Family Meal

Very rarely does my family have the opportunity to sit down to eat together, but last night everyone was home (although we had to wait until 7:30 because of volleyball practice). In honor of this monumentous occasion, I decided to make black bean burgers and fries. Sound familiar? I used a recipe I found at allrecipes.com that was very similar to how Kelsey made them a few weeks ago. I also had to use gluten free oats, meaning they were not manufactured near wheat. The burgers ended up tasting good, but did not stay together well at all. Of course, my dad and brother thought that was hilarious.

Any favorite vegetarian and non-gluten recipes I can make next time we all have a chance to eat together?

On another note, I have been substitute teaching since last Tuesday (so basically I had a one day vacation), but overall it's been going well. Except for last Friday... I was a para (working one on one with a student) and the morning was going really well; she was really understanding her math work and working diligently. We had to walk upstairs to borrow a protractor from a math teacher and as we were walking down the stairs, she fell. As an former basketball player would do, I helped her up and told her it would be alright as soon as she walked it off. We continued down the stairs, went to her classroom and got back to work. The teacher brought her an icepack and the vice prinicpal felt her ankle and decided it was probably lightly sprained. At the end of that period, she still was having some trouble with it so we went to the office and they decided to call her mom. Her mom picked her up and I finished my day earlier - a little embarrassing, but overall a sprained ankle isn't a big deal. Later that evening I found out she had actually broken her ankle!!! Basically, I've been a very successful substitute.

Brown Rice with Lentils and Apricots

Yesterday was my first full day at home, and since we had eaten out after I was picked up at the airport, the first day to act on my commitment to cooking good meals. After sleeping in until almost noon and reading the Sunday Times until 2, I launched into action. Upon opening the refrigerator door, however, I was confronted with a shocking barrenness. The same was true of the cupboards and pantry. True, it was the end of the week, but Dan assured me that this was typical. My first move, therefore, was to the grocery store - my father's credit card in my pocket. (Have you finished up my food stamps yet, Rabi?)

Back from the store, I wasted no time in beginning the night's dish: Brown Rice with Lentils and Apricots. It comes from Mark Bittman, obviously. The beauty of brown rice and lentils, as Bittman is the first to point out, is that they take around the same length of time to cook and can be done together in the same pot (with a bay leaf, salt and pepper, and a teaspoon wine vinegar). It will take between 30 and 45 minutes - more than enough time to prepare the other ingredients: a medium onion, chopped; and half a cup of diced dried apricots or other dried fruit.

When the lentils and rice neared completion, I heated a tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and added the onion. After it had softened, I threw in the apricots and a quarter of a cup of water, brought it to a simmer, and removed it from heat.

I then put a large skillet over medium heat, added another couple tablespoons of olive oil, and spooned in the lentils and rice - now fully cooked and all the water absorbed. After a few minutes, the onions/apricots followed, to cook for a minute or so. Put it on the table (still in the skillet - no need for ceremony) with a lovely salad.

The result was a wholly enjoyable, healthful dish, although by no means very exciting. Dad was not at home for dinner, but Dan pronounced it good. Tonight I believe I will try something even easier, but hopefully more crowd-pleasing.

There. I blogged about cooking. Now when will Meryl Streep be playing me in a movie?

Finally

We woke up to snow in Helena this morning. It's been a long dry spell for the skiers in the bunch.

But not nearly as long as the social dry spell I'm gearing up for without all of you potluckers. To stave off our loneliness, K Yo and I whipped up some pumpkin pancakes this morning. We ate them with cream cheese instead of butter.



Come back soon and we'll make you more. In the meantime, we have plans for some epic snow people.