For the main course, I made the sorts of things that are easy to throw together quickly: meatloaf and cous cous. Don't laugh, but I love meat loaf and I don't really get why so many people hate on it. I made both of the items more interesting by changing up the ingredients so I would wind up with more/different flavor without spending any additional time on the meal. For the meatloaf, I used lamb instead of beef, added goat cheese to the mix, and topped with a mediterranean red pepper spread instead of the usual ketchup/brown sugar. Simple swaps, but I wound up with a completely new dish. For the cous cous, I tossed in dried cranberries and pine nuts just as it finished cooking. I'm not usually a fan of fruit mixed in with the savory items, but I'm really starting to warm to it - this, in particular, was very good.
The appetizer is where I was really going for the Springtime vibe. Knowing I wanted to make this appetizer is the reason I went to the grocery store in the first place. The rest of the meal, though good, was just filler. I know that's how people usually think about cucumber - as filler, a mere flavorless crunch on top of their salad or in their sushi. I, on the other hand, happen to love cucumber. Is refreshing a flavor? Because cucumber just screams refreshing. I put a bunch of cucumber in a blender with a little avocado and greek yogurt and pureed til smooth. The pastel green looked gorgeous and calming against the white bowl. I garnished with very thinly sliced radishes and a few shrimp. This is a great way to start any Spring/Summer meal and can be made in less than the time it takes waiting for the main course to finish cooking.
No comments:
Post a Comment