A bath of olive oil and the magic of pre-marinated tofu
I listened to a podcast recently where the hosts were interviewing a guest who published a book about women trying to do it all. And how we can’t! A particularly interesting tidbit that stood out to me is that, in the day and age of sharing our lives on the internet, she’d like to see more people “showing their work” and not disillusioning others about what goes on behind the scenes. Much like we used to have to “show our work” on a math test, how do you work a 9-5? And raise 4 kids? And make time for yourself?
So this week, I’m showing my work and sharing how, with a 1.5-year-old and a 9-5, I get dinner on the table. Some important context: most days, my husband is responsible for dropping our daughter off at childcare, and I have the good fortune/privilege of working a mostly remote job. Both of these factors give me extra time in my day to cook—something that I get a lot of joy from and generally find to be peaceful.
Sunday: Throughout the week, I keep a list on my phone of recipes that I want to make the following week so that I can assemble a shopping list quickly. I arranged grocery delivery. Normally I would cook a more elaborate Sunday night dinner, but this week, I was returning from a trip on Sunday so we ordered takeout.
Monday: After catching up on a weekend away, I wanted something quick and veg-forward with minimal prep. After putting Poppy down to bed at 7, I made
Tuesday: At least once during the week, I try and have dinner prepped so that we can sit down and eat with Poppy at 5:30. I tested this week’s kale salad recipe (below) for the second time, which I love since it can be prepped entirely in advance. I made this in the morning before I started work.
Wednesday: Takeout!
Thursday: I made one of my favorites, Walnut Cacio e Pepe by . We ate after we put Poppy down, but to prep in advance, I made the walnut/garlic mixture, grated the cheese, and chopped the parsley. When it came time to eat, all I had to do was cook the pasta and mix everything together.
Friday: Exhausted from the week, I made myself some chickpea pasta with store-bought pesto, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and parm.
Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad
The 411: I have clearly been on a salad kick as of late, and Sarah Jampel’s lentil salad is another great one to add to the rotation. The thing that sets this salad apart is in the title—unlike most salads, it doesn’t wilt with time. Chopped almonds, lemon zest, crushed garlic, and cumin seeds are toasted in a bath of olive oil to 1) make an infused oil, and 2) make everything nice and crispy. With the addition of lemon, the oil becomes a dressing and is mixed with thinly sliced dinosaur kale, black lentils, feta, and olives.
Zoe’s Tips: I love when a recipe calls for smashed garlic, because it makes peeling the skin much easier. Trim the flat and woody end of the garlic, then crush the clove using the side of your knife.
Taste-to-Time Ratio1: 7:7
Creamy Peanutty Cabbage and Tofu
The 411: I know we’re not yet in the doldrums of winter so it’s early in the season to lean back into cabbage, but
’s recipe is exceedingly quick and easy. The magic is in pre-marinated tofu (I used Trader Joes’), which gets cooked with shredded cabbage, onion, garlic and ginger. Peanut butter is then melted into the mixture, creating a creamy and flavorful coating on the cabbage.Zoe’s Tips: Candidly, my bowl did not look anything like the photo. I leaned into caramelizing the cabbage, which takes a bit more time than the cumulative 15 minutes the recipe calls for. Among the many wonderful things about the brassica vegetable family is that they’re pretty difficult to burn and caramelize very easily.
Taste-to-Time Ratio: 8:9
The Taste-to-Time Ratio is a ratio that evaluates flavor on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest) with time on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the fastest). For example, our family favorite mac and cheese that requires 2 types of cheese, toasted baguette breadcrumbs, approximately all your kitchen pans, and 2 hours of baking is a 10:3 - insanely delicious, but not a quick weeknight meal.
I loved the headline. And it was really interesting to see your work. What you call simple would be what most mortals would call a lifetime culinary highlight.