Who doesn't love a list?

When I go grocery shopping, I list everything I just bought on my whiteboard (it's my "fresh" list) so that when I come home after a long day, I can look at what's there and get inspired, instead of griping, oh woe, nothing to eat. Somehow writing it down motivates me to cook, even though I'd see it all sitting there anyway upon opening the fridge.

I derive great satisfaction from crossing things off the list. I can't wait for the food to be gone, because then I get to go shopping again. I love picking out all the things I'm going to get. Plus, most of the time my fresh list is all fruits and veg and I'm proud of myself for eating all the good stuff and not letting it go to waste.

Sunday is my grocery day, so tomorrow morning I'll be heading out for a restock. Here's the latest version of the list. If I can find my dang camera cord, I'll document the new list tomorrow and post it here.

Swiss chard
Salad greens
Asian pears
Apples
Carrots
Miso
Eggs
Smoked salmon
Amy's frozen pesto pizza
Buttercup squash
Honey delicata squash
Lemons
Thyme
Shallots

I will definitely be getting some swiss chard again. It's so delicious. I braised it with some olive oil, shallots, a clove of garlic, a bit of thyme and lemon juice. It doesn't look that pretty when it's done, kind of an off-green and a bit clumpy, but it's really silky in your mouth, not stringy or mushy in the least, and it has this lovely rich garlicky smell that wafts up when you pop the lid off. MMM. Good cold weather food. And so easy to make. I just ate the whole bunch for my dinner, but this would be a great side dish with a juicy meatloaf, roast chicken, and especially lamb. Leftovers would also make a tasty filling for a quiche or omelet, with a bit of hard cheese thrown in.

Now, the carrots were also a big hit this week. I sauteed them with some shallots and then made a glaze/sauce for them with the miso paste. There are a number of kinds of miso out there, but I'm partial to what's typically labeled "mellow white." It's got a good salty-meets-tangy flavor and it has a lot of body to it. It's thick, and it looks like it would be really heavy, but when you mix it up with some other liquids it gets smooth and creamy and doesn't drop a hammer on your taste buds. All good sauce-making properties! I used a little bit of my latest batch of chicken stock (more on that later) and some water to thin it out. Then I added honey, ginger, salt and pepper, some lemon juice and zest, and poured it over the carrots and let it cook down for maybe 10-12 minutes, then finished it with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Very tasty, the carrots cooked just long enough to keep their bite and the sauce was a nice match for their natural sweetness. I think next time I'll use orange instead of lemon, and I'll try adding some chili sauce or powder to give it a little heat. Some garlic with the shallot might be good too.

I do still have some squash to use, however, which I'd been planning on turning into soup, but I think I may try roasting it instead with a miso sauce and see how that turns out.

I also need to get some meat. Lately, though, I've had a resistance to meat, and I don't know why. It's just that meat is such a diva. I go shopping and I look at the long counter filled with beef and pork and hunks of chicken and I feel like it's all just sitting there begging for a plan, wanting a whole meal created just for *it*. Right? You can't just pick up a piece of sirloin or pork chop without wondering: how will I season it, and what do I have to make a sauce, and I need potatoes, and so on and so forth. Meat, I say. I love you, but I don't have time for these shenanigans.

I think the solution is to take a page from cooky's book and work on some good one-pot meat and veg meals. Chili. Yeah! And curry for sure, which I've never made. I am going to make a trek here this week (perhaps a virtual trek, since I see that they are now powered by the mothership) and go hunting for new pantry items. (cooky, come with me!)