Thursday, June 2, 2022

What's for Dinner? 6/2/22

 Good Morning!

It's cooler this morning and damp.  Rain is on the way and will be here shortly.  The coolness is a relief, the dampness is making me feel all stiff.  Before I get into food, I want to share a bit of my walk yesterday.

I walked the trail in Oaks early (was walking before 8:30 a.m.).  It was simply lovely.  There were a number of people out and about but it was not crowded by any means.  I felt so good (both my back and my feet) that I managed to walk 4.46 miles!!!  I use the "Map My Walk" app.  I'm finally getting back to my pre-back issues distances which thrills me.  I came across this cute family:


I guess maybe two families since there are 4 adults and many babies.  So cute.  Then I saw this guy on the Perkiomen Creek.  He was really moving along fast.


The air smelled so sweet and there were a number of "weeds" in bloom,


And at one point the ground was littered with these blooms.  Not sure what they are and the only thing in the general vicinity was a tree with white blooms high up.  Does anyone recognize this?


My guess is that the weather will keep me from walking today, but I've got a busy work morning anyway.

Last night we had cold shrimp for dinner along with a salad made with fresh green beans, red onions and tomatoes dressed with EVOO, red wine vinegar and S&P.  Yum.  I also cooked the bamboo shoots.  They were AWFUL!!  LOL  I guess I need a demonstration from Bonnie on how to cook them properly.  I did what she said (par-boiled then stir-fried in oil with garlic and ginger).  I'll be seeing her in another week and maybe can figure out what I did wrong.

Meanwhile I made a new-to-us salad over the weekend that we absolutely loved.  It was so fresh, refreshing, crisp, etc.

Chimichurri Chickpea Salad

Chimichurri

  • ·         ½ C chopped fresh parsley
  • ·         ¼ C chopped fresh cilantro
  • ·         ¼ C olive oil
  • ·         2 TBS red wine vinegar
  • ·         1 clove garlic, minced
  • ·         ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ·         ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ·         1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
  • ·         ¼ tsp salt

 Add everything together and stir to combine.

 Notes: 

·         I thought I had fresh parsley, but couldn’t locate it in the frig…used dried…found the fresh parsley 2 days later – LOL

·         I used fresh oregano (thank you Rob – our neighbor)

 Salad

  • ·         2 15 oz cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • ·         1 pint grape tomatoes

 First of all, I roughly halved the recipe (there are only two of us here).

Slice the grape tomatoes in half (I quartered them because honestly, some of them are HUGE).  Put chickpeas and tomatoes in large bowl.  Add the chimichurri and stir to combine.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat (up to 4 days).

 The original recipe calls for 2 oz of feta crumbled in with the tomatoes and chickpeas.  However, I’m probably the only person on the planet who does not like Feta.  At all.  I don’t like cheese in my salads.  I don’t like cheese on my meat.  I know…it’s ok if you disagree with me…just don’t make me eat the cheese – LOL

 Meanwhile, this salad was really delicious and very refreshing.  I will be definitely making it again.

I think that's a wrap for me today.  I just heard thunder and I need to get working on my Thursday reports before the really heavy storms roll in.  Wishing you a great Thursday!

14 comments:

  1. Those new shoes must be magic! Of course, PT might have helped a bit, but I'm glad you're getting back to longer, pain-free walks. I'm fairly sure those are catalpa blossoms. My grandparents had a catalpa tree and my sister and I tried to make catalpa perfume by soaking the blossoms in water for a couple of days. I can't recommend it!

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  2. Mmmm. I love anything with chickpeas . . . and that salad sounds terrific! So glad you're feeling so great with longer walks. Bravo! :-) And I think Bonny's right . . . catalpa.

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  3. the bloom you are holding is from the catalpa tree. we have several in one of our woods. they will grow a long, narrow bean. if left alone, there will be many seedlings come up and will grow quickly.

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  4. The salad sounds fantastic, though I would be on board with adding feta. Great to hear the walks are getting easier and longer!

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  5. I don't like feta, either, so it's not just you. But I will take cheese on some salads and on burgers (in the rare instances when I eat them).

    That was a terrific walk and I'm so glad you were able to do it pain-free. That's real progress!

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  6. What a pretty flower. Glad you got to find out what it was.

    Those new shoes must be pretty comfy.

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  7. So how nice to hear you are walking that far again! The flower looks like a type of iris-pretty!

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  8. OK, I'll definitely be trying this recipe - and I must admit, adding the feta cheese, since we are both fans. Thanks!

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  9. I could smell honeysuckle yesterday out behind the emergency vet clinic. One nice thing is a terrible, terrible day.

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  10. I'm glad you're able to get out and walk again. That's a long distance! Those new shoes must have wings on them! :-) I think it's so nice to have a place to walk that is so beautiful. The wildlife brightens it up so it doesn't seem quite so boring doesn't it? And such pretty blooms on the tree. I'm glad you were able to get an answer as to what it is. I certainly know next to nothing about them! Ha!
    Well, I need to get moving. I need to take Mom to the grocery store this morning and that takes all my wits about me to keep her from wandering away or loading her cart with tons of TP!
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  11. Those shoes are made for walkin'... :)

    I am nodding with Kym and Bonny... Catalpa. And I am saving this chickpea recipe... YUM!

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  12. Your feet and back are HAPPY and letting you know it! Pretty blooms, but I don’t have a clue what the mystery one is. Thanks for the recipe: I love chickpeas.

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  13. Sounds like a great walk! And love the goslings!

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  14. Your flower had me stumped, so I put the picture into a plant identifier site and ... Indian Bean Tree - https://identify.plantnet.org/the-plant-list/species/Catalpa%20bignonioides%20Walter/data

    Here's the website for future :)
    https://identify.plantnet.org/

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