This photo doesn’t do this meal justice. It can really be breakfast, lunch or dinner. I am a big fan of slop. Indian slop, Mexican slop, Turkish slop, it seems like every culture has their own version of some mushy grain or bean
1 handful spinach
1 cup cooked steel-cut oats *
1 spoon greek yogurt
1 egg
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp capers
1/2 tomato
cracked black pepper
drizzle balsamic vinegar (optional)
cook an egg to your liking (I like sunny side up or poached)
slice spinach and tomato
in a bowl stir together oats, yogurt and mustard (sometimes I sub sriracha)
add spinach and tomatoes (or whatever other vegetable fixings you’d like)
slip the egg on top and top with capers, pepper and balsamic
*For events like this, I like to keep some cooked steel cut oats on hand. I cook them in advance and keep them in the fridge- they keep for about a week. They’re super versatile; use them for sweet or savory mush meals like this or sprinkle them over salads to make them a little more substantial.
My friend/roommate/platonic partner went on a South East Asian adventure this summer and brought back this recipe along with 10 pairs of those comfy Asian pants.
1/2 large green papaya
2 medium carrots
1/2 cup each; fish sauce, raw sugar, lime juice
1/4 cup each; garlic, red chili
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 tbsp chopped basil
10 cherry tomatoes
squeeze lime juice into a jar and add fish sauce, sugar, minced garlic and finely chopped and seeded red chili
grate papaya and carrots and chop or grind peanuts
I really love tuna. Not tuna soaked in mayo though, that takes the fun out of it. I like to chop up fruits and veggies and make a lighter, fresher salad, just like my mom’s. This was another recipe born out of bountiful produce and a mighty appetite.
1 can tuna
2 sticks celery
1/2 large tomato
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 handfuls spinach
1 lg carrot
1/2 onion (red or white)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
10 red grapes
healthy dose of capers
drain tuna
chop celery, peel carrot then slice along with the tomato, onion and spinach and halve the grapes
This is one of my favorite breakfasts and fairly fast and easy. Lots of protein, good fats and verrry tasty. At this time of year when avocados are plentiful, it’s especially appealing.
1/2 of an avocado (preferably a large one)
1 egg
pepper
salt
1 sprig basil
2 tsp feta cheese
cut avocado in half, using the half without the seed, hollow out hole to fit an egg (depends on size of avocado and pit)
fill with egg and sprinkle salt, pepper and whatever spices you feel like on top
bake at 350° F for 15 minutes
remove and add feta then return to oven and put under broil for 10 more minutes or until egg turns white and looks set (cooked to your liking)
serve with basil, great with a good piece of bread or roasted potatoes (pictured)
I found this recipe on the whole foods website and decided to spice it up. It’s a great idea for summer because you don’t have to cook it and it really utilized the flavors and natural juices of superripe heirloom tomatoes.
Heirloom Tomato Bulgur Salad:
1 lb heirloom tomatoes
1 cup uncooked bulgur
1/4 cup capers
a few sprigs thyme and rosemary
a few squirts mustard
Cut tomatoes into large dices, saving juices
gently mix the tomatoes and their juices into the bulgur and let sit for three hours or more
Sometimes when I don’t feel like going out or going grocery shipping, I pretend I’m on Chopped and turn it into a cooking challenge to figure out a meal using what’s on hand. It’s quite a skill to have, if I may say so myself.
One night my mom and I came home with no specific dinner plan but some pretty great things came out of it. We had some trusty brussels sprouts on hand. Knowing you have a stash of brussels at home is always reassuring because they’re versatile and they last a long time. You can roast them, sauté them or slice them up raw for a substantial salad, which is what I decided to do on said night.
Recipe:
1 lb brussels cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cups frozen edamame
3 shallots
1/3 cup golden raisins/golden berries/dates/dried apricots
1 tbsp yellow miso *note
1/3 cup pistachios
2 tbsp tahini **
generous splash tamari (soy sauce is ok too)
a few generous squirts sriracha
couple of tsps black and/or white sesame seeds
heat a small pat of butter in a nonstick pan and caramelize shallots
clean and slice brussels, leaving out bitter, white cores
cook edamames
soak your dried fruit of choice in hot water to plump them up, drain and add to sliced brussels along with the edamames
heat miso in the pan used for caramelization, add pistachios, don’t worry if it’s gooey, it will be fine once it joins the other ingredients *
add the miso/pistachios, tahini **, tamari, sriracha and sesame seeds, toss
* you can skip the miso pistachio step and just use slivered almonds or plain pistachios if you’re not feelin it
**my favorite tahini (especially for this recipe) is the whole foods brand because it’s more viscous than your average thick, sticky tahini. it’s also usually the cheapest
We’ve remade this salad a few times and switched up the nuts and dried fruits depending on what’s available and/or on what sounds appealing to the chefs at the moment.
Speaking of tahini and this salad, this is one of the things we showed our neighbor how to make in an impromptu “what makes good leftovers” cooking class at her house. We also made this tempeh-tahini bake creation that is one of my all time favorite comfort food dinners. We actually adapted the recipe from a lamb dish in “Jerusalem” by Ottolenghi and Tamimi. I will have to remake it to figure out proportions and measurements. I’ve never paid much attention because I am too focused on eating it. RECIPE COMING SOON
