What We Eat (or Ate)

These are some of the things that we have actually been cooking and eating at home. Some really quick and easy weeknight meals, some lunches, some nice Saturday night dinners, and some "one-pots" leisurely prepared on the weekend. Please leave your comments, questions and own ideas. As you can see, I sometimes need help (!) and am certainly willing to try just about anything.

 Fettucini with broccoli, mushrooms, leeks, and a light cream sauce.	Pasta.  I was traveling to visit my mom in January when I made the fettuccine with broccoli.  I'm sure you don't need to see pictures of Chipolte salad bowls, and regretful airport food.  But this dish, or variations on this dish are a part of my standard go to recipes.  I use fresh pasta and make a really light cream sauce (maybe 2/3 cup of half and half thickened with a roux).  From there you can put in anything you have available.  Since it was January, I stuck to some pretty readily available additions like broccoli, mushrooms and leeks.  If you use lots of veggies, you can have a nice plate of pasta without the side order of guilt and belt unbuckling.
 Baked tempeh, sauteed red cabbage, salad and bread. Tempeh, Tuscan summer salad, and green beans.  [Tuscan summer salad is a cold salad with tomato, olives, onions, cucumber, arugula and balsamic dressing]	Baked Tempeh.  We love tempeh!  Tempeh is a fermented soy bean cake that has this awesome nutty flavor and can be prepared like or used to substitute for meat.  This plate sort of represents what I'd consider the "better" American dinner.  It still has protein, vegetables, salad, and bread. We've been experimenting with ways to prepare tempeh.  Broiling seemed to dry it out without making it crispy and smoking yourself out of your house.  To saute you need to have a really truly nonstick pan (our cast iron worked perfect).  Baking also works really well.  Add a marinade to the tempeh and saute in a pan or put it in a baking dish.
  Bison roast, prepared in red wine and garlic.  Roasted vegetables on the side.	Bison roast, prepared in red wine and garlic. Roasted vegetables on the side.  For Christmas this year we embraced out Canadian-ness and prepared a small bison roast.  It was really awesome.  I was pretty surprised, especially because the label was in French and I didn't really know what cut of bison I had.  But it was lean and so so much more flavorful than beef.
  Spaghetti squash "bake" with tomatoes, basil, chicken broth, and Parmesan cheese.	Try new things.  We have our standards, many of which are captured here, but we try a lot of new things too.  For example,  I tried cooking spaghetti squash for the first time.  I roasted the squash in two halves, then pulled out the spaghetti like insides and baked them in a sort of casserole with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.  It was interesting, but definitely a little too much work for me.  However, it made a TON, so that helped the time-spent-cooking to meals-produced ratio.  Oh and the roasted squash seeds were pretty damn good too.
Macaroni and Cheese with quinoa pasta, broccoli, bacon, and peas.	Macaroni and Cheese.  Sadly, grilling season ended and we were launched directly into winter comfort food season.  This is a version of macaroni and cheese that includes a lot of vegetables and quinoa pasta.  For the sauce, you make a roux, then add skim milk and a really sharp flavorful cheese.  Cooking Light has lots these types of recipes, check it out for inspiration.
Brown rice, edamame, red pepper, carrot, radish, and almonds. Brown rice, purple carrots, orange pepper, and edamame	Rice and Veggies Versions 29 and 82.  The version part is a joke, but we do so many variations on this same dish that is might actually be true.  We usually have a pot of cooked brown rice or quinoa in the fridge.  Then you can add whatever you have to it, top with a splash of sesame oil and soy sauce (and hot sauce if you like) and you are ready to go.  We eat this for lunch a lot, and throw in all the veggies raw.
Potatoes, carrots, and portabella mushrooms Tempeh.  Cubed and marinated in soy, ginger, honey, and mustard. Grilled honey-soy chicken, grilled pineapple and sweet potato wedges.	Grillin'.  When the weather is nice we grill almost everyday.  Partly because it's easy and the food is good.  But mostly because sitting on our deck in the evening with a good beer or glass a wine is about as good as it gets.  Next time you grill, try grilling some things other than steak or burgers.  We have skewers and you can skewer just about anything....vegetables, fish, tempeh.  Grilled sweet potatoes, portabella mushrooms, asparagus, and fruit, like pineapple, are some of our favorites too. Usually we just use olive oil and salt and pepper or a little soy sauce.
Grilled tortilla, hummus, tomato, basil, and goat cheese. Grilled tortilla, grilled zucchini, yellow peppers, red onions, and extra sharp cheddar cheese.	Open-Faced Tortillas and Flatbreads.  These are perfect on the grill.  Make an open faced tortilla with your favorite pizza toppings, or try and mix of veggies and cheese, melting a sharp cheese like cheddar or sprinkling a lighter goat cheese.  If prepared on the grill, the tortilla gets nice and crispy.
Broccoli soup with carrots, edamame, onion, red pepper.  [Light 'cream' base make with skim milk, flour, a little butter]	Soups.  We eat a lot of soup.  In my head I sound like my grandmother when we say that and a younger me hated soup.  How booooooring and light.  But at some point, thanks to some great recipes from my mom, I started making my own soups and that changed everything.  Homemade soups taste totally different.  The flavors and textures are as varied as non-soup foods.  A spicy asian soup for a cold day, a rich and creamy corn chowder when you are super hungry, a light tomato-based vegetable soup to complement any meal.  Cooking Light's 101 best soups are a great place to start.  Don't be fooled, these won't taste like health food.
Spicy Slaw. Spicy Slaw.	Spicy "Slaw".  This was an experiment that actually turned out pretty well.  It's a slaw, cross with asian noodles.  I made a raw coleslaw mix (cabbage, carrots, green onions, and sliced bok choy) and added in some cooked soba noodles.  Then I tossed the noodle/slaw with a spicy vinaigrette: grated ginger, chili oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar.  We ate it cold with almonds on top.
Mushrooms, garlic, red peppers, and zucchini pizza.	Pizza.  I really believe that pizza can be the perfect food...f you don't overload it with cheese and processed meats.  I know that might sound ridiculous to some of you, and I can practically some of you muttering under your breath that cheese and processed meat is the whole point of having pizza.  But bear with me.... We make thin crusts, add lots of veggies and top with a light/modest amount of cheese.  If you use a harder, sharper cheese (sharp cheddar, gruyere) you'll still get flavor with less dairy fat.  Allowing you to eat another slice, guilt-free.