Zucchini Boats

My days off almost always include a trip to my local natural food store (5th photo down), where I spend a good amount of time perusing the isles to see whats on sale + all of the goodies that I don't need but will inevitably come home with anyhow. This particular trip included the purchase of: zucchini, tomato, carrots, sunflower seed butter, tea, brazil nuts, cashews, beer, and some random health food bars. I often decide what I will make for dinner while wandering these isles, but on this day I found my dinner hours beforehand while I was sipping my morning coffee, watching the news, + skimming over blogs. I came upon one of my new favorite bloggers, In Sonnet's Kitchen, + this dish.

Simple, easy, healthy, what more can the lazy chef here ask for?

Directions:
1. Cut zucchini in 1/2 + scoop out insides with a spoon
2. Spread a layer of pesto (or sauce of your choosing)
3. Stack ingredients: tomato, olive, onion, etc.
4. Sprinkle with salt, olive oil, + balsamic vinegar (+ cheese if you desire)
5. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
6. Enjoy

Tips:
Fill these little guys with anything you would like on a pizza.
The pesto recipe I used is one that I created a month or so ago, and is delicious!

Until we meet again,

-Nelli

Veggie Risotto

This dish was a concoction made up based on what veggies I had lying around the house. I was in the mood for something warm simple and flavorful, what I got did just that. Another victory for the lazy chef!

Directions

1. In a pot bring bring water + rice to a boil

2. Reduce heat + simmer, Add tomatoes, Set timer for 20 minutes

3. When timer goes off, stir the rice mixture, add 1/4 cup of water, add carrots, celery, spices, + garlic, set timer for 15 minutes.

4. At 15 minutes, stir the mixture, add water + oil as needed, set timer for another 15 minutes

-- rice should not be sticking, if it is add both water + oil

-- the mixture should still have liquid in the pot, not like soup but enough to cover 1/2 of the mixture

5. When the buzzer goes off stir the mixture again, at this time I would add a bit more oil + spices to taste. 

-- If you have parmesan around your house it would make a great addition and it is best added while mixture is still in the pot. For a creamier consistency add a scoop of butter too.

-- I added some of my basil pest

6. Plate, top with chickpeas (for added protein)

Yield: 1 meal

Tips:

Choose a medium sized pot, because although there is not a ton of rice, when you add veggies + stir the mixture often it will be easier.

Risotto is one of my favorite things because, as the lazy chef, its easy uses few dishes and is very flavorful. I only dirtied the pot + my plate, we were able to cut down on dishes since everything was cooked in the same pot.

Bass + Mash

As you may have noticed by now, I like to bake and eat my veggies. Its not often that I prepare meat dishes, but recently I have been on a mission to incorporate more fish into my diet. As I often do, I set out to the store unaware of what I kind of fish I would come home with. I went into my local fish market and looked for a filet that was reasonably priced + found this lovely stripped bass.

I cannot remember if I have mentioned it yet, but I tend to call myself the 'lazy chef' this is due to my ability to time manage, use the fewest dishes possible, and combine similar ingredients into many dishes which saves money when shopping + allows me to not throw away fewer unused items. The directions below incorporate how I prepared the entire meal, rather than explaining each dish. This way I can show you the method behind my madness.

Directions | Bass + Mash
1. Preheat oven to 400'
2. Pierce sweet potato a few times + place in oven (I just put it on the metal racks - saves dishes)
3. Set timer for 30 minutes
4. When timer dings: flip sweet potato, set timer for another 30 minutes, + start prepping fish
5. Line your baking dish with tin foil or, as I have done, a thin layer of olive oil
6. Slice your leeks and place them in the pan, toss them around to coat, + spread them evenly
7. Place the fish atop your bed of leeks, rub with olive oil + oregano (plus any other spices you desire)
8. Place sliced lemons, a smashed garlic or 2, and a few leeks atop fish
-- If you are roasting garlic, as I have done, place the cloves around the fish
-- This should take you about 10 minutes
9. When the timer hits 15-20 minutes remaining, lower heat to 350' + place fish in oven.
10. When the timer goes off both of your dishes will be ready to come out of the oven.
-- Place the sweet potato in a bowl, for mashing
-- Move fish to a plate (so we can remove the leeks)
11. In the bowl, begin to mash the sweet potato. Throw in a few of the garlic cloves you just roasted into the bowl as well as the leeks, add a bit of olive oil (plus any other spices you desire), and and continue to mash until it reaches desired consistency
12. Plate + Enjoy!

Tips:
This dish only used 3 dishes: baking pan, bowl, plate which makes clean up super easy!
I also made enough for 2 meals; which was a little more than 1/2 lb of fish + one large sweet potato.

Total Cost: $8.53 (or $4.25 per meal)
Fish: $6.50
Sweet Potato: $1.20
Lemon: $0.33
Leek: $0.50
If you compared this to a meal you would find at a restaurant I guarantee it would be at least $20 (or $40 for what I made).

Before

After

Served