Today at Work I Made...

Chicken Tacos. I made tacos last night and brought what was left to work. The chicken is marinated with paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and parsley. After it was cooked I mixed it with fresh cilantro. The tortillas were cooked over the burner (I just learned how to do this!). I topped them with tahini and lemon sauce. This takes the place of sour cream or any other crema usually on tacos. It's cold, creamy, and dairy-free. It also makes this taco more of a gyro. The difference isn't very clear to me anymore.

Today at Work I Made...

This is from last week. Hopefully it was the end of 2 weeks of really awful food. It was leftovers and slop work-friend Kendall and I made.

Today at Work I Made...

All I have at work is Salmon! I forgot, it will change soon. I brought vegetables to make a vegetable egg scramble. Add ingredients in the order you want to cook them in. I did shallot, garlic, and onion first. Followed by mushroom, pause, then zucchini. Then brocoli (I soaked the brocoli in hot water to soften them so they don't burn while cooking in the frying pan) and tomatoes at the end so they remain intact. Interesting, right?

Today at Work I Made...

Salmon Sausage and Chili. I used the corn salsa I made the other day. There was a rice cooker filled with rice and an open can of black bean chili. I don't think I had a choice of what to make and I like it that way. Also, work friend Kendall is back with an intimidating serving of sour cream.

Today at Work I Made...

Chips and Salsa. I added fresh corn, a tomato, cilantro, and lime to some jarred salsa. I feel very semi-homemade when I do stuff like this but hopefully not as disgusting as I've seen it get. I cut up tortillas and baked them with olive oil and seasoned them with salted lime rinds (both before and after baking for a full range of rind flavor), lime juice, and ground, toasted sesame seeds. I will somehow be using these at work within the next couple of days.

Today at Work I Made...

Salad and a Burger. I used the Orange & Fig Marmalade to make a vinaigrette.  A spoonful mixed with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, seedy dijon mustard, fresh orange and seasoning on an arugula and shredded zucchini salad with heirloom tomatoes, onions, and lima beans. The burger is on grilled millet bread with melted extra sharp cheddar. I usually like ketchup on a burger but I think I will use a sweet potato medallion from now on. It satisfies the sweetness I look for in ketchup and adds the mushy texture I like in mayonnaise but am too afraid to use.

Today at Work I Made...

Leftover Vietnamese Beef Stew, Bò Kho. I brought left overs to work with fresh greens and garnishes to make it less heat-and-serve and more home cooked. The stew is beef, carrots, tomatoes, and onions and seasoned with lemongrass, 5 spice, star anise, a cinnamon stick, cardamom, bay leaves and fish sauce (and a few other things) slow cooked for a day. I ate it with broad rice noodles. Adding fresh herbs really makes a difference and the residual smell of lime juice and rind oil on my fingers all day is pleasantly tropical.

Today at Work I Made...

Smoked Salmon, Sweet Potatoes, and Quinoa. I cooked the quinoa with black olives. It's such a light grain it ends up tasting like what ever you cook it with. When plain, I think it tastes like beady, solid water so i add things (chestnuts are also good). I baked the sweet potatoes with garlic and butter-ish stuff to keep them savory but still incredibly sweet which went well with the bitterness of the olives and saltiness of the smoked salmon. The colors were so beautiful today.

Orange, Fig, and Mint Chamomile Iced Tea

I used the Orange & Fig Marmalade to make iced tea. I steeped the tea in hot water and mixed in the marmalade as a sweetener. I added fresh chopped mint to brighten the bitter rinds.

Orange Marmalade

Inspired by Alice's biscotti, I made Orange & Fig Marmalade. I used honey and a little sugar to keep it slightly sweet and a little tart. I plan to use it on roasted meats, in teas, on sandwiches, and as a spread. This is also my roommate's cat's favorite posing plant.

Pickling

Peppers and celery in vinegar, sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Daikon radish and carrots in a vinegar reduction. These were soaked in salt water overnight to remove excess water from them. They will be ready in a few weeks. I will serve them with hot vegetables, meats, and soups as a cold, refreshing side dish. A palette cleanser for powerful foods.