adjusting

It's hard to adjust to changes in your routine, isn't it? I've shifted from cooking for both Dan and I practically every single night, and packing leftovers from dinners for lunches every day, to cooking/food planning for just myself, except on Tuesdays and weekends. It's a little strange, but I'm starting to remember how to do this! I planned on making huge Greek salads for most lunches this week, which worked really well -- plus, it's really good for me to eat a huge salad every single day! I did a wee bit of cooking this week, too:

First, a delightful minestrone I made for Dan and I on Tuesday night:

I stumbled upon this recipe from Ellie Krieger in an issue of Food Network Magazine that I was flipping through during my flu-induced stupor over the holidays. (Is it strange that one of the only activities I can tolerate while sick is reading magazines? I swear, I must have gone through 8 or so! After I read through the favorites, hit up Target for a second round, and then went to Walgreens on CHRISTMAS DAY for a supply of the third-stringers, I knew it was going to be a BAD illness. Can you tell I'm still recovering, at least mentally?) :) Anyhow, this recipe sounded simple, quick, and delicious, and it was indeed all three of those things! I made a few small modifications, including adding more beans and more pasta, since I wanted the soup to serve more as a meal, instead of a veggie side/app. This soup was an excellent, nutritious weeknight meal, (accompanied by some sliced baguette and brie . . . hey, we can't be all healthy, all the time, right?), and has served both of us well for several lunches in leftover form, too. Note: if you attempt this recipe, make sure you use at least a 6-quart pot . . . I had to transfer from my 4-quart mid recipe! (I HATE it when that happens!)

I also threw together a few odds and ends and made myself a delicious stir-fry for dinner tonight!

I tossed a 1/4 package of tofu, some garlic, ginger, and onion, and a few miscellaneous veggies into my cast-iron fry pan, and added a simple "sauce" at the very end -- 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp garlic-chile sauce, and 1/2 tsp agave nectar. Served the lot over some leftover Basmati rice, (well, it was already made, ok?!) and called it dinner. Yum!

And appropriately, this treat was probably the most favorite thing I made this week!

I found so many attractive things about this recipe for Lemon Pudding Cakes from Eating Well that I knew I was going to have to make them SOON! I know they don't look like much, but they are light, fluffy, sweet, intensely lemony, and all around fabulous! Dan loves anything citrus, so he was all over these, and I loved how easy they were to throw together. Plus, I'd almost always rather a fruit or lemon dessert. I like chocolate, but just not all that often! :)

I'm so ready for the weekend! Cabin time, here we come!