Better is late than never, right? Wait…late is better than never right? There. Got it the second time. Between not going almost anywhere due to covid-19 and now the extremely cold temperatures deterring me even from going for my usual daily walks I’m really starting to get a little stir-crazy, which often leads to some less-than-great focus. I use up most of that energy during the work day, leaving little extra for the evening time. And you know what? That is OK. We are all just doing our best these days. Sometimes that means giving yourself permission to extend internal deadlines and order takeout on the days you do grocery shopping. That’s what my Monday looked like.

I’ve got a lot of tasty things lined up for our dinners the rest of the week however!

Monday – Takeout, as mentioned! I got a salmon salad with poached pears and walnuts and Parmesan and rosemary vinaigrette that was just yummy. My husband got their southern chicken sandwich that is juicy and tender and drizzled with honey and I almost stole it right out of his hands. All of this was courtesy of a local restaurant, Maize + Mash.

Tuesday – Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas from The Barefoot Contessa’s Modern Comfort Food. This cookbook is scrumptious, but I have it on loan from the library so I’m cooking through as much of it in the next two weeks as I can. Enchiladas are a weakness of mine and these ones look particularly tasty, crammed with shredded chicken and onions and poblanos and black beans and a mixture of goat and cheddar cheese that should be just diVINE. I’m starting to drool as I write this. T-minus 2 hours? until dinner time I think.

Wednesday – Ultimate Beef Stew, also from Modern Comfort Food. I was told this was a recipe not to be missed! I do sometimes have mixed feelings about stew, especially beef ones. I’m not sure why, but it may be because when I want something broth-based, I’m looking for a lighter meal. Stew is hearty in a way that doesn’t always feel fulfilling to me, I suppose. But this recipe includes pancetta and red wine and short ribs instead of stew meat so I’m intrigued. I’ll try to report back how I feel about it. Plus, follow along on the Instagram account as I make it!

Thursday – Ginger Turmeric Chicken Fajitas from Ama. Here’s another cookbook I have on loan that I’m trying to pick a few recipes from to get me outside of my cooking comfort zone. We’re also trying to minimize our food waste just as much as possible (the environment needs our help, y’all!), so buying a package of tortillas for enchiladas meant I wanted to find another use for them this week. This meal will be lighter and more DIY than the enchiladas, though, offering a different spin on Tex-Mex cuisine in the same week. Plus, I’ve been craving Mexican food this week as I’ve been looking through pictures of the last trip I took before Covid, down in Nashville, which included a dinner I still dream about at Tex-Mex restaurant Superica.

Friday – If I’m being honest – I haven’t decided yet. I’ve got some salmon in the freezer as well as some shrimp. I know I bought more veggies yesterday than I’ve accounted for in this menu. I might just wait and see what we feel like eating when Friday hits, find something to riff on with what we have. I like building in a little flexibility from time to time.
One note: You may have noticed we eat fish a lot on Fridays. I’m Catholic, and there’s an old custom of abstaining from meat on Fridays even outside of Lent that I picked up years ago. It’s not a strict rule in our house, but I am trying to incorporate more fish into our diets anyway, so the two pair nicely to reach an overlapping goal. That’s why, in case you wondered.

Lunch
We’re big “leftovers for lunch” people in our house, partially because it’s just tricky to cook for just two people sometimes, so I find it easier to cook a full recipe and then let the leftovers fill out lunch the rest of the week. That said, sometimes it’s easier to eat apples and cheese and popcorn for lunch, or order tacos from our favorite little place in town.

I’ve started writing out lunch ideas on a white board on our fridge in order to remind us what is actually in the fridge, there to be eaten. We’ve also started dating leftovers that get packed into the fridge with a roll of masking tape and a permanent marker. Older stuff gets eaten first, even if the yummier stuff from last night is sitting there, to try and waste less. I do a lot to repurpose leftovers, too, so it’s not the same meal all over again. Some roasted chicken or a steak or even leftover roasted veggies are great on a salad the next day, ground beef can become a breakfast style taco, etc.

In this cabin-fever brain fog that I mentioned at the beginning, I’m finding the fewer decisions I have to make, the happier I am. With a nice, neat list of lunch options staring me in the face everyday, that’s one less decision I have to worry about. Just thought I’d share our new technique in case it might serve you as well!

(Granted, we don’t have many leftovers in there now. But I already can’t wait to have enchiladas for lunch tomorrow after cooking them tonight!)

Projects for the week!

Believe it or not, I don’t have many at the moment. I think the cold is freezing out my inspiration. If you have anything you’re excited to try, I’d love to hear about it.

Happy cooking, friends!