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Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Crisp
 

Rhubarb is perpetually stuck in the Friend Zone, like that friend you’ve known your whole life, but you just didn’t see him that way.  Every spring, rhubarb kicks off farmers market season in the Pacific Northwest, but all you have eyes for are the asparagus and peas. Last week at the market, I snapped a few photos of rhubarb but otherwise passed it by. Then, with a nudge from Hannah’s rhubarb cranachan (think oaty rhubarb jam parfait) over at Blue Kale Road, I put this crazy red celery-looking fruit on the shopping list.

The Sweet and the Sour
sweet and sour chicken| dailywaffle As you drive north on the 5 through the Central Valley, the interstate is dotted with fast food joints and truck stops and the occasional restaurant advertising “Chinese-American” food.  In all the times I’ve done that drive, we have never stopped and I always sort of assumed that they were covering their bases, that Chinese-American food meant they served both chow mein and say, hamburgers. My first experiences with Chinese-American food were either in a strip mall or in a cramped restaurant with yellowing walls in downtown LA.  The order was always the same whether we were unpacking a brown sack of red and white take-out boxes or gathered around a big Lazy Susan for a post-funeral eat your feelings. As an only child you reach an age in life where it seems like there is a lot of Chinese food happening. I sometimes worry that the second round isn’t too many years away.
molasses pecan snack cake
Molasses Pecan Snack Attack Cake
  I love the idea of a snack cake.  It’s simple, no dog-and-pony show like a layer cake, just a perfect little square of sweetness alongside tea or coffee.  No frosting required, this is two or three bites of afternoon pick-me-up cake dotted with pecans or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
It’s a (pre)Taco Tuesday Taste-Off
vegetarian crunchy taco 2| dailywaffleHold the phone, is this seriously a post for tacos? Are you trying to tell me there’s some grand secret for browning some ground beef in a skillet, adding some spices and then piling it into a crunchy store-bought shell with lettuce, cheese and salsa? Look closer, my friend. That there taco isn’t a standard issue Taco Bell remake. So what gives? It's a pre-Taco Tuesday Taste-Off.
Bhutan Red Rice with Chickpeas & Currants
  The other night I decided what to make for dinner around 5 o’clock. For someone who likes having a plan, that was late. A bag of chickpeas was thawing the in the fridge, so I made half a batch of hummus and then had to do something with the rest.  Flipping to the index in the Jerusalem cookbook there it was, Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants and Herbs. I went to the cupboard.  No wild rice. Just as well, I wasn’t gonna wait around for 45 minutes for it to cook anyway. Currants?  Check.  Herbs? Well, cilantro.  Close enough. Time to riff.

Zoku Popsicle Maker: Banana Date Shake
banana date shake zoku| dailywaffle After spending a long winter in the deep freeze, it’s about time to dust off the ol’ Zoku popsicle maker.  If like me, you’re not quite ready to go blending up those beautiful strawberries for a taste of spring, there is another flavor that can put you in mind of sunshine and take you right out to the desert. Dates.   And in this case, we’re talkin’ about a Banana Date Shake Zoku pop.
Friday Lite: Tzatziki Chicken Salad Sandwich
Let’s face it, one of the best things about sandwiches is chips.  There are few things more perfectly nostalgic than a PB&J with a mini bag of Lay’s classic potato chips, or a tuna salad sandwich with some Ruffles crunched down on top, or pretty much any sandwich plus Doritos. My latest chip obsession is…
Lemon Pudding with Coconut Oat Crumble
dairy free lemon pudding| dailywaffle I’m half Japanese, so tofu has been part of my diet from the get-go. But it was walled off in savory recipes – stir fries, doused with shoyu and green onions, bobbing around in miso soup. Never in sweets. Never. When tofu ice creams came on the scene, I wrinkled my nose. I could eat dairy no problem, why would I eat tofu ice cream? Fast forward to this past November, when I went in for a blood test and came out with slightly elevated cholesterol levels. I wasn’t in the danger zone, but it sure gets you thinking about what you’re eating, especially when you thought you were doing pretty well. It’s gotten me to consider things I never would have before, like this lemon pudding with coconut oat crumble.
Chicken Black Bean Quinoa Bake

 chicken black bean quinoa bake | dailywaffle

This week kicked my butt. I knew it was coming, but it still owned me. Knowing the days would be long, before work I was either making couscous and farro and prepping vegetables or getting my workout in. Two dinners this week were salads -- whipped together variations of chicken, spinach, some grain or other, and whatever citrus or dried fruit was in the pantry. One night I managed to sauté some chicken and roast cauliflower, but by Thursday, I had no ideas, so Wolf brought home a Costco pizza.  Then Friday, I was on my own.  With no grocery shopping happening either, a can of black beans saved me. I made Can You Stay for Dinner's black bean quinoa burgers.  It turned out to be the genesis of something bigger – a chicken, black bean and quinoa bake.