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…

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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…

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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!

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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? 

By Parita

0 thoughts on “WIAW: New to Me Meals”
  1. 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!

  2. 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. 🙂

    1. 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!

  3. 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!

  4. 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!

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