Well, the cooking bug has got me again! And thank goodness. To be honest, I was a little worried it would take a lot longer for me to want to get back in the kitchen. Luckily, all it took was a trip to Whole Foods. I got serious crazy eyes, and came back with a lot of groceries. When will there be enough time to eat them?!
As I’ve mentioned a little before, my appetite’s changed a bit. Whereas I used to make big, mixing bowl-sized salads for lunch nearly every day, I’ve been eating a lot more sandwiches and hot dishes lately. Still, it’s really important for us to “eat the rainbow” and get a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, especially when we’re sick and our immune systems aren’t quite what they should be. So I’ve been doing my best to both listen to what my body is craving and eat healthful, veggie- and protein-filled meals.
Thanks to the cookbooks I took out from the library, I’ve had a lot of great inspiration. A couple nights ago, I flipped through Heidi Swanson’s latest cookbook (which I will probably end up shelling out the $23 for), Super Natural Everyday. This simple recipe for Miso-Curry Delicata Squash jumped right out at me.
Delicata squash isn’t in season right now, but sweet potatoes worked just as well. I loved the mix of tangy miso and spicy-sweet Thai red curry, and the toasted pepitas added a smoky crunch! that amped everything up a notch. Served over rice, it was the perfect weeknight dinner. I know I sound like a broken record, but grain bowls have become my new ideal comfort food.
While the potatoes were roasting, I got started on breakfast for the next morning: Gena’s version of Bircher Muesli. It’s a lot like what my Overnight Oats look like when I use almond milk instead of yogurt, something I’ve been doing a lot more lately. I first heard of Bircher Muesli about three years ago, when the physical therapist I was seeing for my ITBS told me about the big batch of oats, fruit, nuts and yogurt he makes a big batch of once a week and scoops a portion of each morning for breakfast.
Chia seeds, almonds, fresh apples, dried goji berries, and dried cherries (I substituted these for mulberries)? Hard to go wrong. It was a deliciously filling ready-made breakfast.
I also spent a few minutes peeling oranges! B is one of those people that has to have a tall glass of orange juice every morning for breakfast, and lately has taken to squeezing his own rather than buying the sugary stuff from the grocery store. I, on the other hand, am a person who’d rather eat the fruit than drink the juice. That is, I was until this whole meningitis thing happened. Now, I’ll drink just about any cold beverage (excluding cold ones) you put in front of me… especially fresh OJ.
There are still quite a few recipes I’ve got bookmarked to make, but time is running out! We’re going to a wedding this weekend, and are planning to be out of town next week as well. Time to get cooking!
What did you eat for breakfast today?
