Clockwise- hummus, pita, tabbouleh, and red cabbage
Except for the tabbouleh this was kind of an open packages and arrange on plate kind of dinner. The hummus was Sabra garlic, the pita was Toufayan whole wheat, and the red cabbage came from a jar that John got for Christmas. The tabbouleh I made with bunches of parsley and mint, garlic, tomatoes, lemon juice, and green onions all mixed with bulgar wheat and olive oil. I had to get out my food processor to get everything chopped up. It turned out pretty good although the lemons were Meyer lemons and did not add quite the level of acidity that I was looking for.
Tacos are a fun dinner any night of the week. Sometimes we make beef tacos, sometimes chicken, or fish or shrimp. Tonight’s dinner featured shrimp with a mango/tomato salsa. The yellow honey or Southeast Asian mangoes were on sale for 2/$1 so I gave them a try. They tasted less sweet and more citric than the green/red Indian mangoes that I usually buy. To make up for the difference I added a little sweetener and oil to the salsa along with a couple of tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and a squirt of sriracha. John was in charge of cooking the shrimp which he did perfectly. I added a can of Rotel to my can of black beans as well as onion, cilantro, and garlic. Altogether this was a good dinner, the kind you wish there was more of!
The broccoli was freshly made for tonight’s dinner but everything else was a leftover. We made the lamb by grilling it on Sunday and the potatoes came from last night’s dinner. To reheat the lamb John set up the sous vide apparatus and warmed the meat at 125F for 90 minutes. When it was done it was still pink and juicy. Nothing tasted like a leftover!
Sometimes it’s nice to have a special dinner on just an ordinary weekday. Although scallops are a pricey item there is absolutely no waste. John seared them beautifully and I made mashed potatoes and asparagus as sides. I also made a tartar sauce. Our dinner, if we had ordered this out, would probably cost close to $50 per person so this was a doable luxe dinner at $10 per person.
We have been enjoying this chicken lo mein for a few months now. Using shredded rotisserie chicken, spaghetti, and bagged fresh vegetables already cut have made this an easy weeknight dinner. Below is the original recipe with the changes we made in my narrative.
This such a delicious vegan dish. I probably could eat it once a week! Of course if you want to keep it vegan omit the parmesan cheese.
Chickpeas with ditalini and kale
Ingredients 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped (optional) 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 sprigs thyme (or herb of your choice) 2 cups vegetable broth 2 cups water 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 can petite diced tomatoes and chiles with liquid (like Rotel) Parmesan rind (optional) ½ cup ditalini Big handful of kale or any type greens Salt and black pepper Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan cheese (optional)
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until tender and the onion is translucent.
Add the garlic and herb then cook until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the broth, water, and the can of spicy tomatoes with their liquid. Add optional parmesan rind.
Once the mixture is boiling, add the chickpeas and ditalini. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the ditalini is tender. Uncover and stir in the greens and optional zucchini, letting them simmer until incorporated.
Your mixture will be quite stew-like. If you want the mixture to be more soupy, add some additional water. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish the bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and optional parmesan cheese..
Our dinner of fish (tilapia) tacos was enhanced in a couple of ways. For the black beans I started with plain black beans with no flavoring. After they were rinsed I heated them up with a can of Rotel (spicy tomatoes and chiles) and added a few shakes of cumin. I tasted them while they were cooking to see if they needed salt and then garnished the beans with cilantro.
I also made my own salsa. I was lucky enough to find a mango that was ripe enough to use right away. I diced it, and a couple of small tomatoes, then mixed in the juice and zest of one lime, half a chopped jalapeño, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, salt to taste, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. It was delicious and really elevated our tacos! Sometimes doing a little something extra really pays off.
Omnivore 