Tea Culture

Aged Hibiscus Tea

Today at Work I Made...

Sautéed Vegetables, Salmon, Quinoa and Lemon. It's a pretty simple, light meal. I cooked the vegetables with olive oil and covered it all with fresh lemon. Okay, so now for the good part!

So far, I've been posting meals that I make at work. I work at a small design company and making quick meals for lunch has been fun and necessary. But it's all over. I quit. In fact, today is my last day. I'll continue to post because my future is all about food and design! I'm excited ;)

Today at Work I Made...

Kale Smoothie and a Turkey Sandwich. Kale is one of the best vegetables to drink! It adds a crisp texture while the fruits take over the flavor. I added half a banana, frozen blueberries, frozen mango, papaya nectar, apple juice, and coconut milk drink. I squeezed in lime for tartness and sea-salted the top layer of the drink. It was a good side to a simple grilled turkey sandwich on millet bread with mustard and avocado. I could smell the lime on my fingers while eating the sandwich and I enjoyed that.

Today at Work I Made...

A Flank Steak Burrito. I used the electric grill press to grill steak, onions, peppers, and chayote. They were marinated with lime, cilantro, garlic, and tamari. I added some Colombian sofrito to the rice and topped it with my pickled beets. I'm trying really hard to feed people burritos now since they come is packs of 10 and I know I shouldn't have that much flour.

Today at Work I Made...

Halibut, Soft Boiled Egg, Sweet Potatoes, and Grilled Millet Bread. I have a pretty limited kitchen and cooking supplies at work which is why my certain foods and ingredients recur more often than others. I assembled this meal for lunch so I can go to the gym after work. I marinated the fish in a plastic bag with olive oil, dried cilantro, salt, pepper, basil, and garlic. I roasted the sweet potatoes with garlic, pepper, salt, "butter," and a little olive oil. I topped the fish with a very under-boiled soft boiled egg and added capers to add tartness to the bland egg and fish. The millet bread was hard and dry which was perfect for the mushy plate.

Today at Work I Made...

Thit Kho: Caramelized Braised Pork and Hard Boiled Eggs. This is a traditional Vietnamese dish that every family makes; it is a simple comfort food that you won't find in restaurants. My mom would make a large pot early in the morning for us to eat throughout the day as a quick meal with cucumber and pickles and it packs well for lunch.

Fish sauce and cane sugar are in almost every Vietnamese dish. The intense flavors are often balanced with fresh vegetables, pickles, and rice. I think I apply this logic to foods I make.

Today at Work I Made...

A salad. I brought red chard, spinach, a tomato and pickles to assemble a salad. I made a simple dressing with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, and dijon mustard. I think a soft boiled egg is great when using a simple vinegar dressing. The vinegar  cuts the yolky lipids and makes a satisfying, creamy dressing. This is my first time using the pickles and they're perfectly sweet, crunchy, and tart.