Nommage of Late

I absolutely love to cook, so it's no coincidence that when things get busy and crazy (hellooo grad school!) I cook MORE as a method of relaxation/procrastination. :o) Whenever possible I do try to get the week's cooking done the weekend prior, though. The above deliciousness is one example: I made a big pot of simple brown and wild rice with lentils and caramelized onions, a big pot of collard greens, and a butternut squash and Asian pear medley with a balsamic glaze. Then I had it for lunches and dinners until I got sick of repeats, at which point the remainder went into the freezer for another quick meal or two down the road. Easy peasy.

Some other tasty recipes I've made in the past several weeks:

• My first-ever Tres Leches Cake for a psych department BBQ. It turned out great and was very well received. Mmm, tres leches. If there's no chocolate involved and I am still into it, you know it's extra good!
• Not Nearly Enough Peanut Butter Pie for a baby shower I hosted, whose guest of honor loves PB and chocolate, obviously. Baby has since arrived and is perfect and gorgeous; obviously this pie is 100% responsible. OM NOM NOM is about the only other thing I have to say about this one.
• Filipino Chicken Adobo: incredibly delicious; make sure you have it with rice to soak up all the delicious sauce!
• Chicken with an easy balsamic-apple glaze, from the back of my jar of Mott's Unsweetened Applesauce but not on their website: 2c applesauce, 1/4 c balsamic vinegar, 1 t dried sage. I added salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and 1 clove of minced garlic because I just can't leave well enough alone. Delish.
• Several iterations of red lentil soup, one chock-full of every veggie I had on hand with very little added seasoning, and the other Indian-inspired with cumin seed, coriander, garam masala, ginger, garlic, tomato, and cilantro. Red lentils are a pretty color, healthy, yummy, and quick cooking. What's not to love?
• An awesomely delicious low-fat pesto with whole-wheat penne.
• Chocolate-Covered Katie's amazing, healthy (ish), and vegan Cookie Dough Dip. I know it sounds a little strange, but trust this cookie dough fiend: it's incredibly delicious.

Hmm, now I think I am starting to understand why I can't seem to lose the 10 pounds I gained while applying to grad programs last year, despite the fact that I work out 4-5 times a week. Oh well, I'm still totally going to try this recipe for gooey potatoes (aka Mormon funeral potatoes) soon, albeit with yogurt in place of the sour cream, reduced-fat cheese, and light cream of chicken soup. Drooool.

Happy eating, y'all! :o)
-Renée