What’s cooking? We’ve made a lot of really great (and simple) dishes this past week. I’ve been using Pinterest a lot lately to keep track of recipes that catch my eye… it’s like the modern day recipe box! Our fall CSA has ended, and winter will start soon. For now, though, I’ve been looking for creative ways to use up the bounty we have in the freezer.
Scallops are in season, and I was excited to cook this recipe with fennel. We had scallops a lot when I was growing up, and I love how rich and decadent they taste! This recipe was so simple (I was out of butter so just used oil), and the leftovers made for a special salad topping.
Soups are a great way to use up whatever produce you have lying around. I sautéed leeks, fennel + cauliflower in oil, added vegetable broth, salt + pepper, and simmered for about an hour. Then I used an immersion blender to purée the soup, and garnished it generously with chili flakes. Served with store-bought stuffed grape leaves… they are a far cry from the homemade kind we had in Greece!
I love Ethiopian food, but recently discovered that injera (the fermented sourdough bread made from teff flour) often contains wheat flour. (Being gluten free makes me a very annoying dining companion!) This was very sad news, because Ethiopian was always a cuisine I thought of as good for many different dietary concerns and allergies. So when I stumbled upon this recipe for Ethiopian Spiced Cabbage + Carrots, I knew I had to make it right away! (Added bonus: our CSA made showered us with both ingredients last week.)
This recipe for hot smoked salmon looked delicious, but as always, I failed to read the recipe before buying all the ingredients. When it came time to cook, I wasn’t prepared that I a) needed to marinate the fish for 12 hours, and b) needed a smoker. Um, point me to the NYC apartment dweller who has a smoker hidden in their tiny space! Anyway, I marinated the fish for about 15 minutes, rotating it to coat each side, with the smoking glaze. I cooked a bit of bok choy in the soba sauce, then added in some pre-soaked rice noodles. The salmon was fabulous… Chinese 5 Spice is such an interesting blend!
And heads up to gluten free readers: soba is not, as I’d originally believed, gluten free! It contains wheat flour, in addition to the buckwheat. This has been a sad week on the gluten free discovery front.
We recently discovered the beauty of the Leftovers Taco: heat corn tortillas (these seem to be the only ones around that don’t contain all kinds of wacky preservatives), and stuff with whatever leftovers you have around. Douse with hot sauce! The salmon made for great tacos, alongside spinach, avocado, + cilantro.
Ethiopian cabbage + avocado tacos:
Roasted carrot, seared tofu (marinated in sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, ginger), avocado, cabbage + cilantro tacos.
We’re taking a little breather in terms of the wedding planning frenzy… for the next few weeks, we’re just basking in the bliss of being recently engaged. This sweet gift from Danielle is a nice reminder that the wedding is not the final stop for my life with Brien. I’m excited to see what the next year of our lives looks like!
On a totally unrelated note, just wanted to share this adorable photo of Charley, who had a minor procedure yesterday. Despite having to don the cone for the next week, my parents report he is his usual perky self. He looks pretty sharp for a 14 year old Poodle!