I always try to bring my lunch to work and hopefully this habit can be carried through law school. Maybe I should invest in a nice insulated lunch box so I can be the dorky law student carrying around a day's worth of food. I plan on hanging around in the library between classes so that I can hopefully get the bulk of my studying done during the week - I might need to bring 3 meals with me to campus. Maybe I should just get a cooler on wheels or a mini fridge that I cart around on a dolly and plug in wherever I go. Ha. Bringing meals saves some serious moola and also ensures I get to eat something healthy and satisfying - have you ever noticed how the healthier options at restaurants usually cost more than the unhealthy (or rather, less healthy) choices? A slice of pizza will run me FAR less than a fully loaded salad. With the way I eat, I figure I probably save $10-12 per day by bringing my own lunch. That adds up!
On Friday, I made a very satisfying lunch by mixing leftover sauteed zucchini and mushrooms from my benedict creation with whole wheat couscous and halved grape tomatoes. I drizzled everything with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and s&p. I love whole wheat couscous because it only takes about 5 minutes to prepare - just boil water, add couscous, turn off heat, cover for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork (equal parts couscous:water). Keep it in the fridge for making couscous salads in a snap. Easy peasy! If I had pine nuts in the house I would have tossed some in for good measure. I also probably would have thrown in some flat leaf parsley if it were available but sometimes you just gotta make do! I have a few couscous salads that I love to make and will definitely share more in the future. The other involves marinated mushrooms, onions, and kidney beans. Yum!
Mmm it looks especially beautiful under the lovely fluorescent lights in my office, doesn't it?
For dinner last night I was inspired by some garden fresh tomatoes I got to pick straight from the vine at my grandpa's in Fallbrook on Saturday. If you have never tasted a sunshine warmed tomato fresh off the vine then you have not lived! Okay, maybe you just haven't tasted the best tomatoes. Coincidentally, while I was eating last night, the episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown I put on in the background was about tomatoes. If you've never seen Good Eats, it's a show that takes one food/ingredient and gives you encyclopedic information on it including origins, biology, and different ways of preparation. Did you know that most store bought tomatoes are actually not as flavorful as farmer's market or homegrown? This is because tomatoes go bad very quickly and would not survive the truck rides and shelf time we put them through if they were actually picked ripe. Thus, most tomatoes that go to your local chain grocery store are picked before they are ripe and then exposed to ethylene gas to "ripen" them before going on the shelves. Unfortunately, ethylene gas only reddens the tomatoes - it does not actually ripen them in such a way that they actually taste riper. Also, you are not supposed to refrigerate tomatoes because this turns off one of their flavor compounds permanently. Personally, I refrigerate mine because I do purchase them from farmer's markets and they go bad too quickly. And I must say that the organic pearl tomatoes I buy from Trader Joe's are some of the tastiest tomatoes I've ever had. So, take everything with a grain of salt and do what works for you, is what I say!
So, in addition to the fresh picked tomatoes, I also bought my first plant yesterday: basil! Can you see where this is going? I picked up some fresh mozzarella, crusty rustic olive bread, and turned my cheapo balsamic into something special by reducing it over low heat and voila: caprese salad.
3 smallish/medium tomatoes, cut into rounds of desired thickness (mine are about 1/4"
1/2 large ball of mozzarella (the kind that comes in water - not the harder variety you use for pizza/string cheese)
3-4 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
drizzle of olive oil
crusty bread of your choosing
First put a small sauce pan on the stove over low heat and add the balsamic. Be sure to watch it carefully! I burned my first batch/it got too thick and I decided that burnt balsamic caramel would make an excellent hard candy but would not go so well with my salad. The vinegar should reduce by about half and get a liquid syrupy consistency like pure maple syrup - not quite as thick as honey, by that time it has started to caramelize/burn. Allow vinegar to cool slightly when done (aka remove from heat).
While vinegar is reducing, slice tomatoes and arrange on a plate. Slice mozzarella and place a piece on top of each tomato. Lay your basil leaves on top of one another and roll them up like a cigar. Being careful to tuck your finger tips, slice down the roll into thin strips. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and mozzarella. Use a spoon to drip your balsamic reduction along the plate/on top of tomatoes. Generously top with freshly cracked pepper and fleur de sel if you have it (I did not and just used fine grain sea salt - fleur de sel works better for this I think, the salt is in large flakes and adds more to this classic dish). Sprinkle on basil. Tear off a few pieces of crusty bread. Eat salad. Sop up vinegar/olive oil/tomato juice mixture with bread. Yes.
Purdy! Sorry my pictures always have arm shadows - lately dinner time has been 8:30 - 9pm and unfortunately there just isn't much sunshine at that hour.
I looooooooooove bread and Trader Joe's rustic olive bread is on my list. My good list. It's sort of sourdough-ish and flecked with zesty kalamatas. Also, bonus points if you have an olive oil carafe like the one my roomie brought back from Italy - it makes drizzling so much easier and that much more fun.
Okay, that's all for now. Will be back with more food. I am looking forward to my lunch for today and will probably share it with you later. That's another great thing about packing lunch - it gives me something to look forward to midday: a nutritious and delicious meal.
Leaving you with a gratuitous photo of me and an adorable puppy because who doesn't love puppies? Ziggy says "bye bye!"
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