Hi everyone
I’m back in my kitchen, and armed with a semi-inventory of the freezer of things to be used up 
.
The weather is pretty perfect right now in new york – it’s my absolute favorite time of year! Slightly cool but so pleasant also means anything goes food-wise, from salads to soups & stews.
I’m excited about Maangchi being COTM, having been somewhat Korean food deprived through my travels. Also a few Chrissy Teigen recipes bookmarked from her second book, while I wait on the library for the newest.
October is also peak Indian festival season this year, with Dashera / Dussehra just gone and Diwali around the corner, so there will be some prep on that front too.
Ideas for the week:
— Assorted Korean banchan / sides & muchim / salads to eat with Korean mains: spinach, beansprouts, scallions, broccoli, bok choy, snow peas to prep & keep ready to eat. Then Vegetable Bibimbap with all the prepped veg & maybe an egg.
— Soy butter pan-grilled chicken from COTM Maangchi (blog recipe has more garlic + ginger than the book, so I’ll use that)
— Bulgogi with noodles (a japchae-meets-bulgogi bonanza combining two of my favorites) also from COTM Maangchi (will likely cheat and use TJ’s frozen bulgogi but make the japchae myself)
— Lazy shrimp and pork “wonton” soup from COTM Chrissy Teigen – this is so clever! The dumpling mixture becomes meatballs, and wonton wrappers are cut into noodles. (I may use the shumai seasonings I love from NYT for the meatballs, and will swap pork for turkey.)
— Chicken quesadillas &/or Chicken “Junglee” salad (red onion, green chilli, cilantro) with tortilla crisps-- I have a bunch of cooked chicken in the freezer to use up.
— Either Tom Kha Gai or Curry Chicken Noodle soup, adding assorted veg I picked up in Chinatown and using up more of the frozen cooked chicken.
— Chicken cooked in whey – I’ve got a pasta jar full of whey from the paneer I made the day I got home (turns out I had left a gallon of milk in the very cold fridge, and while it smelled fine, I didn’t think it would last any longer). Thinking I can apply the chicken-cooked-in-milk idea but using whey and adding some whole spices and herbs.
I might also use some of the whey to bake a small loaf of bread. No other baking on the horizon until I have to take something somewhere.
Will start working on those three college care packages this week, as I’d like them to arrive before Diwali and midterms both.
Wish you all a restful weekend, and a calm and delicious week ahead.
