July 23 - 29

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Your new kitchen.
Your new kitchen who?
Your new kitchen is finally DONE!

Photos to come when we get all the pretties in and it is ready for show. Until then...the meals we've cooked in it. Huzzah!

July 23 - Grocery Store Sushi (I know I should be glad I don't have to cook but, I really can't stand take out anymore) 
Have you seen that Esurance commercial about Gas Station Sushi being a bad idea? I love that one. Trust me, grocery store sushi from my local Fred Meyer is a good idea. It is very yummy and we've never had negative side effects. You can watch them roll right there and they'll make things custom if you need or want it. I usually opt for the brown rice California roll (sometimes the "spicy one" that has a sauce on top) and make sure to use my own tamari or wheat-free soy sauce. I also always buy extra pickled ginger because YUM.

July 24 - Take Out (will the kitchen ever be done?!) from Veggie Grill
I got the Bombay Bowl. It was delicious. We also shared a small serving of the sweetheart fries because they are the bomb. I love VG because they offer a really easy-to-read menu with lots of GF options. But seriously, can I cook in my kitchen yet? 


July 25 - Mediterranean Quinoa Salad 
Despite the fact that we were tented out (yes, really, like it was covered in tarp and paper and tape and we had to zip ourselves in an out) of half of the first floor so that the painters could do their work, we still had access to the cooking area of the kitchen and darnit if I wasn't going to take advantage! I made this and brought it to a friend's house as a side dish addition to their big BBQ. I ate it with a grilled turkey burger, plain (when in doubt one of those chopped up and on top of just about any salad is a good, easy, fairly tasty addition of protein).

The salad was tasty. I used lime juice because that is what I had. If I make it again I would use lemon juice. Similarly, I would stick with parsley as opposed to cilantro. The ingredients in this salad are squarely "Greek" to me, especially with the kalamata olives and the feta. That said, many of them can moonlight "Mexican" too, and, while that's my favorite kind of tasty, I don't necessarily want the two to mingle on my plate. I used about 2.5 times as many olives, added some red wine vinegar, and substituted a shallot for the red onion (again, what I had on hand). It all worked really well together and I enjoyed it. You could add chicken or shrimp for more protein. You could also top with toasted pine nuts. Overall, a good one. It didn't keep very well for the next day, though (I blame the cucumbers and tomatoes, sorry guys!) so if you do make it plan to eat it all at once.

July 26 - Mashed Chickpea Salad  
I've made this twice and we devoured it both times. I eat my portion with a handful of GF crackers (I love the Blue Diamond Nut Thins) and my husband and kiddo had it with toasted naan. I miss naan. Boo gluten. My apple had rotted, so this round didn't have that. To compensate I added some honey to sweeten it. That was good. I honestly don't think that you have to stick to closely to any of the portions on this. And, I doubled the recipe so we could have leftovers, as it keeps really well. Here's a good trick for you if you are cooking with raw purple onion. Chop it to your desired size and then soak it in salted cold water for at least 5 minutes (I usually chop it first and soak while I prepare everything else). That'll take the tangy-pungent-this-is-all-I-can-taste, taste out of it and let it just add the nice onion flavor that you're wanting to your dish.
 
July 27 - Chopped Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing 
This was YUMMY! Because of the nature of the veggies in the dish it keeps really well, too, even with the dressing on it and in the fridge. A miracle! Again, be sure to use wheat-free soy sauce or tamari. Gluten, you sneaky, sneaky thing. And, if you can't get to a Trader Joe's for their fancy cashews, plain ones work, or check your local grocery store. Fred Meyer had curry cashews in bulk that worked nicely. 

For both this and the meal on July 26 the julienne grater is a must. Anyone else unable to say the word julienne and not think of this scene from Friends? Woka-woka-woka. Gets me every time.

July 28 - BBQ Chicken, Corn Muffins, Steamed Broccoli, Baked Beans, and Strawberries
This meal was so yummy. We all just ate and ate and ate. The chicken couldn't have been easier, I poked it with a fork and marinated it in BBQ sauce (again, be sure to look for a GF brand or check your ingredients) in the fridge for a few hours. Then, just popped it on the grill and voila! I made the Krusteaz Corn Muffins using almond milk (a little shout out to my favorite brand, Califa Farms...their coconut almond blend is wicked good) and olive oil. I just chop and steam the broccoli until it is bright green and then spritz with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before I serve it. The baked beans were Bush's brand, I believe. They were hiding out in the fridge as leftovers from the BBQ we had last week. Strawberries were just sliced and enjoyed.

July 29 - Coconut Shrimp with Balsamic Honey Roasted Cabbage Steaks
A friend of mine invited us for dinner over the weekend and said she was making coconut shrimp. I was stoked for the company and the menu but then the day sort of fell apart for us and I knew I just needed to stay in and pull it together. We were bummed to miss out on time with them and the meal. So, I've seen her every day so far this week and I'm making this tonight. That's a decent substitute, right?! I  haven't made either of these recipes yet, but both look easy and delicious. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Eat well. Be well!