I have to admit, Sunday afternoon I was beat from an active day that began with a big dog walk then progressed into grocery shopping, a yoga class, cleaning house and working in the garden, followed by a very welcome shower. All would make for a fantastic spring day if I didn’t then have to make dinner! I was too tired and broke to consider going out to pick something up, so I took an exploratory tour of cupboard, fridge and freezer, grumbling all the while that I hadn’t followed my own oft-preached advice and planned tonight’s meal when I shopped just that morning!

I opened a fortifying local beer, nibbled on some sunflower seeds and forced myself to start pulling a few things out and putting some thought into it. A mere 20 minutes later, when I took a load off and took my first bite, I was so happy that I laughed out loud at myself because this is one of my very favorite meals with benefits: really awesome flavors, satisfying without being too heavy, costs so little and is pretty darn healthy. I relaxed in front of a stupid movie and savored every bite. It was a gratifying way to end a productive Sunday.

Here’s what I dug up in the kitchen…

Whole wheat couscous: So easy and fast to cook. Then I toss and season with something tasty I have on my overloaded fridge door: a few olives and/or sundried tomatoes in oil to mince; half a jar of pesto or tapenade; some crumbled feta or goat cheese; cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, celery, carrot, red onion. Give it a generous squeeze of lemon and then, if needed, a little salt, Bragg’s liquid aminos or tamari soy sauce. I like a spoonful of harissa, too…a little goes a long way for very flavorful heat. Read the rest of this entry »

My neighbors across the street painted their house recently and I’ve overheard some embarrassingly loud negative comments from people walking by. But I think it’s fantastic in a San Francisco kind of way, with unmatched colors somehow perfectly coming together. I joked with them about how it makes me smile to see it out my windows while my house surely doesn’t return such a joyful view from their side of the street. Their response made me smile even more…my new front-yard vegetable garden was a wonderful sight for them! They wished they had some sun in their yard to grow fresh veggies and that more people would convert lawn to gardens.

Naturally, I promised I would share and they said they’d swap some of the bounty from their patio herb pots. But it got me thinking about how fortunate I am that I get such a cheap thrill from good, simple food, whether cooked and on the table or just popping up in the garden. When times are tough, I still have to eat and I can always figure out how to make it a pleasure. Many times when friends have had an impromptu supper at my place they ask if I always eat so well or so healthy. I can’t take the credit. Simple, high-quality ingredients make it easy! Read the rest of this entry »

I am more than happy eating vegetarian meals about 80% of the time without even thinking about the fact that they’re vegetarian. But I do like meaty texture and flavor in a meal more often than I can afford a steak. And, it usually doesn’t take much, so steak is not always the answer anyway. The solution is often sausage and I never let my freezer go without it. If it’s on sale, I stock up. If it’s not, I buy it anyway because it is such a deal. You get so much flavor and satisfaction for your money!

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It was one of those days where time gets away from you and everyone is hungry and you know if you don’t act fast, hungry turns to cranky turns to worse. Dinner had to happen PDQ and I was so tempted to do the drive-thru. I stuck it out, though, and headed home to my own trusty kitchen.

It’s taken perseverance, but I’ve finally learned to keep some longer-lasting foods on hand to ensure I can make dinner fast and affordable when I need to. These are things I always add to my kitchen-drawer shopping list again as soon as I use them. I’ve also been known to keep a list of quick, easy-and relatively healthy-meal options taped inside a kitchen cabinet door for when my brain is tired. Here’s a peak at my list and the “on-hand” ingredients that make them possible PDQ. (I call them silly names to let humor help when a hungry someone asks “what are we having?”)

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I don’t know about you, but it is a rare moment that I can sample cheese in the store without buying some. Fortunately, they’ll cut a piece any size you want so I can get the satisfaction of taking that little gem home without buying more than my budget can handle. My practicality seems to stall at home, though, when I end up with a half dozen morsels of different cheeses going hard or unintentionally blue in the “cheese barn” as I call it.

First, however, I’m not ashamed to admit that I make a meal of cheese about once a week. I call it smorgasbord to create some excitement around the fact that it’s also a good opportunity to clean out the fridge of this and that. On the other hand, this can be quite a healthy meal. The cheeses take center stage, but day-old steamed vegetables, single romaine spears, carrot and celery sticks become appealing when arranged on a nice plate with a little cup of dressing for dipping. A few pickles and olives come out of hiding, sometimes chopped in with leftover meat or chicken and a spoonful of mayonnaise for a poor-man’s pâté. Heels of whole-grain bread get cut into quarters and toasted, as do any withering whole wheat pitas or tortillas. Sometimes I brush them first with olive oil or melted ghee. Read the rest of this entry »

When I opened the fridge Sunday morning to a whole lotta “nothing to eat,” I felt like that mostly-blank white interior was challenging me, blowing a cool dare right in my face. “Go ahead, try to make a meal from what you see here.” I knew I had to go grocery shopping that afternoon, but I didn’t want to waste anything that might be lingering. I also wanted to get my dinner plan squared away early. I’d be out all afternoon and knew I wouldn’t want to cook much. I began digging.

First, the family pack of chicken thighs I meant to put in the slow cooker yesterday morning. Here’s a small container of leftover potsticker dipping sauce that will make a marinade. I won’t mind quickly grilling the chicken this evening if that’s all I have to do. Just stretch the sauce with a little soy sauce and a splash of vinegar and oil.

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