So it’s a year ago this month that so many of us were relegated to our homes due to the pandemic. I’m sure we all thought “Ahhh, we’ll be back at work in a couple of weeks, a month, tops!”
Well, weren’t we surprised, flummoxed, and bamboozled. This virus was trickier than we thought.
But we’re still hangin’ in and still kickin’ it. We’re coming out of the dark, into the light. So many of us are still making LOTS of great homecooked meals, as is evidenced on our monthly WFD threads…and others are enjoying being able to go out for the first time in so many months.
So what are you cooking/eating as we enter the tail end of the winter months? Still going for comfort foods? Or are you looking forward to Spring and lighter meals? (I mean, who DOESN’T look forward to Spring?)
It’s still cold and wet here in Maryland. I suspect we’ll continue to lean toward warming meals. For us that isn’t necessarily heavy, but certainly using the oven is attractive as it heats the kitchen.
My wife and I do meal planning once a week. She breaks all ties. grin On my list for consideration in March during which I’ll be gone on delivery for a week and a half) are some curries, maybe a meatloaf. A casserole or two.
My wife has been on a baking jag lately which also keeps the kitchen warm and her in it. Of course her office is the center of our IT network (two computers, a scanner, a big laser printer, NAS, house WiFi, and other odds and ends) so it’s warm in there also.
Bring on Spring! The forecast does look sunny, warmer and bright days ahead. I’m ready for St. Pat’s, a return trip to MA, my birthday and getting the greenhouse ready for dining on our little hilltop paradise.
Tonight, a bowl of Grannies chicken soup and a tomato and gouda grilled cheese. I’ll be happier when spring produce arrives! Even I’m a tad tired of winters bounty.
Tonight I cooked jasmine rice in leftover pho broth and folded in cauliflower rice toward the end. That was served warm topped with shredded poached chicken thighs, spicy Vietnamese carrot and radish pickles, cilantro, nuoc cham, a few peanuts, sriracha, orange bell pepper, and cucumber. Pho broth with mushrooms to go with, as well as miso-tahini Brussels.
i was thinking of minestrone, which i almost never crave/want, but did not want to shop today and decided to use what really needed to be eaten at home. No white beans, but we had leftover chicken, chicken stock, leftover cooked bucatini, carrots, scallions, garlic, oregano & bay leaves, cherry toms, plus half a very spicy red jalapeno. Parm regg rind went in too. a handful of arugula topped mine, plenty of parm on both, drizzle of olive oil, squeeze of lemon… T’was super yummy, for a trash-panda kinda dinner…
Yesterday marked a year since I left home for a short visit.
Tonight I cooked Indian, mostly because it was the easiest option.
Simple masoor dal with garlic and cumin tempering, green beans with garlic (that got overcooked while younger kid and I played a quick game of scrabble), and cauliflower and peas (that made up for the beans - really good).
Plus lamb chops marinated in yogurt, ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg - cooked sous vide and then seared.
GF chapatis for the kids, and Pav (I guess I’d describe them as indian dinner rolls) for me - used up the last of my fridge dough.
First off, thank you @LindaWhit for another month of hopeful and cheery WFD.
Tonight was sirloin steak with an Asian marinade (hoisin, oyster and soy sauces, garlic, gochugaru, dry vermouth) and fried cauliflower rice. While the steak was resting, I threw sliced zucchini into the cast iron with some of the leftover marinade. Perfectly crisp zukes and all-around stellar Monday night meal. BF has work super early tomorrow and I was my normal late shift tonight. Not dining together gave me the opportunity to enjoy this hunk of medium-rare flesh!
I ordered and enjoyed prosciutto wrapped pork tenderloin with a balsamic fig glaze from my Chef friend. I ate half today and saved the other half for another day.
Finally got a chance to cook for a change tonight. Work has been busy and not allowing me to leave in time to cook so a nice home cooked meal is a welcome change.
Pork chops pan seared and finished in a honey bourbon reduction. Sides red cabbage with bacon and pears and truffle parmigiana smashed potatoes.
Frenchy butcher had Korean short ribs, aka galbi. I thought I was buying the pork bulgogi from last week and was going to make tacos. But, because of the bones, i just seared and stuck them under the broiler for a minute, alongside kimchi rice (my chopped kimchi and gochuchang mixed in while cooking) and avo with pickled shallots. avo & pickled shallots got mixed into the rice at the table. such a good combo of textures and flavors.
Pan-fried yellowtail with sesame oil - fish needed to be cooked, so it was.
Indo-Chinese Manchurian sauce for the rest of the proteins:
Chicken meatballs
Beyond burger meatballs
Tofu
Sautéed mushrooms with ginger and scallions, slightly saucy.
Broccoli with garlic - hit of the night, because it was delicate and cooked just right.
Green beans - with more garlic (not made by me).
Brown rice-quinoa mix (from a packet) for some.
Quite a satisfying dinner (for me, unlike last night’s).
Despite the name there is no BBQ or grill involved. There is a lot of butter involved however. Quite simple to make and it came out pretty well even though my shrimp weren’t quite jumbo.
