Hi there.
Yes, it’s been a long time. Longer than I ever would have expected. When I started this blog, I vowed I would not be “one of those people.” You know, the ones who start going strong and then suddenly drop off the face of the virtual world.
But, that’s what happened. Multiple moves, one (very healthy, pleasant, and still ongoing) pregnancy, and a very uncertain future have taken the vast majority of my physical, mental and emotional energy over the past few months.
Still, I’ve come up with a few things worth sharing. The first (which I only tell you about because it was something new to me) falls into the category of “church potluck casserole.” That is, it contains canned cream of (anything) soup and some sort of crust on top–often, french-fried onions, but in this case, crumbled crackers. I thought it absolutely revolting and wrong in so many ways, but Hungry Husband liked it, and so did the people at the homeless shelter. But I threw the recipe away. Quickly. Because canned cream of (anything) soup is not real food.
Fortunately, I have had better luck since then. In the midst of what has been a long and very stormy spring, I have been yearning for summer and light, fresh flavors. First, I came up with a lovely black bean-based salad. It’s the sort of thing that does not have a recipe…I just threw in things that reminded me of the Caribbean: black beans, mango, celery, red peppers, red onions, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, chicken, corn, jalapeno, garlic, cumin. It is very flexible and tasty. I took a big bowl to a friend’s graduation party last weekend and the dish was cleaned out rather quickly.
Finally, another recipe-less dish based on one of my favorite marinades: olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, and garlic. I whipped up some penne pasta, opened a can of salmon (fresh salmon is way out of our budget right now–boo!) and had Hungry Husband chunk the meat, and turned the marinade ingredients–plus a slab of butter) into a sauce. When the pasta was ready I threw everything together and voila! A fresh and flavorful pasta dish that pairs perfectly with sauteed or grilled vegetables.
Tonight, I am having Taco Lasagna with Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce (from Sweet Peas and Pumpkins), and I’m secretly glad that Hungry Husband is away for the night, because I may eat the whole pan myself. Good thing I only made a half recipe!