Mellow Memorial Day

After a weekend filled with friends, plays, tag sales and more, we decided to have a mellow Memorial Day which translated to no potluck this week. But I'm sure we'll be back, raring to go next Monday!

However, just because we didn't have potluck doesn't mean we didn't eat. We relaxed outside and grilled up some delicious food. The grill has been getting a good workout lately since it's been way too hot to even think about turning the oven on.

Of course, as we grilled, we needed to snack...

Chips, guacamole and my go to drink as of late: an Arnold Palmer

For dinner, we went with a few of our favorites: steak, veggies and corn.

Getting our grill on

 

Steak, mushrooms, peppers, onions

For the corn, I wanted to do a little something different and slathered it in some mayo, topped with a few sprinkles of chili powder. SO good!

Dessert was in the form of juicy watermelon. Our quiet, outdoor evening was the perfect end to a boisterous, fun-filled weekend, but I'm certainly already looking forward to next Monday with friends.

Potluck Through Pictures

From this past Monday...

Nothing quite says "Summer's on its way" like gin & tonic

Salad with the best.dressing.ever. Saffron rice, chana masala, sweet potato pie.

Dessert = strawberry/rhubarb crumble

Is it next Monday yet?

Chana Masala

And here we are...yet another gray, rainy Monday. And I'm in need of flavor - something that packs a punch. My son was clamoring for chickpeas (he is obsessed with him, thanks to a certain televised lemur who occasionally has a hankering for them), so I figured, why not make the best of both worlds.

Enter: Chana Masala.

Usually I'm pretty hesitant when it comes to cooking Indian food because the flavors are so bold that I worry it will be completely obvious if I've messed it up. Yet this dish is easy to prepare, easy to temper to your own tastes and is a definite crowd pleaser.

Start by sauteing one diced medium onion in vegetable oil.

While the onions are cooking, organize and prep the rest of your ingredients.

Salt, coconut milk, lemon, chickpeas, curry powder, tomato paste, garlic & pepper

Once the onions have softened and slightly browned, add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, and 1-2 tablespoons of curry (play with this to suit your tastes. I go with 1.5 tablespoons and it gives a nice kick without being overpowering). Stir it all up and add a couple tablespoons of some reserved chickpea liquid until a sauce begins to form.

Add the juice of a 1/2 lemon, pinch of salt, and a 1/4 cup of coconut milk (to start). Here's where I played around with it a bit. I would stir and taste and add more (tomato paste, coconut milk, salt) flavor as needed. I finally got it to where it wasn't too sweet, sour or spicy, and of course, had no idea what the exact measurements were of anything I used.

Then, add the chickpeas and allow the dish to simmer for 1/2 hour or so. (You can type up our blog post and revel in the amazing smell that's coming out of your kitchen while you do so).

I have it on good authority that this will only be the tip of the delicious iceberg for tonight's potluck. It certainly makes braving the drab, drizzly roads that much easier!

Banana Bread Bliss

It's raining.

It's supposed to rain all.week.long.

It's only Tuesday.

Sorry, just had to get that out there. While there is certainly something charming and delicious about Spring rain, when it decides to continue for a week, well...then I have some issues with it. However, since I can't change the weather, I make the best of it and...bake.

I always find that baking in inclement weather makes your treats taste extra yummy. Maybe it's because you can cozy up inside with a warmed baked good while the nasty weather takes place outside, I'm not sure. All I know is that yesterday was the perfect day for banana bread.

I'm not sure where I got my recipe from. It's one of those unfortunate ones that gets jotted down on a scrap of paper and stuffed in my recipe box, clearly put to good use based on the amount of smudges and stains. 

Just so you know what I'm working with:

Ingredients. And yes. That does say "neeners."

The recipe itself is really a basic banana bread recipe and quite simple even for the beginner baker.

Note the cooking time is up at the top.

While the kiddo mashed the neeners, I got the dry ingredients together.

I happened to have a handful of Godiva mini chips laying around, so I tossed those in as well.

It was still warm when we dug into it at potluck later that night. The rain seemed to keep most people away, as it was an intimate potluck of two families, but just as invigorating and enjoyable.  We also dined on garlic bread, a bean dish and a rice/lentil casserole. In all, the perfect rainy day meal.

Now excuse me while I go build an ark...

Go To Grub

I have a stash of meals that I call my "go to's" and pull them out when I'm feeling food-lazy, uninspired or bored. The stash includes a favorite soup (tortilla!), pasta dish and paninis. However, lately I've found myself making variations on this dish, earning it a slot in my go-to list.

BBQ Tofu with sweet potatoes and a veg.

It meets all the requirements: easy, tasty and healthy.

BBQ Tofu

The BBQ tofu is pretty simple. I press a brick of tofu (we use a delicious brand made somewhat locally) for a 1/2 an hour before slicing it and marinating it in our favorite store bought BBQ sauce. Bake for 20 minutes at 350, flip the slices and bake another 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prep your sweet potatoes. Sometimes I'll cut them in shoe strings and we'll have oven fries, but the other night I sliced them thin with my mandolin and baked them for 5-10 minutes on each side at 450.

As for the veggie - I use whatever is in season or what I'm in the mood for. I had some string beans in the fridge, and steamed them with a touch of salt and lemon juice.

While it may take a while for everything to cook, there's very little hands on work, and the results are incredibly delicious for very little effort, and so far it seems nobody has minded that it's been showing up on their plates at least once a week around here!

(I know I missed a Monday Night post, but due to a weekend away and an icky cold, we sadly skipped out on potluck this week.)

Spring Greenbeans

After a week of rainy days, we've finally managed to snag a few sun filled ones and I couldn't be happier. We decided to celebrate by hosting potluck and having it outdoors. The weather cooperated, giving us a sun filled afternoon that ended in a comfortably cool evening.

I wanted to make a bright green side dish, but when I was unable to find asparagus (a sure sign of spring!) at the market, I ended up grabbing a bunch of greenbeans. I knew I didn't want to mess with them too much, and ended up grabbing a few things from the pantry to create a light, flavorful and easy dish.

Most of the ingredients: beans, lemon, salt

While I cooked the green beans (4 minutes in boiling water...no more or you pretty much kill them) I roasted up some almonds in a skillet with a teaspoon of oil.

It was really hard not to eat them right then and there. Yum.

I chopped up the nuts once they were toasty brown and salted them. Once the beans were finished cooking I tossed them with the nuts, some lemon zest and a few hearty squeezes of fresh lemon juice. A bit of salt finished the dish.

 

Super easy, for sure, but still incredibly delicious. It also went well with the rest of the meal, which just screamed SPRING! 

Freshly made purple sauerkraut - still warm! - green salad, lentil/walnut/sweet potato burritos, chick peas & squash, and sticky rice

Our first outdoor potluck of the season wouldn't be complete without lighting up the fire pit, and of course, once that's going you must pull out the marshmallows.

The perfect way to end potluck.