Cooking with Salsa

It doesn’t take much for me to be in the mood for a little pico de gallo. But with our wedding just a little over two months away, I’m not really in the mood to dig into a big bag of corn chips and chow down. The good thing is that there is plenty I can do with some salsa.

For this weekend, I broiled some cod and we feasted on fish tacos.

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For a quick weeknight meal, I opened a can of black beans and a jar of salsa to make huevos rancheros… which could be one of the most perfect dishes! Filling and satisfying, Joash couldn’t believe that this was so simple, so much so, he decided to document the meal prep. 

First, I rinsed and sauteed the beans with the salsa. Then, I added the white and light green parts of some scallions. Once some of the liquid cooked down, I cracked four eggs into the pan.(Apparently, rather seriously)

I covered the pan and let the eggs steam over the beans and salsa. I topped it off with some pico and the rest of the scallions. 

Now what else to make with the rest of the pico and salsa???

my life without cheese

With great excitement, I welcomed the new year. Joash asked me to marry him and I’ve been over the moon since. To say that I’m excited is an huge understatement.

After the holidays, I cleaned out my fridge and making my list for groceries. My ever-healthy eating fiance informed me that soon there would be no saturated fat in the apartment! This will be a huge adjustment for me… no peanut butter, no cheese. So this my effort to get myself used to life without cheese: smoked salmon toast and salad.

From the mouths of babes

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Mattew 19:14 (NIV)

I have the distinct pleasure of teaching three year olds at Redeemer Presbyterian. I love that age and all of the amazing things they say! It’s one of the bright spots in my week.

Today, is first Sunday of Advent and the lesson of the day was from Luke 1 and 2. After reading the story that went along with lesson, I asked questions about Advent and Christmas. When asked why Christmas was such a big deal, one little girl chimed in with, “Because we are celebrating Jesus’ birthday.”

Loving the energy and enthusiasm of the class, I asked them why we celebrate Jesus’ birthday. At that point, without prompting or prodding, another little girl said, “Because Jesus came to earth to fix our broken world.”

Isn’t that absolutely amazing?

Thanksgiving: A Family Affair

This was our first Thanksgiving! Mine to cook and our’s to experience together. I never really understood the idea of cooking for days for a meal until this year. It literally took me from Saturday to Thursday to prepare for the meal, not to mention the weeks of shopping. But I have to say that it was worth it. With family and friends who are like family, it was a lovely day.

We had two kinds of cranberries and two kinds of stuffing… and mounds of mashed potatoes, thanks to my fabulous sister-in-law. We had a full feast with enough leftovers to last until Christmas.

It’s hard to believe that it is already Christmastime and we starting to plan our shopping and decorating adventures… my how time flies!!

Thanksgiving: The prequel

Grabbing grub

It’s that time of the year… the annual office Thanksgiving Potluck. This year, I opted out of making the turkey and decided to go with Tino’s Deli, who made a really great one. Instead, I went with mashed potatoes… which helps make a dent in the 20 lb bag from Costco (true story).

So what am I having for dinner? You guessed it! A Thanksgiving sandwich (sans the stuffing since no one brought any)… complements to all my wonderful colleagues. (This is actually a picture of someone else’s sandwich. Mine is packed away in a Ziploc bag.)

So in my turkey stupor, I’m thinking of the Thanksgiving feast to come in a week… this time, I will be making the turkey myself!

 

Quinoa

Warm Quinoa Salad with Roasted Carrots and Mushrooms

Joash sent me a post from Mark Bittman on his blog at the New York Times. It was about the true cost of junk food versus “real” food. An interesting read for all you food-fans.

Getting back to making food, I got my recent copy of Real Simple magazine and the cover highlighted meals for a month. When I read the recipe for a warm quinoa salad, I thought it would be great to try. Feel free to try this quick and easy meal.

• Toss cut carrots and mushrooms in olive oil, salt and pepper
• Roast vegetables at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes
• Cook quinoa as directed
• After vegetables are done, toss vegetables in lemon juice and tyme (I used tarrogon)
• Plate on a bed of greens (I used a spring mix)

Paratha and dal

Joash was excited to capture the stack of paratha.

I made roti. Actually, I made parathas. Eleven of them to be exact.

After an interesting conversation over the weekend, I wanted to try my culinary skills with Indian cuisine. Joash loves bread and I had some lentils in my cabinet, so I went ahead and got some whole wheat flour and got started on dinner.

Dinner for two

When he stopped by, I was busy rolling out the first of my parathas. He was amazed. It’s not that it is complicated but I think he was surprised that I was making him bread from scratch.

I got the recipes from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian for both the paratha and dal. However, I need to keep working on the dal. I didn’t have all of the ingredients so I improvised. It wasn’t a huge failure (he ate most of it) but next time I will get all the supplies before I try again.

Oh, and the broccoli was my influence. Because you can’t have dinner without veggies!