I always love the “What I Ate Today” posts so I thought I’d share some of my go-to meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We’ve developed a bit of a routine with certain dishes but I always love to try new recipes too! If any of you are feeling like you’re in a recipe rut, hopefully this post will spark some new ideas!
Food Diary: What I Usually Eat
BREAKFAST
I kid you not I have the same breakfast probably 6 days a week. And it probably would be 7 days a week but sometimes Matthew has to leave for work extra early or he’s out of town. I have become obsessed with these fried eggs that he makes me with smoked paprika. They’re seriously so good! He fries them up and then sprinkles the paprika on at the end {sometimes with a bit of cayenne too!}. Then I eat them on toasted bread {the good kind, not sandwich toast!} with salted butter. I’m telling you, it is SO yummy!
When Matthew was traveling a bit the other month I missed this egg dish terribly, but I found a good replacement that’s just as crave-able. Let’s call it Soft Boiled Egg and Spinach on Avocado Toast. I make a 6 minute soft boiled egg {add egg to boiling water and remove after 6 minutes}, throw in fresh spinach during the last minute, and add it to toast! I just use sandwich toast {although feel free to use the good kind!}, cover it with avocado, top with boiled spinach, and soft boiled egg. Last but not least I sprinkle a bit of sea salt and Aleppo Pepper/Paprika/Trader Joe’s African Smoke Seasoning on top. If you’re feeling extra fancy, add some caramelized onions on there and you have something really special!
Another absolute favorite breakfast is this 5 minute peanut butter and apple oatmeal! I’ve made the recipe so often I have it memorized. Bonus points because Augustine LOVES it! He always asks me to make it when it’s cold out!
LUNCH
Lunch these days are pretty boring, usually leftovers. I’ve loved this Charlie Bird Farro Salad and I’ve found I can make it on Sundays and have it during the week. I just add the arugula each day to keep it fresher!
Other things I’ll make will be salads with leftover roasted veggies. I’ll basically throw whatever on the salad. The other day I added roasted cauliflower, avocado, Kalamata olive, sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Hearty and delicious!
DINNER
Dinner is my favorite meal to make. I love experimenting with new recipes, but usually have some popular requests that we always go back to. I shared some of the best recipes I made in 2019 and I’d say any of those are fair game for dinners. I also still make these dishes quite a bit:
15 Minute Summertime Pasta Recipe
Lately, we’ve also been loving this Kale Caesar, and last night I made the Soba Noodle Salad from the Oh She Glows Everyday Cooking Cookbook and Augustine asked if I could make it “again and again and again!” You know that’s the sign of a good dish! I’ve added the recipe at the bottom of this post in case you want to make it!
FRIDAY& SATURDAY NIGHT DINNERS
It’s been harder for me and Matthew to get out of the house for date nights but we’ve been loving having weekend date nights at home! We’ll usually grill bread and make an easy burrata dish. The other week we made Alison Roman’s Caramelized Shallot Pasta and it was incredible! We’ll definitely be making that “again and again and again,” like Augustine will say!
SNACKS & TREATS
You know I love chocolate chip cookies right? Like LOVE! I’ve missed them so much since I gave up sweets for Lent, but it’s been a really good challenge for me. When I’m making cookies, I love the NYT Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (the one where you have to let the dough sit in the fridge for 72 hours!), but when I’m not in the mood to bake, the Bristol Farms “The Cookie” hits the spot! I think it was inspired by the cookies at Levain Bakery in NYC which are my absolute FAVORITE! {also this is a funny post from when I tried to make a copycat recipe of them back in 2009!}.
Other snacks I love are the Simple Mills crackers with hummus, roasted peanuts with dark chocolate, granola, and fresh fruit like mandarin oranges or sliced apples. Oh and those dried pears with the Trader Joe’s Cambozola. I’m still just as obsessed with that combo as I was 2 years ago!
- 1/4 cup toasted or un-toasted sesame oil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp and 2 tsp tahini
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp low-sodium tamari
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 package soba noodles (8 ounce)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 and 1/4 cups)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 and 1/4 cups)
- 3 to 4 green onions, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, minced
- 1 batch Cast-Iron Tofu
- fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish
- fresh lime juice, for serving
- sriracha, for serving
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu
- 3 tsp avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
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Prepare the Cast-Iron Tofu
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Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. Cover and refrigerate to thicken slightly.
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Make the salad: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.
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Add the bell peppers, green onion, and cilantro to the bowl with the noodles. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Add half the tofu cubes and toss again. Taste and season with sea salt if necessary.
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Top the salad with the remaining tofu, sesame seeds, and cilantro scattered on top. You can also add a squeeze of lime juice on top of each bowl just before serving or simply serve with a lime wedge. The salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The tofu will soften as it sits, but it's still very tasty!
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Press the tofu overnight, or for at least 30 minutes.
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Slice the pressed tofu into 9 or 10 rectangles 1/2 inch thick and then slice each rectangle into six squares, to make a total of 54 to 60 tofu pieces.
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Heat a large cast-iron (or nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat for several minutes.
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In a large bowl, combine the tofu with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of the oil. Gently stir until all the tofu is coated. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, and onion powder (if using).
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When a drop of water gently sizzles on the skillet, the skillet is got enough. Carefully add the remaining 1 and 1/2 teaspoons oil and tilt the skillet to coat it evenly with the oil. Add the tofu to the pan in a single layer (be careful, as the oil might splatter - use a splatter guard, if desired), making sure all the pieces lay flat against the skillet. If your skillet is too small to cook all the tofu at once, work in batches.
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Cook the tofu on one side for 4 to 7 minutes, until you have a golden crust with some speckled brown spots (the crust should be about 1/16 inch/1.5 mm in thickness). With a fork, flip each piece (yes, this step is a bit arduous) and cook for 4 to 5 minutes more, until golden. Serve immediately; the tofu crust will soften as it cools.
Tip 1: You can use un-toasted or toasted sesame oil; it's totally up to you! Toasted sesame oil has a much more robust flavor, while un-toasted is more mellow.
Tip 2: The veggies have a tendency to fall to the bottom of the bowl, so it's good to scoop them up and add them back on top just before serving.
Make it gluten-free: Use 100% buckwheat soba noodles. Traditional soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour, but some brands incorporate wheat flour. Be sure to check the label carefully and use a brand made with just buckwheat if you want to make them gluten-free.
Please drop allllll the recipe links I have to try in the comments below! Would love to know what your faves are!
xox
