Tonight was a big dinner #fail.
Well, maybe not totally. The second batch of naan was pretty good (forgot to add yeast to the first, but luckily noticed before the rise so I had time to make another). The raita was also pretty good (cucumbers, mint, lemon juice, salt and grated ginger with plain yogurt). And the Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier my excellent husband picked up just because he knew I would love it? Indeed, it rocks.
The main course? I was testing a new zucchini recipe I cut out of the Washington Post food section this week (yes, I still get the dead tree edition). I was planning to include a link to said recipe in the CSA newsletter if it turned out well.
It didn't.
I can't find the actual recipe online, but it was called Indian-Style Zucchini with Red Lentils. It was pretty basic using an onion, zucchini and garam masala mixed with cooked red lentils.
Came out about the consistency of gruel, with the same appealing (appalling?) pallor. To be fair, I thought it tasted good, and ate all of mine. But it was a little too far into hippie health food territory for my husband, I'm afraid. (Full disclosure: the author started the recipe by saying "This is not much to look at..." so I was prepared. He wasn't.)
Want to see a photo of the disaster? (Are you SURE... it looks like gruel...)
Half-eaten gruel, to be precise. Didn't take a "before" photo because, well, it just wasn't photogenic.
Here's the naan. If only I had a tandoori oven...
I am writing about tonight's dinner mostly because I think it makes an important point about cooking and eating healthy.
Food rarely comes out looking like something from the pages of Gourmet magazine (unless of course you actually are a chef). It's still healthy, still cooked with local produce, and still much, MUCH better for you than just about anything you can get at a restaurant. So win some, lose some, but don't stop trying. </end cheesy pep talk>
As for me, I am eyeing the rest of that zucchini for some bread, I think. Or maybe muffins. (I really should not have read this TIME article. All it did was make me want a muffin!)
Comments