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WIAW: New to Me Meals

written by Parita Leave a Comment

It has been way too long since I’ve done a WIAW post.  If you ever need inspiration for a different, fun, creative meal, be sure to check out Jenn’s blog for hundreds of ideas – so fun!

For this week’s post, I want to share three new to me meals.  I decided to branch out a little while grocery shopping this week and picked up a couple of new ingredients, and I think it paid off! 

So, let’s get started…

First up, we have a spinach, tomato, carrot, goat cheese, tempeh salad topped with Annie’s Goddess dressing…

IMG_1350

Tempeh is a kind of soybean patty.  It’s different from tofu in that it’s almost burger like.  The kind I picked up also included some garden vegetables.

I’ve only cooked with tempeh once before, and I honestly wasn’t a huge fan.  While shopping this week, I picked it up thinking, “Hey, why not.  Everything deserves a second chance.”

So, when cooking with it this time around, I stuck with the instructions on the back.  I heated 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, cut my tempeh into small cubes, and cooked it in the oil until it started to get brown and crispy.  And then for a special kick, I added a few dashes of soy sauce right before taking if off the heat. 

The verdict the second go around?  It tasted a lot better then I remember.  However, I think I’m much more of a tofu lover. Smile

Next up is a meal comprised of familiar sounding ingredients that I’ve never thought to combine all together before. 

This is a quinoa, black bean, sweet potato bowl topped with salsa and goat cheese…

IMG_1352

Super duper easy and filled with protein.  The only step that required some prep work was peeling and cubing the sweet potato and cooking it in a tablespoon of olive oil.  I decided to go with a simple stovetop method this time around.  Good call on my part. Winking smile

And finally, I leave you with a goat gouda, tomato, and basil mayonnaise sandwich on toasted rye.  A-mazing!

IMG_1354

I bought a wedge of some goat gouda this weekend at Whole Foods after reading so much about it on Gina’s blog.  I absolutely love goat cheese, so again, I thought, “Hey why not.”  I think I’m in love, y’all.  This cheese tasted nothing like what I expected it to (I had very low expectations).  It’s not tangy like crumbled goat cheese.  In fact, it’s very creamy and slightly sweet.  I can’t wait to use it more in different recipes.  YUM!

Oh, and I made the basil mayonnaise by combining a small spoon of olive oil mayo and a couple of squeezes of a tubed basil herb blend. 

Happy WIAW, everyone!!!

So now it’s your turn…did you try anything different in the kitchen this week?  Any new recipes ingredients, cooking methods? 

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Written on September 7, 2011 Related:Food, Recipe, Uncategorized

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  1. Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean says

    September 7, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    your tempeh salad sounds good! i just bought some and might give it a try your way!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 7, 2011 at 7:16 pm

      Ooh…let me know if you do! The soy sauce was definitely a good addition.

      Reply
  2. Ty says

    September 7, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    Oh yes! I made a point to try lots of new things because I’ve been buying up new-to-me ingredients left and right.

    I tried capers, anchovy paste and barley so far. Quinoa (seriously, never had it before!) is planned for dinner in a few days. 🙂

    Sounds good with sweet potato like you have it here!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 9, 2011 at 8:10 am

      Quinoa is one of the best things ever! I think you’ll like it a lot – especially with some fun mix-ins.

      Reply
  3. sprint2thetable says

    September 7, 2011 at 10:44 pm

    Tempeh can be really good! I grilled the one in my WIAW after coating it in EVOO and sriracha. If the bitterness is the problem, boiling it can take some of that out. I used that method with the Crab-free Cakes.

    Rye bread is so pretty. Love that tasty-looking marbled sammie. 🙂

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 9, 2011 at 8:10 am

      You know what…I remember reading about the boiling method on your blog. I should’ve done that! I still have the package left, so I’m definitely going to boil it first next time. Thanks for the reminder!

      Reply
  4. Khushboo Thadani says

    September 8, 2011 at 1:37 am

    Er wow, excellent looking meals! That bread looks amazing- I had do a double take because I was convinced it was marble cake ha! I’ve tried tempeh once but didn’t love it like I thought I would, especially since tofu is a staple for me. Your quinoa bowl has my name written all over it- all my fave ingredients in one!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 9, 2011 at 8:08 am

      Rye bread is so good. I think it’s my new favorite. And I’m glad you didn’t like tempeh too much either. Makes me feel better!

      Reply
  5. Amy @ Second City Randomness says

    September 8, 2011 at 7:06 am

    I heart goat cheese. We had it on our massive pizza last weekend and I was in heaven. Pizza will never taste the same again!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 9, 2011 at 8:07 am

      You need to try goat gouda then! I think you’d love it.

      Reply
  6. Shannon says

    September 8, 2011 at 8:09 am

    Good looking meals! 🙂

    I tried making sweet potatoe fries 🙂

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 9, 2011 at 8:07 am

      Thank you! And sweet potato fries are my fav – especially with some chili powder sprinkled on top.

      Reply
  7. Ameena says

    September 8, 2011 at 11:57 am

    I recently tried the sliced goat cheese from Trader Joe’s and it is fabulous! If you haven’t tried it I highly recommend it – even Maya loved it!

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 9, 2011 at 8:06 am

      Mmmm…I haven’t looked for sliced goat cheese yet. That would be perfect in a hummus sandwich!

      Reply
  8. Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says

    September 9, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    I’ll still buy it occasionally, but I’m not a huge tempeh lover either. Tofu is way better!

    This week I made Angela’s tortilla soup from Oh She Glows. It was delicious and so easy to make!

    Reply
  9. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

    September 9, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    Newbie here!
    So glad to have stumbled on your blog – congrats on the wedding btw 🙂

    Reply
    • Parita says

      September 9, 2011 at 4:40 pm

      Hi Kiran! Welcome! And thanks – I’m super excited!!!

      Reply
  10. Meghana says

    September 15, 2011 at 9:10 am

    Those all look amazinggg! Want to try each one!

    Reply
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