As much as I love food, most of the things I cook day-to-day during the week, by necessity, have to be able to be made and enjoyed in one hour or less. Cooking makes me extremely happy 99% of the time, but I will be the first to admit that the 1% of the time that it doesn’t almost always involves trying to cook something overly ambitious after getting home from work and yoga at 9pm. This inevitably always results in me rushing around, spilling things, cursing, and generally wondering why I even bothered in the first place. Needless to say, I try to avoid these sorts of unpleasant situations as much as possible.
Category: Savory
Perfect Panzanella Salad
Guys, GUYS. I have a problem. I’m totally, completely, and helplessly addicted. To a SALAD.
What’s wrong with me?
Before you all start freaking out, taking my temperature, and generally worrying that I’ve lost my mind, let me clarify. Panzanella is a bread salad. (“Ohhh,” you say. “That explains it.”) You take hunks of fresh bread, fry ‘em up in a skillet with olive oil/butter/both (insert sheepish grin) and toss those babies with fresh veggies, some protein if you want, and homemade vinaigrette. It’s my new favorite summer meal, a perfect blank canvas with a whole world of possible combinations and customizations. Sometimes it is a struggle to make anything else for dinner, because I just. Want. Panzanella.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon with Corn and Poblano Succotash
As a long-time vegetarian, cooking meat of any kind is definitely something I still don’t feel totally 100% comfortable with. Don’t get me wrong – I love pretty much every kind of meat, and am constantly bookmarking, Pinning, and otherwise saving meat-based recipes. I totally understand the homey appeal of a roasted chicken, the ease of throwing some steak on the grill for a quick dinner. But when it comes down to it, I’m just not that pumped about removing the skin from a piece of fish or getting all up close and personal with some raw chicken. I do it, because I love the end result, but there’s definitely that ew-gross-squeam factor there.
Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Gouda and Spinach
I’m all about eating healthy most of the time, and practicing moderation and all that. Kale, edamame, hummus, whole wheat bread – this is all my jam. Weird diet products that you can’t pronounce or anything with the words “low carb” in the title? Not my thing. My philosophy on eating healthy goes something like this: adding wholesome stuff that tastes delicious = good. Using weird “health” products that taste like chemicals with ingredients you can’t pronounce = bad. I’m all about eating your greens and antioxidants, but if it doesn’t taste good, I can’t get on board. And enough with the chemical fake sugar, people!! Sugar is totally cool.