Be a Builder

Fact: you have more time to cook a meal on the weekend than during the week. Obviously if you go away for a weekend, or have some sort of tournament or event to attend all weekendlong, then you're just as crammed for time to cook on the weekend as the weekday. But, your average Saturday or Sunday yields much more time to prep and cook food. So why not take advantage of that time and cook some of your weekday food on the weekend? Make a couple of dishes on Sunday evening and then build on these dishes during the week - that way you're not eating the same two things over and over and over...Save yourself the headache and trouble of cooking a meal, from scratch, at 8:30pm on a Wednesday night, after a long day of work. Instead, make the more time-consuming recipes on Saturday or Sunday, and make no-hassle side dishes (or add to the original recipe) during the week. Last week I tried to lead by example, so here's what I made (recipes at the bottom of this post):


Monday night (it was a holiday, so I had time to cook. Normally this would be done on Sunday): 
1. Salmon with Herb Salsa Verde 
2. Brown Rice with Charred Onions & Kale







I ate these two dishes together as my Monday night meal. Then, I started to build:


Tuesday lunch: Brown Rice w. Charred Onions & Kale (add nuts & cheese - 2 tablespoons of each)
Tuesday dinner: Salmon with Herb Salsa Verde and Leafy No-Lettuce Salad


Wednesday lunch: Salmon Sandwich (spread salsa verde on 2 slices whole grain bread, add leafy greens & salmon)
Wednesday dinner (right): Brown Rice w. Charred Onions & Kale (with kalamata olives and blue cheese) and Spring Vegetable Saute


Thursday lunch: Brown Rice w. Charred Onions & Kale (with dried cranberries) and Leafy No-Lettuce Salad
Thursday dinner (left): Spring Vegetable Saute (combined with orzo and crumbled feta cheese)


Friday lunch: Leafy No-Lettuce Sandwich (spread dressing on 2 slices whole grain bread and add leafy greens, peaches/nectarines, and some avocado slices)
Friday dinner: cook something new!


I was never bored with the food I ate. Even if I was eating the same recipe, I did something (mixed in some nuts, or added a side dish) to change it up. Yes, this requires planning, which means taking time to do so (about 10 minutes...maybe 20 if you get distracted). But at the end of the day, planning ahead and building on top of your recipes will make your life a hell of a lot easier. In all honesty, not all of my weeks look like this. That's mainly because there are some nights where, despite my long hours at work, I still want to cook when I get home - I enjoy cooking and find it relaxing. However, for those of you still at the point where cooking is a chore - you do it because you need to feed yourself, not to have fun or relax - then planning out meals on the weekend and building on them throughout the week may be just right for you. Regardless of how often you want to cook throughout the week, it never hurts to plan, and more importantly, it never hurts to be a builder.


Salmon with Herb Salsa Verde (a variation of Bon Appetit's Grilled Skirt Steak with Herb Salsa Verde)
Makes 3 servings of salmon & salsa
Ingredients
-1/4 cup olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
-1 cup fresh herbs (thyme, mint, basil, whatever you have), chopped
-1 cup parsley, chopped
-1 10oz. piece of salmon (I used a frozen piece from Trader Joe's and it worked splendidly; you could easily use chicken or tofu)
-salt & pepper


Directions
(For herb salsa verde):
1. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and some salt & pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 20 minutes (meanwhile, you can chop all your herbs and get started on other recipes)
2. After 20 minutes, add all herbs to bowl and let sit for 10 minutes
3. Stir in additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil
(For salmon):
1. Heat skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper
3. Place salmon in skillet, skin side down, and cover for 3-5 minutes
4. Flip salmon to cook other side for 3-5 minutes, until just cooked through 
5. Place 1/3 of salmon on a plate and spread herb salsa verde on top


Brown Rice with Charred Onions and Kale (a variation of Bon Appetit's Wheat Berries with Charred Onions & Kale)
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
-1 cup uncooked brown rice
-1 1/2 onions, sliced
-1 bag frozen kale, slightly thawed (*hint, take the bag out when you start to prep for this recipe; you can use fresh kale if you want, but it will take more time for it to cook down)
-lemon juice from 1 lemon (*hint, use the lemon juice from the lemon you zest for the herb salsa verde)
-salt & pepper
-olive oil


Directions
1. Cook brown rice according to package
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat
3. Add onion slices and cook until charred, stirring occasionally (onions should look crisp, but not burned); transfer to bowl
4. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to same skillet, and place entire bag of frozen kale into skillet
5. Cook kale until it is entirely thawed, and heated through
6. Combine kale, onions, and brown rice in bowl; add lemon juice & mix well. Season with salt and pepper.


Leafy No-Lettuce Salad (variation of Bon Appetit's Leafy No-Lettuce Salad)
Makes 3 servings
Ingredients
-lemon juice from 2 lemons
-1 shallot, minced
-3 tablespoons olive oil
-2 nectarines, sliced
-6 cups leafy greens (I used a "baby spinach & spring mix")
-1 cup parsley, chopped
-salt & pepper
Optional: 1/2 each of nuts and crumbled cheese


Directions
1. Combine lemon juice and shallot, and let sit for 5 minutes (meanwhile, slice your nectarines & chop your parsley!)
2. Add olive oil to lemon juice & shallot; mix well and season with pepper
3. Combine leafy greens, parsley, and dressing together
4. Serve greens on top of nectarines; top with nuts & cheese, if using
*only combine the greens & dressing that you're planning to eat; save the remaining dressing and greens for later use - if you combine all the dressing with all the greens, your leftovers will wilt & become soggy


Spring Vegetable Saute (a variation of Bon Appetit's Spring Vegetable Saute)
Makes 2 large servings
Ingredients
-zest and juice from 1 lemon
-1 15oz. can artichoke hearts (packed in water), drained & sliced in half
-1/2 12oz. package frozen asparagus spears (again, Trader Joe's variety)
-1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed (use another kind of bean, like fava or lima beans)
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 tablespoon butter
-1/2 red onion, chopped
-salt & pepper


Directions
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add edamame for 30 seconds; scoop out with slotted spoon and place in bowl of cold water.
2. Bring water back to a boil, add asparagus spears for 30 seconds. Drain water, and add asparagus spears to bowl of cold water
3. Slice asparagus spears into 1-2 inch  pieces
4. Heat pan over medium heat; add olive oil & butter
5. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent
6. Add artichoke hearts, edamame, and asparagus to pan; cook for about 5 minutes (stir occasionally)
7. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt & pepper