A dinner in 3 parts

The first part was an attempt to do something interesting with arugula. I don't even particularly like arugula but a) I need more leafy greens, b) I was told to buy local produce and that's what was in stock, c) it's good for you!

Behold Arugula Vichyssoise

1/4 cup chopped white and pale green part of leek, washed well
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small russet potato, peeled, grated coarse and reserved in water to cover
2 cups low salt chicken broth
2 cups packed arugula, washed well and spun dry
3 tablespoons soy milk


In a small heavy saucepan cook the leek with salt and pepper to taste in 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the garlic, the potato, drained and the broth and simmer the mixture, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the potato is very soft. Stir in the arugula, simmer the mixture, covered, for 1 minute and in a blender puree it in batches for 2 minutes, or until it is completely smooth. Transfer the puree to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, stir in the half and half and chill the soup, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until it is cold. Serves 2

The second part was a quest for some quick cooking carbs. I settled on Israeli couscous again and was going to serve it with leftover curry slop that I made the other day. Only that smelled funky. So...

The third part turned out to be a veggie burger cooked on a skillet with some cheddar cheese melted over it. Not classy, but yummy. I served that on top of the couscous.

Lastly, to drink, I had some Goji Juice. Goji is a Tibetan fruit which has lots of potassium, protein, and amino acids etc. Good for you anyway. Oh, and made some iced green tea...decaff...

Middle Eastern Fusion

Magic! It's the name I have for the stuff I make up.

The meal started off wanting to sautee pistacchios. I forgot to do that (teehee). But I did use up some leftovers in the fridge and made a spicy slightly curried stew. I really threw everything together, so everything is an approximation.

Middle Eastern Fusion Stew with Israeli Couscous
Ingredients
A bunch of cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 small zucchini, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 packet veggie crumbles
leftover tempeh cacciatore
leftover 3 C soup
a dash of cinnamon
a dash of yellow mustard powder
black pepper
sea salt

Israeli couscous (cooked like rice in veggie broth)

Saute everything in a large pan (wok).
Enjoy!