I was seriously feeling the spring/summer vibes this past weekend because it reached 60 (!!!) degrees both days. But then the weather rebounded in a VERY aggressive way and we have been suffering through 30 degree days ever since. Wah wah.
It’s almost as if I was thinking that I could bring back the warmth by making a summer dish with tomatoes and zucchini!
I had leftover lentil noodles from last week, so I decided to make a similar pasta bowl, with veggies and pesto.
I roasted both the tomatoes and the zucchini in the oven, which is my absolute favorite way to cook tomatoes. They turn into the sweetest ooey gooey bites ever.
And of course I used the pesto bitchin’ sauce because it’s addictive as hell-o operator.
Such a simple dinner, but highly satisfying. I can’t decide if I like the banza noodles or the lentil noodles better. Have you tried banza’s products? Thoughts?
This creation was the kabocha squash and barley bowl from Gena’s cookbook Power Plates. Always a staple in our casa.
I love that I can basically prep everything in advance (make the dressing, cook the grains, roast the squash) and then once dinnertime rolls around I just put it all together.
I mean, we all know how much I LOOOOOOVE a grain bowl!
And we also know how much my fam loves kabocha squash.
So naturally this was a slam dunk of a meal.
The kids have been loving everything coming out of the kitchen lately, that I feel like every night they make me swear up and down that I’ll make this dinner again. And despite saying absolutely in the moment, I haven’t been keeping track of it at all! It’s a good “problem” to have.
I love asking for their input in meal planning so much, so it’s nice to feel like it is paying off.
More cabbage!
The kids have been asking for mango (to make into a parfait similar to one they made in a cooking class several months ago) so I was glad to get it in the CSA last week. I had planned on making this meal back then, but the mango wasn’t ripe until this week so we just had to wait…
The slaw had cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and mango with a lime juice/mayo dressing. I also diced up a (spicy) pepper, but tried to avoid giving any of it to them because it brought the H E A T.
Looky looky, I busted out the air fryer for this one!
These are Trader Joe’s battered fish nuggets, found in the frozen foods section. So basically this part of dinner required zero effort on my part. I sprayed the inside basket with cooking oil and dumped in two (1 lb) boxes and pushed the shrimp button (which cooked them at 350* for 15 minutes). They were so yummy I’m shocked we had any leftovers because everyone kept going back for more helpings.
I probably had 8 in total, but I could have easily eaten one entire box all by myself. Frozen fried food is definitely where the air fryer shines.
BTW (because I know I will get asked) this is the air fryer I have. It’s perfect for the our family – both in its size and price point. There are way fancier models out there, but this works well and I don’t see any reason to spend much more.
What would the week be without a tofu stir fry!?
I am embarrassed to have JUST found this tub of smoky almond dip in the freezer because it is legit over a year old. But now it has been thawed and opened and I have a week (per the label) to consume it all.
It was different than I was expecting and too spicy to give the kids, so I don’t think I’d buy it again, but I’ll be figuring out ways to use it here and there in the days to come.
I thinned it out with plain almond milk (although coconut milk would have been good too) so that I could use it as a sauce for the rice bowls.
I marinated the tofu for 5+ hours that day and then let it fry for longer than usual, which is why it has that nice deep dark color.
Served on a bed of brown rice with stir fried cauliflower and broccoli.
On Friday we went out to dinner as a special treat for no reason whatsoever. We had planned on going to Mikuni since they just moved to a bigger space, but the wait was an hour to be seated!! And this was at 5:30 pm!
So we walked around the block to Zen Toro instead. The ambiance is really lacking, but it was the best option at the moment given that we were all in the mood for sushi.
Party of four.
P wanted the tako sunomono so we all shared that along with five rolls, including two Hawaiian rainbow rolls, a spider roll, a shrimp tempura roll, and a salmon and avocado roll.
The service was a bit slow so by the time they set the food down, the kids were like piranhas ready to attack whatever came their way. No joke, it was slightly embarrassing how quickly the food was annihilated.
Two major takeaways from this dinner:
1. We need to order way more than whatever we initially think we need.
2. Japan is going to be SO FUN.
Have I mentioned on the blog that we are going to Japan? I can’t even recall because we booked our hotels and flights so long ago but now it is f i n a l l y getting close!
These kids will eat anything and everything, which will make the foodie part of the trip a seriously fun adventure.
Out of all the “protein” noodles we have tried in our house banza noodles are our favorite! I think they hold their shape well and don’t get too mushy. What brand of lentil noodles do you make?
How do you press and marinate your tofu? I’m really trying to get my husband on board because I love a good tofu stir fry and I’m trying to work in more plant-based meals for the budget!
These were the TJs ones. They hold their shape, but if you make them in advance for a cold pasta salad or make extra for use at a later day, some break apart a bit. I think they are pretty good for the price and the flavor is good too. They actually taste like lentils!
I have gotten pretty lazy in the press department in that I now buy the EXTRA FIRM tofu that feels super hard and has basically been pressed already. It is sold in bulk bins at my local co-op, but other brands make them now too – ie TJs. Look for the bigger blocks that arent sold in the typical plastic box with water around it, but are instead wrapped in a clear plastic. And as far as marinating, just put it in a container with whatever you would cook it in later (ie sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar) and let it sit in that as long as you can before cooking it. Use oil to cook it so that it gets browned on the edges and cook it for longer than you think you should. Hope that helps!