Sesame salmon bowl. 10/23/21

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Beebamom

Our dinner on Saturday is one of the best things we have made lately. It was warm and cool, unctuous and crunchy, salty and sweet and all around delicious.

Salmon on sushi rice with cucumbers, avocados, and cabbage with soy dressing and sprinkled with furikake

Hiding under the cucumbers, cabbage, avocado, and furikake is a perfectly cooked piece of salmon. John used a technique that we saw on America’s Test Kitchen, He brined the salmon in a quart of water with 2 tablespoons of table salt for 20 minutes. After patting it dry he put it in a cast iron frying pan with kosher salt sprinkled on the bottom of the pan. He put the fish in skin side down and cooked it on low heat for about 20 minutes (depending on thickness) or until the top starts to lose its bright orange color and then he flipped the fish flesh side down briefly.

It came out the best we have ever made salmon.

For my part I sliced up the cucumbers and avocados and opened the package of pre-shredded cabbage. (Tough job!) I also made a dressing of soy sauce, white vinegar, sweetener, ginger, and scallions. I added some vinegar and sweetener to some rice we had made earlier in the week to give it a sushi rice vibe. We sprinkled some furikake on top for some extra crunch.

I am sure you will be seeing this dinner on the menu in the future!

Posted in American, Fish, Japanese, pescatarian, rice, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vegan! Spicy lentils with kale and rice

Posted on October 23, 2021 by Beebamom

Spicy lentils are a work in progress. It was the first time making this dish which we were adapting from a NYTimes recipe. The critique given by our daughter was that we had not used enough oil to bloom the spices properly so that they tasted grainy and raw. Tough crowd here.

Spicy lentils with kale and rice

This is the basic recipe for the spicy lentils.

So of course we were cutting back on the oil using only 1 tablespoon and some olive oil spray. We were not sure whether a whole tablespoon of smoked paprika would be too much so we used 1/2 tablespoon of regular paprika and 1/2 tablespoon of smoked. Rather than just water we used vegetable stock. We added some soy sauce for more umami and a little ketchup for sweetness. Oh, and about 1/3 cup chopped up onion at the beginning.

I think what saved the dinner was serving the lentils with rice and kale. The additional flavors kind of rounded the whole thing out. I think we will make this again using more oil, all smoked paprika, and more hot spiciness in some form.

Posted in American, Easy, Legumes, Recipes, rice, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged | Leave a comment

Shrimp tacos with spicy black beans. 10/21/21

Posted on October 22, 2021 by Beebamom

I think the key to this dish is perfectly cooked shrimp and an array of toppings.

Shrimp tacos with spicy black beans

John did a stellar job on the shrimp and also toasted up the tortillas over the open flame on the stovetop. I prepared the spicy black beans by cooking up some onions and garlic and then adding the two cans of drained and rinsed beans, a can of Rotel, a bunch of cumin, some cilantro, and a couple of dollops of medium spicy salsa. And salt, always taste for salt.

For the taco fixings I made a crema from yogurt, cumin, and salt. We also had medium spicy salsa (there were no mangoes in the grocery store), packaged cabbage already shredded, and cilantro.

Our daughter has been joining us for most of the dinners this week. So far we have gotten a passing grade on everything and that is a high bar to pass. Everyone in our family cooks delicious food and there is always extra pressure to prepare things that they will think are a good idea and also cooked well.

Posted in American, Easy, Kitchen tips, Legumes, Mexican, pescatarian, Shellfish, Southwest U.S., Vegetables | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Vegan! Pasta with mushrooms and kale 10/20/21

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Beebamom
Whole wheat penne with mushrooms and kale

Who does not love a big bowl of pasta especially when it is good for you! My Wednesdays are almost always pasta and vegan. I rotate through different vegetables. Today I chose kale. The sauce is basically pasta water and a little olive oil. In the time it takes to heat the salted water and cook the pasta, the vegetables that you have been sauteing are ready for the pasta, pasta water and oil to be mixed in. Easy, quick, delicious!

Posted in Easy, Italian, Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Rhode Island clam chowder and avocado toast. 10/19/21

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Beebamom

This chowder is the brothier cousin of the traditional creamy and thick New England clam chowder. We used to live in Massachusetts and spent several times a year traveling to New Jersey where my parents lived. One time we stopped in Mystic, Connecticut for lunch on the way. We ordered the clam chowder and were surprised by the thin soup we were served. It turns out that this brothier chowder is a southern New England staple. To be honest I have never made the classic New England chowder since this version fits right into my eating regimen these days.

Sometimes I make it with a couple of tablespoons of cream but tonight’s was just made with clam juice and milk. You can sail a slab of toasted bread in it for some more texture. I saved my toast for a schmear of mashed and salted avocado. It was yummy.

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Grilled flank steak, grilled potato, Brussels sprouts

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Beebamom

Tonight was one of the rare nights when we have red meat. John heavily seasoned the flank steak and then grilled it for six minutes. I microwaved the potato halves and then handed them off to him for a final charring on the grill. While he was outside taking care of that part of dinner I made what my family calls IYBS, Incredibly Yummy Brussels Sprouts.

My special sprouts are cut in half and put cut side down in a pan with a little water, a sprinkling of sugar, salt, and with butter dotting the top. Put the lid on and cook until almost tender. Uncover, and when the water is nearly evaporated, add a little dry sherry. Then the sherry evaporates and the Brussel sprouts caramelize on the cut side in the remaining essence of sherry, sugar, and butter.

Really tasty dinner tonight. It might have been enhanced by a good bottle of red wine but since we are in vacation recovery mode, we decide not to. This morning I am glad that we did not give in to the impulse.

Posted in American, Beef, Easy, Grilling, Recipes, Vegetables | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Breakfast for dinner (BFD) 10/17/21

Posted on October 18, 2021 by Beebamom
Scrambled eggs, veggie patty, rye toast

Usually I make something more exotic with my Sunday BFD but these are lean times (as in I am in full dieting mode.) I am happy to report that I have lost almost 5 lbs of my vacation weight. Positive results make it easier to continue on. I know the next 5lbs will not be as easy and make take a few weeks. Soldier on! I say to myself.

I made 2 eggs, scrambled, for my egg portion. I like my eggs softly scrambled and am often disappointed by eggs you get at a restaurant. The veggie patty takes a minute in the microwave. I actually start the toast before anything else. It takes the longest!

You might ask how I can eat dry toast? Eating foods without added butter or mayo or sauces actually lets you taste the food itself. Plus if you eat a bite of toast and then a bite of egg or veg patty, it is kind of like having some sort of topping. At the end of the day shaving off these little bits of calories makes a difference.

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Weekly Menu. October 18-24, 2021

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Beebamom

I am trying a couple of new things this week, lentils diavolo and sesame salmon bowl. John and I have been sticking very close to our healthy eating plan and have each lost part of our vacation weight. I think that it will take a few more weeks to take care of all of it. Looking at the menu for the week ahead makes me feel like eating sanely will be no problem at all!

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Classic chicken dinner. 10/16/21

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Beebamom

Our classic chicken dinner always contains chicken breast with gravy or some sort of sauce, a mashed starchy vegetable, and a green vegetable. For us it is homey, comforting, and easy to make.

Chicken breast piccata, mashed combo butternut squash and potato, broccoli

We are cooking for three these days so John defrosted two large chicken breasts and sliced them longitudinally so we would have plenty of pieces. Since they were fairly thin they cooked up quickly in a large frying pan with just a little oil.

For the sauce he deglazed the pan with white wine and chicken stock, then added lemon juice and capers. This was reduced to a sauce-like consistency.

The other day we had butternut squash which I had spiced up with nutmeg and chipotle powder. We had some leftover but not enough for dinner. I found a small russet potato (5.5 oz.) that I peeled, chunked, and cooked in some boiling salted water and then added to the leftover butternut squash. The result still tasted like the original squash.

Is broccoli ever out of season?! I always have some in the crisper. I use the whole thing, florets and peeled, chopped stem. It was cooked in a splash of water, salt, and a teaspoon of butter.

Posted in American, Easy, Kitchen tips, leftovers, Poultry, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vegan! Chickpea stew. 10/15/21

Posted on October 16, 2021 by Beebamom
Chickpea stew with ditalini and greens

How good do those veggies look?! I am happy that the weather is getting cooler and I can make soups and stews that seemed too heavy for hot summer days.

I like this recipe because you can change it up depending on what you have on hand. No spicy tomatoes? Use a can of regular tomatoes and a couple of shakes of red pepper flakes. Have some broccoli or green beans that need using? Chuck those in. Tonight I used zucchini, kale (cut up the stems and put them in earlier), a leek, and tarragon. Also if you are not vegan/vegetarian you can use chicken broth, or a parmesan rind, and a sprinkle of the parm on top. Be sure to season your items as you cook them. This dish definitely needs salt and pepper.

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