I Cook, Therefore I Have Leftovers

This Week's Tuesday Dinner

Making What You Can With Whatever is in the Fridge

My week is a 'lil backwards to everyone else's.  1. I'm awake at night, and have breakfast around 4pm daily. 2. I spend most of my time doing coursework online, so I don't get out often. 3. I live in the middle of pretty much nowhere, so even if I were to get out... there isn't anything to do. 4. Cooking keeps me sane... Well, saner than I would be if I didn't cook. 

I don't generally follow recipes, just sort of make it up as I go along.  With that said though, a few of my friends on Facebook, have been asking for my recipes...  So figured I'd make a go of trying to put them up (if I can remember what it was I did).

Tuesday Dinner:

Caped Salmon, Sundried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Cous Cous, Curried Sweet Potato/Lentil Stew, Smoked Gouda Stuffed Brussels Sprouts, and Pumpkin Custard.


I made up the name "Caped Salmon."  I'm sort of in an endearing mood towards super heroes lately.

Choose the cut of salmon.  I went with a filet.  Make the "Cape."

Slice a yellow onion thin, do not chop.
Slice to caper berries.
Put in a mixing bowl
add 4 tsp. of yellow mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 a lime
pinch of salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. dried dill

Mix together.  The mixture sort of sticks to the onions.  Good.  Pile on top of the Salmon.  Let sit for 5 minutes in the fridge.  Place in a pre heated oven of 350 degrees, and cook  till Salmon is done.  How long? I dunno, till the meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees internally...  The cape should be browned in places, and fish should flake easily, but not be sawdust/wood chip dry in texture.



Sundried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Cous Cous

Cous Cous is awesome.    Super easy to make, cooks quick, and really easy to flavor.  I almost always have roasted garlic on hand ( take garlic bulb, cut off top, smother in extra virgin olive oil, roast), it's really good on toast, crackers, hummus, anything- maybe not ice-cream...  And I put Sun Dried Tomatoes in just about everything too.

As cooking Cous Cous, put sundried tomatoes and roasted garlic in food blender, blend till chunky.  Mix into Cous Cous, add other Italian seasonings.


Curried Sweet Potato/ Lentil Stew

I was craving lentil soup, but went a bit overboard.

Chop 2 small yellow onions, put in a 2 quart sauce pan on low heat, with 2 tsp. Olive oil.
Crush 4 cloves garlic.-yes crush, don't chop
Add 1 1/2 cups chopped celery

Raise the heat to low medium

3 tsp. black pepper
5 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. rosemary
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Mix well, and cook till the herbs/spices become aromatic.

I didn't have any carrots, so I subbed in carrot juice

add 3 cups carrot juice

...and no tomato paste, so used low sodium V8...

add 6 oz. Low sodium V8

peel and chop a medium sized Sweet Potato add to the pot

I had red split lentils, if you don't have those specific ones no matter.  Use whatever ones you have.

add 2 cups uncooked lentils ( or if you only have pre cooked: 4 cups)

cook together for 45 minutes

lower heat

add 1 cup frozen peas
chop 2 cups baby spinach
turn off heat once the lentils and sweet potatoes are cooked through, now mix in the spinach

serve with dollop fat free Greek yogurt, if you want, or Parmesan cheese



You don't actually stuff the Brussels sprouts, or at least I didn't.  Mine were frozen.  if you have the time, then sure go ahead.

In a baking pan place enough Brussels sprouts to fill the bottom.
Slice lengthwise-and deseed- one plum tomato place on top of the sprouts
slice-thinly cut- smoked gouda over the entire pan
add a bit of olive oil over this

Bread crumbs- I make mine from two slices of whole grain bread, food process it
sprinkle on top, making a uniform layer.
Spice it with salt and pepper, dried garlic, and Italian seasonings.
place maybe a tbs. of un salted butter on top and bake at 350 degrees for an hour.



Pumpkin Custard (baked)

I was going to make pumpkin funnel cake-with pancake batter, however ants had infiltrated my pancake mix.  Bugger.

Usually Custard has cream in it.  I don't have cream, so I had to get a bit creative.

in a large mixing bowl add the following

I can pumpkin
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/3 cup fat free Greek yogurt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup soy milk-I was out of reg milk
1 cup Maple syrup- I was out of brown sugar
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. shredded ginger (didn't have any powdered)

mix together.  I don't have an electric mixer, I do however have a manual one,  good work out...  If you have an electric one, well I'm soo jealous of you.  grr.

Once relatively blended into one uniform texture; pour the whole think into a 9x9 baking pan.  Bake for about an hour, maybe hour and a half in a 350 degree oven.  till it sort of browns all the way across the top.  Can be served hot, or cold.