustard sauce

It is so nice to be cooking again! During our vacation I ate everything I could possibly want and it is great to get back to the clean, crisp flavors of my own kitchen. I have planned out the rest of this week with a vegan chickpea stew with ditalini and vegetables for Saturday and our usual BFD (Breakfast For Dinner) on Sunday. I even have next week’s menu ready and have been to the grocery store to re-stock.

Talapia gets a bum rap from the foodie community I think. It is an inexpensive, unobjectionable mild white fish which perks up with sauces or in a taco. John roasted it at 400F in the oven for about 12 minutes while I finished steaming the potatoes followed by the broccoli. The mustard sauce brought the whole plate together.

For the mustard sauce I mixed together a tablespoon each of Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, and light mayonnaise. (I like Maille brand mustards the best.) I thinned it out with a tablespoon or so of water. It goes well with the fish, the potatoes, and the broccoli!

Posted in American, Easy, Fish, Methods, pescatarian, Recipes, Vegetables | Tagged | 1 Comment

Lentil soup with turkey sausage 4/21/22

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Beebamom
Lentil soup with carrots, celery, onions, and turkey sausage

We got back from vacation last night and I needed to find something fast and easy to make with the few things I had available. Let’s see, I have turkey sausage, a piece of an onion, some carrots, and some wilting celery. With the addition of some lentils and chicken stock I can make lentil soup!

On Friday I will figure out some meals for the rest of this week and go grocery shopping. It is time to get back into the swing of cooking and eating right!

Posted in Easy, Legumes, Poultry, Vegetables | Tagged | 1 Comment