SEPTEMBER MONTHLY DIGEST
Better late than never, right? At least this got posted before November. September was a lovely month, really settling into the city and doing some exploring with the help of beautiful weather and time off for Labor Day weekend. Some highlights: lots of Brooklyn exploring — biking the BK bridge, walking down quaint Cortelyou Rd, wandering the BK Botanical Garden, finding a new favorite beautiful cafe/bar (with lots of outdoor patio space, important), happening upon Photoville — a cabin trip upstate with the germ pod, catching the end of peak tomato season at the greenmarket, reunion picnic with a couple Seattle friends, solo MoMA PS1 visit, NBA watch parties and celebrating the engagement of dear friends. With another month under the belt, here’s another set of menus as part of the ongoing monthly digest series!
WEEK 1
Labor Day weekend pretty much took out any meal prep this week. I was eating out and surviving on leftovers before our long weekend trip where we cooked a lot of breakfast burritos, KBBQ and hot pot.
WEEK 2
1 pint tomatoes
1 pack fresh basil
1 chunk fresh mozzarella
1 bottle balsamic vinegar
1 can green curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 box chicken stock
1 onion
3 green onions
1 lb ground beef
2 Japanese eggplant (or other variety)
1 orange bell pepper
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 bunch Thai basil
Lunch: Caprese Salad
The herb star this week is basil, which inspired the caprese salad. Slice a generous handful of cherry tomatoes in half, slice an equal amount of fresh mozzarella into bite-sized pieces, and thinly slice the basil. Combine in a bowl and toss with a 1/2 tbsp olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I ate mine with toast, which is great for soaking up the vinegar at the bottom of the bowl.
Dinner: Green Curry Noodle Soup
Referenced a couple recipes (here & here) before winging it: heat up some olive oil over medium-high heat and fry aromatics (1/2 onion finely diced, 3 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces, 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes, leaves from 3 stems of Thai basil) for a few minutes. Add 1 lb ground beef and brown, about 5 minutes, then add 2 eggplants chopped into cubes and fry, about 2 minutes. Add 1 can coconut milk, 2 cups chicken stock, 3 tbsp green curry paste, and bring to a boil at high heat. Turn down heat to medium and add bell pepper and frozen broccoli (fresh is fine too, was trying to clear out the freezer) and let boil for about 5-10 minutes. Add juice of one lime, mix in, and serve warm over noodles.
WEEK 3
1 pack Organicgirl protein greens mix
1 bag mini avocados
1 pint tomatoes
1 pack fresh basil (from Week 2)
1 chunk fresh mozzarella (from Week 2)
1 bottle balsamic vinegar (from Week 2)
1 can green curry paste (from Week 2)
1 can coconut milk
1 box chicken stock (from Week 2)
1 onion
3 green onions
1 lb ground beef
2 Japanese eggplant (or other variety)
1 orange bell pepper
1 bunch Thai basil (from Week 2)
Lunch: Caprese Green Salad
Pea protein greens from Whole Foods were on sale and I love the flavor and crunch from the pea greens. Used this to make a simple salad with avocado and balsamic vinegar EVOO dressing, along with more caprese salad.
Dinner: Green Curry Stir Fry
The bunch of Thai basil and eggplants that I got at the farmer’s market carried through, so I stuck to the green curry theme since I still had all the base ingredients. I made it more of a stir fry than a soup, so same instruction as Week 2, but add only 1/2 a cup of chicken stock and let it reduce, which takes more time for the liquid to boil off.
Snack: Greek Yogurt with Figs & Honey
Picked up a basket of figs, and was reminded of how much I loooove them! So sweet and juicy and perfectly paired with greek yogurt and a touch of honey.
WEEK 4
2 5-oz cans tuna
1 bottle mayo (from August, Week 3)
1 bottle sesame oil (from August, Week 3)
2 English cucumbers
1 pack perilla leaves
1 heart of romaine lettuce
1 pack dried nori (from August, Week 3)
1 pack kimchi
1 pack Organicgirl protein greens mix
1 pack Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger patties
1 English cucumber
1 pack of dozen eggs
1 bag mini avocados
1 bottle balsamic vinegar (from Week 2)
Lunch: Tuna Rolls (Chamchi Gimbap)
I still had a lot of nori leftover from the hand roll party, so I decided to use some up after a trip to H Mart to grab a few other items. Instead of spicy, I went with the classic plain, savory version of chamchi gimap. In its simplest form, it’s just the tuna mix and rice, but I added cucumber, romaine and perilla to add some texture and green nutrients.
Dinner: Green Salad with Veggie Patty
Still obsessed with how easy and tasty this salad mix is, just a different protein variation using Dr. Praeger’s Calirofnia Veggie Burger patty, which I love for its savory qualities and taste despite packing in the veggies. The add-ons this week included sliced cucumbers, avocado and a warm, soft boiled egg.
Special: Perilla Sesame Soybean Scones
Dedicated recipe post for this coming soon! Edit: added!
WEEK 5
1 pack Organicgirl protein greens mix
1 pack Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burger patties
1 English cucumber
1 pack of dozen eggs (from Week 4)
1 bag mini avocados
1 bottle balsamic vinegar (from Week 2)
1 box doenjang (leftover from July Week 5)
1 oyster mushroom
1 potato
1 onion
2 zucchini
1 box silken tofu
3 green onion stalks
Lunch: Green Salad with Veggie Patty
Continuation of last week’s green salad with the veggie patty.
Dinner: Doenjangguk (Fermented Soybean Soup)
I wasn’t kidding when I said I make doenjangguk at least once a month. As usual, the recipe came from Cooking Korean… similar recipe here, except I don’t use gochujang in mine and water is fine if you don’t have the dried kelp and anchovy stock (though it does make it better, 100%).