Happy Presidents' Day! In honor of it, we'll be having soup. (Really, we'd be having soup sometime this week anyway. Hard to avoid soup in the winter.)
We spent the weekend up north, so Sunday dinner was a giant leftover salad -- we had half a tub of arugula from the weekend, plus some spinach waiting at home for us. That was the base. We sauteed some veggies we'd brought along for the weekend: bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and the rest of the asparagus from Saturday night dinner. Mixed it all in with the salad base, plus a bit of parmesan cheese, some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We grilled flank steak on Saturday, so we used the leftovers to sprinkle on top of the salad.
We're eating out! A few of the top contenders: Union Woodshop, The Root, or a mystery third option (French Laundry? Holly Hotel? Mesquite Creek?)
Found this recipe in the Detroit Free Press:
Meatless Mexican Stuffed Peppers
I'm thinking I'll go easy on the cheese, though -- it seems like a lot of cheese.
We'll also have sauteed zucchini with garlic, onion, chiles, and lime juice.
Grilled fish (not sure exactly what's in the freezer right now)
Butternut squash and pear soup
And a lunch bonus!
When I was looking through recipes, I found this lovely salad, and thought it would be perfect for lunch. Lunch hasn't been the healthiest or most structured time for me lately -- but I think bringing an actual food (instead of just grazing on the random fruit/granola bars/yogurts/chocolate/nuts I keep in my office) might help.
Lentils with Mint and Beets (from Urban Pantry by Amy Pennington)
1. Saute 1 clove chopped garlic and half a chopped red onion in a bit of olive oil. Add 1 c french lentils, a bit of salt, and enough water to cover. Boil, then reduce heat to medium low.
2. Simmer about 20 - 25 minutes. Drain the water and spread the lentils on a pan to stop the cooking process.
3. Cook 3 whole beets in boiling water until done (check every 20 minutes or so). Rinse under water, and rub the skins off (when they're cooked, their skins will rub off easily) and chop into small cubes.
4. Stack about 15 fresh mint leaves, roll them like a cigar, then slice them thin.
5. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and a bit of salt and pepper.
6. Combine everything.
7. The recipe says it's great with either some toasted walnuts or a bit of goat cheese on top. I say, "Maybe both!"
Have a great week.