Rice with Pumpkin

I've been thinking this weekend that maybe I should change the name of this blog (again) to "Simple Food." I won't, but simple food is all I eat these days. I'm pretty impressed with myself if I make a dish that has more than two ingredients in it (not counting oil and salt).

This dish came together because it was a Sunday evening and I opened the fridge and just tossed stuff in a bowl. It was delicious.

Rice with Pumpkin

2 wedges of roasted pumpkin

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

sunflower oil

dried sage

salt

I roasted a pumpkin a couple weeks ago by just cutting it into wedges and roasting it at 425. I think I had grand plans for the pumpkin, but they never materialized. I just froze the wedges instead.

So to make this, I cut up two of the pumpkin wedges, dropped them into a bowl with rice, heated that up in the microwave. Then before everything was completely warm, I took it out, drizzled it with oil, sprinkled salt and about a 1/2 teaspoon of sage, and heated it again. Then I stirred, and ate it.

Menu Plan

Last week (the one right after Thanksgiving) I did not do a good job of planning. I had some unexpected meetings at work, and so all my planning time was taken up. It made it a harder week.

So for this week, I sat down and planned really well. I made a list of what I would eat on each day for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Then I made a shopping list based on all of that. Then I realized there were only 12 days until I get to go home for Christmas, so I bought enough food for 3 rotations (it's a four day rotation).

Here's the plan:

Day 1

Breakfast: soymilk. banana.

Lunch: black eyed peas w/ rosemary. carrots

Dinner: cod. or tofu and sardines

Snack: pistachios. carrots. banana.

Day 2

Breakfast: millet with cranberries

Lunch: brussels sprouts

Dinner: lentils. tuna steak.

Snack: hazelnuts. apple. cucumber

Day 3

Breakfast: lima beans

Lunch: sweet potato

Dinner: buckwheat pasta and tomato sauce

Snack: brazil nuts. kiwi

Day 4

Breakfast: okra

Lunch: shrimp

Dinner: rice and pumpkin or other roasted veggies

Snack: walnut. sunflower seeds. orange

Split Pea Soup

Over the past week or so, I've just been eating really simple food. A piece of fish, slow simmered. Vegetables either chopped and roasted, or just raw. Handfuls of nuts. Pieces of fruit.

I've discovered some interesting things. First, almost any vegetable is good roasted with salt. This works with fish too. I've never eaten a wide variety of fish, but I like the different flavors of all of them. But flounder is a little weird. On the downside, I've discovered that I don't like radishes. They are fine and crunchy when you stick them in your mouth, but then it starts burning. Yuck.

Moving on from things I've learned to things I've cooked, today, I decided to mix it up a little. And make yet another soup.

I know, you are probably thinking that soup is not really mixing it up for me. But I like it.

Split Pea Soup

1 1/2 cups dried split peas

3 cups water

salt

1 leek, sliced

3 small radishes, diced small

2 cups spinach

dried oregano

Bring the water to a boil. Add the split peas and reduce to a simmer. It will take about a half hour for the split peas to soften and get tender. Add the salt - 1 or 2 teaspoons, the leek, the radish and the oregano. Raise the temp to medium heat and cook the soup until the leek and radish are tender. Add the spinach, just to the top of the soup, don't stir it in yet. Cover the soup with a lid for 3-4 minutes until the spinach wilts. Then stir it in, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Lentil Dahl

On Day 2 of my rotation, I can have lentils and tomatoes. So I decided to try for the Lentil Dahl recipe that I have posted here.

Of course it needed some tweaking.

My portion is all ready to be taken to work for lunch.

Lentil Dahl

1 cup lentils

3 roma tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

olive oil

salt

1-2 tsp ginger

dash of paprika

Boil 2 cups of water and add the lentils. Turn down to a simmer. Cook until the lentils have absorbed the water and are soft.

Add a 1/3 cup of water, the diced tomatoes, peeled and smashed garlic, olive oil and spices. Allow the mix to simmer until the tomatoes are tender.

Puree half of the mix (with an immersion blender) and stir everything together. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Note: this could be served over rice.

Tilapia and Cod

I told you not too long ago, that I have adjusted my fish cooking technique.

I used this for all the fish I cooked this week, and it worked out beautifully. The fish was all moist and flaky and really quite delicious.

I had Tilapia

And Cod.

Roasted Carrot Soup

A little wrench got thrown into my meals plans. I discovered that not only do I have to eat only from the green list, but I have to eat the foods in a rotation. This makes things a little harder.

To my surprise and relief, I still found good things to eat. And of course, I'm going to share them.

Roasted Carrot Soup

Inspired by this recipe

8 carrots

2 ribs of celery

Safflower oil

5-6 cups of water

3-4 bay leaves

salt

cumin

coriander

Wash and chop the carrots into halves. Put them on a cookie sheet and drizzle with safflower oil. Bake at 400 until the carrots are tender. Check and flip them about halfway through.

In a stock pot, sautee the celery in a little safflower oil. Add the water, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil and drop to a simmer.

Add the carrots. Simmer for just a little while. Puree everything (using your handy immersion blender -- or a real blender). Sprinkle in some cumin and coriander, and a little salt if needed.

Acorn Squash

I had a lovely acorn squash. I have seen a lot of recipes recently for stuffed acorn squash, so I altered the idea and did it how I can.

Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash. Cut it in half and bake it in a pyrex dish with about an inch of water at 350 until the flesh is tender.

Walnuts, toasted

Olive oil

Salt

Cumin

Coriander

Cinnamon

After the squash is cooked, scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the toasted walnuts, oil, and spices and mash everything together.