liamsaunt

We did snacky stuff for New Year's Eve. I snapped a couple of pictures in the kitchen before stuff got plated up. Vegetable lo mein Batter fried chicken fingers Crabless rangoons We also made sticky soy chicken wings and some garlicky bok choy but I did not get pictures of those.

Chicken curry

chicken shawarma

Christmas eve dinner, seared scallop pasta

Thursday, cheese and basil flatbread Last night, everything but the bagel coated tuna with rice and broccoli

Chicken, cashew, and pepper stir fry

I cook this way sometimes, but find that you have to add things in stages or stuff turns out over or underdone. One favorite in this house is sheet pan fish with peppers. I roast the peppers for a while and add the fish and capers toward the end. I usually serve it with crispy potatoes. sheet pan fish with sweet peppers

Sunday, cavatappi with spinach and pine nuts Monday, fish and chips (haddock) Tuesday, miso salmon ramen bowl with summer squash zoodles, spinach, and lots of cilantro

Gai pad kaprow

I definitely buy more than is immediately needed. I have an entire shelf of pasta, and each shape must have at least two boxes, because you never know if you will need more than 1 lb. to feed the number of people who are eating. Another large shelf consists entirely of tomato products, etc. I am meticulous about rotating my stock, and keep stuff in my garage freezer if needed. The only section that is out of control (to me) is the sweets baking section because it's my sister and niece's domain. I just know there is old and useless stuff in there, but I am not allowed to touch it. I keep it in my auxiliary kitchen so I don't have to see it daily. Another pandemic holdover I have not let go of is keeping extra paper products in the house. My family's preferred brands, (along with Lysol wipes and good masks of course) were the hardest things to find for the longest time, even after yeast and flour came back in stock. I converted a closet in my guest room to storage for that stuff during the pandemic, and it's not ever going to change back.

Cavatappi with roasted garlic and roasted butternut squash sauce. I pureed everything until it was very smooth and then added in some parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, lots of cracked black pepper, and thyme. I topped it with crispy bacon and chives. I guess it kind of looks like macaroni and cheese, but it's not. Any kid expecting Kraft dinner would be mad 😂

@Kim Shook I hope you and your family are feeling better soon! Last night was miso salmon Tuesday. This week we had it with coconut rice and sautéed baby bok choy.

It's not pickled, actually. It was just cucumbers that I chopped and tossed with salt and sugar, then rinsed and tossed with cilantro and a dressing made from soy sauce, garlic, ginger, siriacha, rice vinegar, oil, and a pinch of sugar. It was really cold last night, so we had spicy noodle soup with lots of ginger, spinach, and cilantro, plus some sole that I baked separately and added at the end.

A repeat of another recent meal at my niece's request: chicken katsu with rice and cucumber salad.

Rigatoni with mushrooms and bacon in parmesan cream sauce

Last night we all felt like eating a big plate of vegetables, so I made brown rice with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, roasted sticky delicata squash, avocado with ponzu dressing, chopped peanuts, and cilantro. There are some roasted shiitake mushrooms in the back too, but you cannot really see them.

At my house, you can partake of any of the offerings you like! I hated being forced to eat stuff when I was a kid and won't make anyone eat anything they don't want now that I am an adult. 😀 For example, last night, I made mutter paneer, rice and naan. However, I also made cauliflower tikka for my niece because she hates paneer (which I do not understand, but more for me!).

Miso salmon with whipped sweet potatoes and spinach.

Crunchy flounder coated in cornflake crumbs, coconut, and ground macadamia nuts, curried rice with raisins, cilantro, ginger, and peanuts, and steamed broccoli

Cascatelli with pesto cream sauce, grape tomatoes, arugula, fresh mozzarella cheese, and spicy sausage.

Dinner for the red meat eaters in the house: braised short ribs, mashed potatoes, and hashed Brussel sprouts And for the non-red meat eaters, the same sides with Boursin stuffed chicken breast cutlet and chicken-cognac gravy.

Chicken katzu, rice, and cabbage slaw with cilantro and soy dressing.

Miso broiled salmon, charred cabbage, roasted watermelon radishes, and miso rice.

Ramen noodle soup bowl with miso marinated hake, spinach, and cilantro.

More assembling than cooking last night. Antipasto platter and ricotta topped bruschetta.