Spring Rolls, again

When life hands you a fantastic peanut sauce recipe, you make spring rolls.

In addition to the more detailed tutorial in the link above, here is a fantastic picture of how to fold the rice paper wrapper.

KeepYourDietReal.com

Spring rolls are great for using up sad veggies. Which is exactly what I did.

These particular spring rolls included lettuce, shredded carrot, rice vermicelli, chicken, cucumber, and edamame. Oh, and just a little bit of peanut sauce.

Thai salad dressing

Let's talk about Minimalist Baker's Thai salad dressing. Why? Because it's really freaking good.

I didn't make the salad in the link above, just the dressing. Then I poured it over my regularish salad and took a bite and then I got up and poured more on top. Delish.

I used peanut butter instead of cashew butter, lemon juice because I ran out of limes, and did not add the optional ingredients.

It's kind of like the peanut sauce that is served with Spring Rolls. But better because it's gluten free and I can actually eat it. I'm definitely making Spring Rolls this weekend just so I can dip them in that sauce.

Make it.

This week's menu

Monday- Big Salads. Because I have a huge tub of salad greens in the fridge and the mission, as always, is to finish it before everything gets slimy. This particular big salad uses up any available sad fridge veggies, plus quinoa, peppers, and edamame.
Tuesday- Chili + salads. I'm making a big batch of chili because we're having a party at work on Wednesday and I'm tasked with bringing chili frito pie. Easy peasy.
Wednesday- Vegetable soup + sandwich. And salad. Light dinner because I'm doing yoga at 730. Kind of late to be working out, but maybe I'm just old and 730 is not really that late.
Thursday- Thai Salad, then happpy hour! Or maybe vice versa. I really want to try that dressing.
 Friday- Leftovers, or whatever. I have the day off so I'll be going to the grocery store and making a new menu. PLUS I've been challenged with making Chrissy Teigan's Dutch Baby in a gluten free version so I know what I'll have for breakfast!

Other news: I did join the gym at work and I've actually gone twice. Motivated to keep going. It's super convenient that it's literally right at work.

Mexican rice

A long time ago, my uncle was married to a woman who made LEGENDARY Mexican rice. Every special occasion, every get-together, we begged her to make it. I don't care if we were making Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham, that rice was next to it on the table, nestled amongst the cranberries and stuffing. And it was the first dish to be gobbled up.

She gave us the recipe, but when we made it, it wasn't the same. As it happened, circumstances led to her no longer being in the family, and we mourned her rice.

Fast forward to a few years ago when Chris had a friend and his wife come stay with us for a weekend. We fired up the bbq pit and the wife decided to make "her famous" rice for the meal. Remembering the pattern of mexican rice at meals that did not demand mexican rice, I was intrigued.

She gathered ingredients from the pantry, and I noticed they looked familiar. My heart skipped a beat.

As she made the rice, I discovered the crucial missing step from the recipe that the former aunt had given out. It was like a sparkling secret developing on my stove top.

Elated, I waited for the rice to finish cooking and sure enough, it was the amazing fabled rice we enjoyed as kids. A single tear fell from my eye. I finally had it.

And now I'm going to share it with you.

Gather ingredients:

2 cloves minced garlic
1T. olive oil
1t. chicken bullion- make sure it's GF
1c. rice
2c. water
1 4oz can tomato sauce

Sautee the rice and garlic in oil.
^^THIS IS THE SECRET STEP!! If you don't do this, you'll simply end up with regular tomato-y rice.

Dont be shy. Get all the rice nice and browned. This gives you that perfect texture in the final product.

Finish cooking like regular rice: Stir in the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.

Feast on legendary rice. In this case, I added it to Burrito Bowls.

This week's menu

Monday- Swedish meatballs and broccoli
Tuesday- Chicken cacciatore (using Chrissy Teigen's tomato sauce that I hoarded and froze) and carrots
Wednesday- Sloppy joes and corn on the cob
Thursday- Black bean burrito bowls (with potato, edamame, and quinoa)
 Friday- Leftovers! Or we're going out to eat. Bottom line: I'm not cooking.

Have a good week, y'all. It's summer and it's hot and I'm thisclose to making sandwiches and/or salads for every meal to avoid turning on the stove. Because let's get real, the oven is not turning on because it doesn't work. But I'll give the stovetop a shot this week. In-between the crock pot and eating out.

I fully intend to join the gym at work this week, due to a straight diet of happy hour and tacos for the last few months. Not the best idea during swimsuit season, but honestly... it's more about the seaty roll discomfort than the bikini body. Priorities.

This week's menu

I suppose it's time to get back into meal planning. Not that I have much motivation, but I need to stop eating happy hour tacos for dinner. My waistline is starting to notice it.

Plus I'm working this weekend and I'm getting tired of trying to figure out gluten free-ish options at the cafeteria. I don't always win and crummy tummies are no fun.

So, here we go.

Wednesday- Chicken zucchini salad
Thursday- Ravioli + broccoli
Friday- Beef roast + green beans
Saturday- BBQ chicken legs + carrots
Sunday- Leftovers?
Monday- Burgers + beans + corn on the cob

Have a great week(end).

Thursday we have a dessert contest at work and I'm bringing this watermelon pizza, because I forgot my oven doesn't work very well and that kind of eliminates baked goods. Dope.

ode to a citrus juicer

Who knew this 50-cent garage sale find would become one of my top-used kitchen tools? Raise your hand if you hate biting into a seed or accidentally slurping one up through a straw. I can't be the only one, because these things exist!

Not that I juice citrus that much in everyday cooking. Since I bought it about a year ago, I use it several times a week, but it's mostly used for beverages; lemon water has become a common thing for me to carry around lately. Plus lime juice is essential for moscow mules and tacos and even on salads.

I love being able to get every last drop out of the fruit using the reamer. Why waste those bright sunny flavors?

The design fits over a measuring cup, but also fits perfectly over my everyday glasses, which  means I can juice directly into the cup I'm using and avoid dirtying another dish. You KNOW how much that makes my heart sing.

No fancy model needed. This aluminum version is great. Plus cleanup is a snap; juice, rinse, and repeat. I love my citrus juicer. I love even more that I got it for 50 cents.

Ode to a Citrus Juicer:

This 50 cent garage sale find is great!
No slurping seeds up, which I always hate.
Fresh lemon water carried with me now
and moscow mules for happy hour- pow!
And with this tool I get every last drop
of sunny flavor in my tall glass cup.
The handy shape fits over beverage rims.
You just don't want to stop.
This tool is handy and it peps me up.
Using this juicer fills me with the wins!

Ok, those last few lines were a stretch, but that's an ode for you.