Two Days of Lunch

I'm trying very hard to continue to make some hearty meals for lunch during the week on Sunday or early in the week. I've been craving a good salad, so tonight I made my own variation on Giada DiLaurentis' Garbanzo Bean and Zucchini salad. I kept the garbanzo beans, otherwise known as chickpeas, since they are so hearty and full of protein - exactly what one needs on a busy work day. The recipe called for raw zucchini chopped into bite size pieces, but I am not a huge fan of it raw, so I decided instead to grill some thick slices of zucchini and red bell pepper with just some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then I cut them up into pieces and tossed it with the garbanzo beans, defrosted frozen corn, and chopped red onion. Giada then adds chunks of Parmesan cheese to the salad, which I absolutely love, but good parm is expensive and I already had some feta crumbles in the fridge. With the Mediterranean flavors already going on in the salad, I figured the feta would work just fine. I also didn't have lemons for the dressing, so I made a very fast balsamic vinaigrette and tossed everything together. I left out the lettuce completely as there just didn't seem to be a need for the fluff of it. I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of lettuce as a whole. I split my salad into two plastic containers, and with a yogurt or an apple, my lunch will be great. It tasted pretty good right after being made, but I anticipate it will be even better tomorrow after marinading in the dressing. By leaving out the lettuce I could mix it all up, as the vegetables in the salad now can easily stand up to a night in dressing and shouldn't be soggy tomorrow (or so I hope).

Finally Trying Something New

It's been entirely too long since I have tried a new recipe, so tonight was the night! I have had this huge jar of apricot preserves left over in my fridge (used a little while ago for some incredible crostinis, just for kicks I will put the link in this post as well) and so I wanted to use it up in a creative way. I decided to try a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com called Apricot and Balsamic Chicken. It was very highly rated, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

The recipe method was simple enough - browning up some chicken and then simmering it in a sauce. It called for chicken breast tenderloins cut into bite size pieces, but I decided to use boneless skinless thighs because they have more flavor and they were a bit cheaper. As I cut them up, I realized that I needed a pan with a lid, and my large covered pan had not made the move with me because, well, I bought a cheap crappy one that I hated. So I had to use my pasta pot instead. I browned the chicken but immediately noticed the bottom of the pot was really too small to get a good color on them, and they were building up too much liquid. In retrospect I should have tried to drain some of it out but I didn't. The rest of the recipe was easy, essentially just putting the rest of the ingredients into the pot and letting them simmer. In went balsamic vinegar, onions, thyme, a full cup of apricot preserves, about 20 dried apricots, and some chicken stock.

In about 15 minutes the chicken was done and the apricots had softened and plumped up. However, I noticed the sauce was still very thin, even after simmering for a decent amount of time. But that said, it tasted very good! I spooned the chicken and apricots over some Trader Joe's Multigrain Pilaf, this odd side dish I recently discovered, made up of a lot of random grains that I can't remember. It's good anyway, and really healthy. I gave myself a little extra sauce too. The chicken was really tender from cooking in the sauce and the flavor was a very mild sweet and sour taste. The apricots are what really make the dish, they are soft and just sweet enough. I had plenty for a good dinner and I will bring it for lunch tomorrow too.

If I make it again, I would definitely get a proper pan, because I think getting the chicken really brown would add another layer of flavor. I had a little less chicken than the recipe called for, which might be why the sauce was so thin. I think it would benefit from a little heavier of a hand with the balsamic vinegar and slightly less chicken stock. The recipe also suggested adding a handful of chopped parsley at the end, which I left out because I knew I wouldn't be able to use up a whole bunch in time, but the dish probably could do with a little freshness. Overall, though, it was very tasty, simple, cheap, and easy!

Apricot and Balsamic Chicken:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apricot-Chicken-with-Balsamic-Vinegar/Detail.aspx

Apricot and Chicken Bruschetta (leave out the chicken, even though it's in the name, you totally don't need it!):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/apricot-and-chicken-bruschetta-recipe/index.html

Mmmm...spicey and ricey!

Last night I took my visiting dad to this great Asian restaurant in Inman Square, Spice and Rice. I will definitely be returning! It was an adorable space, very mod and retro, with silver and bright colors and shapes. They have everything you could need - a full Thai menu, a sushi bar, and also a few Korean dishes. I had mango curry that was some of the best curry I have had in quite a while. Just the right amount of spice and a lot of vegetables, not just the usual mushed up onions and carrots. It was so good I ate it all and didn't have enough to take home for lunch the next day!

Tonight I went to the gym for the first time after work and was starving by time I got home. All the way there I was thinking, what can I make that will be filling enough but fast. And lo and behind, when I walked in the door, my lovely roommate had made a huge pot of pasta tossed with some Italian chicken sausage we'd just picked out at Trader Joe's. It was just what I wanted on a rainy crappy day. Later on, in the midst of the season premiere of Dancing With the Stars, I realized I had planned on having mostly leftovers for lunch this week so I tossed together a quick dish to take to work tomorrow. I made a quick garlic oil by starting a couple crushed garlic cloves in a cold pan with some olive oil and some red pepper flakes for spice. I let the garlic brown up (make sure it does burn!), discarded it, and then sauteed about a cup of frozen broccoli spears with some salt and pepper. Meanwhile I cooked up the remnants of some penne pasta, and tossed it all together. Once it cooled I added a handful of feta cheese crumbles and there's lunch.

http://www.spice-rice.com/

I'm behind a night so we'll hit two dinners in a row. Last night was stir-fry with my favorite TJ's General Tso sauce, chicken, and veggies. Most nights I make stir-fry with rice but I decided to toss in some spaghetti instead and do some lo mein fake out. It was a big and yummy, just what I wanted at the end of a work day. I will admit I'm lagging behind on trying some new actual recipes, mostly because I was away last weekend and still haven't gone to the grocery store. I've been living off the scraps! But I intend to follow my usual plan and pick a recipe before I finally hit the store this weekend. Hmmm...what am I in the mood to try?

Tonight I have the apartment to myself and the wild card round of American Idol (plus The Office and 30 Rock), plus I'm out of lunches to bring to work. It was the perfect night for Indian takeout - it's always huge and I can get two sizable meals out of it for much less than buying two separate things. My sister recommended a place called Gourmet Curry House in Coolidge Corner, which is plenty good for the price and ease of getting it. She's quite the Indian food connoisseur so I trusted her judgement. I had a combo meal of rice, chicken vindaloo (which I will admit wasn't nearly spicy enough), saag paneer, and a vegetable samosa. It was exactly what I wanted. Now they better not put crazy Tatiana in the Top 12...

Quesadillas

Tonight just a simple meal. Chicken and cheese quesadillas - sliced grilled chicken and cheddar cheese folded in a wheat tortilla and crisped up in a pan. Some times the easiest simplest things just can't be beat. Though I was missing California and the easy access to my beloved pickled jalapenos that I used to always put in my Mexican dishes. They just don't seem to sell them in Brookline. Surprise, surprise. Put a little salsa and sour cream on the plate and its a Doylestown Friendly's flashback (we always used to order them there on Friday nights or after shows). I also made some microwave rice on the side. Like I said, nothing flashy, just dinner.

Snow Day

It was a snow day today, as I am sure it was for many of you, and after being away for the weekend, there wasn't a lot left in my kitchen to make for dinner. Then I spotted the frozen container of leftover pesto from last week. Score! This is exactly what that pesto was waiting for, a cold night where a big plate of pasta totally hit the spot. I found the pesto much mellower after it had time to meld.

I'm definitely getting antsy to try something new again. While eating dinner I had on an old episode of 30 Minute Meals and Rachael Ray was making a really simple buffalo chicken pizza that I want to try soon. I've noticed that they sell pizza dough for very cheap at Trader Joe's, but I've never attempted rolling out my own pizza. I also read an article on The Kitchn about savory bread puddings, and picked out a recipe that had butternut squash and Parmesan. That sounds utterly decadent. Got any other ideas? Comments welcomed!