I’m gonna be straight with you– I reallyyyyy did a terrible job of meal planning this month. So my list is…short. But that doesn’t mean it’s fully lacking in gems or ideas that might get your own creative juices flowing! I’ll do a better job in June, I promise. Til then, do yourself a favor and buy The Book on Pie and just eat its spoils for dinner (and breakfast, and forkfuls between meals)– that’s most of what we ate this month anyhow.
May Faves
#1: Sushi rice bowls with crab, quick-pickled cucumbers, and sriracha-kewpie mayo. If it involves sushi rice, it’s never NOT going to be the best in my book. I have been known to eat little pinches of it cold, straight from the fridge, and no I’m not embarrassed to put that on the internet, thank you very much.
#2: Honestly, the tuna melts. They are a serious nostalgia food for me, and even though no one will ever make one as good as my momma’s (and I bet the same is true for you), they still hit the spot in a big way.
#3: Slow-roasted salmon. When salmon’s good, there’s just nothing better. I do it super simple– just salt, pepper, and olive oil, then roasted at 275 til it’s a perfect 120-125 degrees. *swoon*
Honorary Mention: Lol pie, duh. Not strictly a meal, but also not not a meal if you’re motivated. Roasted strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, and peanut butter-chocolate pudding in a browned butter-rice krispie-potato chip crust all made appearances this month (that last one is no-bake, y’all). Like I said, buy The Book on Pie.
- Slow-roasted salmon with what I grew up calling “Napa Valley Slaw”– it’s the same as this recipe I just found while googling whether Napa Valley Slaw is even a real thing, and that Epicurious recipe is also apparently sourced from a family of the same name as the person I got it from and that seems too coincidental to be a coincidence, right???
- Seared cod with zucchini-pea risotto
- Spicy tofu summer rolls with shredded carrots, bell pepper, mint, and pad thai noodles (like this, with whatever filling suits your fancy)
- Lamb-red lentil coconut curry served over turmeric-cumin rice
- Romaine salad with smoky bleu cheese, toasted pecans, strawberries, pita croutons, and creamy grapefruit poppyseed vinaigrette
- Bucatini with roasted tomato and pepper sauce and pork meatballs (read: uncased hot Italian sausage rolled into little balls)
- Black bean tacos with vinegary cabbage slaw and cheddar cheese (the line between taco and quesadilla got a little blurred, inspired by Smitten Kitchen, and nobody was mad about it)
- Banh mi: Vietnamese-flavored pulled pork (braising liquid inspired by the ever-brilliant Andrea Nguyen‘s Thit Heo Kho Trung sauce), quick-pickled cucumbers and radishes (slice thin, toss with rice vinegar and a pinch each of sugar and salt, and let sit at room temp for half an hour), jalapeño, mint, cilantro, and Sriracha-Kewpie mayo
- Romaine salad with roasted sweet potatoes, creamy smoky bleu cheese dressing (yes that is twice within a week we had this cheese in a salad. I found a cheese vendor at the farmer’s market I LOVE who’s doing such fun things with fromage so this probably won’t be the last time, either.), cucumbers, and toasted pecans
- Sushi rice bowls with crab, quick-pickled cucumbers, and sriracha-kewpie mayo
- Pho with tofu, corn, and baby bok choy
- Tuna melts with American cheese, because you’re lying to yourself if you pretend there’s a better choice for this context (or for breakfast sandwiches). That was the whole dinner, and it was delicious
- Crispy gnocchi in browned butter-sage sauce with toasted walnuts and sautéed summer squash
- Ground lamb and potato tacos with shredded Brussels sprouts and sharp white cheddar
Law and Lentils 