Chana Masala with Roasted Veggie Couscous

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It’s been pretty quiet here on this blog these past couple of weeks, for a couple of reasons.  The first is that two Sundays ago, we had our good friends Jesse and Elizabeth over for a Sunday afternoon smokeout.  That is, Elizabeth had a grand plan to smoke a giant, delicious ham for her man for Christmas (what a generous vegetarian!), with the help of our trusty smoker.

I actually got the best end of this deal, because I was working all day and then teaching until 7, while the three of them were at our house, dutifully monitoring the carefully formulated smoking times of all the following: two gigantic hams, which had been brined, marinated, injected, and basted for over a day; fillets of salmon and trout, tin foil patches of eggplant and teriyaki onions, a rack of ribs, and chicken drumsticks.  I just got to come home, pour myself a glass of wine, and reap the rewards!

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And subsequently, did not cook a single thing for the rest of the week — just ate leftover smoked meats in infinite forms: smoked ham and gorganzola tacos, brown rice with thin-sliced smoked eggplant and flakes of smoked salmon with a fried egg on top, smoked drumsticks with fresh salad for lunch…it was a luxuriously delicious week with absolutely no effort on my part.

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Then, directly after that, I got to go on my annual trip out east, to visit some of my oldest friends, in Brooklyn and D.C.

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So, needless to say, this past week was not a big week for cooking, either.  Instead, I got treated to a delicious Shabbat stir fry by Jamie and Elon, Saturday afternoon lunch of split pea fritters with Sriracha yogurt and cabbage salad at Dory’s house, and a delicious dinner out with the whole gang in Brooklyn on Saturday night.

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Then in D.C., Emily and I got to steal some time away from her kiddos and indulge in some meals together and catch up.  And then in our grand tradition, I made her and her family dinner Monday night, whipping up a yummy meal of chana masala and roasted veggie couscous while she and her husband juggled nighttime routines with their adorable three-year-old son, and now three-month-old daughter!

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So yes, I’ve been a bit spoiled these past couple of weeks!


This Week’s Groceries

Safeway 1/11

  • Quinoa spaghetti: $2.79
  • Vanilla creamer: $2.99
  • Half and half: $2.69
  • Cucumbers: $0.89
  • Mushrooms: $3.44
  • Lettuce: $1.99
  • Baby spinach: $1.99
  • Alfalfa sprouts: $1.59
  • Olives: $3.87

TOTAL: $22.24

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $141.36

 

Safeway 1/12

  • 1 large ham: $36.73

TOTAL: $36.73

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $104.63

 

New Seasons 1/13

  • Canned pineapple: $1.99
  • Tinfoil: $1.99
  • Orange juice: $3.99
  • Bosc pears: $6.27
  • Yellow onions: $1.64
  • Eggplant: $2.21
  • Trout fillet: $12.64
  • Gorgonzola crumbles: $3.60

TOTAL: $34.33

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $70.30

 

Fubonn 1/6

  • Baby bok choy: $2.04
  • Green peppers: $1.34
  • Miso soup mix: $2.39
  • Cilantro: $0.50
  • Soy sauce: $3.98
  • Rice stick: $1.38
  • Sweet rice 5 lb. bag: $5.50
  • Brown basmati rice: $5.99
  • Oyster mushrooms: $4.01
  • Tapioca stick: $1.49
  • Sweet chili sauce: $2.69
  • Coconut milk: $3.58
  • Green eggplant: $1.97
  • Kholrabi: $1.23
  • Zucchini: $0.66
  • Instant hot & sour soup paste: $1.99
  • Sesame candy: $1.59
  • Limes: $0.59
  • Yellow bell peppers: $1.94
  • Stir fry sauce: $3.68
  • Rice noodles: $2.99
  • Sweet potato noodles: $1.99

TOTAL: $52.52

REMAINING FOR THE MONTH: $17.78


Questions? Comments? Feedback? Anecdotes? Let me know about it here!