I threw some tempeh into the shopping cart last week – not because I had an awesome tempeh recipe in mind, but more because I need something to serve along side these dang Brussels sprouts I can’t seem to stop making. Seriously, it might be time for an intervention. I don’t know how much longer I can get away with making them as the main course before an official complaint is filed.
Zen and the Art of Preparing Brussels Sprouts
February 8th, 2011 | Posted by in Dinner Time - (15 Comments)I’ve written casually about my favorite way to make Brussels sprouts before, but now I feel that this vegetable dish deserves an official post of its own because:
1. I make them all the time and have therefore seriously improved my method
2. I want to flesh out each step that goes into preparing Brussels sprouts in this manner
3. Cooking vegetables can be highly meditative – as I will now demonstrate
OK. Before we get started, let’s take a couple of deep, cleansing breaths. In through your nose… out through your mouth. Yes, that’s it. Very good.
Within the last year or so here, the Mexican restaurant Chipotle has made its way onto our landscape. I do enjoy going to Chipotle and it’s one of the few chain restaurants I patronize.
Of course when I say “patronize”, I mean – to frequent as a customer – not that I treat Chipotle condescendingly or anything.
Oh and when I say “frequent”, this would mean on the occasion when there are no picky children in tow. And as the case may be, this means I get there once a month if I’m lucky.
Problems.
We’ve all got them. Big problems. Stupid Problems. Finger problems that we can’t seem to stop writing about.
When I was a kid, unloading the dishwasher was one of my chores. Like most kids, I would have to be reminded and mom would say “I can’t make dinner until the kitchen is clean. I need you to unload the dishwasher NOW so I can get the kitchen cleaned up and make dinner.”
…into the leaves, that is. Oh yeah, clocks too.
Now that the last of the leaves are on the ground, I’ll agree to rake.
With a little help, of course.
(And I mean a very little.)
Who needs cardio when there’s yardio? Today’s work out left my yard looking very N.E.A.T. Unfortunately I can’t say the same thing about my hair.
Yard work today was a family affair. Two up front and two in the back.
Earlier this week we met up with some of our unschooling, nature loving friends for a salmon run adventure.
We were the first to arrive,
so we figured out how to keep ourselves entertained as we waited for our friends to join us.
One by one a colorful gang of kids showed up,
and then the creek walking and fish stalking began.
Right around this time every year, the salmon make their way back up the creeks and streams in this area to spawn,
Let’s start this post by tackling a very important question you surely have:*
What is the difference between a scallion and a leek?
Well, I’m glad you asked because until today I didn’t know either. When getting ready to write up this recipe I couldn’t remember if the green onion-y things I picked up in our CSA share yesterday were scallions or leeks. Google tells me that scallions are young onions. Leeks are, well – leeks. I’m fairly confident that what I have here are leeks*, and because I don’t think your pot will explode* or your fabulous dinner party will be ruined* if you use scallions in place of leeks in this Vegan Potato Leek* Soup recipe, I’m going with leeks.
Whenever I say “Ratatouille”, I always want to say it twice and then the chorus Rock Me Amadeus starts to play in my head.
What? Is that just me? Probably.
So… Ratatouille. Yeah. I’m fairly sure “Ratatouille” is French for “what the hell am I going to do with all these summer vegetables?”
My mom has been making Ratatouille and raving to me about it during recent phone conversations. When she described what went into it, I realized that I had every single one of the ingredients in my overstocked-with-produce fridge. That’s what I call vegetable fate.
A dear reader named Kenzie left a comment the other day asking me to do a post about how I make my salads and what I put in them. Turns out I just so happen to have “Big Giant Salad” on the dinner menu tonight! Here’s how I make a salad that will knock your (and maybe even someone else’s!) socks off.
Step 1: Start with a beautiful head of lettuce. Something OTHER than iceberg for crying out loud please. Red leaf is typically my head of choice, but green leaf or romaine work nicely. Don’t be afraid to throw in spinach, arugula, dandelion or other mixed field greens too if you’ve got ’em.
From my omnivorous days of yore, I think I miss meatloaf the most. I mean seriously now – how have I been getting by without eating a loaf of meat these past three and a half-ish years? It’s a meatless mystery for sure, and it’s time to do something about it!
That’s a joke in case you couldn’t tell. Actually I miss turkey subs the most. OK that’s a joke too. Who needs turkey when you’ve got lettuce, tomato, onion, red, green and banana peppers and (gasp!) mayo and provolone cheese on a sesame seed roll from Wegmans? I rest my case.
follow along!
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