Guess what I did this evening?
COOKED DINNER!!
I have been in somewhat of a long food rut. Hard to believe coming from a food blogger and all (although I do consider this much more of a lifestyle blog than food these days anyways
)
But with the last year being filled with classes and my internship and moving and traveling, I really haven’t spent that much time in the kitchen. Plus, Matt is the chef. I’m just the planner. But tonight, I was ready to rock and roll with my knife in hand at 5:30 on the dot – ahead of schedule!
I’d say this dinner was top-notch!
First up, Shredded Brussels with Lemon and Poppy Seed from Whole Living magazine (minus the poppys!) We didn’t have any so I used flax instead. I really liked the sprouts sliced like this!
My least favorite way to eat them is whole. My favorite are the thin leaves that fall off while they roast and get super crunchy!
The last of the buttah…
I love all of the Garlic Gold products, but this is my favorite for cooking. It’s crunchy nuggets in oil. What I hate most about garlic is the strong bite that raw garlic leaves and I hate cooking it in raw form. I’ve never really loved the minced garlic in a jar either though. But THIS – perfect solution! It’s roasted and …golden…and buttery and a tsp is perfect to sub for a clove of garlic.
[Garlic Gold also released a holiday gift box now available with all of the key products for $25, FYI]
All cooked up!
The next dish was made up on the spot: Lavender Olive Red Quinoa. I cooked some red quinoa (which I like way more than yellow). I also never rinse my red quinoa (because I am lazy) and find it’s not nearly as bitter as the yellow either. Also, more chew! Chew is always good.
I added a piece of kombu dried seaweed to the pot because I’ve seen Terry Walters use it when cooking grain dishes before.
Honestly I forgot I’d added it until I saw these photos! Not sure how much taste was in there, but it certainly didn’t harm anything.
I added lemon juice, chopped kalamata olives and almonds, and lavender salt to the cooked quinoa and it was so herby salty awesome!
Last up: Brown Suga Sole!
I’ve carried this Frontier marinade mix from house to house. We are just now going through some of our spice mixes if you can’t tell! Matt used it as a rub on the fish, which were wet so it turned into a paste, and upon cooking, a SAUCE.
The most delicious bubbly brown sugar sauce you could ever imagine. Think of this as caramel sauce! He added a little water after the fish were cooked and simmered it down into a thick reduction. Set off the SMOKE ALARM!
It was SO GOOD!!!! Probably all that sugar…and the sesame seeds and cayenne!
Best fish ever.
Leftovers!
And a hunk of dark choco for dessert!
Time to read read read!
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) says
Yum, dinner looks great! I got home super-late from work and ended up just making a quick sweet potato and throwing a batch of muffins in the oven. At least it’s better than the drive-thru! 😉
Michele @ Healthy Cultivations says
I love brussel sprouts… any way they’re prepared. I’ve never used poppyseeds before, and rosemary is really good with them too.
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
I love brussels sprouts and have wanting to try them shredded for a while now!
Lovely looking dinner 🙂
A Teenage Gourmet (Sami) says
Looks fantastic! I love my after dinner chocolate chunks too. 🙂
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
Dinner looks incredible! Isn’t red quinoa gorgeous? Oh, and I hear ya on the food rut. It happens to everyone! Glad you found something to get ya out of it! Enjoy your evening!
Lee @ College Foodie Finds says
Kath!
Your dinner looks scrumptious, as usual! What is the difference between yellow and red quinoa?
Kath says
Other than the color, I have no idea! They are only slightly different. I think nutritionally they’re very similar.
Rachel @ Olalliberry says
Shredded Brussels sprouts are my favorite way to eat them! I like to saute them in a little butter with toasted hazelnuts and lemon juice. Minced shallots are a great addition too (for those who aren’t onion-averse!).
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
I actually am obsessed with brussels sprouts. It’s weird.
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
Red quinoa packs more fiber and protein than yellow, I believe- and it’s so much prettier!!
stacey-healthylife says
I just had yellow quinoa for dinner tonight. I must try the red. I just figured they were probably the same.
Katie (The Boston Marathoner) says
Those Brussels look amazing – I love baking mine, but I’ve never shredded!
holly @ couchpotatoathlete says
That brown sugar sauce looks so good!!! Great dinner Kath!
Camille says
I’m sure it’s nice to be in the kitchen are a cooking lull!
Amanda (Eating Up) says
I love the thin leaves off the brussels sprouts too! Taste just like popcorn, no?
Jillian@ Reshape Your Life says
I recently bought some garlic gold olive oil… IT IS AMAZING! I’ll have to try the other garlic gold products!
I also really like the red quinoa… Although I’ve never rinsed any of them… I’ll have to try that next time.
Honey B. says
Some of my favorite meals have set off the smoke alarm. Happens. As long as it tastes good and nourishes us! x
Jamie @ Food in Real Life says
I think a sweet sauce is such a yummy way to spruce up plain white fish. Tina on CNC had a great recipe for glazed cod that I really liked. This might be next on the list! And brussels were on my dinner plate tonight too!
Cara Craves... says
Looks like you did a great job!
You can be a planner and chef!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
i love red quinoa. today i was in TJ’s and heard someone ask for the non-red kind. Wha WHAT?!?
Amy at The Scene From Me says
Good for you dinner queen! I made dinner tonight also. My husband wasn’t for sure he wanted to eat it. I came up with coconut and crushed red pepper coated tilapia, garlic sweet bread and ranch dusted quinoa with peas. It made my belly sing a happy tune!
Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama says
I have never tried red quinoa. Will have to do that soon. Your dinner looks delicious.
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
I’ve never had red quinoa before, looks tasty!
And that fish… oh yum!
JenATX says
i never noticed that you weren’t the one cooking all this time.. coulda fooled me!
Kath says
Well I am exaggerating, but I don’t cook as much as I used to. Or at least take charge
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Yay for cooking again!! It sure looks amazing, you’d never guess it came from someone who hasn’t cooked much lately.
Dee says
Oh my! This looks like an amazing dinner! YUM!
courtney says
There would be no leftover quinoa in my world; I can eat spoonfuls of that all day long!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
I have never been a big brussel sprout fan, but i may have to try them again chopped up. Looks really good!
Jil @ Big City, Lil' Kitchen says
That fish sounds delicious! and love the idea for those brussels!
valen says
What a vibrant delicious and nutritious looking meal!
Alicia says
Delicious looking dinner! I should try cooking up some brussels sprouts that way!
Hannah says
Oh gosh, I don’t have lavendar salt but I’m going to stir olives into my next lot of quinoa. And I can get culinary lavendar here in Canberra, so maybe I could pound osme of that with salt….
Erica Caterina says
Hi Kath, I am new to your site but have become addicted reading about your time in San Fransisco! Looks like such a beautiful time. I was wondering where you get the little packets of Barney Butter. My job keeps me on the go and it would be nice to have them to use in a pinch.
Thanks for keeping us inspired – your pictures are beautiful!!
Kath says
I got mine from the company as a website, but you can order them at Amazon or through Barneybutter.com
RosaLovesDC says
I am hungry again!
Simply Life says
ooh thanks for the info on the fun new products!
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary) says
Dinner looks really good tonight Kath. Waiting on my Dad to get here for dinner and those pictures are taking me from hungry to ravenous 🙂
Krystina says
Such a gourmet dinner! I’d love to sink into each of those dishes!
Caitlyn (A Spoonful of Life) says
I used to hate brussel sprouts. My mom would make me eat then and it would, quite literally, take me 5 minutes to chew and swallow just one. I think last year I was converted after trying them roasted! They are now one of my favorite. I like the idea of them shredded!
Sarah @ Going on Goals says
I love brussel sprouts. I haven’t tried them shredded but love when a leaf or two falls off when roasting. They are so crunchy and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
amy says
Hi Kath! Thanks for the rec’ing the Swingin’ Christmas station on Pandora earlier today. It’s making writing a paper all night long tonight much more bearable (‘bearable’ could make a fun little pun when talking about the bears…maybe you’ve already used it…I can’t remember)
Anyway, thanks again! 🙂
amy says
“thanks for rec’ing,” not, “thanks for ‘the’ rec’ing the”….maybe I shouldn’t be working on a paper right now!
Diana @ frontyardfoodie says
haha so many of my best meals have set off the alarm. Recently after a particularly bad one I realized the alarm wasn’t going off and we quickly found out that it finally plunked out. haha
Kiran says
Matt’s the cook? Lucky you 😉
I’ve never tried quinoa. I wonder why! Does it taste?
Erin @ Shortcut to Bliss says
Your dinner is pretty much my dream meal. Fish and brussel sprouts in one sitting! I have never shredded them before though. I eat the leaves off in layers. My littlest one calls brussel sprouts “baby lettuce” and I am afraid if i shred, it might lose it’s novelty and therefore appeal. Ahhh the joys of tricking your kiddos into eating their veggies…
Heidi - apples under my bed says
Snap, thanks for the brussels sprouts recipe! Looks v delicious. Good to get your cook on!
Heidi xo
Nelle @ Living Cliche says
Wow. This was weird. I just had Brussels Sprouts for dinner tonight and would have made some red quinoa too if it weren’t so late (10:40 PM) when I got home from work. AND I put it on my blog post tonight. I swear it was before I read yours! So weird.
Eliza says
wow that dinner looks and sounds amazing. i agree i prefer red quinoa over the regular/yellow version, it’s quite chewier and so good!- and this recipe i must make!!
Christie {Honoring Health} says
I didn’t see anyone else comment about this so I thought I would. Kombu is added to grains and beans to tenderize them which makes them more digestible. Many people who really support the traditional food movement (nourishing traditions, Sally Fallon) or who are big into digestion typically use it. I use it for cooking beans but I have never used it with grains. I need to do that next time I make a big pot of brown rice.
Kath says
Thanks for the info!
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
Mmm…looks awesome! I haven’t had quinoa (or fish, for that matter) in a long, long time. I’m adding it to the grocery list. 😀
Tessa says
Brussel sprouts and quinoa = 2 of my top 10 favorite foods. Usually I make enough of both to have leftovers. I’ll reheat them together, add herbs, diced avocado, tomato and vinegar and pour it over a big bed of lettuce. It’s sooo good.
Angela (the diet book junkie) says
i’ve never tried brussel sprouts, but this recipe is making my mouth water. thanks for sharing:)
Julia @ Brides Up North says
Hi Kath – I have been looking for a link to an email address but can’t find one – I would like to send you a message about featuring as a real wedding on my new wedding inspiration blog, since your and Matt’s wedding was so gorgeous. Click the link on my name to see the blog and if it is something that you would like to do? Drop me an email if you are interested!
Julia x
Brides Up North
Kath says
Hey Julia, It’s Katheats at Gmail dot com. Thanks!
Julia @ Brides Up North says
p.s. Click on the Real Weddings page link at the top to see a variety of examples!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
Looks like you cooked up a great meal! Brown sugar glazes on fish are the best!
Maria says
That looks so good – can I haver your leftovers ? haha xx
Emily @ The Front Burner Blog says
Looks yummy. FYI – kombu doesn’t really add any flavor or taste, it is (believe it or not) actually used to make you FART less. That’s why she typically adds it to all dried bean dishes. 🙂
Kath says
Ahhhhhhh – I don’t know if it worked!!
Cailin @ Stir Crazy says
This is such an impressive meal! I also love red quinoa more than yellow, and have been eating it for breakfast this week. I recently cooked with brussel sprouts and haven’t in so long…. yours look delicious!
Stacy says
The rub and garlic look delicious (well, the whole meal does, but those are the things I might get/try). Thanks for posting!
Lindsay says
I made the same brussel recipe for a Thanksgiving-themed potluck last weekend! Sadly, it did not convert my loved ones to brussel-lovers as I had hoped. Oh well, more leftovers for me! Glad to hear you enjoyed it too.
Have a great day!
Christin@purplebirdblog says
Ooooo that sauce looks perfect!!!
Lisa says
Erica – I love those Barney Butter snack packs too!! You can buy them right from their website – barneybutter.com.
Keri says
I have learned that Kombu is a great way to aid digestability—it helps especially when cooking beans to reduce gas and bloating. It’s like the basil of the sea!
Julie says
Hi Kath. I’m wondering how you shredded the brussel sprouts.. would love to try and make them! The recipe says they should be finely sliced, but it must take forever to slice each one.. Thanks for any suggestions :o)
Julie says
The smiley didn’t turn out like I thought it would… I was going for this: 🙂
Kath says
I chopped ’em with my knife! Each one. It only took about 10 minutes and was kinda fun.
jenna says
that spread looks sooo tastay!