On the project front, a couple of finishes that I could squeeze inbetween watching the pups. At 4 1/2 months, Chet is in full puppy mode with all the joy and frustrations that come with a very active and energetic pup.
The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) fruit and cheese (S) leftover pizza
Sun (L) grilled sage grouse (S) slow cooked jambalaya
Mon (yoga): leftover jambalaya
Tue - salmon
Wed (yoga) leftover fish
Thurs: leftover jambalaya
Fri - leftover jambalaya
Lunches - Coconut Curry Squash Soup
Slow Cooker Jambalaya (Simply Recipes)
An easy recipe to assemble, chop, plop, stir and walk away. Don't be tempted to add the shrimp early, it will get over cooked. You can also adjust the heat to your own taste buds by making your own Creole Seasoning, or use your favorite pre-made blend and add extra cayenne. Or, put that bottle of hot sauce on the table and enjoy!
I do like my jambalaya served over rice so that's what I did. Recommended!
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| Photo from simplyrecipes.com |
Serves ~6 without rice
Made about 4 meals for two with rice (8-10 servings).
1 white onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced about 1/4 inch
1 pound boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 to 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning (I like Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning)
1 pound large shrimp, shell on, thawed
1 cup long grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, sausage, chicken, tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, and Creole seasoning to a large slow cooker. Stir together well.
Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours. You are ready to move onto the next step when the veggies are very tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Leave the shells on the shrimp, but use kitchen shears to cut up the backs; this will make them easier to peel later.
Add the shrimp to the slow cooker. Stir it in, cover, and cook on high for another 30 to 45 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.
While the shrimp cooks, cook the rice either according to the package directions or following this boiled rice method. When done, set the rice aside, covered, until ready to serve. (This makes about 4 cups of cooked rice.)
Remove bay leaves from the jambalaya and taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Either peel the shells off the shrimp now, or serve with the shells on and instruct guests to remove the shells as they eat.
Stir the cooked rice into the jambalaya (as pictured), or serve the jambalaya ladled over top the rice.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge in air-tight containers for 2 to 3 days and then the shrimp start to really break down. This dish doesn’t freeze particularly well. The combination of rice, shrimp, and sauce doesn’t reheat easily without making the shrimp very rubbery.
Coconut Curry Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seeds (Eating Well, Oct 2021)
vegetarian/vegan I made this for lunches for the week. This is a brothy soup with chunks of squash, carrots and celery, not a thick blended soup, but it could easily be blended if that's your preference. I loved the flavors in this - a hint of heat to warm the sinus's, a hint of creamy coconut, and sweatness from the squash and carrot.
As a brothy soup it was a bit more difficult to transport so I made sure to cover with sticky cling-wrap and put in a veggie bag in case of leaks or spills.
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| Photo from eatingwell.com |
Serves 4 (I got six servings out of this)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
3 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon hot Madras curry powder plus 1 teaspoon, divided
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas, rinsed
½ cup unsalted pepitas
lime wedges (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and scallion whites and cook, stirring often, until very tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, 1 tablespoon curry powder, cumin and salt; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add squash, broth, coconut milk and chickpeas and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss pepitas with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon curry powder in a small bowl. Spread in a small baking pan and bake until toasted and fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes.
Top the soup with the pepitas and scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.
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