I know I usually post recipes, but today I just wanted to share my lunch from the other day. No, no, I promise I’m not that person who takes a picture of every meal I eat, just ones I make that I feel I’ve put a good amount of thought or effort into.
One of those days when plating just wasn’t my friend
This was inspired partially just by my mood, but partially because I wanted something that felt like it would help me kick this little cold I have. So I put together a super colorful meal, packed with veggies, and flavored with lots of garlic, onions, and ginger. It comprised of mashed sweet potatoes with garlic sauteed mangold and caramelized onions, plus a little hint of musky white pepper.
Close up on mashed sweet potatoes
The second part of the meal was based around this tomato “jam” I made (because I somehow got it in my head that I had to eat a gingery tomatoey jam with my lunch). It was actually very simple with a base of garlic and red onion, then two chopped tomatoes, a few teaspoons of grated ginger, two bay leaves and some rosemary. I sauteed the onion and garlic first, then added the rest of the ingredients, which I let cook until the tomato had become smooth, save for their skins. I realized that tomato jam on top of mashed sweet potatoes maybe wouldn’t be the best texturally speaking, but I didn’t have any bread, and quite frankly, I didn’t really want to add bread to this meal. In a stroke of genius, I remembered we had a bunch of tofu in the fridge, which I quickly dipped in a few tablespoons of tamari mixed with a touch of liquid smoke, and then pan seared to perfection. All in all, quite a delicious late afternoon lunch.
Close up on smokey seared tofu with ginger tomato jam
One final note on this meal, since I finished the leftovers last night, is that I completely transformed the last of the tomato jam into an asian fusion pasta sauce. I added some cubed, roasted butternut squash, a splash of Cava, a touch of coconut milk, and a touch of red curry paste. It was completely delicious, and completely different. Which I guess is to say that one of these days I’ll do a post on transforming leftovers, but in the meantime, don’t throw them away!