Caramelization. Such a good word. Such a good thing to do to food. Taking the mundane and transforming it into sweet sticky goodness. My children don’t know ribs by their proper name… ribs in my house will forever be known as candy meat. We had ribs for dinner last night, and by some miracle, there were leftovers.
Toast with mayo bookends extra old cheddar cheese, mixed greens, tomato slices, and all of the leftover sweet, sticky candy meat.
I have been noticing a distinct lack of greens and freshness in my food lately. Cold weather makes me crave carbs, and fat, and salt, and well, maybe it’s not just the cold that does that, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Long story short, my body screamed “Eat something green!”, when I went to make lunch today.
Teeny tiny broccoli florets, dried cranberries, and pine nuts, tossed in a dressing made of a dollop of mayo, a splash of apple cider vinegar, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. The greens I was craving, with a wee bit of fat and salt. The best of both worlds.
It’s ridiculously cold out again, but we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to talk about lunch, specifically, my lunch. On a hot summer’s day, a cool and crisp salad is a treat. Today, I want everything I consume to be somewhere between warm and hot, soft and melty. Something to warm mah belleh.
Chopped garlic and onion, sauteed in butter. A truckload of spinach tossed in until wilted, and some chopped tomatoes added at the very last minute. Served with leftover lamb and roasted potatoes. Happy happy belleh.
Well, I started making a BLT. I had all the fixings. But I also had other fixings. And… it grew from there. Presenting my BSTA & M.
Toast slathered in mayo, piled high with baby spinach, leftover brunch bacon, avocado, and tomatoes. Black pepper, black pepper, black pepper, and topped with more mayo toast. Now, how do I make a BSTA & M sound as good as it tastes? Got some thinking to do.
My seven-year-old has very selective tastes in food. A few weeks ago, I offered her a bite of a tuna salad sandwich with (God forbid!) a wee bit of mayonnaise, onions and celery in it. I was completely prepared for full-body shivers, pleadings for water to wash her mouth, and an absolute rejection of ever trying anything with that many ingredients mixed up together again. Instead, I was floored with, smiles, and “Yum!”s, and pleadings for more. Will the wonders ever cease?
I made her a tuna salad sandwich today for school. One can of tuna, drained and mixed with a tiny dollop of mayo, as well as some finely chopped onion and red pepper. For the big person’s lunch, add extra everything to the leftover tuna salad. Extra mayo, extra onion, extra red pepper, salt, pepper, dried parsley. Make some toast, add more extra mayo (I might have a bit of a problem), and some baby spinach. Extra yum.
Today is a day of tedious, unpleasant paperwork, that I really would rather not do. The sun is shining outside (in the first time in what feels like forever), and it is calling my name! But alas, I have to say I will come and play another day. Back to the paperwork that I do not want to do. Getting it done will bring sunnier days to come.
Last night’s leftover rice and chicken korma, warmed in a bowl. Topped with a generous dollop of yogurt, some mango chutney, and fresh chopped cilantro. Even the crappiest day can be made better with a bowl of goodness like that.