I've burned through like every audio drama I can think of. Trying Audible. I like cyberpunk and sci-fi like Neal Stephenson. Super dark and gritty fantasy like the Netflix show Castlevania or the audio drama Aethuran: Dark Saga....
Ooh, check out N.K. Jemisin's "The Broken Earth" trilogy.
The story opens with a cataclysmic event followed by shifts in how it's narrated that sometimes results in brutal circumstances being treated with a jarring casualness. And while there is a lot of worldbuilding at the beginning of the first book, I thought it made sense pretty quickly and I suddenly found myself in a world of survival and power struggles. Add in a magical ability to manipulate the earth and it's an incredible fantasy series.
It is dark and grim and unpredictable. It mixes unspeakable cruelty with moments of brilliant kindness. The characters are complex and so beautiful connected.
...I think I need to go read this series again. I had almost forgotten how much I love it!
This is an easy and flavourful dish that keeps well as leftovers. The coconut milk allows the sun-dried tomatoes to really shine and creates a depth of flavour.
I usually serve this over plain rice with a side of roasted sweet potato (seasoned with cumin, chili powder, tumeric, and salt, roasted at 425 for 15-20min).
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped *
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 hot red pepper, or pinch red pepper flakes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
1 pound baby spinach
1 (13 to 14-ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional garnish)
Directions:
Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh ginger, lemon zest, and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes, or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.
Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful.
When all the spinach has been added, add the coconut milk, lemon juice, ground ginger, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and cook until the chickpeas are warmed through, about 10 minutes.
Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice if needed.
This is an easy and flavourful dish that keeps well as leftovers. The coconut milk allows the sun-dried tomatoes to really shine and creates a depth of flavour.
I usually serve this over plain rice with a side of roasted sweet potato (seasoned with cumin, chili powder, tumeric, and salt, roasted at 425 for 15-20min).
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons oil or ghee
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped *
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 hot red pepper, or pinch red pepper flakes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
1 pound baby spinach
1 (13 to 14-ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional garnish)
Directions:
Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh ginger, lemon zest, and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes, or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.
Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful.
When all the spinach has been added, add the coconut milk, lemon juice, ground ginger, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat and cook until the chickpeas are warmed through, about 10 minutes.
Taste and season with more salt and lemon juice if needed.
Sounds tasty! I never thought to add chilis into the rice itself, I might have to steal that idea for meal preps when I don't want to use chili slices as a garnish/topping.
Cake tasting has been one of my favorite parts of wedding planning but there’s so many choices for flavors! What’s your favorite flavor? Any unique flavors that you thought wouldn’t work but ended up loving?
I'm helping my friend plan her wedding and while she hasn't settled on a cake flavour, strawberry and thyme with lemon buttercream was surprisingly good!
We also tried a cake with strained passionfruit made into a glaze on top and that was really tasty.
I am referring to when people simply stand on the floor without making any attempt to actually engage.
The shuffling and swaying that you dismiss as "not dancing" IS their attempt to engage.
Dancing isn't as common anymore. A lot of people have no idea how to dance. Swaying to the music is how those people dance because they don't know any actual dance moves and don't know how to make it up.
Just like the title says: What's your go-to recipe that you can bang out on a lazy day when you don't feel like putting a ton of effort into making something?
Chicken with orzo and olives. It's a one pot meal so there's minimal dishes, and if I'm really tired I'll skip browning the chicken and just toss everything in.
It's worth browning the chicken and sauteing the aromatics if you can manage it though. I also like to add a block of frozen spinach (approx 1 cup) to the mix for some extra veggie.
It's a truly lazy meal but it's easy, fairly healthy, and tasty.
I'm making a Basque-inspired fish stew using pollock fillets. It definitely isn't authentic but it's easy, flavourful, and really nice to dip a crusty bread into. I've made it several times and love it (though I always tweak it by replacing the olives with capers).
I have 3 free audible books. Need recommendations
I've burned through like every audio drama I can think of. Trying Audible. I like cyberpunk and sci-fi like Neal Stephenson. Super dark and gritty fantasy like the Netflix show Castlevania or the audio drama Aethuran: Dark Saga....
OC Braised Spinach & Chickpeas with Sun-dried Tomatoes
OC Grilled Salmon with Rice and Avocado Slices
What flavor(s) are you choosing for your wedding cake?
Cake tasting has been one of my favorite parts of wedding planning but there’s so many choices for flavors! What’s your favorite flavor? Any unique flavors that you thought wouldn’t work but ended up loving?
What happened to dancing at weddings?
I was born and raised in America, and for some reason I have this classic notion in my head that people should be dancing at weddings....
What's your favorite "lazy day" recipe?
Just like the title says: What's your go-to recipe that you can bang out on a lazy day when you don't feel like putting a ton of effort into making something?
Hey cooks, what's ya cooking?
What's the best thing right now or what you're getting into next?...