food for a sick guy

We arrived home from the north shore late Monday night, and I've luckily had the past two days off from work as well! (I have to go back today . . . waaaa! More vacation, please!) It was a good thing we came home when we did -- Dan has had a cold/flu virus thing for a couple of weeks now, and finally decided to go to the doctor on Tuesday afternoon. He has pneumonia! He's on a pretty hefty antibiotic and is slowly feeling better, but he's been spending lots of time sleeping, couching, and drinking tea.

I've been cooking up extra-healthy meals this week, to give his immune system every last little boost! For example . . .

Mixed veggies and tofu over saffron brown rice:

No real recipe here . . . I just chopped up a bunch of (mostly local) veggies, added some cubed extra firm tofu, tossed it all with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and chopped garlic, and roasted the lot at 450 until things started to brown and become extra delicious. The rice recipe is from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, and is a favorite at our house. Yum!

Jamaican-Style Black Bean and Coconut Cornbread Bake, with a side of kale:

I know I've waxed poetic about this black bean recipe before, and my love is no less strong now. I double the amount of jerk seasoning called for, which brings the beans to a perfect level of spicy savoriness, contrasted against the rich, slight sweetness of the cornbread topping. And did I mention there is NO CHOPPING OF VEGETABLES REQUIRED?? Now, I love zoning out at my cutting board just as much as the next foodie, but sometimes you just want something NOW, and this nearly fits the bill. Make this soon!

Note that the recipe calls to bake the casserole for 30 minutes; mine have always taken 40 - 45 minutes (but I don't ever bother to thaw my corn, which could explain the extra minutes in the oven.) :)

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I was at the co-op yesterday, and saw these apples on display . . . I had to try them!

Here is a "Pink Pearl" apple, and boy, are they weird looking! They have nice flavor, (slightly sweet, slightly tart,) and that shocking pink interior is such a surprise! I can't wait to take one to work and cut it up for the kids -- they will freak!