July 30, 2011

The Lunch Box and Dining In: A Week in Review

It was a pretty quiet week in the Cookies and Kale kitchen - we made a lot of travel purchases this month, so we were trying to keep our grocery budget to a minimum at the end of the month and work with what we had (as well as clean out our freezer before the beginning of the month cooking spree that is upcoming).

Lunch this week was a simple but classic fix: pb&j!  Deliciousness, protein and nostalgia all rolled into one.  The jams were two that MG's mom sent us (she cans her own, and they are fantastic): strawberry-rhubarb and blueberry-plum.  The bread was a little fancier than what I got in kindergarten - half a brioche loaf from one of the vendors at the farmers' market by my office that we had frozen for a slow cooking week just such as this one.  One of these with a juicy peach on the side is really kind of just an awesome lunch.

This never gets old.

Homemade > Smuckers.  Period.

Dinners were equally low key.  First, we had some leftover produce we needed to use up.  What does one do when one buys 2 bunches of parsley and then forgets to put it in the dishes it was intended for?  One makes fattoush!  Luckily, we had two pitas and a bunch of chicken thighs in the freezer waiting for just such an occasion, so with a little assistance from our balcony garden mint, MG put together a fantastic weeknight dinner.  

That was only HALF of the salad. 

MG marinated chicken thighs in a yogurt mint marinade, plus a little tahini with lemon juice on the side.
A glass of sauvignon blanc on the side and cherries for dessert - fantastic summer weeknight dinner!

The rest of the time we had leftovers for dinner, plus a couple of work lunch events.  This week off from cooking has been great, but I'm ready to get back in the kitchen!  Luckily, we have fairytale eggplant, a boatload of green chiles, and some farmers' market beets that are on the agenda for the weekend (not all in one dish).  And if I'm feeling really ambitious, there is a recipe for zucchini brownies I want to check out.  Be sure to stay tuned!

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