What I’m Actually Cooking Right Now
5 recipes that have helped us survive this season
Hi friends. I’m easing my way back in here with a simple, fresh summer salad I made for our family and Ryan’s dad the other night. I had Ry grill some chicken with a spritz of avocado oil and a generous sprinkle of my Adobo seasoning, then roasted some Yukon Gold potatoes with my FRIES seasoning. I had some zucchini, yellow squash and a portable to use up as well, so I sautéed it all in a bit of avocado oil, with cumin, coriander, salt and a squeeze of lemon.
These are the kinds of meals I’m depending on right now to keep the six of us fed while relying a little less on DoorDash.
Some incredibly kind friends sent us gift cards over the past month since we were living in a new city and they weren’t able to drop off meals. They were such a lifesaver. There were days when even driving to pick up food felt like too much, and having those gift cards to fall back on lifted one more thing off our shoulders.
Lately, though, my body has been craving homemade food again. I’ve been trying to ease back into cooking at least three nights a week. Partly because I know I feel better when we eat this way, and partly because…well…we finally ran out of the gift cards, so my hand was kind of forced.
I also put together a list of the other meals that have been on repeat around here lately. They’re simple, require very little cleanup, and don’t take much planning ahead, which is exactly what I need in this season.
Thank you all for the grace you extended while I was out for the past 6 weeks. I’m so incredibly thankful for our guest posters Jenn Lueke, rachel mansfield, Caroline Chambers , Beth Bollinger , and Aran Goyoaga for providing recipes and lending their time and resources to help me while I was out.
It’s good to be back.
xo Danielle
What I’m Actually Cooking Right Now
Lately, the top 2 meals my kids have requested are the Teriyaki Chicken and Inside Out Salmon Sushi Roll Bowls. They’re both so easy for me to make, and I’ve been doubling them so we can mix and match the bowls and eat it for a second time. I’ve also made quite a few batches of taco meat (usually ground beef + turkey) with my Taco seasoning to have on hand for quick bowls.
One night, I used my recipe for Thai Chicken Satay Bowls too but grilled the chicken and used a jar of Trader Joe’s Peanut Satay Sauce to make it easier. I ended up leaving the chicken in the marinade for 3 days by accident and it was great.
I made a big batch of jasmine rice and brown rice (I like to use bone broth instead of water for extra protein and trace minerals), and just kept both in the fridge all week to use in the various bowls.
In addition to that, I’m still obsessed with my Protein Yogurt Bowl “Dessert,” and have been eating Overnight Oats with Ry in the mornings so I can make one big batch at the beginning of the week and not make decisions daily about what to eat. I portion 10 servings into these 16-ounce jars and he just adds a handful of blueberries to one jar before he leaves for the office.
*Not pictured: approximately 12 gluten-free Chocolate Chip Nothing Bundt Cakes.
We DoorDashed them so many times over the past several weeks that they eventually started throwing in two free cakes with our order of five. I wish I were kidding. I started buying one every year for Aila’s birthday around the fourth anniversary after she died, and it’s become one of those comfort foods I usually only have once a year.
Apparently this year I made up for all the missed servings.
Summer Stone Fruit Salad with Pesto Whipped Ricotta
Serves 4 to 6
This salad came together almost entirely by accident. Ry’s dad was playing a game with Easton, Asher was at baseball, and Kez was out in the neighborhood with friends, so I had a rare moment to just be in the kitchen with myself and my creativity.
I ordered cottage cheese for Ryan, but Instacart delivered ricotta instead. I thought I may make lasagna down the road, but that is way too much effort for me right now.
I searched through the refrigerator and found a Trader Joe’s Vegan Cashew Basil Pesto in the refrigerator. It was one of the groceries I’d bought the morning Barb died. I had spent about $350 stocking our kitchen that morning for a busy week ahead, and then, a few hours later, we got the call, threw some clothes into suitcases, and got on a plane. The groceries sat untouched while we were gone.
Thankfully, the pesto was still good. (Yes, despite the expiration date. Proceed at your own comfort level.) PS if you have it any want to use up the extra after this recipe - try this Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta.
I blended the ricotta with the pesto and a few other things into a creamy spread for the bottom of the platter. Then I piled on little gem lettuce, ripe stone fruit, and a generous handful of sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
I almost reached for pistachios instead. They would’ve been delicious too. But I stared into the pantry for an embarrassingly long time, completely paralyzed by decision fatigue, so seeds won by default.
I didn’t have it in me to make homemade dressing, so I just drizzled some peach vinegar and good olive oil over top, and added a little flaky salt and black pepper, and a few torn sprigs of dill finished it off.
It was simple. Fresh. Exactly the kind of meal I’ve been craving lately.
